The Haunted Hunter Steakhouse

Posted: 02.15.2025 | Updated: 02.15.2025

San Diego holds an enticing allure for those who have never been to what has been referred to as the birthplace of California. It’s where contemporary urban lifestyle meets the sunny beach life with near-perfect temperatures year round. It also continues to attract anyone in search of a good ghost story. 

They may find themselves visiting Hunter Steakhouse, located at 1221 Vista Way in Oceanside. It presents everything one could expect from a top-notch restaurant. There’s one small characteristic that makes it stand out above all the rest, however. It stands on the land of a disturbed mass grave. Anyone hungry? 

There’s a darker side to San Antonio filled with ghosts and the unknown. Ready to see them up close and personal? Visit our website today and book a ghost tour with River City Ghosts! In the meantime, be sure to also check our blog for more chilling stories from its haunted locations.

Is the Hunter Steakhouse Haunted?

The Hunter Steakhouse has a troubling past, not within the building itself but on the land it stands on. It was once the site of a forgotten and abandoned cemetery. Now, decades after it was disturbed, many of its permanent residents are determined to ensure this act of desecration doesn’t remain dead and buried. 

History of the Hunter Steakhouse

The Hunter Steakhouse was established in San Diego in the 1970s. Its exact history is left to ambiguity, but it is instead the troubling history of the land it’s built on that seems to turn heads.

It began with the construction of Highway I-5 in the early 60s as San Diego continued to develop. Workers discovered something during construction or rediscovered something rather: the city’s aged Buena Vista Cemetery overlooking the Buena Vista lagoon. 

It was used between 1888 and 1916, with an estimated 50 bodies laid to rest in its grounds. However, it was abandoned in 1929 with the building of Ocean View Cemetery. Long forgotten, its tombstones eroded or misplaced, the Buena Vista Cemetery remained inconspicuously hidden in silence for over 40 years. 

Freeway Construction Discoveries

That is until construction for I-5 went underway. At least 17 bodies were disinterred and relocated to El Camino Memorial Park in Sorrento Valley. What added as much intrigue to the discoveries as it did macabre is that the bodies were said to be in near-perfect condition.

One of the bodies removed showed almost no signs of decay. The flower in the deceased man’s hand still had much of its color. On one occasion, a glass coffin was found containing the body of a red-haired woman dressed in 1800s attire and in near-perfect condition as well. The workers, afraid she would just be discarded without a proper burial, reburied her further down the lagoon. 

The property’s developer allegedly found more bodies but, determined to meet a deadline, covered up what he saw in every figurative and literal sense. A final discovery was made by the Texaco oil company in 1991 when they unearthed and relocated five more bodies.

Does the sad story of the residents of Buena Vista Cemetery end there, however? The many staff and patrons who have experienced the overwhelming number of inexplicable phenomena at Hunter Steakhouse would say far from it. 

Hauntings Overview

Hunter Steakhouse has been plagued for years with the restless spirits of those once buried in the disturbed land the building now sits on. 

Staff and patrons have reported a number of inexplicable happenings: ghostly figures, objects moving on their own, power surges, cold spots, and, even more unsettling, hearing their names called. 

Much of the restaurant’s activity has been known to emanate from the second floor, where an apparition was seen floating from the fireplace. A hostile presence has also been felt in certain areas, such as the downstairs storage room. 

Maritza Skandunis, a renowned ghost hunter, was invited by a friend in 2006 to conduct her own investigation. Through the use of audio equipment, she picked up what felt like a male presence in the storage room, and it had a particular hostility toward women. “Get out. Don’t talk to her!” was among the several responses she received. 

She then asked if where she was standing used to be the men’s room, to which the spirit replied, “Yes.” There is still one spirit known to haunt Hunter Steakhouse. One whose very appearance would have your hair standing on end.

The Lady in Black

An apparition simply known as “the lady in black” has been seen roaming the Hunter Steakhouse over the years. The startling figure dressed in 1800s attire has even been seen outside the building by witnesses. The common belief in her identity has to do with what workers found when grading the land the restaurant sits on years earlier. 

Countless bodies were discovered when construction and grading went underway for I-5 and other businesses, such as Hunter Steakhouse. Among them was a glass coffin containing the body of a woman dressed in 1800s attire. The grave, along with her near-perfect condition, was so unique that workers decided to bury her body further down the lagoon in secrecy. 

The connection between her and the startling discovery made over 40 years ago: possibly none. However, one small detail that stands out about the body previously discovered by the workers is that not only was she dressed in 1800s attire, but it was all in black. 

Haunted San Diego 

It’s almost impossible not to fall in love with San Diego and all the city has to offer. From taking a stroll to its number of venues and attractions to its world-famous beach life wrapped in near-perfect weather, San Diego is a city that one can easily call home, especially the spectral residents that linger here. 

Such is the case at the Hunter Steakhouse, located at 1221 Vista Way in Oceanside. In addition to its delicious variety of menu items and world-class service, Hunter Steakhouse is also known for providing a welcoming atmosphere for both the living and the dead. It goes back to the troubling history of the land it stands on, a history that is far less appetizing. 

There’s a darker side to sunny San Diego, filled with ghosts, ghouls, and tales of the unknown. Come experience them for yourself on a one-of-a-kind ghost tour through San Diego’s most haunted locations with San Diego Ghosts! Be sure to visit our website today and book now. Until then, read up on our blog for more teeth-chattering stories, and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Sources:

• https://sdghosts.com/
• https://visitoceanside.org/blog/5-haunted-spots-in-oceanside/
• https://hiddensandiego.com/buena-vista-cemetery.php
• https://thecoastnews.com/ghost-hunters-examine-paranormal-past-of-north-county/
• https://shorturl.at/t0Cyw
• https://historiesandmysteries.blog/tag/hunter-steakhouse/