Nightmare Cafe

Nightmare Toys is a great spot for holiday shopping in the Arts District, especially if you're into retro and horror-themed collectibles. The owners recently took the concept a step further with the Nightmare Cafe, a next-door bar with a sinister side and eye-catching, hand-painted murals. You may see a few scary movies or Addams Family reruns on the TVs above the bar, along with the latest game, but the real show is on the menu. Try one of three Mourge-aritas or an Invisible Man-hattan. Cocktails based on the seven deadly sins are in the works, along with some exclusive beers from local breweries. For now, you can't go wrong with the Purple People Eater, which makes good use of naturally purple Empress Gin. The food, which skews toward Southern favorites, is nearly as creative, especially the Blair Waffle Project, made with black squid-ink waffles, plump fried chicken, and blood-red hot honey sauce. The space was formerly an auto garage and the roll-up doors welcome a lot of natural light during the day to balance out all that spookiness.
How to book: Just walk in.