List of the oldest restaurants in the United States
This list of the oldest restaurants in the United States includes 18 currently-operating restaurants that were founded prior to the year 1900. Two-thirds of the establishments are located in the Northeastern United States, ten of them predate the Civil War, and two precede the Revolutionary War.
Disputes
In 2017, credible evidence was uncovered that indicates New York's legendary Katz’s Delicatessen might have been founded in 1911, rather than the popular claim of 1888.[1]
Closures
The Jacob Wirth Restaurant founded in 1868 operated for 150 years before permanently closing on June 9, 2018, after a fire damaged the building.[2][3]
On January 12, 2019, another Boston landmark Durgin-Park closed its doors after operating for nearly 192 years, one of America’s oldest restaurants founded in 1827.[4]
Oldest restaurants in the United States
Year of opening | Age (years) | Restaurant | Opened by | City | State | GPS | Claim to fame | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1673 | 351 | White Horse Tavern | William Mayes, Sr. | Newport | Rhode Island | 41.491340, −71.313755 | Oldest restaurant in America | [5][6][7][8] |
1762 | 262 | Fraunces Tavern | Samuel Fraunces | New York | New York | 40.703429, −74.011386 | Oldest standing structure in Manhattan | [5][9][10][8] |
1776 | 248 | The Griswold Inn | Sala Griswold | Essex | Connecticut | 41.351399, −72.386863 |
Oldest Inn in America | [5][11][12][8] |
1785 | 239 | Gadsby's Tavern | John Wise | Alexandria | Virginia | 38.805556, −77.043889 (second tavern on site built 1785, enlarged in 1792, first tavern on site Mason's Ordinary opened in 1749) |
Historic Confederation/Federalist Period tavern & ballroom | [13] |
1826 | 198 | Union Oyster House | Hawes Atwood | Boston | Massachusetts | 42.361264, −71.056972 | Oldest continuously-operated restaurant in America |
[5][14][8] |
1831 | 193 | New Hudson Inn | Unknown | New Hudson | Michigan | 42.511601, −83.614844 | Oldest business in Michigan | [15] |
1834 | 190 | J. Huston Tavern | Joseph Huston, Sr. | Arrow Rock | Missouri | 39.0675, −92.945 | Oldest continuously serving restaurant west of the Mississippi River | [16][17][18] |
1840 | 184 | Antoine's | Antoine Alciatore | New Orleans | Louisiana | 29.956685, −90.066437 | Oldest family-run restaurant in America | [5][19][20][8] |
1849 | 175 | Tadich Grill | Nikola Budrovich Frano Kosta Antonio Gasparich |
San Francisco | California | 37.793401, −122.399463 (moved here in 1967) |
Oldest continuously running restaurant in San Francisco | [5][21][8] |
1852 (August 23) |
172 | Breitbach's Country Dining | founder unknown | Balltown | Iowa | 42.639032, −90.869178 | Oldest restaurant in Iowa | [5][22][8] |
1854 | 170 | McSorley's Old Ale House | John McSorley | New York City | New York | 40.728860, −73.989610 | [23] | |
1856 | 168 | Old Ebbitt Grill | William Ebbitt | Washington | District of Columbia | 38.897996, −77.033393 (moved here in 1983) |
Oldest saloon in Washington | [24][8] |
1857 | 167 | Gluek's Restaurant & Bar | Gottlieb Gluek | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 44.979311, −93.274256 | Oldest continuously-operated business in Minneapolis |
[25][8] |
1860 | 164 | McGillin's Olde Ale House | Catherine McGillin William McGillin |
Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 39.950271, −75.162615 | Oldest bar in Philadelphia | [5][26][8] |
1861 | 163 | The Old Clam House | founder unknown | San Francisco | California | 37.743160, −122.404898 | Oldest restaurant in San Francisco continuously-operated in the original location | [27][28] |
1864 | 160 | Pete's Tavern | founder unknown | New York | New York | 40.736475, −73.986755 | Oldest continuously-operated bar in New York City |
[29][8] |
1870 | 154 | Claudio's | Manuel Claudio | Greenport | New York | 41.101850, −72.358967 | Oldest restaurant continuously-owned by the same family (until 2018) |
[30][8] |
1885 | 139 | Tivoli Bar and Grill | San Diego | California | Oldest bar/restaurant in San Diego | [31][32] | ||
1885 | 139 | Keens Steakhouse | Albert Keen | New York | New York | 40.750799, −73.986423 | Only remaining business of what was the Herald Square Theater District |
[33][8] |
1887 | 137 | Browne’s Irish Market & Deli | Ed and Mary Flavin | Kansas City | Missouri | Oldest Irish business in North America Oldest retail business in Kansas City |
[34][35][36] | |
1887 | 137 | Peter Luger Steak House | Peter Luger | Brooklyn | New York | 40.709863, −73.962486 | New York’s top-rated Zagat steakhouse |
[37][8] |
1888 | 136 | Katz's Delicatessen | Morris Iceland Hyman Iceland |
New York | New York | 40.722324, −73.987324 (moved here in 1970) |
New York’s oldest deli | [38][8] |
1893 (November 17) |
131 | Buckhorn Exchange | Henry Zietz | Denver | Colorado | 39.732268, −105.005193 | First liquor license in Colorado | [5][39][8] |
1893 | 131 | Commander's Palace | Emile Commander | New Orleans | Louisiana | 29.928764, −90.084240 | Oldest continuously-operated restaurant in Uptown New Orleans |
[40][41][8] |
1895 | 129 | Louis' Lunch | Louis Lassen | New Haven | Connecticut | 41.306439, −72.930445 | Inventing the hamburger | [5][42][8] |
References
- ^ Moss, Robert (May 9, 2017). "How Old is Katz's Deli?". RobertFMoss.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Hurwitz, Marc (June 9, 2018). "Jacob Wirth Restaurant in Boston's Theater District Closed After Fire in Building". BostonRestaurants.blogspot.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Stendahl, Max (August 21, 2018). "Jacob Wirth, billed as Boston's second-oldest restaurant, is being sued for eviction". BizJournals.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Choe, Jonathan (January 3, 2019). "Historic Boston Restaurant to Serve Last Customer". NECN.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Top 10 oldest restaurants in America". Fox News. November 21, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Jefferys, David (August 3, 2017). "An Evening at the Oldest Bar in America". CNTraveler.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "America's Oldest Tavern". WhiteHorseNewport.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Ashraf, Syjil (May 2, 2012). "America's Oldest Restaurants". The Daily Meal. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "Fraunces Tavern". FrauncesTavern.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "Fraunces Tavern Museum". Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "The Griswold Inn (1776)". HistoricBuildingSCT.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Libov, Charlotte (September 21, 1986). "Two Ancient Inns Claim to be the Oldest". New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "Gadsby's Tavern" (PDF). HABS #VA-100 HABS VA 7 Alex 19. May 6, 1941. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "Union Oyster House". National Park Service. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "New Hudson Inn represents Michigan on a distinguished businesses list". Deadline Detroit.
- ^ https://mostateparks.com/page/54070/dining
- ^ https://missourilife.com/j-huston-tavern/
- ^ https://www.boonvilledailynews.com/news/20190816/indoor-dining-and-fried-chicken-are-back-at-j-huston-tavern-after-may-fire
- ^ "History of Antoine's". Antoines.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "Antoine's, New Orleans' Oldest Restaurant". LouisianaTravel.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "Our Story". TadichGrill.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Hutchinson-Schuster, Heather (January 1, 2017). "Breitbach's Country Dining". JuliensJournal.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "History – McSorley's Old Ale House". Mcsorleysoldalehouse.com. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- ^ "The Oldest Saloon in Washington". Ebbitt.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Brooks, Jay (August 6, 2010). "No More Gluek Beer". brookstonbeerbulletin.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "History". McGillins.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "About The Old Clam House | 299 Bayshore Blvd San Francisco CA, 94124". www.theoldclamhousesf.com. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ Wilkey, Robin (2012-02-28). "The Old Clam House, San Francisco Restaurant, Turns 150 (PHOTOS)". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ "The Urban Lens: Visiting Gramercy's Pete's Tavern, where O. Henry penned 'The Gift of the Magi'". 6sqft.com. December 21, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Gianotti, Peter (March 28, 2018). "Claudio's in Greenport sold to new owners after 148 years". Newsday. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Sauer, Kelly (9 May 2014). "East Village bar faves". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ^ Maher, Mackenzie (23 October 2014). "6 Dive Bars That Have Been Around Longer Than 30 Years". Eater San Diego. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ^ "History of Keens". Keens.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ https://www.kmbc.com/article/the-oldest-irish-owned-business-in-america-is-right-here-in-kansas-city/19450619
- ^ https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/welcome-to-browne-s-irish-marketplace-the-oldest-irish-business-in-america-1.3823389
- ^ https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2009/06/01/daily49.html
- ^ "Our Story". PeterLuger.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Friedman, Noah (April 1, 2017). "The owner of New York's oldest deli explains how Katz's is able to sell 15,000 pounds of pastrami a week". Business Insider. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "The unique history of the Buckhorn Exchange". 9News. November 15, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Andserson, Brett (January 30, 2012). "Commander's Palace: The Times-Picayune covers 175 years of New Orleans history". NOLA.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Cuter, Anne (November 23, 2015). "Famed New Orleans restaurant 'Commander's Palace' discovers century-old secret". WGNO. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Rogers, Owen. "Louis' Lunch and the Birth of the Hamburger". ConnecticutHistory.org. Retrieved February 2, 2019.