People have been serving food to weary travels from their homes basically forever, but the first real restaurants/inns/taverns did not open in America until the 17th century. Most of the restaurants on this list have been open for over 150 years, with some of the oldest on this list predating the formation of the United States.
As of November 2019, all of the restaurants on this list are still open for business.
Tadich Grill....
Year Established:1849
Original Owner: Nikola Budrovich, Frano Costa, and Antonio Gasparich
Location: San Francisco, California
Cuisine Type:Seafood
The restaurant did not get its name until 1887 when it was purchased by John Tadich. Tadich ran the Tadich Grill until it was sold to the Buich family in 1928. The Buich family have owned and operated Tadich Grill since then and moved the restaurant to its current location in 1967.
Original Owner: Antoine Alciatore
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Cuisine Type:Traditional Louisiana Creole
Of all the restaurants on this list, Antoine’s is the only one that has been continuously owned and operated by the same family since it first opened in 1840. Antoine’s was established by its namesake Antione Alciatore, a French immigrant who felt at home in the French-speaking city of New Orleans. Alciatore continued to run the restaurant until 1875 and his wife Julie Freyss Alciatore took over.
Since then, Antoine’s Restaurant has been passed down to Alciatore’s descendants. Since 2005, Antoine’s has been managed by family member Rick Blount, who renovated the building and updated the menu to help revive the restaurant’s popularity.
Original Owner: William Mayes Sr.
Cuisine Type: Traditional American
The White Horse Tavern first opened in 1673, over 346 years ago, making it the oldest restaurant (and bar/tavern) in America. It is also recognized as the 10th oldest restaurant still operating in the world. Since the White Horse Tavern building was so large it was also used as the meeting place for the Colony’s General Assembly, Criminal Court, and City Council.
In 1952, White Horse Tavern was showing extreme wear and was close to demolition, but was saved by the Van Bueren family of Newport who donated money to restore the building. Most recently, in 2014, the White Horse Tavern was acquired by its ninth owner.
Union Oyster House
Year Established:1826
Original Owner: Hawes Atwood
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Cuisine Type:Traditional New England fare and seafood
Union Oyster House claims that it is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the U.S. because it has been operating out of its original building since 1826. Union Oyster House’s building is even older than this, dating back to at least 1714 and was used for various other businesses before becoming a restaurant.
Surprisingly, Union Oyster House has not really changed its menu and has pretty much always had an oyster bar. Besides seafood, Union Oyster House also serves traditional New England cuisine, including various meats and baked beans.
Supposedly, using toothpicks in America was first popularized at Union Oyster House.
You know your guests already love spinach dip, so how about serving it up to them in a whole new way with this easy, no-cook appetizer recipe? Our Spinach Dip Rollups are so creamy, and the bacon bits really pump up their flavor. Just wait till ya see how fast they'll make 'em disappear!
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
- 2 (2-ounce) jars diced roasted red bell peppers, drained well
- 1 (3-ounce) package bacon bits
- 5 (10-inch) flour tortillas
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and lemon juice; mix well. Stir in spinach, roasted bell peppers, and bacon bits.
- Spread mixture on tortillas, distributing evenly. Roll up jellyroll fashion; wrap each in plastic wrap.
- Chill 1 to 2 hours, or until ready to serve. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and serve.
