Union Oyster House, Boston

Since 1826 the Union Oyster House has been serving customers, making it the oldest restaurant in continuous operation in the US. There are no records showing when the building was constructed, but there was a clothing store in this facility as far back as 1742.

I only ate here once, it was one New Years Eve when freezing temperatures limited our time outdoors and huge cover charges at neighboring establishments ($50+) limited our time indoors. We ducked in here and had some calamari and other appetizers along with several pints of beer to warm us up. Seemed like many others in the crowd were doing the same!

We went to Union Oyster House for dinner, and thank god we had reservations, wait time for those who did not was 90 minutes. Once inside, we were treated with the best service and food to match. Our fiesty waitress was great, and the whole staff is full of life. It was a real treat for us. Dinner was fantastic, the clam chowder was the best I have ever tasted. Dinner was good, although it was fairly pricy. Great overall

Biggest disappointment. We were looking for authentic lobster meal and prepared to pay for it. Someone recommended Green Dragon, but we did not see it around the corner. This one had been heavily advertised and I ordered the Shore Dinner: my daughter ate the chowder and I got the onion soup which was cold and salty; stuffing for lobster was like dry crackers; waitress forgot potatoes and never returned to see if we got them. Lobster cost $45.00! Waitress tried to give us extra dessert - no thanks!

The oldest continuously operating Restaurant in the U.S. The Oyster house has been serving Bostonians since 1826 non stop. I don't know anybody from Boston who hasn't eaten here at least once. I am hardly an expert on oysters, but friends tell me these are the best.

The atmosphere is very relaxed. When you enter you'll think you're in a boat. The decor is beautiful (mostly wood) .

Favorite Dish: The oysters at this place are always fresh and oh so tasty! If you want seafod, oysters in particular, this is the place to go. I've been to many seafood places in Boston over the years, and I think no other place compares to Union Oyster house.

Union Oyster House is probably the #1 restaurant tourists are told to visit in Boston. You might think this is an excellent reason to avoid it entirely... but I actually recommend that you bite the bullet and eat here. Why? Great food, good atmosphere and a real sense of history. Go for dinner, when there are fewer tourists standing around the lobby gawking.

Union Oyster House was established in 1826 and is a National Historic Landmark. It's the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the USA. Trivia related to Union Oyster House:

-- In 1771, from this site, printer Isaiah Thomas published "The Massachusetts Spy," the oldest newspaper in the USA.

-- The restaurant once served as an official "pay station" for Federal troops during the revolutionary war.

-- In 1796, the future King of France, Louis Philippe, lived on the second floor while in exile from his country.

-- Daniel Webster used to dine here, as did John F. Kennedy (his regular booth is marked with a plaque).

Favorite Dish: The cornbread here is fantastic!! Make sure you order some. I ordered the lobster ravioli (which the waitress claimed was the most popular dish served there) and it was amazing. Rich and buttery. They also have several lobster specials and a number of excellent fish dishes. If you're not a fan of fish, the Caesar salad and blackened chicken breast are just the thing.

This restaurant was in a good location for us, and we really enjoyed the food. The service could've been better. We weren't sure if we just had high expectations since we're from the south. We thought maybe we were overreacting since our server was not so friendly, but I think our server was just rude. She was actually throwing our food at us & would run off before asking if there was anything else we needed, so we had a hard time catching her attention. This picture was taken in the booth that John F. Kennedy always sat at when he dined here.

Favorite Dish: The clam chowder is wonderful!

You gotta love the Union Oyster House - the oldest restaraunt in continuous operation in America! Amazing corn bread comes before every meal, fresh fish specials, Oyster bar, in a gorgeous old building a short walk from North station, the North End, and Quincy Market.

Two of my most favorite Boston restaurants specialize in seafood. The first is called the Union Oyster House. The Lobster plate is one of the best in the North East, and the shrimp bar has gotten rave reviews.

The second is 'Turner Fisheries.' In both cases, the food is wonderful.

I'm told that a place called 'Joe's American bar and grill' has some great New England Clam Chowder, but I have yet to experience it myself.
The Union Oyster House is decorated with various items usually only found on fishing boats, or out at sea. The Union Oyster House is also the spot where our fore-fathers met while planning the Boston Tea Party. The Oyster House is located along the 'Freedom Trail.'

Favorite Dish: Lobster.

Union Oyster House
The oldest continuously operating restaurant in America has two big claims to fame: French King Louis-Phillipe lived over the tavern during his youth, and the toothpick was first used here (wonder how they know that?). The food looked good too, and there were a lot of people eating oysters, at what they say is 'one of Boston's best raw bars.'

Favorite Dish: We didn't eat here, but I would have had clam chowder and raw oysters. We get great Gulf oysters in Texas all the time, and during happy hour they are only 25 cents each, so I wasn't anxious to pay $2.95 EACH.