Union Oyster House Culture / Historic Bar / Restaurant

Downtown / Financial District, Boston –

The oldest continually operating restaurant in the country, Union Oyster House has been forking up its namesake mollusk since 1826 in a building so old that nobody is quite sure when it was built.

A major tourist hotspot, the bi-level venue’s main draw is the small ground floor oyster bar, where boisterous out-of-towners settle in along the curved counter to knock back half-shells and molasses-infused Colonial Ale, taking the time to peruse the murals of colonial Boston and clippings from The Massachusetts Spy, a newspaper published upstairs in the 1770s.

Larger parties of seafood seekers take over the narrow wooden booths or head to the adjacent Freedom Trail dining room, where history buffs gape at detailed artwork describing the American Revolution.

Patrons just looking for a pint of Sam Adams will find it in the Union Bar, a slightly more modern drinking den on the same floor, while shoppers can satiate their needs with a trip to the gift shop.

A narrow stairway leads to three equally historic dining spaces, usually filled with camera flashes as families pose by the wooden booth that was reportedly President John F. Kennedy’s favorite, and diners of all ages tear into fish, lobster, and oysters.

Although a section of the upstairs is named for Louis Philippe – the French king who lived in exile on the second floor prior to taking the throne – patrons looking for authenticity can rest assured that the food at Union Oyster House – from the signature shellfish to the clam chowder – is decidedly New England.