The Oldest Restaurant In Every US State You Can Still Visit

The U.S. is full of restaurants that are decades and even centuries old, so we've decided to uncover the oldest restaurants in every state. Many on our list are among the oldest restaurants in the U.S., while others are a little newer. Six are so old that they existed before the U.S. declared independence in 1776, with one more opening that year. 11 more opened before their territory gained statehood, with another opening the same year of statehood.

Many of the oldest restaurants in each state are in taverns, saloons, and inns. These were often among the few places people could find food with no chain restaurants around. Many were opened by immigrants who blended flavors from their cultures with the local cuisine. The oldest restaurants in every state managed to stand the test of time by being in good locations, modernizing over time, and becoming community traditions.

The Bright Star in Bessemer, Alabama, has served Greek and Southern food since 1907. Imagine Greek-style beef tips and Greek potatoes alongside Southern fried chicken and field peas. It started out with only 12 seats and moved twice in 1910 and 1913 to accommodate the many miners and steel-mill workers for lunch and the fine-dining evening crowd. Over the years, it's been owned by a collection of Greek cousins.

thebrightstar.com

(205) 426-1861

304 19th St N, Bessemer, AL 35020

The Historic Skagway Inn was built in 1897 for prospectors who found their way to Skagway during the Klondike Gold Rush before Alaska was a state. At the time, it provided lodging and booze, as well as being a brothel and restaurant for prospectors. The inn's restaurant is called Olivia's Bistro, and the menu features plenty of locally-sourced items like reindeer pepperoni flatbread and smoked burgers made with elk meat.

olivias-bistro.com

(907) 531-7630

655 Broadway, Skagway, AK 99840

If you find yourself on Whiskey Row in Prescott, you'll want to drop into the Palace Restaurant and Saloon, which has served everyone from miners to famous legends like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday since 1877. Predating statehood, it's also Arizona's oldest saloon, with its original wooden bar having been saved from a fire in 1900. Diners enjoy wild-West-themed dishes like chuck wagon chicken sandwiches and wrangler's Reubens.

thepalacerestaurantandsaloon.com

(928) 541-1996

120 S Montezuma St, Prescott, AZ 86303

If you happen to be passing through the small town of Camden, Arkansas, you'll find a steak restaurant that's been open since 1907 called the White House Cafe. A Greek immigrant opened it near the train depot, and eventually it became a common stopover for highway traffic. Kansas City-style steaks are still on the menu, along with seafood, chicken, Mexican-inspired dishes like its famous Irish nachos.

facebook.com/p/White-House-Cafe

(870) 836-2255

323 S Adams Ave, Camden, AR 71701

Three Croatian immigrants founded Tadich Grill in San Francisco in 1849, a year before statehood. It began life as a coffee stand in a tent on Long Wharf, but it also served charcoal-grilled fish. The restaurant has relocated and changed its name along the way, eventually becoming Tadich Grill. Today, the European bistro-style restaurant still serves fish and seafood, along with broiled meats, salads, French and Mediterranean dishes, and coffee drinks.

tadichgrillsf.com

(415) 391-1849

240 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Henry H. Zietz, a member of Buffalo Bill Cody's scout band, opened the Buckhorn Exchange in 1893. Located across from the Rio Grande railroad yard, it attracted all sorts of people from gamblers and miners to Native American chiefs and even president Theodore Roosevelt. The menu is meat-centric. Steak dinners remain the restaurant's specialty and are among the country's best. Plus, you can get buffalo, elk, quail, and other game and fish dishes with modern twists.

(303) 534-9505

buckhorn.com

1000 Osage St, Denver, CO 80204

The Griswold Inn opened the same year the U.S. declared independence from Great Britain, in 1776, taking in lodgers and feeding those who were in Essex, Connecticut, for various purposes. This included those building the Revolutionary War warship, the Oliver Cromwell. The "Gris" serves classics like New England baked haddock and steak alongside seasonal modern entrees like soy-ginger-glazed pork chop and seasonal sides such as grilled asparagus and braised greens with garlic.

griswoldinn.com

(860) 767-1776

36 Main St, Essex, CT 06426

Originally built in 1864 as a resort hotel, Kelly's Logan House in Willmington, Delaware, has provided food, drink, and lodging for a variety of legendary characters from Buffalo Bill to Al Capone. Plus, many celebrities have visited. It's been owned by the Kelly family for most of its history. Today's menu features casual dining options like wings, burgers, flatbread pizza, tots, nacho, and quesadillas.

loganhouse.com

(302) 652-9493

1701 Delaware Ave #2329, Wilmington, DE 19806

Columbia Restaurant began as Columbia Saloon in 1903, transforming into a restaurant in 1905. The original owner was a Spanish-Cuban immigrant, and the restaurant has passed through five generations. There are seven locations throughout Florida, but the original Ybor City area one remains open, serving cocktails, family wines, and a variety of Spanish and Cuban dishes. Dishes like its famed 1905 salad and Cuban sandwich have been around since the restaurant's early days.

columbiarestaurant.com

(813) 248-4961

2117 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605

When The Plaza Restaurant & Oyster Bar first opened in 1916, it only had 26 seats but has expanded over the years to accommodate everyone in Thomasville, Georgia, who loves to eat there. It's another restaurant whose owners' often-Greek heritage means that the casual and formal menus combine Southern fried chicken with Greek salad and Greek-style chicken. You'll find steak, chops, seafood, and Italian specialties as well.

thomasvilleplaza.com

(229) 226-5153

217 Broad St, Thomasville, GA 31792

Before Hawaii was a state, guests and diners were already eating at the Manango Hotel. The family-owned hotel opened in Captain Cook, Hawaii, in 1917. It was mainly a well-kept secret of the locals until it started attracting more tourists within the last 30 years. Menu choices include either sandwiches and one side or meat dishes (mostly seafood) with rice and three sides.

managohotel.com

(808) 323-2642

82-6155 Hawai'i Belt Rd, Captain Cook, HI 96704

In 1880, 10 years before Idaho's statehood, The Snake Pit began attracting all kinds of people coming through Kingston, Idaho, looking for food, booze, lodging, and women. Its location in a fork of the Coeur d'Alene River brought in loggers, miners, and people who stopped over via railway. Customers can choose from sandwiches, burgers, soup, salad, and shareables like nachos or wings. Plus, there's even a breakfast menu.

snakepitidaho.com

(208) 682-3453

1480 Coeur D'Alene River Rd, Kingston, ID 83839

Long Grove, Illinois, has been the home of The Village Tavern since 1847, although the family-owned restaurant has had other names like Zimmer Tavern and Wagon Shop. It has the type of food you'd expect from a tavern, like appetizers, ½-pound burgers, and sandwiches. However, there are also soups, salads, and house specialties like broasted chicken and even a German platter, honoring the town's German immigrant heritage.

villagetavernoflonggrove.org

(847) 634-3117

135 Old McHenry Rd, Long Grove, IL 60047

When The Log Inn was built in 1825, it was used as a stopping point for official stagecoach routes that came through the area. President Abraham Lincoln even visited the inn as a waypoint on a stagecoach journey that included a business meeting and visiting his mother's grave. Diners can either order a family-style dinner or order hors d'oeuvres, vegetables, salads, sandwiches, meats, or desserts a la carte.

theloginn.net

(812) 867-3216

12491 County Rd 200 E, Haubstadt, IN 47639

Six generations of the Breitbach family have owned Breitbach's Country Dining since 1852. It sits on the same site in Sherrill, Iowa, as the original restaurant that was destroyed twice in the early 2000s. Friday through Sunday, the restaurant offers an all-you-can-eat buffet full of country-style homemade items. There's also a lunch menu mainly consisting of hamburgers and sandwiches, as well as a dinner menu that adds full dinners.

breitbachscountrydining.com

(563) 552-2220

563 Balltown Rd, Sherrill, IA 52073

Seth Hays, who opened Hays House in 1857 before Kansas was a state, was the founder of the city of Council Grove as well as Daniel Boone's great-grandson. The original Hays House log cabin served as a place both to trade goods and eat before moving to its current location. Today's modern menu offers appetizers like chips and queso, pastas, and meat-centric entrees like chicken fried steak and beer-battered chicken tenders.

hayshouse.com

(620) 767-5911

112 W Main St, Council Grove, KS 66846

Having been around since 1779, The Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky, is the oldest stagecoach stop still standing. Travelers stopped here to rest, eat, and stay the night before Kentucky became a state. Diners enjoy appetizers, soups, and salads. Plus, many of its entrees feature the names of famous guests, like Lincoln's pulled pork platter, Jesse James NY Strip, and Alexander Walters salmon. NAACP co-founder Walters was actually born in the kitchen.

talbotttavern.com

(502) 348-3494

107 W Stephen Foster Ave, Bardstown, KY 40004

Five generations have served French-Creole cuisine at Antoine's in New Orlean's French Quarter since 1840. Jules Alciatore, the son of the original owner, came back from Paris to invent a variety of classic dishes, including Rockefeller Oysters and Pompano en Papillote. Guests like President Bill Clinton enjoy menu items including Louisiana seafood dishes like Gulf fish amandine, classics like filet mignon Oscar, and three-course dinners ending in desserts like tarte aux pêche.

antoines.com

(504) 581-4422

713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130

The Palace Diner in Bideford, Maine, is housed entirely in an old railway train car. In 1927, the original owners turned a Pollard train car into an iconic old-school diner with counter stools overlooking an open kitchen. The menu is small and features comfort diner food with modern twists. Both breakfast and lunch are served all day. So, there's everything from omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and flapjacks to burgers, tuna salad sandwiches, and fried chicken.

palacedinerme.com

(207) 284-0015

18 Franklin St, Biddeford, ME 04005

The Middleton Tavern has its roots in the colonial era, first opening in 1750 in Annapolis, Maryland. It was owned by a ferry operator who was required by law to provide lodging. Since the ferry was a shortcut between Philadelphia and Virginia, founding fathers like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin visited. A large portion of the menu features seafood, including a raw bar, sandwiches, and soup, along with entrees like crab Middleton, swordfish, and ribeye.

middletontavern.com

(410) 263-3323

2 Market Space, Annapolis, MD 21401

Boston, Massachusetts, is the home of the Union Oyster House. The Pre-Revolutionary building didn't become a seafood restaurant until 1826. It started as an oyster bar and was supposedly the first restaurant to serve clam chowder. It was frequented by both Daniel Webster and President John F. Kennedy. Today, diners enjoy chowders, salads, sandwiches, and entrees largely featuring oysters and other seafood dishes, along with a few meat and poultry dishes.

unionoysterhouse.com

(617) 227-2750

41 Union St, Boston, MA 02108

Several inns and taverns in Michigan vie for the status of being the oldest restaurant, but the New Hudson Inn appears to predate them all, having first opened in 1831, before statehood. It's another inn that was a stagecoach stop. Plus, it has a secret room thought to have harbored Underground Railroad travelers going through New Hudson. It's known for its customizable burgers. Plus, it offers a variety of mostly-fried appetizers, nachos, and sandwiches like Reubens.

newhudsoninn1831.com

(248) 437-6383

56870 Grand River Ave, New Hudson, MI 48165

In 1854, before Minnesota became a state, John Hubbell and Frank Mantor laid claim to what became Mantorville. Being on a stagecoach route, Mantor decided to open a hotel that he called Hubbell House. A variety of famous people including Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower relaxed here. The menu features salads, burgers, sandwiches, seafood, pasta, steaks, and Midwestern favorites like raspberry chicken and beef tips.

hubbellhouserestaurant.com

(507) 635-2331

502 N Main St, Mantorville, MN 55955

A Swiss immigrant named Felix Weidmann created Weidmann's in Meridian, Mississippi, in 1870. From the 1940s through the 1960s, it was open 24 hours a day. While the location has changed, many of the Southern menu items have remained the same. Granted, there have been some additions over the years. You'll find salads, sandwiches, pasta, chicken, seafood, and grilled items, with dishes like catfish Belvedere, boudin stuffed pork chops, and muffulettas. Plus, there's weekend brunch.

weidmanns1870.com

(601) 581-5770

210 22nd Ave, Meridian, MS 39301

Having its start in 1834, the J. Huston Tavern is the oldest restaurant West of the Mississippi River. It was originally the home of Joseph Huston, who started feeding and housing travelers heading West through Arrow Rock. The tavern and restaurant has some add-ons, including a mercantile store and additional dining. Diners enjoy salads, flatbreads, plates like hearty meat stew over noodles and fried chicken, burgers, and sandwiches. Plus, there's a brunch menu.

hustontavern.com

(660) 837-3200

305 Main St, Arrow Rock, MO 65320

Chinese immigrants Tam Kwong Yee and family member Hum Yow opened the Pekin Noodle Parlor in Butte, Montana, in 1911, serving Chinese immigrants, miners, and others living in the area. Today, it's still run by members of the same family. This James Beard Award winning restaurant has a Chinese-American menu, featuring plenty of favorites to mix and match, including chow mein, chop suey, noodle dishes, and rice dishes.

pekinnoodleparlor.com

(406) 782-2217

117 S Main St, Butte, MT 59701

Two Swiss immigrant brothers opened Glur's Tavern 1876 in Columbus, Nebraska, under the name Bucher Saloon. It's another restaurant with connections to Buffalo Bill Cody, who liked to visit. During Prohibition, it sold ice cream and root beer instead of alcohol. Today, there's a beer garden and even an outdoor area to play basketball and volleyball. The food is very much pub fare, featuring fried appetizers, its famous hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken strips, and various sandwiches.

facebook.com/Glurs-Tavern

(402) 564-8615

2301 11th St, Columbus, NE 68601

Sometime between 1898 and 1908 the Roman Tavern and Restaurant opened to serve Basque sheepherders in the Winnemucca, Nevada, area. A French couple bought it and changed the name to the Martin Hotel in 1913. Since the 1970s, it's been owned by Basque families, and dinners are served Basque-style. Customers can choose from Basque entrees, steaks, pasta, or other specialties, and it comes with soup, salad, sides, bread, wine, and dessert.

themartinhotel.com

(775) 623-3197

94 W Railroad St, Winnemucca, NV 89445

The Hancock Inn opened in 1789, serving travelers passing through Hancock, New Hampshire, on trade routes between Boston and Vermont. It contains casual and upscale dining rooms with different design concepts, and diners in the Formal Room should dress more formally. While it's possible to order canapés or á la carte items, there's also a four-course meal with seasonal choices like roasted squash, cave-aged cheddar and apple soup, pan-roasted duck, and elderflower custard.

innathancock.com

(603) 525-3318

33 Main St, Hancock, NH 03449

In Pittsgrove Township in southern New Jersey, you'll find the state's oldest restaurant. Ye Olde Centerton Inn was established in 1706 and has been serving visitors for three centuries and counting. Today, you'll find steak, chicken, pasta, seafood, and more on the menu, in addition to wine and cocktails. The Inn prides itself on sourcing locally grown food, as well as its wine list and thoughtful beverage pairings. It's open for dinner six nights a week, and reservations are required.

centertoninn.com

(856) 358-3201

1136 Almond Rd, Pittsgrove, NJ 08318

Diners were enjoying Spanish dishes at El Farol in Santa Fe before New Mexico was a state. The restaurant opened in 1835, and provides a place for people to gather and enjoy not only food but also Flamenco dinner shows on Friday and Saturday nights. The dinner shows come with a three-course meal. Diners can share Spanish tapas, enjoy large plates like paella, or opt for new Mexican favorites like green chile chicken enchiladas.

elfarolsantafe.com

(505) 983-9912

808 Canyon Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87501

The Old '76 House was built in 1668, making it the oldest restaurant on our list. It has quite a storied past, not just as a tavern, but also as a meeting place for those fighting against the British in the Revolutionary War. President George Washington visited here. Plus, it served as a prison for a British spy. Today's menu ranges from fish and chips and meat pies to burgers, sandwiches, and salads.

76house.com

(845) 359-5476

110 Main St, Tappan, NY 10983

Chapel Hill's Carolina Coffee Shop opened in 1922 as a soda shop next to the University of North Carolina's student post office, adding a food menu in the 1950s. The location and its welcoming atmosphere attracted students as well as locals, with alumni returning with fond memories. The shop serves cocktails, coffee, as well as brunch. Customers can order waffles, pancakes, omelets, along with trendy dishes like avocado toast and shrimp and grits.

carolinacoffeeshop.com

(919) 942-6875

138 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Peacock Alley has been a downtown gathering place for Bismark, North Dakota, residents and visitors since 1933. It's in the lobby of a hotel that opened in 1911 and added a restaurant after Prohibition. It has had a long line of presidential guests from President Theodore Roosevelt to President Lyndon B. Johnson. Diners can get soups, salads, sandwiches, smash burgers, and hoagies. However, there are also steaks and meat dishes like chicken marsala.

peacock-alley.com

(701) 221-2333

422 E Main Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

The Golden Lamb began as a stagecoach inn in 1878. It's had many famous guests, including Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Neil Armstrong, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and 12 presidents. There's enough history to merit museum rooms. The restaurant operates with a farm-to-table concept and even has its own farm. Its menu items are largely modern, with twists like sundried tomatoes and goat cheese in the shepherd's pie and paprika-infused honey with the pan-seared halibut.

goldenlamb.com

(513) 932-5065

27 S Broadway St, Lebanon, OH 45036

When Cattlemen's Steakhouse opened in 1910, it largely served the cattlemen of the Stockyard City area of Oklahoma City who came by to eat and drink. In its early days, it was popular for being a rare restaurant open after dark and offering handcrafted beer during Prohibition. Famous guests include John Wayne, Reba McEntire, and two presidents. The restaurant serves mainly steak but has other offerings like lamb fries and fried catfish.

cattlemensrestaurant.com

(405) 236-0416

1309 S Agnew Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73108

Huber's opened in 1879 as the Bureau Saloon but was renamed Huber's by a bartender named Frank Huber who bought the place from the original owner. He partnered with a Chinese immigrant named Louie Wei Fung, who brought a lot of personality to the place, sitting in a rowboat and serving sandwiches in little boats. The restaurant still serves its famous turkey sandwich, along with lots of other turkey and meat dishes and salads.

hubers.com

(503) 228-5686

411 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204

With a name like King George II Inn, you know Pennsylvania's oldest restaurant has been around a long time. It dates back to 1681, when the city of Bristol was founded, and it served as a headquarters for colonial general Cadwalader during the Revolutionary War. The menu includes soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and entrees like salmon Dijonnaise, blue-cheese-crusted filet mignon, and the King's chicken.

kginn.com

(215) 788-5536

102 Radcliffe St, Bristol, PA 19007

The White Horse Tavern is the second oldest restaurant on our list, having opened in 1673. It was built in 1652 as a home before it was converted into a tavern and colonial meeting place for government business. However, it didn't get its name until 1730. Along with soups, salads, and appetizers, the restaurant serves entrees like beef Wellington, confit duck legs, lobster ravioli, and even a vegetable farm plate.

whitehorsenewport.com

(401) 849-3600

26 Marlborough St, Newport, RI 02840

South Carolina's previously oldest restaurant was McCrady's Tavern, which endured from 1778 to 2019. After it closed, Columbia's Villa Tronco became the oldest, although it only opened in 1940, making it the youngest restaurant on our list. Sadie Tronco's fruit store transformed into an Italian restaurant after she started making spaghetti and meatballs for soldiers of Italian descent stationed nearby. It serves Italian dishes like lasagna, fettuccine, ravioli, pizza, and more.

villatronco.com

(803) 256-7677

1213 Blanding St, Columbia, SC 29201

The steakhouse is located inside the Franklin Hotel, which opened in 1903, serving those mining for gold in Deadwood, South Dakota. The hotel had everything from a barber to a cigar store, attracting people for its amenities and food. Plenty of celebrities and presidents have been here, from Wild Bill Hickok and Babe Ruth to John Wayne and President Theodore Roosevelt. The menu features salads, chicken, seafood, pasta, steaks, and chops.

silveradofranklin.com

(605) 578-3670

709 Main St, Deadwood, SD 57732

Varallo's began as a chili parlor in 1907 when Italian immigrant Frank Varallo Sr. needed another way to support himself after an accident ended his music career. While there were other chili parlors in the area, Varallo's stayed popular through its friendly atmosphere and having other great dishes on offer. Diners can order chili 10 different ways in addition to an all-day breakfast menu, sandwiches, spaghetti, fried chicken, fried catfish, and salads.

varallosrestaurants.com

(615) 256-1907

239 4th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219

Before Scholz Garten served food and drink, it was a boarding house. A German immigrant bought it in 1866 after serving in the Civil War. His biergarten became a popular place for the German population of Austin, Texas, to gather, and was helped along by a bowling alley opening next door. The restaurant's menu includes sandwiches, burgers, sausages, wursts, and German side dishes like spätzel and rotkohl. Plus, there are plenty of live events.

scholzgarten.com

(512) 474-1958

1607 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701

When The Bluebird opened in 1914, it was a candy and ice cream shop. It later moved to its current building, and many Logan, Utah, residents have fond memories of eating and celebrating there. It's been temporarily closed while undergoing renovation, restoration, and expansion since 2020 but shall return. The menu tends to feature salads, classic sandwiches, steak, seafood, all sorts of chicken, as well as ice cream treats.

facebook.com/thebluebirdrestaurant1914

(435) 752-3155

19 Main St, Logan, UT 84321

Ye Olde Tavern appeared in Manchester Center, Vermont, in 1790, before Vermont was allowed to become a state. It had a few other names and didn't become Ye Olde Tavern until the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial. One interesting feature is a third-floor ballroom with a spring floor to absorb impact from dancing. The kitchen serves traditional favorites like pot roast and chicken pot pie along with poultry, steak, seafood, other meats, and pasta.

yeoldetavern.net

(802) 362-0611

5183 Main St, Manchester Center, VT 05255

The Red Fox Inn & Tavern first opened in 1728 in colonial U.S. It's centrally located in Middleburg, Virginia, and on the Ashby Gap trade route. Famous visitors include President George Washington, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Elizabeth Taylor. Menu items are seasonal and mostly local, with dishes showcasing the game and seafood of the area. Its multiple-course dinners include items like buttermilk glazed fried rabbit and creamy charred corn risotto.

redfox.com

(540) 687-6301

2 E Washington St, Middleburg, VA 20117

Washington's Horseshoe Cafe opened before statehood in 1886. At the time, many people were in Bellingham working as fishermen, loggers, and coal miners. So, it started out selling everything from fishing and hunting supplies to tobacco, alcohol, and food. Today, it serves normal cafe fare, like breakfast, burgers, fries, tots, sandwiches, chicken strips, soups, and salads.

horseshoecafe.com

(360) 933-4301

113 E Holly St, Bellingham, WA 98225

When the North End Tavern & Brewery opened in 1899, it was just a small local pub in Parkersburg, West Virginia. But it has grown over the years, helped along by its friendly atmosphere, beer, and excellent German-American menu. The menu contains pub-style appetizers, salads, sandwiches, German sausages, and its city-famous burgers. Of course, there's also plenty of beer from the brewery.

netbrewery.com

(304) 428-5854

3500 Emerson Ave, Parkersburg, WV 26104

The Red Circle Inn opened in 1848 as the Nashotah Inn, which was the same year Wisconsin became a state. Being located next to the train station helped its popularity, and it gained its current name in 1889. Diners can enjoy steaks, chops, and comfort dishes like fried chicken, beef stroganoff, burgers, and shareable sides. The restaurant offers a family-style dinner on Sundays, and there are always ice cream drinks.

redcircleinn.com

(262) 367-4883

N44W33013 Watertown Plank Rd, Nashotah, WI 53058

The Miners and Stockmen's Steakhouse and Spirits opened in 1862 when Hartville, Wyoming, was a mining boomtown before statehood. It's rumored to have served alcohol during Prohibition and to have ghosts. The steaks here are all USDA Prime-grade ones, and the restaurant brags that people come from other states to enjoy their quality for the price. The restaurant also serves salads, soup, sides, and desserts.

wyomingsoldestbar.com

(307) 836-2008

608 Main St, Hartville, WY 82215