Union Oyster House

The overview

America's oldest continuously operating restaurant

The Union Oyster House has served since 1826, making it the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States. Housed in a pre-Revolutionary building on the Freedom Trail, its semicircular oyster bar — where Daniel Webster downed brandy and oysters by the plate — sits in its original position, shucking the same way nearly two centuries on.

Beyond the history, the kitchen turns out Yankee seafood: clam chowder, lobster, and shore dinners served in low-ceilinged, booth-lined rooms that have hosted senators, presidents, and Kennedys.

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

Google Maps
Reviews, photos & directions Read reviews →

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. Union Oyster House cleared every one.

✓Years in operation. Operating in Boston since 1826 — 199 years of continuous business.
✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Boston.
✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Boston has kept Union Oyster House busy for 199 years.
✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Boston regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
✓Recognition in the local community. Named best historic restaurant in Boston for 2025 for shucking oysters at the same semicircular bar since 1826.

The full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Historic Restaurant in Boston Boston, MA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for Union Oyster House →

Visit Union Oyster House

Websiteunionoysterhouse.com ↗

Location41 Union St, Boston, MA 02108

In business since1826

Find them onTripadvisor · Yelp

Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about Union Oyster House — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

Legal / trading name: Union Oyster House
Category: Restaurant
Founded: 1826, Boston, MA
Location: Boston, MA
Centurion Award: Best Historic Restaurant in Boston — 2025
Record last verified: July 2026

A signal you can check.

This is a dated award record, published by The Centurion Awards after Union Oyster House cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions.

What is Union Oyster House?

Serving since 1826, the Union Oyster House is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States.

Is Union Oyster House award-winning?

Yes — Union Oyster House is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Historic Restaurant in Boston, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best historic restaurant in Boston for 2025 for shucking oysters at the same semicircular bar since 1826.

Where is Union Oyster House?

Union Oyster House is in Boston, MA.