One of the best old-school restaurants in the country is here in Massachusetts
Sometimes an old-school dining experience is exactly what diners want, and those who live in Massachusetts can find one of the best classic restaurants right in their backyard.
USA Today recently compiled a list of the best old-school restaurants in America, featuring all kinds of establishments "from swoon-worthy bakeries and famous steakhouses to the oldest restaurant in the country."
The Massachusetts eatery that made the cut was Union Oyster House in Boston , which is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2026 . The restaurant, which is considered the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the U.S., is known for its historic interior and artifacts, signature oyster bar and award-winning clam chowder.
"When you dine at the Union Oyster House, you may get the feeling that you're in a museum surrounded by artifacts from throughout the world. It's not far from the truth," Wicked Local reporter Joanna Tzouvelis wrote of the restaurant. "You'll want to try the complimentary homemade cornbread, clam chowder, local seafood and, of course, oysters."
While no municipal records document the exact date the building was constructed, Union Street itself was laid out in 1636, according to the restaurant's website . The building housed importer Hopestill Capen's Dry Goods, a clothing business, in 1742.
Over the next century, the building was home to multiple significant operations and notable residents. Capen's Dry Goods store occupied the space until 1826, when two men in the oyster harvesting business turned the space into a restaurant called Atwood and Bacon.
The Fitzgerald family purchased Atwood and Bacon in 1913 and changed the name to Union Oyster House. In 1940, the Greaves brothers took over, and 30 years later sold it to the Milano family, who have owned Union Oyster House ever since.
MassLive recently caught up with Joseph "Joe" Milano, current owner of Union Oyster House, to talk about the restaurant's 200th anniversary. Milano recounted visits from several U.S. presidents, famous actors and legendary singers.
Aside from Union Oyster House's ever-growing list of celebrity patrons and longstanding history, Milano said the key to his restaurant's success has been the staff and their dedication to providing top-tier service and food.
"It creates an incredible synergy amongst everybody in doing what they do," Milano said. "I'm a very passionate person in the sense of working and working with them, because primarily they're the ones who represent the sales force or (are) in the kitchen. But I enjoy it. It's a lot of theater in that sense, but it's fun, and it's great to be part of such an institution."
Union Oyster House is located at 41 Union St., Boston. The eatery is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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