These 12 Restaurants Are The Oldest In America With Delicious Eats And Historic Charm

We're used to learning about history in museums, where we shell out a few bucks to walk in silence through hallways lined with storied artifacts. But what if we could learn about history while surrounded by mouth-watering plates and drinks, paying not only to revel in history but also to indulge in a meal out? At these restaurants — some of which predate the United States and were even host to famous events of the American Revolution — you can. These eateries are not only the oldest in the country but also have killer kitchens whipping out stellar meals to boot.

To determine which restaurants made the cut, we researched each one's history to see which dates back the longest. Within their walls that might as well talk, you'll walk the same steps that our nation's founders and figures from throughout history walked — and perhaps enjoy some of the same dishes they did, too. Here's where you can go for a meal with a past.

In the United States, meals don't get more historic than at the White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island, which, dating back to 1673, is America's oldest restaurant still in operation. Just as on its first day of business, it's still marked by a sign featuring a white horse — once the accepted symbol of a public house.

Politicians took full advantage of the public house throughout the centuries. Rhode Island's general assembly was hosted here until the state had a dedicated colony house in the 1730s. However, both the British and time nearly brought it to its knees over the decades. British soldiers temporarily drove out the owner, Walter Nichols, and his family during the Revolutionary War. Then, by the 1950s, the White Horse Tavern had fallen into disrepair before it was restored by the Newport Preservation Society.

Thanks to that restoration, the White House Tavern remains alive and well, offering dishes such as lobster bisque, seared foie gras, a vegetable farm plate, and bacon-wrapped scallops. "Probably my favorite restaurant in experience I can remember," wrote one past visitor on Google. "Food was amazing. The setting is one of a kind."

The '76 House in Tappan, New York, has been serving classic American dishes since before they were even considered American, like chicken pot pie and meatloaf, as it's been a staple since 1668, which makes it older than America itself. The destination on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places served another purpose, too — as a prison. 

Also known as "Andre's Prison," the restaurant was where Major John André was held after he was discovered as a spy working with Benedict Arnold during the Revolutionary War. Once he was found guilty, he was executed right outside the '76 House's brick façade. George Washington was also a customer here, as were other Revolutionary heroes.

Inside the restaurant, the colonial spirit remains alive. The restaurant's restored interior, thanks to owner Robert Norden, includes brick fireplaces, exposed wood beams, and historic sketches and artifacts. "The historic setting is well worth at least one dining experience here," wrote one past visitor on Google. "Colonial charm radiates from every original plank and beam and you half expect George Washington to walk through the main entrance."

The Green Dragon Tavern in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the city's local watering holes, where people meet up with friends to share their own latest happenings. That purpose was the same more than two centuries ago, although the happenings were more than a recent breakup or job promotion. After being founded in 1654, the Green Dragon Tavern was where American patriots overheard rumors that the British would attempt to kidnap John Hancock and Samuel Adams, as well as steal weapons. So, Paul Revere, who lived nearby, soon set off on his renowned ride, claiming, "The British are coming!"

Although we can't guarantee that you'll get quite as juicy gossip at the Green Dragon Tavern nowadays, you'll likely get a delicious meal and drink here, according to reviews. "Come for the history and stay for the food," wrote one past visitor on Google. "Perfect location on the Freedom Trail if you want to sit and relax your feet with some beers or a snack. The Reuben and shepherd's pie were outstanding." Other items on the American Revolution-themed menu include ale-battered fish and chips, Boston bangers and mash, Irish curry, and the "patriot's favorite" burger.

The Green Dragon also showcases its Revolution-era past through its décor. Historic muskets line one of the walls, and a sign here reads "Headquarters of the Revolution." Yet amid this throwback ambiance, the tavern maintains a buzzy vibe through its comedy nights and live music.

The name of the Pirates' House — one of Savannah's oldest restaurants that serves hearty Southern food — isn't just a marketing ploy. Founded in 1753, the inn, which later also became a pub, became a sailors' and pirates' hangout due to its proximity to the port of Savannah. Pirates even supposedly met in secret in the pub's underground rum cellar. The Pirates' House was also featured in the novel "Treasure Island" as the place where pirate Captain Flint died, and it's supposedly where the ghost of the man who inspired Flint's character still lingers.

The Pirates' House's more than a dozen dining rooms continue to bring Savannah's seafaring history to life at every table. Each room is chock-full of historic artifacts and pirate memorabilia, including antique maps and ship wheels. Those relics have even earned the Pirates' House recognition by the American Alliance of Museums as a historical house museum.

Amid these historic digs, customers here dine on classic Southern dishes like fried chicken, collard greens, okra gumbo, and fried green tomatoes, all made with local ingredients. "I ordered the fried green tomatoes on top of pimento cheese and chives on top. The best fried green tomatoes I have ever had," wrote one past visitor on Google. "The waiter was very attentive and lunch came out quickly. The restaurant is in an historical building and fun to dine in."

The Big Apple has tons of museums, but few can bring history to life quite like Fraunces Tavern, New York City's oldest restaurant that's a world-famous spot where Washington and Hamilton both visited. With historic artifacts like a lock of George Washington's hair and a chamber pot, the restaurant near the Wall Street financial district feels every day of its history, dating back to 1762, when the pub was founded in a 1719 building by Samuel Fraunces.

Its varied spaces include the Independence Bar, the Tallmadge Room, and Lafayette's Hideout Room, from which dishes like slow-roasted chicken pot pie (said to be a favorite of George Washington's), Scotch egg, and New England clam chowder are served. "History is literally palpable!" wrote one past visitor on Google. "The ambiance is intoxicating [and] the service was really, really good. The menus added depth and gravity to the history in the restaurant."

One of Fraunces Tavern's most notable moments in history was when Washington bid farewell to his Continental Army officers here in 1783, at the end of the American Revolution, as the British headed back across the pond. Washington also visited the tavern in 1776. That history helped the tavern earn a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the tavern is a museum as well as a restaurant.

The Horse You Came In On in Fells Point, Baltimore, Maryland, has several historic accolades, as it dates back to 1775, before Fells Point was even part of the city. It's the oldest bar in the city; the only bar in Maryland that was open before, during, and after Prohibition; and the longest-running saloon in the country. Stables were even once located inside, where customers would store their horses while having a drink.

But perhaps its most eye-raising claim to fame is that the saloon was supposedly Edgar Allan Poe's last stop for a drink — as the bar was located on his way home — before the writer was found dead in 1849. According to some, he remains a regular here. Ghostly happenings, like beer mugs breaking in the same place, swinging chandeliers, and mysteriously opening cash registers, are thought to be due to the work of Poe.

Ghosts or not, people just can't stay away from The Horse You Came In On. "Overall, great drinks, cool people, killer atmosphere, and serious character," wrote one past visitor on Google. "We had such a good time and will absolutely be back next time we're in Baltimore." Judging from its Google reviews, customers seem to love the bar's food, too, which includes saloon-themed Western items such as Santa Fe chicken eggrolls, the Wild West burger with barbecue sauce, and cowboy fries with bacon, jalapeños, and a cheese blend.

The Griswold Inn in Essex, Connecticut, is so old that it even predates its hometown. When it opened in 1776, Essex was the Potapoug Quarter of Saybrook. And even more than two centuries later, that's the biggest thing that has changed at the inn, which is one of the oldest continuously-operated inns in the country. Throughout its 22 rooms, its layout is mostly the same, and it pays homage to its storied past. Maritime-themed paintings, photographs, sketches, and maps from throughout history cover the space, including "Steamboat Race on the Connecticut River" by Norman Rockwell and a work by a historian-artist who perished on the Titanic.

The Griswold Inn's Connecticut River-side location also helped it survive Prohibition. Local rum runners who transported rum via the river helped keep the inn's bar full, despite several run-ins with the law that left the inn paying steep fines. Today, its tap room — which has its own long history as a 1735 schoolhouse – is known as one of the best bars in America, according to Esquire. 

Drinks are complemented by a full menu of American fare that utilizes fresh seafood, aged beef, and housemade desserts. The menu includes New England clam chowder, a signature sausage sampler, grilled pork with molasses baked beans, chicken pot pie, and more. "Beautiful quintessential inn/tavern!" wrote one past visitor on Google. "Traditional homemade American fare just made right! & the decor was great showing old American relics."

Colonial-themed restaurants love to give their menu items names like "George Washington's Favorite," but Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria, Virginia — which was built in 1785 — might actually know what that is. It was where Washington celebrated his birthday twice and where other former American presidents, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and James Monroe, gathered. Jefferson's inauguration was also celebrated here in 1801. Plus, Washington held several meetings here that later culminated in the 1787 Philadelphia Constitutional Convention. The 1788 celebration that honored the adoption of the Constitution was also held here, making it the East Coast tavern that witnessed the US's birth.

Despite the Georgian-Colonial-style restaurant's history, it almost became a pile of rubble when it was slated for demolition. Luckily, American Legion Post 24 stepped in in 1926, and, through their work alongside several other organizations, the tavern was brought back to life. It later became a National Historic Landmark. 

Nowadays, people head to this fine-dining restaurant for dishes like duck with corn pudding and scalloped potatoes (listed as Washington's favorite), as well as lamb chops and fried oysters. "The food was excellent, the service was friendly, and the historic atmosphere made the meal even more memorable," wrote one past visitor on Google. "Stepping inside truly feels like taking a step back in time." That's especially true at Gadsby's Tavern since servers wear period dress.

Jimmy Wilson was a man of many talents. After retiring from his half-century position as Boston, Massachusetts' last town crier, he opened a bar and named it after his former pastime. The Bell in Hand Tavern was founded in 1795 and hasn't stopped pouring since. It's the oldest continuously operating tavern in the country, even serving during Prohibition thanks to a basement speakeasy. 

Throughout the years, it was visited by everyone from actors to Daniel Webster and Paul Revere. But now, it's supposedly visited by clientele of a different sort. Local lore suggests that the Bell in Hand Tavern is one of the most haunted places in Boston, with resident ghosts including a former regular, a bartender murdered in a Prohibition raid, and even Wilson himself.

Wilson only served ale to drink at his tavern, and although the tavern now sports a full bar, beer remains the focus. Customers can choose from picks like the tavern's house-brewed ale to coveted pints such as Maine Beer Company's Lunch IPA. They're complemented by pub grub including the Sam Adams burger with barbeque sauce, Swiss cheese, and bacon; a hot lobster roll; and a Boston crème pie cupcake. "Bar area was definitely carved out from a different time in American history," wrote one past visitor on Google. "Food was very good. The clam chowder was absolutely amazing! Everyone else in our party of 3 enjoyed all the food."

Throughout its history, which began in 1799, the Tavern in Abingdon, Virginia, has been the first post office on the western slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a general store, a barber shop, a private home, a bakery, a cabinet shop and a Civil War hospital. That laundry list of uses is possible since the Tavern is the oldest tavern in Virginia and is located in one of the oldest buildings west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Even more impressive, about 70% of the building is original — including the stone walls — which has attracted designers, presidents, statesmen, and the king of France.

Both the nobility and common folk have enjoyed American and German food here, thanks to owner Josh Fuller's German background. Dinner fare includes everything from wiener schnitzel to filet mignon. Brunch is also offered on Sundays, with options such as waffles, biscuits and gravy. "Fantastic food and service in a historic building," wrote one past visitor on Google. "My ragout with spaetzle and red kraut reminded me of living in Germany."

You're in good company if you visit the Golden Lamb restaurant and hotel in Lebanon, Ohio, which, dating back to 1803, is the oldest continually operating business in Ohio. Being that it's located in a battleground state and is between Cincinnati and Route 40 (formerly known as the National Road), the Golden Lamb has been visited by a dozen American presidents, ranging from John Quincy Adams to George W. Bush. 

The Golden Lamb is just as delicious to regular people, too. That stems all the way back to its founding, when, as a two-story log-cabin tavern, it was named for a sign outside featuring a gold-colored lamb, since many passersby couldn't read. "Delicious food with an amazing atmosphere rich in history!" wrote one past visitor on Google. "The staff is accommodating and loves to share fun facts about the restaurant and hotel."

Some of that food — which is all made from scratch — includes the roast turkey dinner, the Ohio fried chicken dinner, the 1803 chicken salad sandwich, and sauerkraut balls. If you eat too much and need to recover from your food coma, you can also stay overnight in one of the Golden Lamb's 17 historic rooms outfitted with vintage furniture. Each room is named after a famous past guest.

It's hard to believe that what was once a humble New Orleans, Louisiana, corner grocery store that sold items like tobacco and clothing turned into an iconic spot for absinthe, all inside one of the oldest buildings in the Crescent City. But that's the case for the Old Absinthe House, which has been a staple on a corner of Bourbon Street since 1806. True to its name, it was where the legendary Absinthe House Frappe was invented in 1874 when it was concocted with absinthe and sugar water.

These days, the Old Absinthe House still offers the Absinthe House Frappe, as well as many other types of absinthe cocktails. "Awesome selection of Absinthe and associated cocktails," wrote one past visitor on Google. "Our bartender was great, she gave us some great tips which made the trip memorable. We'll be back for sure!"

But the invention of the Absinthe House Frappe is only one chapter in the Old Absinthe House's history book. It's been said that Major General Andrew Jackson met with Jean Lafitte in a secret room in the bar before the 1815 Battle of New Orleans. Plus, people like Oscar Wilde, P.T. Barnum, Mark Twain, Robert E Lee, Franklin Roosevelt, Liza Minnelli, and Frank Sinatra have all been said to have visited the bar, too.