Serving since
1826
200 years in Boston
Union Oyster House
- Go here for
- Raw oysters · Clam chowder
- Why go
- Eat oysters and chowder at a bar that has been open since 1826.
- Local character
- Visitor destination
- Good to know
- Expect crowds. On the Freedom Trail, one block from Faneuil Hall, and among OpenTable's most-booked Boston restaurants.
Opened in 1826 as the Atwood & Bacon oyster house, later renamed Union Oyster House. The building itself dates from the early 1700s.
Why it matters
Union Oyster House opened in 1826 in a Georgian brick building on the Blackstone Block. The building was already more than a century old at the time. The Boston Preservation Alliance and other sources describe it as the oldest continuously operated restaurant in the United States, and the building has been a National Historic Landmark since 2003.
Parts of the original oyster bar are still in use. The Milano family owned the restaurant from 1970, and in 2026 agreed to sell it to the Fertitta family of Houston. The buyers have said publicly that they will not change the staff or operations.
The story
Notes on the record
- An agreement to sell the restaurant to the Fertitta family was announced in August 2026. We will update ownership details once the sale is confirmed.
Details
- Address
- 41 Union Street, Boston, MA
- Neighborhood
- Downtown
- Ownership
- Not verified
- Status
- Open · verified Sep 2026
OldScore
A secondary, editorial measure. The founding year above is the fact that matters most. How it works.
| Age | 35 | / 35 |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity | 20 | / 20 |
| Local significance | 20 | / 20 |
| Local food culture | 15 | / 15 |
| Independence | — | / 10 |
| OldScore | Not yet scored |
"—" means unknown. We don't publish a total until every part is verified.
Local character: Visitor destination. On the Freedom Trail, one block from Faneuil Hall, and among OpenTable's most-booked Boston restaurants. This is separate from OldScore: a place can be popular with visitors and still belong here.
More like this
Sources
- Union Oyster House (official site) Founding year, Address, What to order, Current status
- Boston Preservation Alliance, Boston's Legacy Businesses: Restaurants & Cafes Founding year, History
- Boston.com, "Union Oyster House turns 200" (Jul 3, 2026) Founding year, History, Ownership, What to order, Current status
- Boston Globe, "Union Oyster House to be acquired by Houston family" (Aug 25, 2026) Ownership, Current status
- Boston.com, "Union Oyster House owner shares what's next" (Aug 26, 2026) Ownership
- Wikipedia, "Union Oyster House" Founding year, History · cross-check only