Union Oyster House
Best Historic Restaurant in Boston · MA
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.
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Union Oyster House met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓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 specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Historic Restaurant in Boston Boston, MA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Union Oyster House
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Union Oyster House.
- 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 reviewing public evidence for Union Oyster House against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
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.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.