Old Ebbitt Grill
Best Historic Saloon in Washington DC · DC
Washington's oldest saloon
Old Ebbitt Grill traces its roots to 1856, making it Washington's oldest saloon, and today occupies a grand Victorian-style room steps from the White House. Its marble Oyster Bar shucks by the thousands, and the mahogany booths have seated presidents from Grant and Cleveland onward.
Bustling from breakfast to late night, Old Ebbitt pairs a genuine 19th-century Washington pedigree with a raw bar and brass-and-velvet grandeur — the capital's classic power-dining institution.
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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Selection follows the published criteria; Old Ebbitt Grill met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Washington since 1856 — 169 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Washington.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Washington has kept Old Ebbitt Grill busy for 169 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Washington regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best historic saloon in Washington DC for 2025 for tracing its barroom lineage to 1856 and still packing the oyster bar nightly.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
The details, verified.
- Legal / trading name
- Old Ebbitt Grill
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1856, Washington, DC
- Location
- Washington, DC
- Centurion Award
- Best Historic Saloon in Washington DC — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
Frequently asked questions.
What is Old Ebbitt Grill?
A saloon with roots to 1856, steps from the White House, where the raw bar and the velvet booths still draw the whole city.
Is Old Ebbitt Grill award-winning?
Yes — Old Ebbitt Grill is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Historic Saloon in Washington DC, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best historic saloon in Washington DC for 2025 for tracing its barroom lineage to 1856 and still packing the oyster bar nightly.
Where is Old Ebbitt Grill?
Old Ebbitt Grill is in Washington, DC.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Historic Saloon in Washington DC Washington, DC · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Old Ebbitt Grill
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Old Ebbitt Grill (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.