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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
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 Restaurant in Boston Boston, MA · 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 Union Oyster House
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Union Oyster House (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.