Union Oyster House at 200: Hours, Menu and History of America’s Oldest Restaurant

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Union Oyster House, at 41 Union Street near Faneuil Hall, describes itself as the oldest restaurant in Boston and the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the United States. Its doors have been open to diners since 1826, and in August 2026 it marked its 200th anniversary. It is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

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This guide draws on the restaurant’s own website, a June 2026 Time Out Boston report on the bicentennial and the National Park Service’s material on the Freedom Trail neighborhood. It is not based on a visit by The Boston Report.

Two Centuries on Union Street

The restaurant occupies a building that dates to before the American Revolution and sits directly on the Freedom Trail, a block from Faneuil Hall. According to the restaurant, it started serving food in 1826 and the semicircular oyster bar and wooden booths, where the statesman Daniel Webster was a regular, remain in their original positions.

Time Out Boston reported in June 2026 that the building is a National Historic Landmark and has had only minor renovations, so much of its original interior survives. The same report lists Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama among presidents who have eaten there, and notes that John F. Kennedy was a regular whose usual upstairs booth now carries his name. Owner Joseph Milano, whose family is only the fourth to run the restaurant, told Time Out the anniversary was about the families who keep coming back: “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing kids turn into adults who then bring their kids.”

What Union Oyster House Serves

The menu is traditional New England. Time Out singles out fresh oysters, clam chowder, lobster, Boston baked beans and cornbread, and reports that the restaurant has repeatedly been named North America’s best landmark restaurant, most recently in 2024 and 2025. The restaurant posts separate lunch, dinner, dessert and bar menus on its website, and runs an online gift shop.

Reservations, Groups and Parking

• Small parties: reservations for 1 to 6 people can be made online.
• Groups of 7 to 25: the restaurant asks you to call the dining room manager between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. at (617) 227-2750. It does not take reservations by email.
• Functions: groups of 20 or more with a set menu use an online inquiry form, and the restaurant says to allow three business days for a reply.
• Parking: the restaurant validates parking at the Parcel 7 garage; Haymarket and Government Center stations are also nearby.

Tips for Visiting

• Pair it with the Freedom Trail. The restaurant is a block from Faneuil Hall, so it fits easily into a walking day downtown.
• Go early or late on summer weekends. As one of the best-known stops for visitors, the dining rooms are busiest around midday in tourist season.
• Sit at the oyster bar if you want the oldest part of the room and a seat without a reservation.

For more historic and seafood dining, see our guides to Neptune Oyster in the North End and the full Boston restaurants hub.

Sources

• Union Oyster House: Overview, hours, reservations and parking
• Time Out Boston: This iconic Boston restaurant is turning 200 years old (June 23, 2026)
• National Park Service: Boston National Historical Park (Freedom Trail)