After a day of riding the Old Town Trolley and seeing the sights of Boston, deciding where to eat was an easy decision. Boston is the home of Union Oyster House, which is the oldest restaurant in America.
The Union Oyster House is housed in a building that is over two hundred and fifty years old. This historic building served as an office for the Continental Army in 1775. In 1776, Louis Phillippe lived on the second floor while he was in exile from France. He later returned to France to serve as King from 1830 to 1848.
In 1826 the building became a restaurant. Over the years the Union Oyster House has had many famous customers. One of the most famous regulars was perhaps Daniel Webster, who enjoyed ordering a plate of a half dozen oysters so much that it is said he would have six plates each visit.
In more modern times the Union Oyster House was often visited by members of the Kennedy Family. JFK enjoyed the privacy of eating upstairs in his booth.
Sorry about the photos. It is a bit dark in the restaurant but that seems to just add to the atmosphere and the enjoyment.
We had a short wait at the Union Oyster House, which was not a problem. The wait gave us time to look around and to stop by the bar where ladies ordered cokes and my son-in-law and I ordered a Sam Adams OctoberFest (what else could it be. We are in Boston).
We were seated upstairs, and this is a must. If you go to the Union Oyster House request to sit upstairs. It is darker and not as lively as the first floor but it gives you the feel for the history.
We started our meal with Fried Crispy Calamari and without question Union Grilled Oysters. Both the calamari and oysters were great but the oysters were the best I have had. The only place that I have eaten which could compete with the Union Oyster House is The Southern Steak and Oyster in Nashville.
The five of us ordered a wide selection of food from the menu. I ordered the “Ye Old Seafood Platter”. The platter comes with deep fried shrimp, clams, scallops, calamari, oysters and fillet of fish topped with onion rings. The meal was great and everything was cooked to perfection.
My wife ordered the “Sauté Seafood Medley”. Her meal included shrimp, cherry stone oysters, mussels, fish and calamari sautéed in a spicy marinara sauce served over linguine.
If you are in Boston for only one day the place you must go to for a meal is the Union Oyster House. It has everything that is Boston.
