The First Cups Of Clam Chowder Were Served At This Historic Boston Restaurant

Boston's food scene is home to some of the most legendary seafood restaurants in the U.S. But, perhaps more surprisingly, it's also home to the oldest seafood restaurant in the entire country. Ye Olde Union Oyster House is a national historical landmark, inextricably interwoven into the history of America itself — which might sound a tad dramatic, but the joint traces back to the inception of clam chowder and the founding of the country, which happened to occur around the same time.

New England clam chowder evolved from the culinary styles of immigrants from France, Nova Scotia, and/or coastal England, who replaced the fish used in their creamy chowders with the locally-available quahog clams. By the 1700s, clam chowder was a common dish on household tables throughout New England, but it didn't transition into the restaurant sphere for another 150 years. Still, the transition made pretty impressive time, all things considered. The pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620, the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and by 1836, folks were sitting down to clam chowder dinners at Union Oyster House — which today holds the title of oldest continuously-running operating restaurant in the U.S.

Located at 41 Union Street, Union Oyster House has been serving Boston since 1826. Union Street was laid in 1636, and the building was constructed before the American Revolutionary War (it's literally older than America), making Union Oyster House's address the earliest recorded brick building still standing in Boston.

In 1742, the building served as Capen's Dry Goods Store, peddling wares imported from Europe. Thirty years later, in the 1770s, Isaiah Thomas wrote "The Massachusetts Spy" newspaper, a critical piece of literature during the American Revolution, from the building's second floor. Then, in 1826, the building changed hands and transformed into Atwood & Bacon's Establishment, a seafood bar serving oysters, scallops, and clams. Over the years, the original Atwood's has seen the construction of two additional buildings, drastically expanding the premises. 

Nowadays, Union Oyster House runs an Instagram account filled with raving clam chowder fans. Union Oyster House also claims to be one of JFK's favorite restaurant, and indeed, the Massachusetts native was a known regular, as well as an outspoken fan of New England fish chowder. Per the lore, whenever JFK was in Boston, he visited the Union Oyster House for a bowl of lobster stew every Sunday afternoon, and sat at Booth 18 (which is now celebrated as "the Kennedy booth").Former Congressman and Secretary of State Daniel Webster was also a regular, known to down three dozen oysters in a single sitting. 

Union Oyster House has since attracted celebrity clientele from Larry Bird to Robin Williams, Alanis Morisette, and Barack Obama. Whether you're sitting down at an oyster bar, or kicking it pre-1800s by enjoying a bowl of clam chowder at home, pair that steaming bowlful with a flute of champagne or a French 75 and dig into a taste of history.