Have a Meal at the 50 Oldest Restaurants in America

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OLDIE BUT A FOODIE

Running a restaurant is tough -- nearly 60 percent close their doors within three years of opening. Some, however, have staying power that endures for decades and, in some cases, centuries. Here's a look at the oldest restaurant in every state.

Photo credit: PaynesontheSquare/facebook.com

PAYNE'S SANDWICH SHOP & SODA FOUNTAIN, ALABAMA

City: Scottsboro
Year founded: 1869
Type of food: American
What people say: Payne's is a "lovely period establishment right on the square in the historic centre of town" with a good menu and choice of ice cream, says one customer via TripAdvisor, where the restaurant averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from reviews.

Photo credit: HistoricSkagwayInn/facebook.com

THE HISTORIC SKAGWAY INN, ALASKA

City: Skagway
Year founded: 1897
Type of food: Seafood
What people say: Reviewers on TripAdvisor like the inn's historic feel and big portions of local seafood. One reviewer called the food "very tasty and plentiful" and deemed the bread pudding "some of the best I have had in a long time."

Photo credit: The-Palace-Restaurant-and-Saloon/facebook.com

PALACE RESTAURANT AND SALOON, ARIZONA

City: Prescott
Year founded: 1877
Type of food: American/Southwestern
What people say: Customers on the Palace's Facebook page appreciate the feel of a place that's played host to the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday. "This place is awesome with so much history dating back to 1877," one customer writes. If the prime rib ($28) is too much, try the buffalo burger ($13) at lunch.

Photo credit: Courtesy of tripadvisor.com

WHITE HOUSE CAFE, ARKANSAS

City: Camden
Year founded: 1907
Type of food: American
What people say: Customers enjoy the folksy, yesteryear charm of the "neat old building," old-time counter, and stools -- and the standout burgers, according to reviews on Yelp.

TADICH GRILL, CALIFORNIA

City: San Francisco
Year founded: 1849
Type of food: Seafood
What people say: Dating back to the California Gold Rush, the Tadich Grill is one of the world's "10 Great Classic Restaurants Well Worth Visiting," according to Forbes.

Photo credit: Buckhorn Exchange Restaurant/yelp.com

BUCKHORN EXCHANGE, COLORADO

City: Denver
Year founded: 1893
Type of food: Steakhouse
What people say: Described by a Forbes contributor as a "living Old West museum," Buckhorn Exchange gets appreciative nods on TripAdvisor for its frontier cuisine, with one customer drawing attention to the bison and elk tenderloins and "amazing" rattlesnake with chipotle cream cheese.

THE GRISWOLD INN, CONNECTICUT

City: Essex
Year founded: 1776
Type of food: Historic American
What people say: "There is no other place to compare with the 'Gris' in atmosphere, in hospitality, in the excellence of its cuisine," The Connecticut Almanac says of the Colonial-era icon, while Yankee magazine points visitors to a "stunning" wine bar with contemporary small plates.

KELLY'S LOGAN HOUSE, DELAWARE

City: Wilmington
Year founded: 1864
Type of food: Pub fare
What people say: There are mixed reviews for the country's oldest family-owned Irish pub (which serves seafood and burgers, not Irish food), but most customers enjoy the deck and atmosphere. "Great atmosphere, great location, beautiful patio," as one customer put it on Google.

Photo credit: ColumbiaRestaurantGroup/facebook.com

COLUMBIA RESTAURANT, FLORIDA

City: Tampa
Year founded: 1905
Type of food: Cuban/Spanish
What people say: A reviewer on TripAdvisor says the restaurant, which has been owned by five generations for more than a century, has "the best Cuban food anywhere."

Photo credit: thomasvilleplaza/facebook.com

THE PLAZA RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR, GEORGIA

City: Thomasville
Year founded: 1916
Type of food: Seafood/steakhouse
What people say: Several reviewers on TripAdvisor, where the restaurant averages 4 out of 5 stars, admire the buffet, and one suggests eating at the bar. "The bartender was fantastic! We weren't in a hurry and she let us take our time."

HOTEL MANAGO, HAWAII

City: Captain Cook
Year founded: 1917
Type of food: American
What people say: The restaurant averages 4.5 stars out of 5 on Yelp, where customers like its low cost (all entrees are under $19) and lack of pretension ("it's super basic but so worth it"). They also love its signature pork chops.

THE SNAKE PIT, IDAHO

City: Enaville
Year founded: 1880
Type of food: American
What people say: Reviews are mixed for this folksy mainstay, with slow service dragging down scores on Facebook, but menu items such as sweet potato buffalo chips, smoked brisket tacos, and Rocky Mountain oysters make this "a must-see for anyone passing through Idaho."

THE VILLAGE TAVERN, ILLINOIS

City: Long Grove
Year founded: 1847
Type of food: Bar/pub
What people say: Customers reviewing the tavern on TripAdvisor admire the service, the portions, and especially the decor -- wagon-wheel bar included. "Village Tavern is absolutely charming," one says. The fish fry ($12 at lunch) gets the best reviews, and the turkey sandwich ($9) is actual turkey, not deli meat.

THE LOG INN, INDIANA

City: Evansville
Year founded: 1825
Type of food: American
What people say: This restaurant, once visited by President Abraham Lincoln, is "a must stop if you like delicious food and great service," says a reviewer on TripAdvisor, where it gets 4.5 out of 5 stars. Diners love the fried chicken, gizzards, and livers.

BREITBACH'S COUNTRY DINING, IOWA

City: Balltown
Year founded: 1852
Type of food: American
What people say: "There's not much else to choose from in the area but no need, this place has everything you need," says one customer on TripAdvisor, where reviewers give it an average 4.5 out of 5 stars. In addition to "exemplary" hospitality, there's a tenderloin sandwich said to be worth a 100-mile drive.

HAYS HOUSE, KANSAS

City: Council Grove
Year founded: 1857
Type of food: American
What people say: Top-notch service, perfect proportions, and super fried chicken -- featured in a Sunday fried chicken buffet for $15 -- dominate the best customer reviews of this Santa Fe Trail eatery on TripAdvisor.

TALBOTT TAVERN, KENTUCKY

City: Bardstown
Year founded: 1779
Type of food: American/pub
What people say: A young Abraham Lincoln, rowdy Jesse James, and French royalty circa 1797 have all stopped at this tavern, which has reasonable prices, a solid breakfast, good bourbon, and apparently a ghost or two.

ANTOINE'S, LOUISIANA

City: New Orleans
Year founded: 1840
Type of food: French/Cajun
What people say: This restaurant, claimed to be the oldest family-run restaurant in the country, averages 4.5 of 5 stars on Facebook from more than 1,200 reviews -- 70 percent of which give it 5 stars for "amazing" food and being an "unforgettable experience."

PALACE DINER, MAINE

City: Biddeford
Year founded: 1927
Type of food: Diner
What people say: Made from one of two existing Pollard railroad cars in the United States, the Palace Diner has only 16 seats. "So there may be a wait," one customer writes on TripAdvisor, "but the food is worth it!" The Lumberjack Breakfast ($15) and fluffy flapjacks ($10) are musts.

GEATZ'S RESTAURANT, MARYLAND

City: Cumberland
Year founded: 1880
Type of food: Bar/seafood
What people say: "It is like stepping back in time," says one Geatz's customer on TripAdvisor, calling the food "good to very good." The same could be said of the prices: No sandwich costs more than $9, and the grilled cheese is only $4.

Photo credit: Union Oyster House/yelp.com

UNION OYSTER HOUSE, MASSACHUSETTS

City: Boston
Year founded: 1826
Type of food: Seafood
What people say: This Historic National Landmark is the kind of place celebrities and politicians swing by when they're in town, The Boston Globe says. The menu caters to expectations with Boston baked beans ($6) and Boston cream pie ($8).

SLEDER'S FAMILY TAVERN, MICHIGAN

City: Traverse City
Year founded: 1882
Type of food: American/pub
What people say: "Its decor and atmosphere is really neat," says one customer on TripAdvisor. "Everything I have had on the menu was delicious." Don't be surprised to see people climbing up to get face to face with a moose head mounted on a wall; kissing Randolph is supposed to be good luck.

HUBBELL HOUSE, MINNESOTA

City: Mantorville
Year founded: 1854
Type of food: American
What people say: "Great food and reasonable prices, but what really makes this place is the atmosphere," says one TripAdvisor in a review, citing a "very cool old building" that was originally a hotel for a stagecoach trail. Try the Bloody Mary, steak, and roast beef.

Photo credit: weidmanns1870/facebook.com

WEIDMANN'S, MISSISSIPPI

City: Meridian
Year founded: 1870
Type of food: Steakhouse
What people say: "Definitely a place to hit on your way to the Gulf Coast," says one customer writing on Yelp. "The redfish is out of sight. Service is excellent and ambience is good. I look forward to eating here every time I'm in Meridian." Enjoy the free appetizer of crackers and peanut butter.

J. HUSTON TAVERN, MISSOURI

City: Arrow Rock
Year founded: 1834
Type of food: American
What people say: Dinner is served family style, and there's plenty of it -- fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, biscuits, watermelon, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and green beans -- "way more than we could eat," a customer writes on TripAdvisor.

PEKIN NOODLE PARLOR, MONTANA

City: Butte
Year founded: 1880
Type of food: Chinese
What people say: With a massive building hosting an informal museum of Butte's Chinatown, "there is no establishment in Montana quite like" the Pekin, the Montana Quarterly says. But the food is revered too, and the most expensive single entree on the menu is a T-bone steak for just over $9.

Photo credit: King-Fong-Cafe/facebook.com

KING FONG CAFE, NEBRASKA

City: Omaha
Year founded: 1921 (some say 1918)
Type of food: Chinese
What people say: Several reviewers write as fondly of the atmosphere as they do of the food, with one saying, "This place is pretty fun. It's like if you were in the movie 'Big Trouble in Little China.'" The restaurant has been closed for much of 2016 for renovations of that delightful decor.

THE MARTIN HOTEL, NEVADA

City: Winnemucca
Year founded: 1898
Type of food: Basque/American
What people say: The Martin serves its food family style, but in reviews on TripAdvisor, customers are divided about how well it represents the cuisine of France and Spain's Basque region. "Ask about spiciness if that is a factor for you, and be prepared that everything has tons of garlic," one warns.

HANCOCK INN, NEW HAMPSHIRE

City: Hancock
Year founded: 1789
Type of food: American
What people say: One reviewer on Yelp recommends the Hancock for anyone who loves New England charm -- but the food is pleasing as well. "The main course menu makes it almost impossible to pick something," a customer writes. "From what we understand people come from across the country to try their pot roast."

CRANBURY INN, NEW JERSEY

City: Cranbury
Year founded: Mid-1750s
Type of food: American
What people say: It seems to be love it or hate it for the food and service at this Colonial-era inn, but some customers writing on TripAdvisor point to Sunday brunch and lunch as standout times to dine.

EL FAROL, NEW MEXICO

City: Santa Fe
Year founded: 1835
Type of food: Spanish
What people say: This quaint eatery has plenty of fans for atmosphere and savory food. "El Farol is a 'must stop' location for me," one customer says on TripAdvisor. "Love their tapas! When the weather is nice, we can spend the whole day on the porch people watching, drinking wine, and eating."

THE '76 HOUSE, NEW YORK

City: Tappan
Year founded: 1668
Type of food: American
What people say: It's hard to overlook the fact George Washington stayed here, especially when the menu includes such classic colonial-era food such as cuts of wild game and a boar's sausage appetizer ($11). But there are also alligator empanadas ($14) and lobster mac and cheese ($28).

Photo credit: Carolina Coffee Shop/yelp.com

CAROLINA COFFEE SHOP, NORTH CAROLINA

City: Chapel Hill
Year founded: 1922
Type of food: American/cafe
What people say: Many swear by the lunch menu, but because this is a college town -- the Coffee Shop was once the University of North Carolina student post office -- lots of customers say on Yelp that the Carolina is a good late-night and study spot, as well.

PEACOCK ALLEY, NORTH DAKOTA

City: Bismarck
Year founded: 1933
Type of food: American/steakhouse
What people say: "Great service, interesting menu choices, and the food was superb. The atmosphere was superior," says one customer on TripAdvisor. The caramelized chicken salad ($13) and brisket candy and ribs appetizer ($10) are suggested.

Photo credit: TheGoldenLamb/facebook.com

THE GOLDEN LAMB, OHIO

City: Lebanon
Year founded: 1803
Type of food: American
What people say: The 5-star customer ratings are plentiful on Facebook for this eatery that's served presidents as far back as John Quincy Adams. (A historian is around on weekends to answer questions.) Diners enjoy "fabulous comfort food," such as a turkey dinner for $22.50.

CATTLEMEN'S STEAKHOUSE, OKLAHOMA

City: Oklahoma City
Year founded: 1910
Type of food: Steakhouse
What people say: What more can be said? "Steak as it should be," a customer writes on TripAdvisor.

HUBER'S CAFE, OREGON

City: Portland
Year founded: 1879
Type of food: America
What people say: Don't leave without a Spanish coffee (so long as you're of drinking age). Huber's averages 4 out of 5 stars on Yelp for other reasons, as well, including decor and comfort food. "I had the beef stroganoff and it was unbelievable," one customer writes. "Perfect on the cream sauce, and meat that was just cooked to perfection."

MCGILLIN'S OLDE ALE HOUSE, PENNSYLVANIA

City: Philadelphia
Year founded: 1860
Type of food: Irish-American/pub
What people say: Opened the year Lincoln was elected, McGillin's advertises itself as "Olde" despite a vintage sign saying it's simply "Old." This pub draws a big, boisterous crowd that can be too much for some, but what do you expect where even the steak is less than $19?

Photo credit: WhiteHorseTavern/facebook.com

WHITE HORSE TAVERN, RHODE ISLAND

City: Newport
Year founded: 1673
Type of food: American
What people say: Proper, business-casual dress is required here, but colonial trappings and a roaring fireplace, not to mention "impeccable" service and "exquisitely prepared" food that updates the classics may make it worthwhile, a customer suggests on Facebook.

Photo credit: Villa Tronco Italian Restaurant/yelp.com

VILLA TRONCO, SOUTH CAROLINA

City: Columbia
Year founded: 1940
Type of food: Italian
What people say: "It completely lived up to the billing," says one customer on TripAdvisor. "Sure, the decor inside is dated (probably renovated in the '70s), but has a real old-world atmosphere. Superb food, cocktails, and service."

Photo credit: DEADWOODLEGENDS/facebook.com

LEGENDS STEAKHOUSE, SOUTH DAKOTA

City: Deadwood
Year founded: 1903
Type of food: American/steakhouse
What people say: Although many TripAdvisor reviewers rave about the steak, it's the au gratin potatoes that seem to get the highest marks.

VARALLO'S, TENNESSEE

City: Nashville
Year founded: 1907
Type of food: Diner/cafe
What people say: All-day breakfast at low prices keeps customers coming back, and for some people it's love at first bite. "The chicken biscuit I just ate for breakfast has me emotional," one customer says on Yelp.

SCHOLZ GARTEN, TEXAS

City: Austin
Year founded: 1866
Type of food: German-American
What people say: Food can be an afterthought at this crowded beer garden ("Except for the nachos. Best. Nachos. Ever," says one customer on Facebook). The Reuben ($8.50) and sausages also have their fans.

HI-MOUNTAIN DRUGS, UTAH

City: Kamas
Year founded: 1920
Type of food: American
What people say: One of the country's last old-fashioned, eat-in drugstores, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, this place has good portions and delicious classic fare such as burgers, fries, and fish and chips, but it's the shakes, especially, that can make for long lines at popular times of day.

YE OLDE TAVERN, VERMONT

City: Manchester
Year founded: 1790
Type of food: American/steakhouse/seafood
What people say: This "historical, quaint, cozy, quintessential New England inn" averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor, where customers like to sit by the fireplaces and enjoy comfort food such as pot roast and chicken pot pie (both $19).

Photo credit: redfoxinntavern/facebook.com

THE RED FOX INN AND TAVERN, VIRGINIA

City: Middleburg
Year founded: 1728
Type of food: Tavern food
What people say: Everyone from JFK to Tom Cruise has passed through the Red Fox, which averages 4.5 of 5 stars from customer reviews on Facebook. Get the fried green tomatoes ($12) and skip the pricey chicken cordon bleu ($26).

Photo credit: horseshoecafe1886/facebook.com

HORSESHOE CAFE, WASHINGTON

City: Bellingham
Year founded: 1886
Type of food: Comfort food
What people say: The Horseshoe, with its all-day breakfast, averages 4 stars out of 5 from customer reviews on Yelp. Those who love it rave about the "great food" and "quaint atmosphere." Even detractors throw a bone to the old, small-town feel.

NORTH END TAVERN & BREWERY, WEST VIRGINIA

City: Parkersburg
Year founded: 1899
Type of food: Pub fare
What people say: "This place isn't flashy or stylish," one customer writes on TripAdvisor, and that's true enough, but the simple menu of burgers, sandwiches, and fries has its devotees, and prices get down to $4 for Braunschweiger or grilled cheese.

Photo credit: Red-Circle-Inn-and-Bistro/facebook.com

RED CIRCLE INN & BISTRO, WISCONSIN

City: Nashotah
Year founded: 1848
Type of food: Gourmet American
What people say: The Red Circle Inn is heralded for combining modern trappings with historic charm. "The food is delicious and they have amazing desserts, including soufflés that are just outstanding," a customer writes on Google. (The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel agrees the $8.50 soufflé is "the dessert of choice here ... a rare treat.")

Photo credit: MinersandStockmenssteakhouseandspirits/facebook.com

MINERS AND STOCKMEN'S STEAKHOUSE & SPIRITS, WYOMING

City: Hartville
Year founded: 1862
Type of food: Steak and seafood
What people say: The restaurant averages an impressive 4.9 stars out of 5 from customer reviews on Yelp. "Perfectly cooked and tender filets, creamy mashed potatoes, strong whiskey, and maybe the best cheesecake for dessert," one customer rhapsodizes.

The Oldest Eateries in All 50 States

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