Restaurant Review: Union Oyster House in Boston, MA

Boston University's School of Hospitality (SHA) has a Diner's Club, which meets a few times a semester to try restaurants and learn more about the food and beverage industry. Today we had the pleasure of dining at the Union Oyster House in Boston, which is the oldest restaurant in America (est. 1826)! Fun fact: it is the only restaurant in the country to have status as a National Historic Landmark! The restaurant has tons of history associated with it: JFK had his own booth when he was a senator, a king of France lived on the second floor while in exile, and it was once a pay station for troops during the revolutionary war. The walls of the restaurant are covered in historical plaques, paintings, and dioramas.

The "Freedom Trail" Room, which has a 3D model of each site on Boston's Freedom Trail

One of the SHA professors, Chef DiFronzo, is also the executive chef at Union Oyster House. He gave us a wonderful tour of the building. There are multiple dining rooms on multiple levels, as well as a cocktail bar and the oyster bar, which has been there since the restaurant was opened.

The Original Oyster Bar

The Diner's Club was seated in a private dining room on the second floor. While we waited for everyone to arrive, we snacked on cornbread and butter. Our three-course meal began with the restaurant's famous clam chowder. I can honestly say that it was the best clam chowder I've ever had: it was thick and rich and so delicious!

Our entree was grilled salmon, served with steamed veggies. The salmon was a perfect medium rare and was incredibly moist. Chef DiFronzo later told us that he didn't put a sauce on the salmon because he wanted us to taste the fish itself. He explained that the restaurant uses farmed Canadian salmon because it is cheaper than wild salmon and much easier to get fresh. Wild salmon usually comes from the Pacific, whereas the farmed salmon comes from only a few hours away. The salmon is the only seafood that the Union Oyster House gets from outside of New England.

For dessert, we had Boston Cream Pie! Although I had never had Boston Cream Pie before, I think that it was excellent.

Not only does Union Oyster House have excellent food, but it provides such a fun experience. Wandering through all of the rooms is like walking through a museum. Next time I will be trying their renowned oysters!

Union Oyster House
http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/
(617) 227-2750
41 Union St.
Boston, MA 02108