Question: Other than the Berghoff, what is the oldest continuously operating...

....restaurant or bar in Chicago?

I'm curious. I was thinking about the antediluvian Tadich Grill in SFO tonight, which predates the big earthquake/fire in The City by several decades. Have we anything even close to its vintage (it was founded in - get this - 1849)?

[parnellsf]

The oldest continuously operating tavern and restaurant in Chicago is Schaller's Pump: http://www.chibarproject.com/Reviews/...

[bar_gods]

Yeah, but I've seen this website and can't help but notice how much of the reviews are personal opinion and personal experience ("it's a great place to get drunk"....yeah, so is any tavern!) I highly question the scholarship or genuineness of the historic information on this website - it's a bar hopping site written by bar guys.

Schaller's is often pointed out (and yes, by real scholars too), but you have to put this question into context. There was a little thing called a fire and prohibition. There are taverns located at places where there were taverns prior to 1871...does that count? Continuous? What about 1920-1933? 13 years in the outs would make it not continuous. I'd be curious in doing more research in regards to Schallers and other places.

[nsxtasy]

Yes, that question is, how long a closure disqualifies a place for "continuously operating"? In addition to the examples you note, the Berghoff closed recently, then re-opened.

Certainly not as old as some, but I passed the Billy Goat Tavern on my way to the United Center tonight and noticed a sign that read 'Born 1934'

Yes, I know, the current Billy Goat on W Madison is not the original location, but, interestingly, the original location of the Billy Goat was on West Madison, across from the old Chicago Stadium, before moving to lower Michigan Ave.

Enjoy,
Gary

Question, comment and anecdote.

How old is Binyon's, in the south loop? I have not had their turtle soup in a while, but it always seemed like an old spot, though not from the 19th century. I keep expecting them to close, but their sign is still there.

When a place like Schaller's started in the 19th century, was Bridgeport considered part of Chicago, or a separate village? It was definitely out in the country, or at least farmland, so it may be that it does not get counted in the oldest places in Chicago because it did not start in Chicago.

I always loved the Golden Ox, which started out around 1890, I think, as a gathering place for recent German immigrants. My great Grandfather used to love it, and I loved going with my Grandmother. So sad it closed in the 80's (it was at the southwest corner of North and Clybourn and the real estate became too valuable), as it was always much better than the Berghoff, which has always struck me as more a concept than a really good restaurant.

Funny, that as a Sox fan and IIT alum, I have never been to Schaller's. Nobody I know ever goes. Does anyone else see a theme among these really old places - Berghoff, Italian Village, Gene & Georgetti's, and Schaller's?

d

Binyon's quite sadly, has been closed for some time. I too loved the Golden Ox.

While I go to bat for G&G, it's not near as old as several others (1941).

The Village, from '27 is pretty old. The Green Door, '21 too. How about the Green Mill at '14 -- do pretzels and Schlitz/PBR count? Bruna's goes to '33, as does Cape Cod Room, and, I think Club Lago (it says right on the sign but I can't quite remember). Pompei in one form or another goes back to 1909. But it's the Germans that are oldest. This seems to be true almost everywhere. See the great book Martin Dressler re German beer halls-cum-restaurants. Of course, places with French backgrounds (NOLA) have more restaurant history. Thus, the Berghoff. Also, consider the late, great, Schulien's, German tavern, chop house, center for magic and venue for probably the best sports program ever. RIP, 1881-1999.

Really, compared to other big US cities that took off during the (US) Industrial Revolution, Chicago has few really old restaurants. But Chicago is probably the least nostalgic big city in America.

>>Really, compared to other big US cities that took off during the (US) Industrial Revolution, Chicago has few really old restaurants. But Chicago is probably the least nostalgic big city in America.

I surely agree with the former statement, I am not so sure about the latter. In a lot of ways, Chicago seems an incredibily nostalgic city. (Why do we keep on re-electing our current mayor?)

LA, which as cities go, is a lot younger than Chicago, seems to have way more "classics." What's kind of interesting, is that very famous Musso and Frank's is really pretty close to the Berghoff. I wonder if, perhaps, the fact that a)the Berghoff is WAY cheaper and b)has rather modernized their menu of late, lessens the respect for it or makes it not quite as revered as Musso.

See link for my report of eating at Musso's recently.

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

When did Richie D become the Mayor of Oak Park too? :)

Interesting list but the old South Side places just don’t seem to get any recognition. Schaller’s Pump in Bridgeport claims to have been in business since 1881 (I just called and asked). I think but am not certain it’s been owned by the same family at the same location for all those years. Whatever the details--and I hope to find out--it’s among Chicago’s oldest bars and restaurants (hmm, older than Daley’s?). I’m pretty sure Schaller’s still serves food as well as drink.

Schaller's Pump
3714 S Halsted St
Chicago
773-376-6332

......I was dragged there unwillingly after a Sox game last year, by two Sox fan friends (I'm a four-decade Cubs fan, see - third generation, too - but that's another story). We got there too late to eat, so I was too crabby to appreciate it. Interestingly, we started the evening by meeting at the Berghoff for a pre-game brew.

I feel like such an historical Philistine now....thanks for the info. I really owe the boys an apology.

Thanks to all for this wonderful mother lode of information.

Jeff

I was just about to chime in on Schuliens when I saw your post,thanks for bringing it up.

My mothers family owned Schuliens and we lived upstairs for a for a few years back in the '50s

Since changing hands Schuliens has reemerged as O'Donovans and still retains alot of the spirit of the old saloon.

Sean Parnell did a review of O'Donovans and includes a fairly indepth history of Schuliens on his Chicago bar page.

O'Donovans
2100 W Irving
Chicago
IR8 2100

Link: http://www.chicagobarproject.com/Revi...

Donovan's, the place where Schulien's was, is owned by the same family, so you could say it's still going. Likewise The Green Door Tavern is supposed to have been in operation as one bar or another since the fire (it was one of the few wooden buildings in that part of town built in the short time after the fire before the code outlawed them). But there are probably a lot of places we don't know about that have been a bar owned by one person after the next since they were built a century ago.

Interesting. The oldest continuously operating restaurant in the U.S. is in Boston.

Link: http://chowhound.com/boards/notfood/m...

And the winners in Chicago are
2) gene and georgetti
3) the italian village

We made a special stop on the All Night A Thon at the Daley Restaurant at 63rd and Cottage Grove becuase, according to our guide VI, it is the oldest operating restaurant in Chicago. Wonderful warm service. Average diner food.

Berghoff's opened in 1899, I believe.

I'm curious about the Green Door Tavern in River North, too.

I would not go make a claim, wily-nily about Daley's being the oldest restaurant in Chicago without at least some proof. Good thing I said it on high authority. See link below.

Also interesting about Daley's, is I later learned, this was the sight that daily (not Daley), famed S.Side boxing coach Herman "DeeDee" Armour went for soup.

www.vitalinformation.blogspot.com

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

I'll keep an eye on it. It may be surprising how many West Coast restaurants pop up. Heck, Tucson is well over 300 years old - there may be a cantina of pre-Civil War vintage out there....

Thanks for expanding on the idea. Much obliged.

One very old bar is the Clark Street Ale House on Clark Street just south of Chicago Ave.

It's now a "gourmet beer" bar serving a great range of microbrews on tap and in the bottle.

The bar goes back into the late 1800's if I'm not mistaken, but it's changed hands over the years... alot of authentic trim remains.

Use the architecture as an excuse to go have some great beer!

....for purely historical purposes, of course. ;o)

Another question: How long has the Walnut Room at Field's been in operation? And do we have provenance for Gene & Georgetti and the Italian Village? And how long has the Mill Race Inn been in Geneva?

I don't have dates but Tufano's is right up there... I want to say that Pat Bruno wrote a piece within the last few years about the oldest restaurants in Chicago.

Clark Street Ale House is a pretty good bar, with one of the best beer selections in the area. A nice feature is the hand pump serving cask-conditioned ale, often Bell’s Two Hearted or something equally tasty. There’s also a well-chosen selection of whiskey. It’s open until 4am, unusual among bars with good beer selections.

The building is old to be sure but I’m not sure how much of it is original. Before it became CSAH (late 1980s?), it was the Stop and Drink for many decades. It’s great that they retained the old neon sign. One feature of Stop and Drink was a central horseshoe-shaped bar. This was torn out and replaced by a long bar along the south wall. The lower part of the façade has been significantly altered, with large wooden doors that are opened in warm weather. I’m told that many decades ago this stretch of Clark Street was quite an interesting area with many burlesque houses, brothels, etc.

Clark Street Ale House
742 N Clark St
Chicago
312-642-9253