The Oldest Restaurant In New York Has Ties To George Washington - Tasting Table

"There aren't too many places you can still eat today that can honestly claim George Washington had a cocktail there, but that is just the beginning of the history of the oldest restaurant in New York. Located in Tappan, New York, just a dozen miles north of New York City and near the Hudson River, the restaurant is now known as the '76 House and was built back in the mid-to-late 1600s."

"Establishing the oldest restaurants in the U.S. is a tough thing, with inconsistent and hard-to-find records, and it is unclear exactly when the '76 House started in its original iteration as Mabie's Inn. Some claim it was built in 1668, but the restaurant's owner, Robert Norden, says the first exact year they know it was in existence was 1686. But while other restaurants in New York (like the Millridge Inn) claim to be in older buildings,"

"During the Revolutionary War Era, the tavern sat at a crossroads of activity and became a site of planning and a meeting place for those sympathetic to the revolutionary cause. It was in that capacity that it hosted its most famous guest, General Washington, who reportedly ate there with his generals and another revolutionary, the New York City tavernkeeper Samuel Fraunces. But this isn't even the most famous event of the era that occurred at the 76' House."

"The tavern's first name, Mabie's Inn, came from the Mabie family, who owned the tavern. The building the '76 House is in is still the original structure, although it was expanded by several rooms in 1755. It was in that form that it played its most memorable role in the American Revolution. In the fall of 1780, George Washington had set up his camp in Tappan,"

The '76 House in Tappan, New York, dates to the mid-to-late 1600s and began as Mabie's Inn. Some accounts claim a 1668 construction, while documented existence is confirmed by owner Robert Norden in 1686. The original structure remains and was expanded in 1755. The tavern served as a planning site and meeting place for Revolutionary sympathizers and hosted George Washington, who reportedly dined there with generals and Samuel Fraunces. In fall 1780 Washington established camp in Tappan and used Mabie's Inn as a prison for British spy John André, linking the building to prominent Revolutionary events.

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