24 Restaurants And Bars Turning 100 In 2024

A hundred years ago, Calvin Coolidge was president of the United States, medals were handed out at the very first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, France, moviegoers flocked to theaters to see Douglas Fairbanks in "The Thief of Baghdad," and George Gershwin made ears soar to the tune of "Rhapsody in Blue." 1924 also saw the introduction of the Caesar Salad, the cheeseburger, Milky Way bars, and Dum-Dums lollipops. However, at the height of prohibition, it was hard to find a drink, and eating out was still seen as a luxurious expense. That didn't stop many restaurants and bars opening their doors for the first time, and amazingly, 24 of them are still with us to this day, reaching the ripe old age of 100 in 2024.

The Daily Meal is paying tribute to these institutions that span from coast to coast in the United States, with a pit stop in Canada. The restaurants include one of New York's most classic pizzerias, San Francisco's oldest Chinese bakery, and a Pennsylvania establishment where tossing discarded peanut shells onto the floor was encouraged. Of course, there were many hardships to reach these centennials, so let's raise a glass to celebrate them. Long may they run.

Abraham Davis left Zahale, Lebanon and settled into Clarksdale, Mississippi, where in 1924 he started working his bar-b-q magic with his Bungalow-Inn. The eatery was located at the same very crossroads of Highway 61 and Highway 49 where blues legend Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil. Davis' son Pat told NPR, "Robert Johnson used to sit around where those sycamore trees were, playing his blues guitar, drinking a Bud and eating one of our barbecues."

Davis welcomed customers of all walks of life, even if it cost him other customers. In 1960, the business was renamed to Abe's Bar-B-Q to honor its founder. Today, eaters who frequent Abe's enjoy their BBQ pork and beef, hot dogs, and hamburgers, which also come in "Big Abe" sizes. One item on the to-go menu hearkens back to the joint's Lebanese roots — grape leaves.

In 1924, Angelo Mastrodicasa brought a taste of the cooking style of the Italian town of Farnese to the Federal Hill area of Providence, Rhode, Island. His Angelo's Civita Farnese Restaurant outlasted the Depression, and so did a dish on its menu that originated from that time — meatballs and French fries. The restaurant has moved three times, and is now under the stewardship of Mastrodicasa's nephew and his children, Bob Antignano, his wife Lee, and their two daughters, Cindy and Jamie. Other menu staples include the 1924 Signature Sangria, 8-layer lasagna, and original pan-fried eggplant dish.

In a statement to The Daily Meal, co-owner Jamie Antignano said, "As fourth generation owner of the restaurant, it is an honor to carry Angelo's into our centennial celebration. To be given the opportunity to celebrate my family, our history, and shared traditions is an honor."

The Ariston Cafe predates the 1926 opening of Route 66 by two years. In 1935, Pete Adam and Tom Cokinos moved it to its current location, on that famed highway in Litchfield, Illinois. As a restaurant on the well-traveled westward highway, it became a favorite stop for many, where a porterhouse steak once went for 85 cents and a Budweiser could be sipped for a mear 15 cents.

The Ariston Cafe remained in the family for decades, and locals Will and Michele Law and Marty and Kara Steffens assumed ownership in 2018. The cafe remains one the oldest to dot Route 66. It was inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame in 1992, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Today's menu features a wide range of cuisines that run the gamut from Greek to Italian, Mexican, and American dishes.

The Blue and White Cafe opened in Tunica, Mississippi in 1924, and moved to its current location in 1937, where it also served as a complement to a Pure Oil gas station, a newsstand, and a bus stop. The draw has always been its food. The restaurant's patrons span generations, and so too do its employees. Chuck Graves, a long-time customer explained its allure to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, saying, "You know you're going to get good food, friendly service and see people you know. It's the next best thing to eating at home."

Today, customers flock for nights of all-you-can-eat fried chicken or catfish, and mornings of big breakfasts featuring its homemade donuts. Best sellers include the B&W Burger and a club sandwich. It's almost hard to save room for dessert, for a slice of lemon or coconut pie.

Wisconsin is famous for its supper clubs where multi-course dinners, drinks, and conversation all flow freely. The state has over 250 supper clubs, and Beloit's The Butterfly Supper Club is one of its oldest.

Hal and Mae Sherburne were the original proprietors of The Butterfly Tea Room, which saw its ownership change several times, its name change to its current one, the addition of a fish fry, a devastating fire in 1972, and even an homage restaurant in New York City. The club was rebuilt, and is currently owned by brothers Mike and Hector Sala. Hector's son Aeneas now serves as the manager, and told Northwest Quarterly Live, "People come to a supper club not for just a meal, but for the full experience," adding, "We are very well-known as a close community, where people come to be treated like family."

When musician Jimmy Buffet was dreaming of a "Cheeseburger In Paradise," it's widely believed that he had the ones being cooked up at Mobile, Alabama's Dew Drop Inn in mind. In addition to dreamy burgers, the restaurant is also famous for its namesake hot dog, which is loaded with chili, sauerkraut, mustard, ketchup, and a pickle. For those who don't want the works on their dog, there are cleverly named options, including the "female," which includes "no weiner." Both its burgers and dogs made The Anniston Star's list of "100 Dishes to Eat In Alabama Before You Die."

George L. Widney opened the Dew Drop Inn in 1924, and today, one of Mobile's oldest restaurants is in the good hands of second-generation owner Powell Hamlin. Loyal customer Tara Zieman told Rouses Markets, "Everything about it is original, nothing fancy, but it is perfect."

In 1924, San Francisco welcomed two landmarks — the California Palace of the Legion of Honor and Chinatown's Eastern Bakery. For a century, the latter has been baking everything from moon cakes, coffee crunch, almond cookies, and fortune cookies. Chester Lee, the bakery's then-assistant manager, told The San Francisco Examiner in 1970, "It's very simple. The Chinese love to eat, and sweets represent the good things of life."

As one of the oldest bakeries in Chinatown, it's not just the locals who are fans. Eastern Bakery's moon cakes are shipped all across America, and in 1996, even President Bill Clinton made a point of dropping in for one. Current owner Orlando Kuan boasted to ABC 7, "Even if you go to China you don't get this quality mooncake."

John Gerstle's namesake watering hole in Louisville, Kentucky may have opened in 1907, but its accepted year of birth is 1924. Whenever it actually began, Gerstle's Place was once a welcome place for men, but not so much for women. After financial and structural issues befell the tavern in the early 1990s, it closed and became a bit more of a classy joint, re-opening as a restaurant called Avenues.

Gerstle's Place was reborn in 1997, and ever since has hosted such musical acts as James McMurtry, The National, Mike Doughty, and Umphrey's McGee. It's also a popular sports bar, and place to dine on pub grub. In 2021, Gerstle's opened a second location in Clearwater, Florida, importing the vibe, music, and bourbon selection of the original.

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel was designed by George B. Post & Sons, and opened to much fanfare in December of 1924. Its fine dining room, The Georgian, was trimmed and paneled with oak, and featured a crystal chandelier. It played host to many weddings, luncheons, and galas, including a New Year's Day dinner in its first year at $2.50 a plate. The hotel's own orchestra often supplied music at The Georgian, and in 1977, the punk band The Ramones rocked it.

In 2015, The Georgian closed its doors as a restaurant, and transitioned into a venue for rent. After a renovation by Spanish design studio Lázaro Rosa-Violán, the dining room was reborn as The George, which opened in 2022. A year later, the venue that seats 100 and had a private dining room, won a Restaurant & Bar Design Award.

In Ridgewood, Queens, Gottscheer Hall has long been a destination to down German beers, and dine on traditional German dishes like spätzle, and apple strudel. The term "Gottschee" refers to a Germanic town in present-day Slovenia, first settled in the 14th century.

In the 21st century, the Hall saw a bit of a downturn, and then an unexpected turnaround. In 2014, the Hall's secretary Roland Belay explained to QNS, "Every year we get fewer and fewer Germans coming here," adding, "so we have to look forward and it seems like the hipsters will keep this business alive."

In its 100th year, Gottscheer Hall hosted to a concert by Charley Crockett and a book release party for artist Ezra Miller. On Instagram, the Hall noted, "We could not continue without the support of our directors, shareholders, fellow Gottscheers, patrons, family, friends and staff."

At the height of prohibition, Jimmie Kramer was operating a speakeasy that constantly had to move locations. After nine years on the run, he finally settled into a permanent location in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1933. Two years later, Jimmie Kramer's The Olde Central Cafe introduced the tradition of free peanuts, with guests tossing shells directly onto the floor.

Famous folks such as Frank Sinatra, Hal Holbrook, Drew Carey, Red Skelton, and Scott Hamilton have all stopped by the place that is now known as Jimmie Kramer's The Peanut Bar. Third-generation owner, Michael Leifer told Berks County Living, "A huge thank you goes out to our staff and our guests, who are the ones who made us what we are and have allowed us to survive all these years and, very fortunately, I can say thrive all these years."

Before Johnny's Bar became a fine dining establishment, it was a neighborhood Cleveland grocery store that, in 1924, turned into a restaurant called Louise's Gardens. It eventually fell out of the Santosuosso family's hands, until Louise's sons Eugene and John took it back over in 1952. The latter brother's name won out as the venture's next iteration — Johnny's Bar. It eventually spawned an offshoot restaurant that opened in 1993 called Johnny's Downtown.

Today, Johnny's Bar specializes in Northern Italian cuisine. It is under the ownership of Bo Santosuosso, who also doubles as the restaurant's wine director. In 2019, Santosuosso told Cleveland Scene, "You don't just end up here, you make a point of coming," adding, "This place is a destination restaurant."

John T. Kegel and his wife Anna opened a soda pop parlor in West Allis, Wisconsin, in 1924, but in actuality was a speakeasy establishment. Nine years later, Kegel went legal and opened a namesake inn, where it served "hot plate lunches specially prepared to tempt the most jaded of appetites at moderate prices" (via an ad that appeared in The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle).

Thanks to a third generation of owners, Kegel's grandson Julian and his wife Stephanie, the taps have yet to run dry at Kegel's Inn. And to this day, after a nightcap, you can still stay overnight at the Inn, in one of the four rooms it rents out through Airbnb. Kegel's Inn is celebrating its centennial in many ways, including a limited edition Kegel Bräu beer, and a trip to Munich for Oktoberfest.

Lindy's Chili started as a hot dog stand run by Mae Linderman, to feed hungry travelers gassing up at her husband Charles' service station. Chili became the main attraction, smothered on dogs, burgers, sausage, nachos and fries. Lindy's went on to nourish the appetites of actor John Belushi, beloved Cubs announcer Harry Carey, and chili-loving Texan President Lyndon B. Johnson.

In 1974, Joseph Yesutis purchased Lindy's Chili, and another old popular Chicago spot that dates to 1901 — Gertie's Ice Cream Company. Eventually Yesutis combined the two into a single store, which at one point had 13 locations, and is now down to just two. When asked about the allure of the combo store, franchisee Ramon Navarro told The Life in 2009, "I think overall it's the history itself," adding, "It's not about sitting down and having lunch. It's about the experience."

For the Ontario towns of Port Franks, Thedford, and Grand Bend, MacPherson's Restaurant has been a dependable tourist and family restaurant destination since 1924. Open daily for three square meals, diners often order up a lean but juicy cut of bacon called peameal, world-famous homemade butter tarts, and larger plates like meatloaf, fish, and schnitzel. MacPherson's also features plenty of baked goods and frozen foods for patrons to take home.

Situated on Highway 21, MacPherson's is a lot more than a mere restaurant. It also serves as a gas station and convenience store loaded with snacks, gifts, lotto, and even movies to rent.

John K. Mahall's namesake bowling alley opened in 1924, and contained a candy store, barbershop, and dance hall. When prohibition was repealed, the candy store was replaced with a bar, and the venue eventually gained more lanes, a kitchen, and a dining room. If there wasn't enough going on within the building's main two stories, the Mahall family lived above it all.

In 2011, Mahall's was no longer owned by a member of the family, although the subsequent owner says that their ancestors' spirits may be haunting the building. Today, under the co-ownership of Cory Hajde, Mahall's has seen a rebirth. This includes the addition of a '70s-themed bar called Pins & Needles, and a new music space called The Roxy. The latter honors the dance hall that once stood in its place, and recently hosted shows by Joywave, Blonde Redhead, Slowdive, and Indigo de Souza.

Martha and Cyriel Antheunis opened Midway Lunch in Mishawaka, Indiana back in 1924. While the name may sound purely like a restaurant, alcoholic drinks flowed, even attracting the likes of Al Capone and Notre Dame football legend Knute Rockne. When prohibition ended, and the guise was no longer needed, "Northern Indiana's Most Beautiful Night Club" was renamed the Midway Tavern. For 66 years of the Tavern's existence, Martha was there to oversee it all, while sporting a smile. She passed away in 1990, but the venue is now better known as Martha's Midway Tavern.

Not much has changed with the Tavern since 1930, where smoking is still allowed. The venue's stage continues to be a lively source of entertainment, especially of the musical genre spelled out on one of its signs: "A mirror reflects your face. The blues reflect your soul."

In 1924, Moise and Gertrude Morvant opened a grocery store in Youngsville, Louisiana, which blossomed into so much more in 100 years. According to the Youngsville Historical Preservation Society, the couple expanded the grocery's business by offering alcoholic drinks and hamburgers. The hamburger's signature recipe was created by Gertrude, and has since been passed down and tweaked upon by subsequent owners of Morvant's, including the Hebert family.

While the original Morvant's burned down in 1940, the new location was eventually built across the street. Today, Morvant's Bar and Grill has a second location, as well as two mobile food trucks, slinging po boys and crawfish in addition to its world-famous hamburgers. Co-owner Candy Hebert wrote in 2023 on Bayou Hub, "The success of Morvant's Bar and Grill can be attributed to their unwavering commitment to quality and the preservation of time-honored recipes."

Los Angeles' The Original Pantry Café opened in 1924, and had never closed or been without a customer since. That even includes when the original location was transitioning to its new and present location, at 877 South Figueroa Street, in 1950. Future Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan bought the Café in 1981, and later told the L.A. Times it was "the love of my life."

By the end of the 20th century, as pointed out in a print ad, the Café was "serving 100 eggs an hour, 461 loafs of bread per day, and 4.3 million pounds of beef per year" (via Los Angeles Magazine). While it has served many pancakes and home fries to some of Hollywood's biggest stars, the Café has even made cameos in the films "The Million Dollar Hotel" and "Knocked Up."

With the latest electric marvels of cooking equipment in their kitchen, Anton and Juliette Andersen opened Andersen's Electric Cafe in Buellton, California in 1924. Four years later, the highway pit stop expanded with a dining room and hotel. Juliette's split pea soup proved to be so popular that in 1947, the establishment was renamed to honor the dish — Pea Soup Andersen's. At one point in time, the restaurant was splitting 50 tons of peas each year. The Andersen's sold their restaurant to Vince Evans in 1965, who opened a second location in Santa Nella 11 years later.

As the original location of Pea Soup Andersen's was closing in on its 100th birthday, it promptly closed its doors in January 2024. Its future is uncertain, with a possible redevelopment in the works. However, the hotel in Buellton and restaurant in Santa Nella remain open for business.

George "Punk" Raub and his wife Anna opened a restaurant on Main Street of Plymouth, Pennsylvania In 1924. Raub's has always had a varied menu, with highlights including chili, coleslaw, and seafood. In a 1947 ad in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Raub boasted that "We serve the best. Just try us once." After George passed in 1956, Anna carried on running the restaurant, and their relatives, the Klimchaks, succeeded her.

After owner Donnie Klimchak died in 2022, Raub's was in danger of closing for good. That's when former customer turned employee of 30 years Stacey Spencer stepped in to save the day. As the new owner, she reopened the restaurant in 2023. Local newspaper, the Times Leader, praised the move, writing, "the return of Raub's is a reminder about the classic small businesses that are at the heart of our culture and our communities."

Italian immigrant Dominic Marino once worked at a restaurant called Roma Cafe, and when he eventually settled in Portland, Maine in 1924, he opened his own spot with the same name. While this first iteration didn't survive the depression, Marino succeeded with his second attempt, which opened in 1935. Roma Cafe was renowned opera singer Mario Lanza's favorite spot when in town. It was also the kind of place where rivals like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were able to break bread together.

Marino died in 1984, and the following year his sons sold the Cafe. The restaurant was closed for a period of time after 2008, and was reborn in 2017 thanks to partners Mike Fraser, Guy Streitburger and Anders Tallberg. Roma Cafe celebrated its 100 anniversary with special dinner events that featured dishes from Marino's original menus.

The Kohler Company of Wisconsin was looking out for the welfare of its employees when it built The American Club rooming house with affordable accommodations in 1918. Six years later, the Club expanded in rooms, while adding a recreation center, including a Taproom. This is where the employees would come to drink and eat, relax, play card games or billiards, and go bowling.

In 1981, The American Club was converted into a hotel, and the Taproom became a new pub-like dining area called The Horse & Plow. It was remodeled once again in 2013. The current table tops, where guests enjoy brews paired with beer cheddar soup and Wisconsin staple cheese curds, was made with wood reclaimed from the former bowling alley.

One of the founding fathers of American pizza is Naples immigrant Anthony "Totonno" Pero. The pizzaiolo at the one of the first ever pizzerias, Lombardi's, he eventually opened his own namesake place in Coney Island in 1924. Ever since, beachgoers and tourists have flocked to Brooklyn to order have a pie at this James Beard award-winning classic. French chef Alain Ducasse is a vocal fan, and its diners have also included Marisa Tormei, Cindy Lauper, Rob Reiner, and Danny DeVito.

The 21st century hasn't exactly been kind to Totonno's. A fire in 2009 almost spelled doom for the pizzeria, and after getting back on its feet, Hurricane Sandy flooded the joint in 2012. The pandemic lockdown of 2020 challenged its existence too, but Totonno's, under the stewardship of the founder's grandchildren, Louise Ciminieri, Frank Balzano, and Antoinette (Annette) Balzano, reopened in 2022.