It’s always fun to find out which establishments have been welcoming guests the longest. Any business that can stay open for years is a success. Restaurants come and go, but the Village Tavern in Long Grove, Illinois has been getting it done since the mid-19 th century. Officially the oldest restaurant in Illinois.

Village Tavern - Long Grove, Illinois

1847 was the year that the Village Tavern opened up as a wagon shop. That’s pre-Civil War. 178 years ago. In 1849 it became a restaurant. Back then Long Grove was a German settlement area and the Village Tavern still reflects that old heritage in the form of pork schnitzel or bratwurst. The menu is varied and vast with broasted chicken or fish, but features an Illinois favorite the locals have cherished for many years - the Village T

See Full Page