The Union Oyster House: Where Boston’s History Still Pulls Up a Chair

Step inside one of Boston’s oldest surviving brick buildings and discover the remarkable history behind the Union Oyster House.

would later become King Louis Philippe I of France.

In this episode, we explore how a modest Union Street building became connected to revolutionary newspapers, Boston’s oyster culture, Daniel Webster’s legendary appetite, and an unusual marketing scheme that may have helped make the wooden toothpick fashionable.

The Union Oyster House is more than a historic restaurant. It is a place where merchants, revolutionaries, royalty, politicians, workers, and hungry travelers have all left their mark—and where, after more than two centuries, history is still pulling up a chair.