The Oldest Restaurant In Illinois Has Been Serving Customers Since 1847

Illinois has gifted us with foods like deep-dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs, and even the brownie. They all originated in the Windy City, but another important part of the state's culinary history, its oldest restaurant, is instead nestled in a town of less than 10,000 people. The Village Tavern in Long Grove has been in business continuously since it was established in 1847, and is also among the oldest restaurants in the USA.

John Zimmer first opened the tavern in his wagon shop, in what was then a community of German immigrants. He wanted to give people who were traveling through a place to have something to eat and drink while any necessary repairs or maintenance were done on their wagons and horses' gear. Zimmer's Tavern and Wagon Shop eventually became The Village Tavern as it continued to serve customers over time. It turned into an ice cream parlor when it couldn't sell alcohol during Prohibition, and then it was changed to be more of a family restaurant in the 1960s. The dining area was expanded in the same decade, using wood from a barn that also dated back to the 1840s. It's only been sold four times in its long history, most recently in 2023, and has always been family-owned.

The Village Tavern is located in Long Grove's historic downtown, and its white clapboard exterior fits the part, with an old-fashioned sign hanging on a pole that sticks out over the windows. Inside, a 35-foot mahogany bar commands attention with a beautifully designed wall panel. Called the President's Bar, it was salvaged from the 1967 fire that devastated Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center.

The Village Tavern serves lunch and dinner and has some pub standards on the menu. They include burgers made with beef from a local meat market, chicken sandwiches and tenders, grilled cheese and a BLT tweaked with thick Texas toast as the bread, and soups and salads.

A couple of the House Specialties reflect the area's ethnic history. There's Pork Schnitzel with spaetzle and a creamy dill sauce, and a German Platter of bratwurst and Thuringer, another type of bratwurst originally from Thuringia state in Germany, that's generally spiced with marjoram and caraway. The sausages are served with tangy sauerkraut and German potato salad, and can also be ordered as sandwiches. Other notable featured dishes are the Famous Tavern Fish Fry and Broasted Chicken, cooked in a special pressure fryer that pressure cooks and fries at the same time.

The historic restaurant had a brush with Food Network fame when its Shaved Prime Rib Sandwich was highlighted on "Eating America with Anthony Anderson." The 2014 episode was covering Long Grove's Strawberry Festival, and The Village Tavern beat out other competitors to take the "Best of the Best" first prize with the sandwich, made with fontina cheese and spicy strawberry salsa. It's still on the menu, but customers are advised to call ahead because it's not always available.