Washington’s Oldest Restaurant Claims Safer Oysters Than FDA, Still Charges $24
KEY POINTS
- •Old Ebbitt Grill has operated near the White House since 1983 but traces its founding back to 1856 as a boarding house saloon.
- •Several U.S. presidents, including William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, reportedly frequented the establishment over the years.
- •The restaurant serves oysters tested every two months for safety above FDA standards and offers a $16.99 'Strawberry Fields' cocktail.
Old Ebbitt Grill, allegedly DC’s oldest eatery since 1856, sits just steps from the White House—because nothing says presidential like shucking oysters in a basement bar. Founded by innkeeper William E. Ebbitt, who hosted future President William McKinley among other power suits like Grant and Roosevelt, the old boarding-house-turned-saloon evolved through moves, landing in a Beaux-Arts mansion on 15th Street NW in 1983 (because Washington loves fancy addresses). Their prized oysters boast a $23.99 half-dozen price tag, reduce to $15.99 during happy hour windows at oddly specific 3-5 p.m. and after 11 p.m. The grill insists their oysters are the 'safest in town,' rigorously lab-tested every two months to outclass FDA standards—a bold claim, given diners’ trust usually ends after peeling crustaceans. The bar serves a $17 Strawberry Fields cocktail, basically strawberry lemonade fogged in Prosecco, and fries that seem to be the meal’s heavyweight hero.
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(1 of 3)Only in DC can a seafood joint close to the White House brag about oyster safety like it’s a national security brief while charging twenty-four bucks a pop for fish pretending to be fancy.
The Old Ebbitt Grill sells oysters priced like designer caviar and promises lab-tested safety rivaling government policies—guess which one’s flaky?
The only thing more historic than Washington politics? Paying nearly $24 for oysters labeled 'safest in town' that could launch a thousand conspiracy theories.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 7/14/2026 | Author: Kristine Villarroel
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