But what were locals eating centuries before any of that existed? What did a night out look like before the United States was even a country?
To find the answer, you have to travel to a quiet, scenic spot along the Delaware River in Bucks County. Here sits a massive piece of living culinary history that has survived wars, industrial revolutions, and changing modern tastes. It is the King George II Inn, officially recognized as the oldest continuously operating inn and restaurant in Pennsylvania.
The Birth of a Colonial Landmark
The story begins in 1681, the same year William Penn was granted the charter for Pennsylvania.
A man named Samuel Clift was granted a license to operate a ferry across the Delaware River, connecting Bristol, Pennsylvania, to Burlington, New Jersey. Realizing that weary travelers needed a place to rest, drink, and eat while waiting for the boat, Clift opened a small tavern on the riverbank…