Dating back nearly 300 years, these are the oldest restaurants in Central Jersey
As one of the original 13 colonies, New Jersey — and especially Central Jersey — has plenty of American history. Fittingly, its restaurants have just the same, as some of them date back to the Revolution, featuring original beamwork and fireplaces that are nearly 300 years old.
You might have enjoyed plenty of prime rib, roast chicken and Atlantic salmon at these local eateries, but you may not know everything about them.
Here are the stories behind these long-standing restaurants.
Stage House Tavern, Scotch Plains (1737)
The Stage House Tavern in Scotch Plains is a bustling yet cozy bar and restaurant — just as it was 286 years ago.
“We try to keep up with the times, but keep the place looking similar to how it looked in the 1700s,” said general manager Dustin Noel.
Perhaps the oldest restaurant in Central Jersey, it is on the National Register of Historic Places — and has been continuously run as a tavern by different owners for nearly three centuries.
It was originally called the Stage House Inn and was owned by John Sutton. During both the Revolutionary War and Civil War, the Stage House Tavern was a meeting place for troops. It’s rumored that Gen. George Washington enjoyed a pint or two there.
The tavern also formerly housed rooms where generals and local government likely stayed overnight. With hidden rooms in the original basement with a 4-foot ceiling that’s bottomed by dirt floors, it’s also rumored to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Through the centuries, various surrounding structures have been added to the Stage House Tavern, but it still has the ambiance of a Revolutionary War-era tavern with its three original fireplaces, woodwork and beams. The original floors were replaced only recently, once they became so thin that the basement could be seen in some locations.
Glass panels in the restaurant also highlight where original walls once stood, which customers can view after dining on homemade ravioli, hand-butchered steaks, thin-crust pizza, tacos and more.
Go: 366 Park Ave, Scotch Plains; 908-322-4224, stagehousetavern.com.
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Cranbury Inn, Cranbury (1750)
With buildings dating back to 1698, Cranbury is one of the state’s oldest towns. One of those early buildings includes the Cranbury Inn, which has been a place to eat and drink since the 1750s, when a deed for the property was issued by King George III.
Cranbury was a major thoroughfare for Colonial travelers — including Col. Alexander Hamilton and Washington — due to its position between Philadelphia and New York City. Although it’s never been confirmed that Washington, Hamilton or other major Revolutionary figures ate or drank at the inn, “it’s absolutely very possible and probably very likely that the major figures visited,” said Cranbury Inn owner Bill Arnold.
Since then, it’s been expanded, and some of the once-exterior walls of the separate buildings can now be seen in the interior walls of the now-combined structure. History is also in the walls and flooring of the inn itself, some of which has been restored by new ownership.
Oakwood flooring in the bar area, possibly dating back to the early 1800s, was recently refinished after being revealed under former carpeting. Original pumpkin pine flooring in the new lounge, dating to the late 1700s or early 1800s, was also restored after being uncovered by large floor rugs. The original woodwork, molding, windows and chandeliers at the inn remain.
“We made every attempt to preserve anything historic,” said Arnold. “We also went through the state historic preservation office to approve every fixture, piece of wallpaper, furniture and more. We tried to update it and make it a comfortable place with modern amenities, but keep the historic components and charm.”
Go: 21 S Main St, Cranbury; 609-655-5595, thecranburyinn.com.
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Rocky Hill Inn, Rocky Hill (1763)
No one knows exactly when what's now known as the Rocky Hill Inn was built — originally as a home in the sleepy Somerset County borough. All that's known is that by 1763 at the latest, it could be found on historic maps after being converted into an inn. Upstairs, the kitchen and other rooms of the original home remain.
Although there isn’t proof, it’s reasonable to assume that Washington enjoyed a meal here at least once. Washington visited and stayed at a house known as Rockingham during the Revolutionary War, and on his way to New York City for his inauguration. Although Rockingham has been moved to Franklin Township, it was then in Rocky Hill, east of the Millstone River.
In the following century, the Rocky Hill Inn was enlarged, passing from the Harrisons to other families. It was called the Dey Hotel and Danley Hotel, among other names After World War II, it stopped hosting overnight visitors, and became a food and beverage destination.
It's been featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” thanks to its inventive burgers, and “olde English” fare like shepherd’s pie and chicken pot pie. Throughout the restaurant dining room, called the Rockingham Room, and upstairs in the Homestead Room (where private parties take place), customers can see historic items passed down to owners Evan and Maria Blomgren: lighting fixtures, old Jim Beam bottles, circa-1890 photos of the Rocky Hill Inn, mirrors, books, a roll-top desk and a copper-lined humidor.
Both of the Rockingham Room's fireplaces are original, as are the mirrors behind the bar and the thick trim surrounding the bar.
Go: 137 Washington St., Rocky Hill; 609-683-8930, rockyhilltavern.com.
Grain House at the Olde Mill Inn, Basking Ridge (1768)
Grain House, the restaurant inside the Olde Mill Inn, began as a water-powered grist mill and barn on the Passaic River that supplied flour, mill and feed to Washington's Army encampment at Jockey Hollow in Morristown during the winter of 1779-80.
As the business grew, the mill became too small to keep up with demand, so a larger stone mill was built in 1842. Today, what's known as the Van Dorn Mill still stands on Route 202 across the street from the Olde Mill Inn.
As time went on, the original grist mill and barn fell out of favor and into disrepair. That changed in 1928, when restaurateur William Childs inherited the mill and barn. He moved it to its current location across Route 202.
He converted it into an inn with the intention to transform the property into a preserved, historic-inspired Williamsburg-like hamlet, with 14 buildings including homes, mills, a blacksmith, barns, a one-room school, general store and restaurant.
Rather than modernize the barn, Childs left the structure as is, leaving the original wood beams and other features as he converted it into the restaurant. The hamlet never came to fruition since Childs died in 1938, but his intentions to keep the barn intact remained as the property went under new ownership.
Today, the wagon and machinery room is the Childs Dining Room; the grain storage area that fed Washington’s army is the Grain Room; and the horse stable is the Coppertop Pub.
But more than just a historic ambiance was left behind at the Grain House. It's said that George, the former caretaker who was once promised the property but was later written out of the will, still haunts the premises.
It's also been said that the mill was once a spot on the Underground Railroad, and Justin, a 70-year-old freed slave from Pennsylvania who died in 1858 on the Underground Railroad, continues to haunt the mill.
Go: 225 Morristown Road, Basking Ridge; 908-221-1150, oldemillinn.com/grain-house/.
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Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ restaurants: These are the oldest in Central Jersey
