Oldest Missouri Restaurant that Closed About to Be Reborn

It was the oldest continuously in operation tavern in Missouri for 180 years. Earlier in 2024, it sadly closed its doors. Now, there is confirmation that its demise was not a permanent one as there are plans for it to reopen with changes soon.

I first saw this mentioned on the Missouri sub-Reddit about a historic Show Me State staple that had sadly gone away, but was coming back again.

Missouri State Parks shared the rich history of the J Huston Tavern at Arrow Rock State Historic Site. The sad recent history is that it was forced to close and shut the business down back in February of 2024. The Columbia-Missourian is reporting that this historic Missouri place isn't dead yet. Missouri State Parks confirms this imminent reopening by saying they "anticipate the continued operation of the restaurant in the near future".

Once it reopens, The J Huston Tavern will see some changes. The report says that dinner will be served on Thursdays and Fridays with lunch and dinner offered on Saturday and just lunch on Sunday.

The Missouri State Parks who manage the day-to-day operation of the J Huston Tavern now do not have a firm reopening date as of this writing, but that should change soon. Once it does, I will update this article to reflect the reopening of one of Missouri's most historic eateries.