10 suburban bars and restaurants with long and storied histories

In the saloon and restaurant biz, longevity depends upon more than hearty fare and loyal customers.

In examining some of the suburbs' must enduring eateries, a solid foundation as well as a certain mutability are imperative.

The durable suburban dining spots listed below embody those traits as well as a welcoming atmosphere that keeps the locals coming back decade after decade. Here's a look at some of the oldest eateries in the suburbs:

Brandt's of Palatine

807 W. Northwest Hwy., Palatine, (847) 496-4388, brandtsofpalatine.com/

The 100-year-old farmhouse turned speak-easy this restaurant calls home was once an Inverness hideout that belonged to Al Capone's gang, according to Walt Oswald, who owns the restaurant with business partner Jim Iuorio. Relocated to Palatine during the 1930s, it was bought in the 1970s by the Brandt family, who operated the restaurant for several generations before Oswald and Iuorio bought it 7½ years ago.

They grew up in Palatine and wanted to maintain what had become a village mainstay. That's why they kept the name, even as they renovated parts of its interior and added outdoor dining.

“It's a very social place,” said Oswald of the locals who frequent the restaurant. “They feel like it's theirs ... The community has been really good about supporting us.”

Colonial Cafe

1625 E. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 584-4647, colonialcafe.com/; also at 1961 W. Galena Road, Aurora, (630) 844-2444; 1101 S. Washington St., Naperville, (630) 420-7722; and 552 Randall Road, St. Charles, (630) 443-8338

The origins of this suburban favorite date back to Simon Anderson's 1901 milk route. That evolved in the 1940s to a fountain and grill with locations in Geneva, West Chicago, Sycamore and DeKalb. By 1959, Colonial's ice cream and sandwich shop opened at 1625 E. Main St. in St. Charles. During the 1970s, the Anderson family business expanded into full-service, family restaurants whose signature ice cream creations hearken back to its earliest days.

Glenview House

1843 Glenview Road, Glenview, (847) 724-0692, theglenviewhouse.com/

Established as Al Eustice's Saloon in 1878, the Glen View House was purchased by John Dilg in 1899, the year the village was incorporated. Dilg added a third floor, which was used as a dance hall and for meetings and religious services. The third floor burned in 1923. The tavern changed ownership over the decades. According to the website, Steve Podjasek and Michael Canning bought and renovated the Glenview House, which serves up salads, sandwiches, and assorted draft and bottled beers.

Hackney's

1241 Harms Road, Glenview, (847) 724-5577, hackneys.net/; also at 1514 E. Lake Ave., Glenview, (847) 724-7171

During prohibition, Jack and Bebe Hackney served hamburgers and beer from the back porch of their Glenview home. Newlyweds Jim and Kitz Masterson took over after purchasing the house for $1 in 1939. In 1955, the couple purchased Engels Restaurant on Lake Avenue from Masterson's parents and opened Hackney's second location. Two years later, chef Carmen Klasen created the restaurant's signature, French-fried onion appetizer, a favorite of regulars, including comedian Jim Gaffigan.

The Landmark Inn

1352 Shermer Road, Northbrook, (847) 559-1919, landmarkinnbar.com/

Housed in a building that dates back to 1885 and reportedly Northbrook's oldest commercial structure, this dining spot began as Otto Funke's Saloon. During the 1960s, it became The Cypress Inn, a name it retained until the early 2000s when it re-emerged as The Landmark. The current menu lists a dozen hamburgers along with salmon, shrimp and lamb burgers.

The Lantern Tavern & Grill

8 W. Chicago Ave., Naperville, (630) 355-7099, lanterntavern.com/

The Lantern has been a Naperville mainstay for more than 50 years. Kitschy and cozy, this local watering hole claims to be the oldest tavern in the city and also serves the coldest beer - at least according to its Facebook page. Built in 1858, its previous incarnations included a bank, a dress shop and headquarters for the local Salvation Army chapter.

Meier's Tavern

235 E. Lake Ave., Glenview, (847) 724-0477, meierstavern.com/

Lou Pappas, son of Meier's Tavern owner Gus Pappas, describes the Glenview pub as “a time capsule.”

Except for a few improvements, “the decor is going on 90 years old,” said Lou Pappas of Meier's, which is located in a farmhouse-turned-speakeasy built before 1927.

The tavern, which opened in 1933, has always been a family business, said Pappas, but it hasn't always been in the same family. The Meier family sold the tavern during the early 1960s and at least two other families owned it before the Pappas family took over.

Pappas said hamburgers, Tater Tots and a German beer called DAB are the secrets to the tavern's success.

“We have all kinds of people,” he said. “It always feels like home.”

Mrs. P & Me

100 E. Prospect Ave., Mount Prospect, (847) 259-9724, mrs-pandme.com/

When it comes to suburban eateries, Mrs. P & Me is among the longest standing. It dates back to 1902 when Henry Behrens operated it as a saloon until Prohibition forced him to trade alcohol for candy, ice cream and cigars. It reverted to a tavern under the Kruse family, who owned it from the 1930s through the 1960s. A new owner took over in 1977 and re-christened it Mrs. P. and Me after his hometown of Pittsburgh and his wife, Patricia. It changed hands again during the late 1990s before Mount Prospect residents took over in 2004.

Manager Chris Bozonelos compares Mrs. P and Me to television's “Cheers.”

“We strive to be your local, neighborhood restaurant and bar,” he said. “The building has that kind of energy, like you're transported in time. It feels cozy and it's the customers who make it that way.”

The Village Tavern

135 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove, (847) 634-3117, villagetavernoflonggrove.com/

According to its website, Long Grove's Village Tavern is the oldest, continuously operating restaurant/tavern in Illinois. Established in 1847, it boasts tangible evidence of its history including a glorious, 35-foot mahogany bar that survived a 1967 fire at McCormick Place in Chicago and a clock from Chicago's 1893 World's Fair: Columbian Exposition. The homey decor complements the menu, which consists of comfort food including house specialties broasted chicken, pork ribs and its signature fish fry.

York Tavern

3702 York Road, Oak Brook, (630) 323-5090, yorktavernoakbrook.com/

Built in 1843 by Benjamin Fuller, York Tavern is reportedly the oldest, privately owned, continuously operating eating and drinking establishment in DuPage County. Purchased by Vito and Marianna Moreci in 2004, the former general store turned tavern is a family-owned business that survives because family members “put our pride and joy into it,” said Vito and Marianna's daughter Rosalie Egbert.

Egbert's family did some remodeling when they purchased the tavern in 2004, but parts of the original structure and bar are still visible.

“It reminds me of 'Cheers,'” she said referring to the sitcom from the 1980s. “There are so many regular customers.”