Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant

Where is it Located

About the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant

Savor the flavors of early America at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant, located just footsteps from George Washington's historic estate. Open for lunch and dinner daily and brunch on Sundays.

The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association opened Mount Vernon to the public in 1858. A staff of two, secretary Sarah Tracy and superintendent Upton Herbert, shared the responsibility for opening the doors and conducting tours, even while the Civil War raged just a few miles away. Because Mount Vernon's location was miles from the nearest tavern or restaurant, Tracy and Herbert provided light refreshments at Washington's home, often setting up a simple table just outside Washington's kitchen.

In 1892 a trolley system was completed, linking both Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Virginia, to the first president's home. Around this time, the Gibbs Family owned and operated a simple restaurant specializing in "Virginia chicken.'" In addition, the trolley supplied enough visitor traffic to support a "beer hut" adjacent to the restaurant.

The next transformation took place in 1931-32, when the nation celebrated Washington's 200th birthday by opening the George Washington Memorial Parkway to his home. At the exact same site where the Mount Vernon Inn rests today, a small restaurant opened its doors, owned by the National Park Service.

In the early 1980s, the Association decided that dining was an important part of the overall Mount Vernon experience and that the only way to ensure quality was to enter the full-service restaurant business themselves. Mount Vernon bought the concessionaire contract of the national restaurant firm that managed the Inn, and hired a seasoned chef. Today, the Inn boasts a large full-service restaurant and a six-station food court.