What is the oldest Chinese restaurant in the US?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026

The Pekin Noodle Parlor, located in Butte, Montana, is historically celebrated as the oldest continuously operating Chinese restaurant in the United States, having opened its doors in 1911. Established by immigrant entrepreneur Hum Fay during a booming era when Butte was a bustling mining metropolis, the historic establishment served Chinese American dishes and traditional noodles to miners, locals, and travelers alike. Operating out of the same upper-floor building for over a century with its original booths, family living quarters, and antique furnishings intact, the restaurant stands as a remarkably preserved monument to early Chinese American history and culinary heritage in the American West.

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