Early American Tavern | Sussex NJ

A New Restaurant Inside a Sussex NJ Landmark

Gabriel Coykendahl built the place in 1843, and back then it wasn’t a tavern at all, it was Frank U. Dixon’s Union House. During the Civil War, the building served as a recruiting station for Union soldiers, and it’s seen a fair number of notable faces pass through since, including Garret A. Hobart, who went on to serve as William McKinley’s first Vice President. In 1904 the building was sold and renamed The Sussex Inn, a name that stuck with locals for the better part of a century.

Early American Tavern itself is much newer. The current restaurant opened just a few years ago in that same space on Main Street, taking over after The Sussex Inn closed. What you get now is a tavern menu built for a modern crowd, served inside a dining room that still leans into the building’s age: dark wood, worn floors, framed photos that look like they’ve been there for decades. It’s cozy without being precious about it, and there’s indoor and outdoor seating, so a warm night means you can eat on the porch and watch traffic go by.

What’s on the Menu

The menu leans into tavern comfort food: fried chicken, meatloaf with brown gravy, hand-formed pizza, calzones, and the E.A.T. Signature Burger loaded with applewood bacon and moonshine BBQ sauce. Seafood options include clams in Guinness cream broth and a lump crab appetizer, plus a full range of paninis and grilled cheese for anyone who wants something lighter. Breakfast runs weekday mornings from 7 to 11, one of the few sit-down breakfast options in Sussex NJ.

Events and Private Gatherings

Beyond the regular menu, Early American Tavern doubles as a banquet hall and event venue, with a private room available for parties, showers, and family gatherings. The tavern also hosts live music on select nights, worth checking their calendar for if that’s part of the draw. For anyone planning an event in Sussex County, it’s a solid option not far from the High Point State Park area.