A tavern historically served food, drink, and lodging and was colonial America’s default gathering place; an inn led with lodging; a public house (pub) is the British licensed-house tradition; a saloon is the 19th-century American frontier drinking hall; a speakeasy was an illicit Prohibition-era bar; and bar — originally the counter itself — is the broad modern umbrella term. Full definitions and origins below.
Tavern, saloon, pub, inn, bar — English has an unusually rich vocabulary for “a place that serves a drink,” and the words are not interchangeable. Each carries a different history, function, and era. Here is the field guide, from the colonial ordinary to the modern bar.
Tavern
A licensed house serving food, drink, and — historically — lodging to travelers. In colonial America the tavern was the default public gathering place: part bar, part restaurant, part inn, and often the town’s post office, courtroom, and meeting hall. Most of the oldest bars in America began as taverns.
Ordinary
The 17th- and 18th-century term (especially in the South and New England) for a tavern that served a fixed daily meal at a set price — the “ordinary”. Several of the nation’s oldest establishments were first licensed as ordinaries.
Inn
An establishment offering lodging to travelers, typically with a taproom or bar attached. The distinction from a tavern is emphasis: an inn led with beds, a tavern with drink. Many historic bars — like Connecticut’s Griswold Inn — still carry “Inn” in the name.
Public house (pub)
The British tradition of a licensed house serving beer, ale, and spirits to the public. “Pub” is the everyday short form. American usage borrows the word for bars styled after that tradition.
Saloon
The characteristic American drinking hall of the 19th-century frontier and West — think swinging doors, a long bar, and gaming tables. “Saloon” peaked between the Gold Rush and Prohibition, which is why so many western “oldest bars” carry the name.
Speakeasy
An illicit bar operating during Prohibition (1920–1933), so named because patrons “spoke easy” — quietly — to avoid attracting the law. Several historic bars survived the dry years by running as speakeasies.
Alehouse
A humble house licensed to sell ale and beer but not spirits or wine — a rung below the tavern in the old English licensing hierarchy. The term is largely archaic in America today.
Roadhouse
An inn, bar, or restaurant on a rural road outside town limits, often combining drinks, food, music, and dancing. Roadhouses flourished with the automobile and sometimes skirted local liquor rules by sitting just past the county line.
Bar
Originally the physical counter over which drinks were served; by extension, the whole establishment. “Bar” is the broadest modern term, covering taverns, saloons, pubs, and lounges alike.
Which word is correct?
All of them, depending on era and place. A colonial Massachusetts establishment is most accurately a tavern or ordinary; a 19th-century Nevada establishment is a saloon; a British-style room is a pub; and bar works as the modern umbrella term for all of them. Our profiles use each establishment’s own historical designation where one is documented.
Key takeaways
- A tavern served food, drink, and lodging; an inn emphasized lodging; the two words overlap heavily in early America.
- A saloon is specifically the 19th-century American frontier drinking hall — which is why so many western “oldest bars” use the name.
- “Pub” is short for the British “public house”; a speakeasy was an illicit Prohibition-era bar.
- “Bar” originally meant the serving counter and is now the broadest umbrella term for all of these.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tavern and a saloon?
A tavern is the older, broader term for a licensed house serving food, drink, and often lodging, central to colonial American towns. A saloon is specifically the 19th-century American drinking hall of the frontier and West, focused on drink and gaming. Most colonial-era oldest bars began as taverns; most western ones as saloons.
What is the difference between a pub and a bar?
“Pub” is short for “public house,” the British tradition of a licensed house serving beer and spirits. “Bar” comes from the counter over which drinks are served and is the broad modern American term covering taverns, saloons, pubs, and lounges alike.
What was a speakeasy?
A speakeasy was an illicit bar operating during Prohibition (1920–1933), so named because patrons “spoke easy” — quietly — to avoid attracting law enforcement. Several historic bars survived the dry years by running as speakeasies.