LOWELL– Lowell’s oldest and most historic tavern, the Worthen House, is getting national recognition with a feature on  America’s Best Restaurants (ABR).

America’s Best Restaurants, a national media and marketing company focusing on bringing attention to local, independently-owned restaurants, will bring its ABR Roadshow to the restaurant on June 5th. Popular dishes will be highlighted, along with an extensive on-camera interview with owner Penelope Hamourgas about the restaurant’s special place in the community.

The episode will be aired extensively on social media channels at a later date.

Built in 1834, Worthen House is Lowell’s oldest tavern and restaurant, and over the years has hosted patrons such as Edgar Allen Poe, Jack Kerouac, and Jimmy Breslin. The interior still has the original tin ceiling, a belt-and-pulley fan system, and vintage decor such as photographs and framed drawings on the walls.

The kitchen is headed by Chris Demato, and is under the name The Charr’d Grille. It opened in 2023. Appetizers, burgers and sandwiches, paninis and sides make up the menu. Popular items which may be featured on the episode include the Craic Chicken Panini, made with local hot sauce, and the Whistler’s Mother burger, topped with house barbecue sauce, bacon, cheese and onion rings.

Hamourgas has future goals of turning the third floor of the building into a museum and opportunity for historical tours. She would like her episode of the Roadshow to showcase the history of the building in order to interest more travelers.

“Not only do we want new faces in the door, people who are interested in the history [of the building] but we want them to be able to see something different,” Hamourgas says. “More exposure leads to more people, [which] leads to more things we can do with the restaurant, the more people we can touch, the more people that can come see the history.”

America’s Best Restaurants will be filming on location on Thursday June 5th from 2 pm to 5 pm EST. The press is invited to attend. The restaurant’s finished episode premiere date will be announced on their Facebook page and will be featured on America’s Best Restaurants’ website.

Restaurants featured on the ABR Roadshow are selected based on their customer reviews, menu items, social media presence, and level of involvement with their community. They are found through customer nominations, internal vetting or by a restaurant applying to be featured at www.americasbestrestaurants.com.

The Worthen House, located at 141 Worthen St in Lowell, is open daily. For more information visit www.worthenhousecafe.com.