Historic Beginnings
About us
With history spanning back into the 1800s, The Clinton Restaurant is one of its town's oldest foundations.
How Our Italian Restaurant Started
For a time, in the mid-1800s, Whitestone was called Clintonville after DeWitt Clinton, the governor of New York who was instrumental in building the Erie Canal. Clinton was a Queens resident who summered in Whitestone. Although the restaurant did not initially have a name, local residents referred to it as “The Clinton” and the name stuck. The building was constructed in 1901, housed a “speakeasy” saloon during Prohibition and is one of the oldest commercial sites in town.
The Babich Family celebrates three generations of serving the Whitestone community with the best steak, seafood, and more - and hopes you enjoy our hospitality at the Clinton. Thank you for your patronage.
