A 1673 Rhode Island tavern is now one of the oldest operating restaurants in the world

The White Horse Tavern in Rhode Island, opened in 1673, is the oldest restaurant in the country. Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock The White Horse Tavern in Rhode Island is the oldest operating restaurant in the country. The restaurant opened in 1673, over a century before the start of the Revolutionary War. It's now a fine-dining establishment that pays homage to classic New England fare. Years before the Revolutionary War and the Salem witch trials — and long before the United States even existed ...