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Ben's Chili Bowl Review

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Ben's Chili Bowl

Address: 1213 U St. NW, U Street corridor, Washington, DC | Map It
Phone: 202/667-0909

Price range: ¢-$
Cuisine: American
Location: U Street corridor

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.6/5

Fodor's Review:

Long before U Street became hip, Ben's was serving chili. Chili on hot dogs, chili on Polish-style sausages, chili on burgers, and just plain chili. Add cheese fries if you dare. The faux-marble bar and shiny red vinyl stools give the impression that little has changed since the 1950s, but turkey and vegetarian burgers and meatless chili are a nod to modern times. Ben's closes at 2 AM Monday through Thursday, at 4 AM on Friday and Saturday, and at 8 PM Sunday. Southern-style breakfast is served from 6 AM weekdays and from 7 AM on Saturday.

Credit Cards: No credit cards
Metro: U Street/Cardozo

Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by JaneBond009 from Fort Worth, TX on 1/4/09
It was a pretty busy/happening place and had friendly service. I'm not much of a hot-dog fan, but I felt I had to try this famous place's chili dog.

Member Rating: 4.0
Ratings details: Food: 4.0 Atmosphere: 4.0 Service: 4.0 Value: 4.0

Reviewed by rfliberto from Pensacola, FL on 12/25/08
We went to DC Christmas 07 and we loved Ben's. The atmosphere was great, food was great. We loved it so much we went back 2 more times.

Member Rating: 5.0
Ratings details: Food: 5.0 Atmosphere: 5.0 Service: 5.0 Value: 5.0

Reviewed by wherestheparty from Oklahoma on 3/10/08
Ben's Chili Bowl is a must on your food list. Located on U Street and easily accessible via the Green Line Metro, try the chili dog or the half smoke. Milk shakes are good but very thick. Chili is great without being too spicy. Our service was a little slow, but the atmosphere is great. The restaurant has been around for 50 years and is a community gathering place. Extremely affordable.