Ben's Chili Bowl

Good food. TERRIBLE SERVICE. more

Veggie burrito is awesome!! more

Great service buzzing atmosphere and well priced tasty food. more

This place is awesome!!! more

Cute date spot :) more

very good Mexican dishes! more

Terrible experience – I ate here with a friend. The food was decent, and it is a pretty room. more

Long Lines, But The Food Is DELICIOUS, It Is Well Worth The Wait, The Staff Is Friendly, But It Seems Like They Don't Get Along Too Well Amongst One Another, But Overall Great Place To Take The Family Or The Girlfriend To. I can See This Business Being Around Another 50 years. P.S Love The Juke Box! more

I was craving a hot dog yesterday and while I knew Ben's was overpriced and iffy at best I gave it another shot. As usual the wait is about 10 minutes in line per six people buying hotdogs. The sanitation of the grill, cooking methods seem haphazard at best, and the food is terrible. My half-smoke was burned on the outside and room temperature on the inside, showing off the filler material that makes up the contents. The chili is disgusting and silverware is necessary to eat it without getting covered in the slop. I love hotdogs, I love chili, but this is the last place I'd go if I was craving a hot dog, a reasonably priced meal or half way competent service and organization. more

The place is a throwback to an era that no longer exists. The chow is good and hot. Enjoy it while you can. Take in the ambiance. more

My take: It’s clean, tasty and safe even at 3:30am. Their Half-Smokes and the Chili Sauce are uniquely seasoned and not for the faint of heart. The food is-what-it-is. Chili, dogs, (chili dogs too), burgers (all kinds), fries and those can come with cheese and/or chili. Got to love homemade Cole slaw and potato salad. The service is tried true and enough said there. Ben’s is a blend of everything this area has to offer in terms of people, atmosphere, and food. It’s a slice of Americana and more. You ever been to White Castle? more

I can't believe this place has the reputation it does. I ordered chili, (It's Bens' Chili Bowl) it was awful. It tasted like canned Hormel Clili. People seem to like their greasy half-smokes. Not me. how could a place this bad last this long??? more

hile it may not be the best hot dog I've ever had, the one I devoured at Ben's is damn near the top. After hearing people rave about it on Yelp for so long, and seeing it on virtually every travel or food show that does a DC episode I finally made it over to U Street to visit this landmark (albeit, in transit to another destination for a Yelp event) over the summer to partake of their meaty goodness. Ah, the half-smoke. It's rarely a bad idea to mix meats, and Ben's follows that rule to the highest degree. This dog brilliantly blends multiple flavors for optimal deliciousness, and tops it off with a bit of mildly spicy chili. There's not much in the way of available toppings, but who needs it when you've got some of the best chili in the city? As a true Southerner I am of course compelled to add some ketchup and hot sauce (I put that stuff on everything!) and just a tidbit of mustard. The man inside me wasn't quite satisfied enough with that though, so I had it topped with gooey cheese as well, a full scale overflowing mess in the making. Don't worry though, they give you chips to clean up all your sloppy drippings with. Bonus! Pros: Hot dogs rock Cons: lines suck more

Even if most of the times I've been to Ben's I was looking for a late-night snack after bar-hopping down U St., I'll still say this place is great at any time of day. Everyone knows of Ben's Chili Bowl as a DC institution, a part of history that's survived years of both good and bad. Considering that, then you know the food must be good if it's still around. I'm a fan of their chili half-smokes with cheese, which are insanely meaty and heavy and all-around delicious. But of course with food like cheese fries and loaded half-smokes, Ben's is more a treat than a go-to for when your own kitchen pantry fails you. Even breakfast is delicious and greasy with their egg and cheese sandwiches, hotcakes, etc. Go here and sit in the restaurant if you can so you can marvel at all their memorabilia. But even if there's no room, don't pass up a half-smoke to-go. Pros: best half-smokes in DC, awesome cheese fries, cheap Cons: it's heavy food, so not good to come here often more

I am from Chicago....and we love this kind of place....was great ...the food and service....felt at home! I would highly recommend this place when in town.... more

absolute authenticity: great service< great food good prices a highlight of our trip from the outlands of montana more

I will never understand why such much attention and credit is given to Ben's. In my view, the food is awful, the prices are overated and the sanitation is scary. more

Try Hard Times Cafe!http://www.hardtimes.com/ Ben's is way over rated. Each server prepares their own order. And the service is seriously lacking. more

Known for their chili dogs and chili cheese fries, Ben's is a great place to go on U street after going out... more

Known for their chili dogs and chili cheese fries, Ben's is a great place to go on U street after going out to the bars. Not for the super healthy ... more