Ben's Chili Bowl

I thought this place would be some old school greatness. It looks and sounds like that’s what’s on offer, but honestly, it’s like the ingredients came straight out of Costco. The burger, the half smoke, the white buns, all cheap, but unfortunately the price isn’t so cheap. Everyone there was nice enough. Nothing wrong with the place in that respect, it just isn’t what you’d expect from looking online. Nothing special, even with the photo of Obama looking down at you whilst you force the food in. They had gluten free buns listed in the menu but then when the food was finally ready it clearly wasn’t a gluten free bun, I asked them and the server said nobody told him. He did offer to replace it, but I’d been waiting 25 mins by that point so I just removed it and ate around it! If you’re gluten intolerant (or worse) be careful here.

If you're looking for a better bowl of chili, Go get a bowl at Wendy's!. It will have more flavor, a nicer staff and be half the price of what they charge here. 10 bucks for a bowl of leftover hamburger meat stewed in a pot? Methinks not. It's all jazzed up and well lit like we're in Vegas or something but nothing has prices on it. You have to ask the staff what the price of anything is and nobody can tell you and they work there. Hmm. Don't get me wrong. The chili was not bad here. It was just way overpriced and nothing to write home about because it comes in a paper. The exact same size as what Wendy does for about $4.85 but again they're charging $10 or more... And I want to say their chili dog is the same price if not a little more.

Had high expectations for the chili dog but was disappointed by the bun as it is the kind you can easily get from grocery store. The hotdog tasted great while the chili was pretty spicy! Overall i felt that this didnt live up to the hype. I prefer Dirt Dog for the roll and the softness of the whole item. The winner was the banana pudding which was so creamy and yummy! It costs more than a hotdog bun though. The pricing is steep! A pity that the restroom doesn't seem to have a lock.

It feels like a time capsule eating here. You definitely feel the history. Great place to try as a tourist! Highly recommend the experience! Food though is just 4 stars. You can definitely still improve the taste with a little more salt but it’s not bad by any standard. Go experience it even just once!

May be it was great once?! It didn't live up to my landmark place expectation. I tried large chilli con carne with onion cheese and sour cream.

Ben’s Chili Bowl has the best beef chili burgers ever!!! So juicy and messy, just the best comfort food you could ask for. I ordered the single Ben’s famous burger as a meal with onion rings. Before going there, I did not know it was THE famous chili place that Obama ate at. And then I looked at the walls and saw all those celebrities who visited it. 🍔✨ It’s so good, you should definitely give it a try if you’re new to it. The neighborhood isn’t the safest place to be at night, so I’d recommend going earlier during the day.

Excellent choice for lunch. Chili fries and a burger were my choice and they were oh so good. The chili does have some heat to it, which I like spicy and enjoyed the added kick. My hubby enjoyed his chili dog along with the chili fries. I topped my lunch of with a vanilla milkshake.. wow! Best milkshake I've had, my cheeks were sore from trying to slurp it up, it was thick and just what one would expect of a great shake. The service was a bit laid back and slow, but the place was clean and wasn't too crowded to get a seat.

Normally when a restaurant is hyped so much, it rarely lives up to the expectations. However Ben's chilli bowl surpassed what I expected. The half smoked was one of the best hotdogs I've ever had.

I thought this place would be some old school greatness. It looks and sounds like that’s what’s on offer, but honestly, it’s like the ingredients came straight out of Costco. The burger, the half smoke, the white buns, all cheap, but unfortunately the price isn’t so cheap. Everyone there was nice enough. Nothing wrong with the place in that respect, it just isn’t what you’d expect from looking online. Nothing special, even with the photo of Obama looking down at you whilst you force the food in. They had gluten free buns listed in the menu but then when the food was finally ready it clearly wasn’t a gluten free bun, I asked them and the server said nobody told him. He did offer to replace it, but I’d been waiting 25 mins by that point so I just removed it and ate around it! If you’re gluten intolerant (or worse) be careful here.

If you're looking for a better bowl of chili, Go get a bowl at Wendy's!. It will have more flavor, a nicer staff and be half the price of what they charge here. 10 bucks for a bowl of leftover hamburger meat stewed in a pot? Methinks not. It's all jazzed up and well lit like we're in Vegas or something but nothing has prices on it. You have to ask the staff what the price of anything is and nobody can tell you and they work there. Hmm. Don't get me wrong. The chili was not bad here. It was just way overpriced and nothing to write home about because it comes in a paper. The exact same size as what Wendy does for about $4.85 but again they're charging $10 or more... And I want to say their chili dog is the same price if not a little more.

Had high expectations for the chili dog but was disappointed by the bun as it is the kind you can easily get from grocery store. The hotdog tasted great while the chili was pretty spicy! Overall i felt that this didnt live up to the hype. I prefer Dirt Dog for the roll and the softness of the whole item. The winner was the banana pudding which was so creamy and yummy! It costs more than a hotdog bun though. The pricing is steep! A pity that the restroom doesn't seem to have a lock.

It feels like a time capsule eating here. You definitely feel the history. Great place to try as a tourist! Highly recommend the experience! Food though is just 4 stars. You can definitely still improve the taste with a little more salt but it’s not bad by any standard. Go experience it even just once!

May be it was great once?! It didn't live up to my landmark place expectation. I tried large chilli con carne with onion cheese and sour cream.

Ben’s Chili Bowl has the best beef chili burgers ever!!! So juicy and messy, just the best comfort food you could ask for. I ordered the single Ben’s famous burger as a meal with onion rings. Before going there, I did not know it was THE famous chili place that Obama ate at. And then I looked at the walls and saw all those celebrities who visited it. 🍔✨ It’s so good, you should definitely give it a try if you’re new to it. The neighborhood isn’t the safest place to be at night, so I’d recommend going earlier during the day.

Excellent choice for lunch. Chili fries and a burger were my choice and they were oh so good. The chili does have some heat to it, which I like spicy and enjoyed the added kick. My hubby enjoyed his chili dog along with the chili fries. I topped my lunch of with a vanilla milkshake.. wow! Best milkshake I've had, my cheeks were sore from trying to slurp it up, it was thick and just what one would expect of a great shake. The service was a bit laid back and slow, but the place was clean and wasn't too crowded to get a seat.

Normally when a restaurant is hyped so much, it rarely lives up to the expectations. However Ben's chilli bowl surpassed what I expected. The half smoked was one of the best hotdogs I've ever had.

I had an overall great experience at this location. It was clean and had plenty of booth seating. It was neat to see all of the pictures of celebrities that visited the restaurant hanging up on the wall. The service was fast and the employees were pretty friendly. The food was pretty good. The chili was phenomenal; however the junior dog was cold and didn't taste much like a hot dog. The restaurant does have a variety of options and even has salads and turkey dogs for a lighter healthier option.

$10 for an over-salted hot dog. It's tiny. I finished in 3 bites. Traditional cheap white bun. The spicy chili is decent, but it's mass-produced chili. Not that much different than you find in a can.

It was a quiet time for Ben's, I am assuming as this was my first ever visit. Without any other customers in the room I was immediately confused on where, and how, to order. The staff recognized my confusion and directed me. The ambiance was that of a 50's diner, very comforting. Great memory wreak on walls. Looks like what I expected after seeing this place on tv. The gentleman that took my order was friendly and helpful. I informed him that this was my first visit and asked what I should order. Without hesitation he directed me to "Half Smoke, shake, and banana pudding." I attempted to order that, then it turned out that Ben's was out of the pudding?! So I added potato salad (I know NOTHING like banana pudding), and had a coffee shake. My order came out quickly, I was the only customer in the room. The order came with Ruffles chips. The Half Smoke was delicious, the chili on it had a little spice to it as well as the sausage. The only issue with the Half Smoke, was the sausage casing was pretty tough to bite through. Note sure if that is the product or the result of the cooking? This and no banana pudding are really my only negatives. The coffee shake was outstanding. Great flavor and thickness. Overall a great place with good stuff on the menu! I'll be back, hopefully for the pudding!

Had to try after seeing this on Somebody Feed Phil. The onion rings were tasteless. The batter had no taste either. A waste of $. The half smoke dog was decent with chili. My had the chili which she liked. I really dislike the fact they don't post the prices. What's with that?

This location was open during the 2nd annual H St Festival and stayed open after the vendor booths closed so we stopped in. There were many people in line with the same idea but they adjusted operations by having someone come down the line and take orders on paper that helped speed up the process when we got to the counter. I had the chili bowl and I actually got two, both the original and spicy, although I only paid for one original. The spicy was noticeably different, and the one I would probably get again on top of some fries. Inside it felt familiar, like an old time fast food restaurant. I noticed a picture of President Bush painting the "B" of the store sign and thought I was having a moment of déjà vu. Then I realized I have seen it before at the airport location. Now I just need to visit the original U Street location.

First time patron, excellent food and customer service!!! Would highly recommend...although I prefer DILL relish over sweet!!! Good vibes...great experience...

Best hot dog I ever had in my life. Has to be on a bun with chili, cheese, onions and you can opt for mustard. It I were stranded on a desert island. This is one of my ten food items to survive. Yes, it is that good! Yum! Danny-boy oh boy

A DC staple and delivers every time. The Original half smoked with Chili and cheese is spot on delicious. The crew behind the counter serving the food, is just as AWSOME, friendly, and welcoming.

Best foods in town. Kids loved it. Menu had plenty of options. The service was excellent. Must Visit.

ICONIC. HISTORIC. Ben's has been a staple in DC since the 1950s so it's a must visit whenever in town. I love that they serve vegetarian options. The food and service was EXCELLENT. The walls are covered with photos of celebrities, activists and change makers that also visited Ben's over the years. So you really feel in awe of how historic this place really is

Great chili and very friendly service, glad we came on our visit to DC. Plan to return when we come back.

The food was good. The service was fair.Overall I enjoyed all the scenery. I had the pleasure of going to the very first one.

Iconic place! I met miss Virginia what an honor. Good chili dog and fries too' DC visit highlight!

Great family owned restaurant with an awesome history & tasty food. We got our order quickly and everything was fresh & hot. Service was great and all staff was friendly. The inside of the restaurant is nice and clean and the art on the walls records the restaurant's history

I haven't been to Ben's (U Street) since President Obama went and made it a tourist site. They got rid of the original staff as well as noticeably, the recipe had changed. Basically, it wasn't as good as they used to be! I didn't know they had a location on H Street, but I decided to be adventurous. The staff was NOT friendly, at all!!! Either they didn't want to be there or they didn't want me to be there! Lol but smh!!! I got two chili and cheese half smokes with mustard and onions. First let me point out they charge EXTRA for cheese, wtf?! I'm watching her, literally use a plastic spoon to put a spoon full of cheese on my half smoke! Nah, you charged me $2.00, I want my $2.00 worth!!! Lmao In the pic you will see an extra spoon of cheese on top of the chili. It wasn't good, it wasn't good compared to the H Street location that I grew up going to and loving! The cheese was watery, the chili, lacked flavor and the half smoke was long and slim! They used to be fat and thick, the way I like them!!! The lack of customer service is why they get one star the half smoke is two stars!

You gotta try this place when you visit DC. It has a great history. We ate at the H Street location but wish we had visited the original Ben's. We arrived around 2pm. It wasn't too busy and service was quick and efficient. My husband ordered the original Half Smoke with chili and a side of fries. I ordered the small salad topped with vegan chili The fries were cold which brought our rating down. The Half Smoke was tasty - next time we'll try the spicy version. The small salad topped with chili was good and very filling.

There's something to be said for historic eateries. The beautiful mural on the wall outside, the many photos of famous people dining in with the half smokes and cups of chili smiling with the owners, and the clearly heavy traffic in and out of the door. Pretty easy to see why Ben's Chili Bowl is such a famous spot to grab a bite in the DC area. Ben's Chili Bowl sits on "H St NW" in DC if you look at the actual road name, but they have added signs all around the area that tell you that you're on "Ben's Chili Bowl Way". The old school look and feel of this place was right up my alley and we came fresh from the Zoo and hungry! We decided to order the famous half smoke with chili, onions, and mustard as well as a cup of chili and the fried chicken sandwich. We altered the chicken sandwich to more reflect the style of Popeye's or Chick Fil-A with just mayo and pickles. Figured it would give us a better gauge in the Chicken Wars. The ambiance here is great. The employees were all jumping around and very friendly. The lady who owns the business was there and we got to chat for a moment, she was very nice. All around you are photos of people who have dined here, signed jerseys of pro athletes, and other nostalgia celebrating the history of the business. Starting off with the half smoke, this is a killer dog. It's not even really a dog so much as a sandwich I guess. The feeling was a mix between a smoked sausage and a fried hot dog. It offered an excellent snap and a truly different but delicious flavor. The addition of the mustard and onion is a must for me if you've followed any of our other reviews/videos...but how about that chili. This chili was fantastic. Very smooth consistency and just enough bite that it added to the sandwich without overwhelming it. I love spicy and this level of kick was just enough that it made this a really welcomed accompaniment to the half smoke. The chili cup on it's own was fantastic as well. We were dipping crackers and chips into it and the crunch and saltiness added to the chili was very enjoyable. The chicken sandwich was quite good as well. It was a few chicken tenders that they used but they were high quality tenders with very good flavor and no stringy, sinewy type connective tissue parts at all. The flavor of the chicken with the mayo and pickles immediately made this a sandwich I'd put against a Chick Fil-A style establishment. The Super (Chili) Bowl! So happy that we took the advice of a few of our followers (as well as my girlfriend's brother) and stopped in here. Everything was fantastic, the service was high quality, and the prices were reasonable. Looking forward to stopping back in next time we're in the area. Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, DC - Didn't Suck! Please check out our video for Ben's Chili Bowl on TikTok!

The famous Ben's Chili Bowl has the best half smokes in the city. I absolutely love Ben's Chilli Bowl. The restaurant is small and cozy and the service is always pretty good. Are you really from DC if you haven't ate out of Ben's Chilli Bowl? I don't think so. If you haven't then get down there and get you a glizzy lol.

I ordered the chili bowl (if you make it a meal, it comes with fries and a drink) and a chocolate milkshake (if you go on Mondays, you'll get a free milkshake with orders more than $20 for Milkshake Mondays). The shake was thick and creamy! Def recommended grabbing one to wash down your food. As for the chili, I thought it was good. It was chunky and had beans and meat (if you order the carne, veggie option available) in every bite. I ordered it with onions and cheese. I wish I asked for cheese to be added in the middle of my chili bowl AND at the top to really make sure there's some cheesiness throughout. Also, the large and small sized bowls BARELY differ in size. Save yourself a buck or two and just go with the small. Trust me! The fries weren't anything special. If you're feeling adventurous, order them with chili and cheese too. The service was great and the lovely Virginia Ali, owner and wife of Ben, took the time to chat with us too. Beautiful lady who obviously cares about her customers' experience.

Good Turkey hotdog at Ben's, with veggie chili on top. The hype is a bit much, the hotdog had a nice snap while eating, with a generous, sloppy serving of chili on top. Toppings of raw onions elevated the flavor and texture of every bite. But I've had better, not bad but not super wow either. Recommended to grab one if you're anywhere around this joint, just average.

We ordered through Grub hub! Food was great. Very generous portions. We had chicken tenders, chili, cheese fries and a chili dog. Would definitely recommend

I grew up on Ben's Chili Bowl. The H street, NE location is the worse. It's not so much the food but the customer service. I feel like since COVID a lot of restaurants don't care about customer service anymore. I placed an order through Uber Eats. I know it's not Ben's fault when Uber doesn't have sufficient drivers for the demand. But I called the restaurant to see if they had a warming cabinet to keep my food warm. The young lady asked her manager and the manager told her no and the food will sit there until the driver comes. I am not sure if the manager knew she wasn't on hold, but oh boy, she wasn't. Work on your customer service Ben's on H street, NE! I will continue to bypass you and go to the original spot where they treat people with respect.

We're visiting DC and looking for a half smoked. I found Ben's on Yelp. We came for lunch and was not disappointed. We got the spicy half smoked with chili. Oh my, it was delicious! We'll definitely be stopping at the airport location when we leave.

Came in to this location on H Street as I was driving by, had never had Ben's and everybody was raving about it. I ordered the vegan chili, the vegan hotdog and fries. The chili had no flavor. It was more spicy than anything which is something that a lot of people will do when they're cooking vegan things particularly in restaurants. The same chili was on the hotdog really? No flavored to that either. If this is a family recipe, they might want to tweak it a little bit because literally chili is nothing but beings meat or meatless, cayenne pepper, chili, pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder unless you add something extra in there you're not really giving it any extra flavor, but you can add some things to the chili to give it more flavor just because it's vegan doesn't mean that it shouldn't have any flavor. I don't know if I would try it again, but just my opinion as a vegan person eating at a restaurant that is promoting vegan dishes.

Food is solid. Service is consistently slow and confusing. This is very disappointing as this location is not protecting the heavy of this broader DC area brand.

I don't know where the overrating for this restaurant comes from, I was excited to try it given all the blabber about it being historic, iconic and whatever but the food was total garbage because their chili dog was a load of $@!% I would rather eat dog food instead of wasting my money on buying that food, they can't even make the fires right they tasted old and lacked crunchiness or any seasoning, the onion rings were burnt and the what so called cake was dry and probably a few weeks old, and for a place that has chili in its name that was a joke because any canned chili would've tasted better than that bowl of slop. I end-up spending my night at the bathroom after putting that food in my body. The restaurant was dirty, sticky and very uncomfortable to be there. Bottom line NEVER EVER again, I don't know what standards people have for hotdogs in DC but they are pretty low if this place is considered good. I am from Chicago and I am well aware of what a good hotdog is like.

All I can say is YES, YES, YES!! This place is amazing!! The food is just so outrageously good! The chili is hands down the best I've ever had! I went with my husband and we both ordered the beef chili dog and split chili cheese fries. Our food was out quickly and was piping hot! The workers were very friendly as well. The hot dog was high quality you could taste and was so juicy! The chili on top was perfectly balanced with spices and meat! Super messy to eat, but so worth it! The chili cheese fries were also to die for! My husband and I were trying to be fair by alternating turns taking bites of them, but it was so hard to not just take the whole batch for myself lol! They didn't skimp on the chili or the cheese on the fries either! We had the best food here and highly recommend trying this place! We will definitely make a point to come back next time we visit DC!

I love that they have so many options for the chili. You can get veggie (my fav), Turkey, or regular chili. I typically enjoy a Turkey hotdog with onions, veggie chili, and cheese. The half smokes are also to die for. I ordered for pick up this time and it was ready before my pick up time. Perfect for lunch if you're in the mood for a yummy hot dog. This location is never as busy as the U street location so they're usually pretty quick.

Holy chili cheese fries! We came here excited for the famous half smoke sausage. Turns out the half smoke was fine - flavorful sausage with a snappy casing. But (and I feel silly for saying it given the name) the star here is the chili! We had originally gotten plain fries (which were amazingly crispy if underseasoned), and quickly realized we needed them topped with chili, cheese, and onions! We remedied that problem and suddenly they were AMAZING! I also really liked the potato salad (which tasted strongly of celery salt, so it's great with sausages), although my boyfriend didn't. A word to the wise, however, you should dine in here! This is not food that keeps well - it's made to order and will degrade quickly. Scarf it down and enjoy right there in the restaurant!

Ate dinner here the other day with the middle school tour group I was chaperoning. Felt good to support a family run business. The food was tasty, the kids loved the fries and chili with cheese dip appetizer. The owner's son even shared an amazing story of the history of the restaurant with our group. Wonderful!

Why does this place only have 2.5 stars? I had a solid experience here but maybe because it was a Thursday evening, it was raining outside, and there wasn't that many people dining. The staff was extremely helpful/polite. The Ben's Original half Smoke was familiarly satisfyingly delicious and the whole place was pretty clean. I guess maybe when it gets really busy sometimes stuff can get forgotten and dirty, but that's inevitable at a popular/historic sausage joint. Luckily during my experience, everything went pretty smooth. One of the workers even gave my friend a free sample of their chili without beans since he can't eat those. That said, you shouldn't really expect anything close to fine dining here. You just come for the juicy/tasty sausages and leave comfortably full. Hopefully achieving these goals goes without error.

Ben's chili bowl has been my spot since I was a kid so imagine my surprise/happiness when a location opened on H street near one of the offices I frequent. The Pros: Not nearly as long of a line as the original location on U street, and I am able to occasionally get my fix. Cons: it just doesn't give you the same Ben's feel as the historic location. & the customer service. Not that it's bad, but it's not uncommon to have the cashier look you in the eye and not speak or take your order bc she is talking. All in all, it serves its purpose. I will continue to frequent mostly because I love Ben's, not because they do anything special.

Would have loved a half way decent quick burger joint nearby but this place is not that. They recently got multiple items in my order wrong and were less than helpful correcting it. They also don't communicate or acknowledge you when you come to pick up. And it's just generally not very clean. Bummer

Tried this place for the first time because all of the hype. I think if you like chilli you would like this place, however I really don't like chilli and have had better elsewhere. Chilli hot dog was alright and the cheese fries where ok. Try it for yourself! I won't be back.

I was in town for the H-street festival and came across this location. A friend of mine told me about the history of the restaurant so I had to stop in! The line was wrapped around the inside of the restaurant but it moved pretty quickly. While waiting for food it was cool looking at pics of all the celebs that had visited over time. By looking at some of the faces I knew I was in the right place. The menu is not too extensive which made it easy to order. I went with the classic chili dog & fries and it tasted great! We dined in and the food only took 5-10 mins tops. If I'm ever in the area I'd definitely visit again. If you're looking for something quick a tasty I would recommend giving Ben's a shot!

I was happy to find the H street location of Bens Chili Bowl was right near my friends house. So the last time I was visiting her I scheduled a stop and pick up via Uber Eats when I was catching my ride home. Believe it or not I'm a born and raised Washingtonian (currently living in NoVA) who has never been to Bens. After finally trying their food I will now be eating there as often as I can. Boy was their food yummy!!! Plus it made my hubby VERY happy because he hadn't eaten at Bens for a several years. We both ordered half smokes with cheese,chili,and onions. Hubs got the original half smoke and I got the spicy half smoke. My hubby gobbled his down so fast I didn't even get a chance to get a picture. I promise next time I will get more photographs of Bens food. But it is literally so delicious it's a miracle I was able to photograph any of it! We got a grape soda and a root beer to was down out half smokes. There were a lot of soda flavors to choose from plus milkshakes which we definitely plan to try when eating in house. For dessert I got the pink cake and hubby got the banana pudding. The pudding was so good I literally stole it from my honey and ended up eating the entire thing and didn't even save him a bite! I tried to appease him by offering him part of my half eaten pink cake which he did eat because it was really good too but it still didn't make up for taking his banana pudding! My suggestion is if you are getting the banana pudding you might want to order 2 or 3 or 4 servings because it is that darn good! Bens also has several types of cake available and pecan pie. From what I can tell all the desserts are good so you can't really make a bad choice! Bens also offers subs,chili burgers,salads,rice bowls,sandwiches,fries,other sides, and more. They have a very large menu that offers a bit of everything. I can't wait till we dine there again and I advise anyone who's considering eating at Bens Chili Bowl to do so as soon as possible. You wont regret it!!!

I love Ben's chili bowl. The original location is my favorite. H street NE has improved over the years. This location is cute. You pay for your items at the counter first and then sit down. The restaurant has that "diner" feel. The DC streetcar runs along H street. You can board from Union Station. Street parking can get tricky. There is metered parking and side street parking. Sundays have unrestricted parking. I love the veggie chili. The employees are really nice. The place is clean. If you are heading to Union Station anyway, this is a fun stop to ad to your trip.

I'm not sure if I just don't like chili or if it's Ben's. Their customer service gets them a 5; friendly, patient, quick... the whole nine. But their food is a different story. There beef chili is OKAY. For me it left a weird taste in my mouth that I had to neutralize with sour cream. I ordered the regular fries. By themselves they're subpar. Dipped in chili? Weird taste but tastes better with the sour cream. In conclusion: get a side of sour cream. Next time I'll try the chili half-smoke.

Great place for late night food if you're craving something other than pizza. The chili definitely hit the spot and was really flavorful. It is a little salty as most fast food is but I was expecting that so it didn't bother me too much. The chili came out quickly, was very warm, and the small size was big enough to share between two people. Loved the addition of sour cream and cheddar as well. Also tried the vanilla milkshake, which was more soft serve ice cream than milkshake. It was pretty good and complemented the spicy chili perfectly. Good experience overall. I'll add that they also have many vegetarian options, which is pretty unique for a chili place. Don't come in here expecting an expensive 5 star meal, and you'll have a great experience!

Regardless to what I would go back. The food was just ok but the service was amazing and so was the atmosphere. I'm not a big hot dog person but I really wanted to try it as my husband went on a previous trip to DC and said it was amazing. For me I needed some cheese but like I said all in all you can't go wrong with a good chili dog!

The best chili I wish they could ship The atmosphere was friendly and clean The staff was the best part

So it was imperative for me to (re)visit this iconic place, that, we ALL have been to, several times (those of us from D.C. that is). You already know the spot, late night, after DCLive, or Club U...we all hit the infamous Ben's Chili Bowl @benseverything !! Our mother's and father's know this spot, our grands know this spot, along with countless numbers of celebrities, even a president or two. The historical importance of this establishment has traversed through the bowels of a tumultuous history this city and US have had...and Ben's has prevailed!! Much respect!! Ok food, you must start off with their signature Ben's famous Original Chili Halfsmoke (grilled halfsmoke with mustard, onions and Ben's chili served on a warm steamed bun)!! That's what you order...immediately when you go to Ben's!! They also have a spicy halfsmoke for those that want an extra kick, and their classic chili dogs. Burgers are next up on the menu with their infamous Big Ben burger (topped with tomato, lettuce, and special Big Ben sauce). They also have sliders, Turkey burgers, and a chicken sandwich. Piping hot fries and salads are on deck too. On this day I opted to get items off of their vegetarian menu!! I got their veggie dog topped with chili, cheese, and onion, their fries topped the same, their veggie chili, their veggie burger topped with chili, cheese, mustard, onions, lettuce and tomato, and last but not least their maple flavored milkshake. I finished the bowl of chili and the fries first, while taking bites out of the burger and dog.I haven't had a better vegetarian chili anywhere. ANYWHERE!! I will say this...there is a lot of competition out here with delectable veggie burger and sausage/hot dog options. I'd like to see them carry a more savory, meaty product, and a more seasoned veggie burger. The maple flavored milkshake was awesome!! Thick, creamy, and different from the norm. I went to their 1001 H St, N.E. location. Customer service was on point, parking is metered. Go there and judge for yourself!! That's it. #benschilibowl #bigschlimsreviews #chili #iconic #washingtondc #halfsmoke #chilicheesefries #burgers #hotdogs #milkshakes #staple #community #foodie

Ben's Chili Bowl is great comfort food! I was visiting from Florida and decided to get lunch. I ordered the turkey burger and the chili fries. The turkey burger was good but I think the chili fries could have used some more seasoning. Thank God they had hot sauce to add to the taste. I loved the painted walls and how it shows how many famous people have visited.

I mean, at least you can't mess up fries. Definitely heard great things about the Oreo milkshake but they didn't have the ingredients to make it. The spicy dog overall had some spice, but the meat was hard and the chili didn't taste like much of anything. Also, as expected of a chili stop, the bathrooms are disgusting. You need a key to get in and that's a warning that you shouldn't go inside.

It's a DC classic! We ordered and went to pick it up and it was quick fast and easy. And yummy.

This place is a must try if it's your first time! Over time it may lose interest for people but always a fun time . Who doesn't love cheese ? I love the fact that the owner is still around and she walks around the restaurant.

I heard Ben's Chilli Bowl was a DC classic and I can see why. The half smoke sausage had such a delightful bite to the casing, the chili is so good, and the fries are extremely loaded. I recommend if you're visiting DC!

READ the reviews! I wished I had before heading that way. I ordered vegetarian chili fries, regular chili fries, potato salad, and a halfsmoke. Everything I ordered came underseasoned. The vegetarian chili had a bitter after taste and my husband could not eat it. My chili was spicy but lacked salt. We left very disappointedly. Too much hype for a place that can't even season their food properly.

Ben's Chili Bowl would be a 3.5 to me at best. Let me explain: The food is great- the chili cheese fries always come out nice a hot, the burgers are filling but not overwhelming, and the milkshake is awesome. It's the wait time that I can't stand most of the time. There are times when I order one item on the menu (milkshake). I've waited approximately 25-30 minutes for it even though there weren't many people who had ordered in front of me. The kicker was seeing the milkshake just sitting at the counter with no one grabbing it and saying my number. I understand if the counter was busy, but it was not rush hour at all. I think that if the wait time gets minimized, it would definitely improve exponentially. I'll definitely give this place another chance, or maybe venture a different location and compare.