How do you knock an institution that the POTUS and Bill Cosby love? Well, for starters, you question why a lunch for 2 (granted, one of them is a girl who loves to eat!) runs $25 when all you're getting are hot dogs and fries. Next, you can question why everyone in the establishment looks like they are either on... More

Easy to find, full of pictures of famous people. The hot dog is good, but not the best one I had... The service isn't great but an interesting experience. If you're in Washington for a few days is worth the visit.

My husband said we should visit here while in Washington for a few days. I reluctantly agreed, not being that keen on chilli or hot dogs, but we had the Chilli Half smoke and it tasted great. But don't just go for the food, go for the atmosphere and to look at the photos of all the famous people who... More

A friend from the DC area suggested Ben’s as a must see destination, not because of the food really, but because of its historical significance in downtown D.C. during the late 50’s, 60’s and on… It is rich in history, from the civil rights movement to 2008 when we elected our first African American president. We loved the place! Not... More

My friend wanted to go to Ben's and I was happy to go along. We were there after 1pm and then line looked really long but we opted to stay and the line moved quickly. We both ordered the half-smokes and our chili dogs were very good. It was fun to look at the photos as we waited and got... More

The service has not been frriendly when I visited there, but the food makes up for the not so good service. My favorite is the chili dog. If you are in the city long enough, try them all.

I have been there several times...a great experiance...I dont think the product is that good...but the "atomosphere" makes it all worthwhile......the first time I went.....I am white.....I felt like it was the 1960's only in reverse....my wife and I sat at the counter...... they didnt wait on us or acknowledge us for 30 minutes....pretty interesting...finally the cook...could have been Ben....told... More

The reason we went to Ben's Chili Bowl is that we saw it on Man v. Food. It was billed as Washington D.C.'s main food attraction. We got a taxi to U street for the sole purpose of trying the half smoke. What a mistake! What is portrayed on Man v Food is completely different to the reality of Ben's... More

It's not the best I've ever had but the best for this DMV area for sure. Plus the place has a lot of history so going to check it out isn't a bad thing either.