Image: Half Smoke
Last Updated: January 2024
Overview:
Ben’s Chili Bowl serves a classic D.C. half-smoke with chili. Other hot dogs are also available, including turkey dogs. They come with chips, but you can add fries (with chili or not). There are those that say the place deserves more recognition for its place in history than its food offerings, and that may be a fair knock. We still enjoy the classic half-smoke regardless of its culinary pedigree, or maybe despite it.
In addition to the dogs and fries, they have burgers (including turkey and veggie patties). There are rumors of salads and other vegetarian dishes. We wouldn’t know anything about that. Drink options are basic and non-alcoholic. The setting is a throw back to the Formica era.
As to the history, Ben’s has been a mainstay through the ups and downs of D.C. for decades. When Virginia and Ben Ali opened it in 1958, D.C. was still segregated and U Street was still “Black Broadway.” It was a pillar in the community, and it became a regular for locals and visiting leaders. For better and worse, the ’68 riots highlighted Ben’s position. It remained opened to feed those working across the street at the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee as well police and firemen. After it was over, as Virginia Ali relates in this interview, “The neighborhood was literally destroyed. There was a curfew in place for three nights. The National Guard was called in. After the third night when the looting was done, we noticed that all these businesses had been burned out…. When the city decided to build a subway system, they did a survey and found only three surviving businesses in the immediate vicinity: Industrial Bank, Lee’s Flower Shop, and Ben’s.”
Eventually U Street came back. Ben’s continued to serve the famous (and those who would become infamous). By surviving, it became a historical marker and then a living monument. Today, many come just as tourists, but they stand in line with the regular mix of old-time residents, hipsters, and later in the evening those looking to satisfy late-night cravings and forestall morning headaches.
The half-smoke has its own history. Though it appears to be in all ways a hot dog, and many call it a hot dog, it is in fact not technically a hot dog. WAMU’s (much missed) Dish City delved into the history and making of the regional specialty. The source of the name half smoke is a bit of a mystery. It is a mixture of beef and pork meat and one theory is that the meat is smoked only about half as long as other meats like a ham.
After all the history, Ben’s is now the most iconic restaurant in D.C. There are those that may “feel” more historic, and those that are more centrally located. There are certainly those that are more fancy. Ben’s though is the one place you have to visit to say you’ve been to D.C.
Other Guidance: They have GF buns available on request. Both the original and H Street locations are at street level. They can also be found at Nationals Park, National Airport, and inside the Convention Center during events.
Gift Cards and Merch
Summary:
Cuisine: Sandwiches/Salads
Locations:
U Street: 1213 U St NW Washington, DC 20009
H Street: 1001 H St NE Washington, DC 20002
Website: https://benschilibowl.com/
Reservations: Walk-in
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: One star, classic Tom.
Washingtonian: Coverage of its history recent and past.