Ben's Chili Bowl

Order a chili half-smoke, chili cheese fries and a milkshake at the counter of the U Street diner Ben and Virginia Ali opened in 1958.

1213 U St NW · Washington, DC

About Ben's Chili Bowl

Ben and Virginia Ali opened this U Street restaurant in 1958, in a building that once held the Minnehaha, a silent movie house. The order to know is the half-smoke topped with chili, alongside chili dogs, chili cheese fries, burgers and milkshakes, with turkey and veggie chili on the menu too. The restaurant stayed open through the 1968 riots, serving police and protesters alike, and the family still runs it.

#half-smoke
#chili dogs
#u street
#historic restaurant

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