Ben’s Chili Bowl

I can specifically recommend the chili beef (carne) salad bowl with tomatoes, lettuce and sour cream. The milkshakes are also recommended. There was enough seating available. My seat and table were clean before lunch so it was a pleasure visiting here. I liked that the soda fountain was cleaned recently. William and his coworker (Irwin?) gave enthusiastic customer service. I look forward to returning here soon.

Chili is alright. Not as good as I remember it being 20 years ago, and over time Ben’s has become more commercial and less personal, so I’ve tapered off my visits over the years. The service, however, remains spectacular. The two guys working the counter today for lunch were spot on, super solicitous, and attended to every detail. Worth the trip.

We stopped in here this afternoon to grab a quick hot dog and I can definitely say we were impressed! My boyfriend got the chili dog with chips. He really liked the dog, although portions are a little on the small side. The chips also tasted like plain potato chips that had just come straight out of the bag and onto our plastic tray. The location is nice, parking seems very nice considering its in the middle of the city and this place always has a couple of spots open. Their jukebox is definitely a very nice touch! The décor gave it a fun, quaint ambiance albeit the small portions and lack of food excitement. Maybe next time!

I was super excited to have the chance to try
Ben’s while in town for training. I’m a foodie and have always wanted to give Ben’s a try. All in all, I think the hype was too much. It’s good, not great
The chili by itself lacked the kind of spice I need in a good chili. But having it with the half smoke made it better. The sausage was perfectly grilled and you get that great snap and crunch followed by spice and juices. I could eat pounds of those.
I ordered cheese fries which were basically frozen fries with nacho cheese.
The chocolate milkshake was like a thin frosty from Wendy’s.
Like I said, it was good but not the mind blowing experience I expected from a place that has so much fan fare.

I know I know this place is known for their hotdog and chili. However, this review is for what they claim «a decent angus burger «
I tired their angus burger with a side of fries with nacho cheese. Let’s start with the burger. The buns play a crucial role in making a great burger, their bun was extremely soggy it wasn’t toasted and made it really hard to eat the burger.
Now the burger patty. The burger had no flavor whatsoever it was just bland & dry. Their veggies on the other hand are quite nice and fresh.
The fries & the nacho cheese sauce. It was very clear that the fries are store bought or frozen, and they were undercooked. The nacho cheese sauce was extremely dreadful, it had an extremely funny taste. Now I finished the burger, but I couldn’t finish the fries and the sauce.
To finish, if your burger doesn’t have enough seasoning, overcooked to dryness, and your fries are frozen and yet you still undercook them, then don’t you ever dare and say that we offer a decent burger !!!

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not from DC so maybe the history or nostalgia is lacking, but this place was nothing to write home about. I tried the standard fare chili with cheese and onions and honestly did not taste any different then something you could purchase in a can at the grocery store. Maybe its because I’m from Texas and have a different palate. That being said the staff at this location was phenomenal and very attentive when I visited, and unfortnately thats the best thing I can say about this place.

Mmm Mmm. I dont go to this place that much but when I do its always on point. The service is quick and there is never much of a line. Same people that have the iconic Bens Chili Bowl in DC that has been open for many a year.
The best things on the menu are their amazing half smoke with chili and cheese, the chili cheese fries and the milkshakes are also phenomenal!
I will be returning soon when Im in the area to eat up.

Came here with my best friend from high school,
she had a chili dog chili fries and chocolate shake, she enjoyed it. The chili has a spicy kick to it just the way it should.
I got a cheese burger (it was small but filling) and cheese fries (so yummy) and a chocolate shake (they come double thick and delicious)
Only thing i would change is the straws, they don’t do thick shakes well.
The walls and décor is so historical and entertaining! Pictures of famous people, and historical pictures.
Definely going to return!

Great food, enthusiastic customer service, and this location accepts credit cards! I ended up at this Ben’s after trolling through the parking lot to see if Phở 75 was open, and managed to grab a booth after ordering my favorite– the chili half smoke with chili cheese fries and a soda. The food was the same as the U street location, but I’ll admit there’s something missing to the ambience when you aren’t drunk at 3am, eagerly standing/​hopping around in line, and counting your cash with friends wondering how much is too much to order.
Also, the parking lot here is small and can get pretty crowded during lunch and dinner hours.

This place has been talked about on both the Food Network and Travel Channel. I knew I had to go. I ordered the Half smokey and it was pretty good. I definitely could have eaten another one lol one is definitely not filling enough. The service was fast and very friendly. I enjoyed the old school feel and I love that it was close to my hotel as well!

Near place to try if you like chili and all the good things that go with it. Start with the chili and go from there. Half Smoke was great, lots of flavor. The chili isn’t afraid to have a little kick. I also tried the chili cheese dog, good but not as great as the Half Smoke.
Clean restaurant. Friendly staff. Fun environment

The 411: this is a clean and inviting restaurant that has extremely friendly service and, in my opinion, pretty overrated food.
I came here after eating a big ol’ bowl of phở at the phở 75, right next to the chili bowl.
I ordered a half smoke (fully loaded with chez and onions) and some chili chez fries.
The half smoke had a great flavor and popped wonderfully from that charred, natural casing. Yummy.
However, I came here for the chili. I honestly was very unimpressed by the chili. I thought it was quite one-​dimensional and didn’t really measure up to my own chili dog recipe.
The price is a little steep here, too.
I came here expecting some really special and delicious as a result of all of the media attention and celebrity testimony. After finally tasting it, I can’t help but think that it might be a bit gimmicky.
Bottom line: this place is okay. I honestly don’t think it’s as good as media attention would allege, but if you want the atmosphere and are in the area (and have the cash) you could poke your head in here for a pretty good half smoke (hint: skip that and get some phở next door!)

Two stars for nostalgia. For never having been to Ben’s in my 20 years of living in the DC Metro area I was sadly disappointed with my visit. Had the opportunity to meet the owners who were very friendly. Overheard them discuss ways to improve… thank goodness. Improvement is needed. Maybe it’s me but the improvement needs to be in the recipes. I so did not like the chili. Overrated to say the very least. Is this the original recipe that everyone raves about? If not, please go back to it. Other than that, clean, friendly atmosphere. The nostalgia was in great taste.

Great location if you are coming from Courthouse or Rosslyn Metro stations.
The customer service was great staff was friendly and food came quickly and hot. I plan to go back many more times.
My only dislike is they use Nacho Cheese in place of real cheese. But the Chili was really good.

Ben’s Chili Bowl is a DC staple! Ever since moving here I have been meaning to try it and finally got the chance to do so. I ordered the chili cheeseburger while my boyfriend ordered the chili rice bowl. We took our order to go and brought it home and it was so good! The chili had a little spice to it which I loved and my boyfriends rice bowl was huge. The only thing I will say is that the burger was so small, I ate it in probably 4 bites. Maybe it was because I was hungry but next time I know to order more… did someone say chili cheese fries? The staff here was friendly and helpful and kept the place clean. If you are visiting DC or live here and have yet to try Ben’s then you’re making a huge mistake.

In my recent trip to DC, I knew I had to go to one of Ben’s locations.
The Chili Half Smoke had been built up in my mind as one of those legendary foods I had to try once. This was the easiest location to get to from my hotel on a Monday night, so this would be the place I tried it.
So would the taste live up to my expectations?
That’s a resounding yes.
The chili is good enough on its own, but the sausage is the star here. It had a unique flavor that I don’t think can be duplicated anywhere else. I’m going to dream about that flavor for a long time. It was a little milder than a traditional smoked sausage with plenty of pure sausage flavor to compensate.
Only drawback? The fries are ordinary on their own. I would probably enjoy them better as chili cheese fries.
I may never get to come back, but I’m glad I got to go once.

I’m really not sure what the big deal is. I never heard of the «half-​smoke» chili dog before. I decided to give it a shot after a night of drinking. I regretted it the next morning, that’s for sure.
But I also vaguely remember being disappointed while eating it. I thought the whole chili dog was pretty ordinary — hot dog, chili and bun. For a $ 5 – 6 hot dog, I remember it being pretty small. It was also pretty one-​note in terms of flavor.
Like other reviewers have mentioned, I really didn’t find it to be that much different from a chili dog from 7 – 11 or Checkers. I probably would not come back, even after a night of heavy drinking.

I didn’t intend to visit this location, but decided to give it a shot after I couldn’t find parking at the original location on U.
I prefer this location over the original location because there’s parking and the place is bigger and cleaner. There are even seats outside! The inside reminds me of five guys, but cleaner. The outside of the original location reminds me of Nathan’s in Coney Island. I could see this place fitting in if they opened up a spot on the Coney Island boardwalk.
The service was pretty good. No complaints. You order and they bring the food to you. I like the history behind the place and it was nice being able to look at all the photos on the walls while you wait for your food.
We got the half smoke with the chili on top and it was good! We also got the chili ½ pound burger and we shared both. I wish I had an entire half smoke to myself. I am a big sausage person and this totally hit the spot. It had a lot of flavor and it was nice and juicy. The chili on top complimented it very well. Part of me wishes I tried the half smoke without the chili so I could taste the half smoke on its own. As for the burger, I felt the burger was okay. It wasn’t anything special and the burger wasn’t anything amazing so I’d give it a pass. We also shared the chili cheese fries and those were amazing. I highly recommend getting, but watch out since the chili is a little spicy. The amount of cheese and chili you get was great and for the price, it can’t be beat.
Whatever you do, don’t come here expecting something amazing. The type of food served here isn’t for everyone and it will definitely be a hit for some and miss for some. Come here expecting to get a hot dog, fries or burger and you will enjoy your meal. Don’t come here expecting an out of this world hot dog with some chili on top because you won’t experience that. You have to remember this place is a fast food place so keep your expectations low. And definitely don’t come here if you don’t like burgers, hot dogs or fries. You’ll just end up giving this place a bad review that it doesn’t deserve.
If I’m ever in the area again, I’d definitely make the drive here. Thanks for dinner!

Ben’s is great for late-​night comfort food and emotional eating (#ieatwhenimstressed). The chili alone is pretty good — I’m impressed by the spice level. But you can’t just order a bowl of chili. You HAVE to get an all-​beef chili dog or the original half-​smoke (a mix of pork and beef smoked sausage) with chili, cheese, mustard, and onions. Gah so good! The half-​smoke is definitely tastier, but sometimes I do prefer the leaner taste of the all-​beef dog.
Around $ 5-​$ 6 for a chili dog. Pricey, but delicious. The guys working here are very nice and try their best to get your order to you quickly.

The apple did not fall to far from the tree…
A chili dog… isn’t something I could… or should eat every day. But every now and then, you just gotta have one. Well at Ben’s, they make a pretty *darn* good one. As far as historical significance Ben’s is hard to beat, it’s a landmark in DC and now this gem is outside the door of where I work in Arlington, VA! Hallelujah to that!
The taste, quality (in terms of hotdogs and sausages), and customer service is great. During my visit, I ordered their signature Half-​Smoke Chili Dog aka «The Bill Cosby Original!» For those who do not know, a Half-​Smoke is a ¼lb sausage made of blended spices, minced half beef and pork meat. The best of both worlds collide with this greasy spoon combination. So to break this review down and give the «insider’s truth» on their most popular item, let’s deconstruct Ben’s Signature Half-​Smoke Chili Dog:
The Half-​Smoke
It is legit and full of flavor! I like the sausages they use; they’re bigger than a hot dog and are slightly on the spicy side. The half smoke takes a significant amount of time to cook. If it’s almost burnt… then you got the right half-​smoke! The flavor profile is salty, smoky, with ham distinctive flavors. Also a nice touch when cooked right is that delicate, slightly crispy bit of burned casing when hot from the griddle– snaps in your mouth with each bite! If it’s undercooked, you will know because it tastes tough like a new deck of playing cards.
Chili
It actually packs a kick and I was surprised. The chili is on point — true to the American rule, not a kidney bean in sight. There’s no overbearing tomato flavor, just a beefy sweetness and a smoky savor. Also, not too runny! I can’t stand when someone’s chili is like a soup.
The Finisher
A warm, toasted bun to hold all that smoked goodness, heat, meats of the sausage and chili. Packed also in the bun is diced onions, mustard and an awesome cheese sauce… reminiscent of Velveeta or Cheese-Whiz…but truth be told I know someone is in that kitchen melting down blocks of government cheese! Because that cheese sauce is «Hittin’ and Stickin’!»…a winner hands down. It packs a punch on the entrance and exit… if you catch my drift.
The Half-​Smoke Chili Dog is completed with a side of chips or you can order fries at an extra cost. They also serve non-​pork hot dogs like turkey or beef dogs, as well as vegetarian and vegan options at this location. There are many other items to choose from like burgers and milkshakes too; including breakfast.
In all, you can’t go wrong with Ben’s Chili Bowl when it comes to quick eats or the need to satisfy your unusual cravings from the norm. If I could make one change, it would maybe be for a sturdier bun that had been toasted, so as to stop it from getting soggy so soon. My dog was «oozing and overflowing» with chili and cheese… that I could not even find the half-​smoke! And, that’s a good and bad thing. But I’m nitpicking, because if I stopped in after a night of drinking, I doubt I would care. Ben’s is just a simple, good thing. I wish there were more of them. Kudos to this Arlington location!
Tip: If you are Bill Cosby or a member of the Obama family, you can eat for free. :)