Ben's Chili Bowl, Historic American restaurant in U Street Corridor, Washington D.C.
Ben's Chili Bowl is a restaurant in the U Street Corridor housed in a Renaissance Revival building, serving chili dogs, half-smokes, burgers, and vegan options since 1958. The diner-style space seats around 150 people and handles takeout orders at a counter in the front.
The restaurant opened in 1958 and became a gathering place during the 1968 Washington D.C. riots when it remained open to serve both law enforcement and community members. This role showed its importance to the entire neighborhood.
The walls display photographs of visitors from entertainment and politics, showing how deeply rooted this place is in the community. These images tell the story of people who have eaten here and shape the feeling of the place today.
Visitors order at the counter and find seating inside, with takeout service readily available for those on the go. The restaurant also offers catering for events if you want to bring the food elsewhere.
The restaurant has operated entirely on wind power since 2007, an early choice for sustainability in the food service world. Many visitors overlook this environmental commitment when they visit.
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