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Ben’s Chili Bowl

2.5 (22 reviews)

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Veggie burger with vegetarian chili
Jessica A.

I was fortunate to get an events dc gift card while attending a conference at the convention center. I haven't had Ben's chili bowl in years, so I thought it was best to take advantage of the opportunity to get a free meal. I don't eat red meat, so I was very glad they had vegetarian options. I ordered the beyond meat veggie burger with veggie chili and American cheese add on, and the meal came with fries. The burger was good, but the chili could've used more seasoning. I don't remember loving the veggie chili when I ate it with the veggie dog at the original location, so it's probably just not for me. I also do think it's very overpriced. I had to pay in addition to the gift card, bringing my total to about $25 for a lunch meal. It was a hefty amount, but it's still way overpriced.

Bill W.

Absolutely Horrible and Way Overpriced ! So a hot dog with chili and fries is $15.50. I know it's DC and inside the Convention Center but let's be real for a second ! The bun broke in half so that tells me it lacks some freshness, the hot dog must have been on the grill or rollers longer because it was somewhat crunchy with no flavor, the fries were decent, crunchy exterior ... The chili is not to write home about, I don't see the WOW factor .. To many decent places to eat outside of the building at a fraction of the price ! Not Recommend !

Chili Dog.
Eric W.

Ben's Chili Bowl now has a location in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. It's positioned near the main entrance of Hall D and while at Otakon it was always busy. This is not a large location and only has two registers, so expect a wait when ordering. They serve a similar menu to Ben's other locations, but has Pepsi products instead of Coke. Ordered a Chili Dog, but went with only that as the prices here are a little expensive. I received my order in a reasonable amount of time. It was a good hot dog and the chili sauce has the right amount of bite. From seeing the French Fries others ordered, they looked good. Overall, it was worth the stop and it's different from other food options offered in the convention center, but the prices are an issue.

Entrance to Great Food!
Keno W.

Heading back from vacation in The Bahamas.We had a layover in the DC area.I was thinking,man!How can I get me a Ben's Chili half smoke.The famous smoked sausage of the D.C. area.Well guess what...they have a location at Regan National airport. As soon as we landed,I looked at the airport map and made a beeline to Bens Chili bowl. It was busy,however people were being served very quickly.They had burgers, chili (beef,Turkey or vegetarian .I absolutely started with the classic half smoke with mustard, onions and chili on it .The flavor was good! I took a bite into my sandwich and it exploded with juices, which was a good thing.The sausage could've had more seasoning in my mind, but the flavors worked.The chili was thick and hearty,it could have used more salt. The crowd there was great, soccer was on the big screen,pilots,Airport workers and flight attendants were all enjoying their food laughing having a good time before their next flight or final destination. Only issue I had was that one classic half smoke and chili fries cost me $18.42. I know, it's airport food but come on guys... no disrespect. A sausage on a bun?! $18.42? Next time in DC I think I'm going to hit up a local spot like in the heart of town...until next time DC.

Please note the advertised "SHAKES", which are not actually on the menu!
Max S.

I was headed to DC for a conference, and someone suggested that I go to Ben's Chili Bowl, which is apparently a beloved DC institution that has been around for decades. Unbeknownst to my interlocutor, there is now a branch of Ben's located within the Walter Washington Convention Center. I tried it for lunch on the first day of the conference, hoping and expecting to enjoy their burger, fries, et al. Unfortunately, it was a huge and total disappointment. The burgers were made of what tasted like the lowest quality meat I have eaten in years; they reminded me of the public school lunch burgers I ate in the Bronx years ago. The fries were limp and semi-soggy. The strangest part of the meal was that, despite the sign above the counter proclaiming, in huge letters, "Half Smokes - Dogs - Burgers - Shakes", I was informed by the person at the counter that "we don't serve shakes at this branch of Ben's"! Overall, there is no excuse for a burger joint to serve such lame food. I will bump up my score from a 1 to a 2, mainly for the efficient service and convenient (if you happen to be attending an event at the Convention Center) location.

Dung H.

Overrated. Too salty. Staff was not attentive, friendly and helpful at all. Pricey for fast food.

Ordering area

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10 days ago

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9 months ago

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1 year ago

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

Food took forever to come out and was not that good for how long we waited and he threw up in the bathroom after like wtf vro

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

45 min after eating here, I was running to the bathroom with the "BUBBLEGUTS"!!!! Haven't eaten there since.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

We door dashed on a cold snowy day. Great chili dogs, fries and yummy banana pudding. Highly recommend!

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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The Capital Burger - Our namesake burger is served French onion-style with caramelized onions, Wisconsin Grand Cru gruyère and shallot aioli.

The Capital Burger

4.3(1.2k reviews)
0.2 mi
•$$

This place is sooo good! Perfect ambiance, the vibe is kind of a modern pub without being dark and…read moredreary, big comfortable booths, plenty of space to not feel like you're part of someone else's conversation. Honestly we were so pleasantly surprised by how good the burgers are! I had the Capital Burger which had such incredible flavor and the burger itself is thick and juicy. Despite having just had a big dinner somewhere else, as I write this, my mouth is watering. My daughter had the wild mushrooms burger and she loved it -- the aioli had the perfect tang to go with the mushroom and Swiss, both burgers were cooked perfectly medium as requested. The old fashioned was just your typical old fashioned with a slice of candied bacon attached to the outside of the glass. We were hoping for something smokier and a little different but it was still a very good Old Fashioned. We shared the chocolate mousse and it was perfection. Yum! If I lived here this would be my new regular spot.

A rather nice restaurant, typical DC expensive, the food was good, with nice atmosphere, good…read moreservice, clocking in at about $42 before tip for a burger and milkshake. I had the blue cheese and black truffle cheeseburger, with bacon, and it was good. . Very good. I could not identify or really pinpoint where the black truffles came in, but the beef was well seasoned. The additions were a dollar too expensive across the board so I skipped those. The fries were sort of stereotypical, nothing really fancy about those. I debated about having the truffle fries, but didn't really wanna pay the extra three dollars. Bless my server, he didn't know what black truffles were, either. The Reesie's peanut butter cup Skrewball milkshake was quite good. Good use of Skrewball. Could've done with a little more alcohol, but what a great combination. Good taste. Vanilla ice cream and peanut butter all the way through. My only .. concern.. were the pickles. There's this NoVA chain restaurant that serves POPCORN before the meal, which I think has to be the most depressing, unappetizing, lazy and cheap way to start a meal. Capital Burger servers sliced sweet pickles in a jar. That.. is a step up from popcorn, but not by much... If I was in the mood for a burger and boozy milkshake, this would be on the list, but not my first choice.

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The Capital Burger - Our Stoli Doli spiked shake is long sought & loudly slurped. Stoli Vodka hand-spun w/rich vanilla ice cream & topped w/candied pineapple

Our Stoli Doli spiked shake is long sought & loudly slurped. Stoli Vodka hand-spun w/rich vanilla ice cream & topped w/candied pineapple

The Capital Burger - Blue Cheese and Truffle Burger topped with cabernet-braised red onions.

Blue Cheese and Truffle Burger topped with cabernet-braised red onions.

The Capital Burger - The Capital Burger offers signature burgers, handcrafted cocktails, local brews and award-winning wines.

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The Hamilton - District Wings

The Hamilton

3.9(4.1k reviews)
0.7 mi
•$$

We had an amazing dinner at The Hamilton in DC! We arrived a little early, but the hostesses were…read morewonderful and seated us right away. We started with a lemon drop and a Stella, then shared the firecracker sushi roll--it was fresh, delicious, and spot-on with flavor. For our entrées, the double-cut lamb chops were tender, juicy, and seasoned to perfection. The lamb ragù was just as impressive, with fresh, al dente pasta and an amazing sauce. Between the cozy booths and the attentive service from our server, January, it was such a comfortable place to spend an evening. We'll definitely be back--thank me later!

My friend and I were ready to wind down for the night, so we stopped by The Hamilton for cocktails…read moreand dessert. And let me tell you, I LOVED the ambiance! The rich woodwork and high ceilings give the place such a beautiful, classic feel. We ordered the chocolate mousse, which was light and came with plenty of whipped cream. My friend got the pumpkin cake, which was apparently so good he barely left me a bite! I also tried the Honeymoon Phase cocktail, and it was quite a nice pour. Our bartender was awesome. Verdict: A lovely spot to end the evening with dessert, cocktails, and a beautiful atmosphere. I especially enjoyed the interior! I'd definitely come back to try more food!

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The Hamilton - The bar and partial dining area.

The bar and partial dining area.

The Hamilton - Ragu Americana & Rigatoni - delicious, fresh pasta

Ragu Americana & Rigatoni - delicious, fresh pasta

The Hamilton - RAGU AMERICANA & RIGATONI

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City Tap House Penn Quarter - Pulled Pork Nachos

City Tap House Penn Quarter

3.9(1.9k reviews)
0.3 mi
•$$

At my recommendation, my son and his girlfriend went here after a day of touring in D.C…read more. Apparently, they ordered the blue crab, mac & cheese, and chicken wings. Both reported, it was an outstanding choice. They enjoy the time before they took the Metro back home. There are no complaints about the service, and they didn't really mention what the place looks like. But it could not have been too bad. They did say, it was clean and nice in the 22-year-olds that's a compliment. They also said it was convenient to get to the metro from there.

I won't be back unfortunately and you should probably keep walking and find something else. Didn't…read morerealize what kind of restaurant this was until I was told to order off an app and then my food would be ran out to me...and that's all you get for customer service. Runners just do that. Run around the restaurant throwing food down on tables and run back to the kitchen. Never checking on anyone to see if they need anything and how the food is. I ordered the SW Salad ($16.50) with a steak add on ($9.00) at medium temp. I also ordered a cup of Clam Chowder ($5.95) as an appetizer. Chowder came out pretty much right on top of my salad, but no big deal. Chowder was decent taste, but only found one clam. Ok whatever. Salad came out looking like a side salad on a large plate with five slices of rare, tough steak. It was so rare, that it was extremely hard to cut through, but again, who was I going to talk to about it. No wait staff would even look my way. I couldn't even get a refill on my water and there is no place in the app to order a glass of water...so that's that. Unfortunately it was just an extremely bad experience for $40. I'll be looking for dinner somewhere else tomorrow night.

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City Tap House Penn Quarter - Bar

Bar

City Tap House Penn Quarter - Pretzel  appetizer

Pretzel appetizer

City Tap House Penn Quarter - Port City ALX IPA 20oz

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Ben’s Chili Bowl - hotdog - Updated October 2026

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