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    Ben's Chili Bowl

    3.1 (219 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican, Burgers, Hot Dogs
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    BEN'S CHILI BOWL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Spicy Half Smoke, Original Half-Smoke, Onion Rings, Ben's Cornbread Slice
    Cynthia C.

    I can see why people like it, but I don't think my stomach is strong enough to handle the grease. I got the spicy and original half-smokes, corn bread, and onion rings. This was more than enough food for 2 people and I honestly left feeling a little unwell. The onion rings were solid; the batter was a little thick but it was hot and crunchy. The corn bread was nice and moist, but nothing spectacular. The half smokes had a nice snap to them but there really wasn't a difference between the original and spicy. The chili on top was nice, but it went cold really fast, or maybe I'm just a slow eater. I'm happy to have tried it, although I was a little unwell after.

    Chili beef dog
    FB F.

    Great atmosphere. The chili cheese hotdog had great flavor & was over all tasty. The chili had a good consistency and everything complemented each other well. We bought it to go, so it was messy by the time we got home, but still good. Would give it a 7/10 and would come back

    Chili Jumbo Beef Dog
    Alexis M.

    Let's start positive, the staff are nice and the place was clean. For being a "landmark", it fell short. The chili cheese fries: the fries were under cooked, the chili was decent, and the cheese kinda just tastes like velveeta. The hot dog felt no different than a 1.50 Costco hotdog. Overall, meh.

    Original Half-Smoke Ben's Famous Burger - SINGLE Chili Cheese Fries (Beef) Cheese Fries Virginia's Banana Pudding
    Izaac R.

    Very good chili dogs and chili cheese burgers!! Made with love. We are from the west coast and wanted to stop by and try it out! Very pleased the restaurant was clean as well! Nice staff!!

    Chili Jumbo Beef Dog and fries
    Diamond O.

    I had an overall great experience at this location. It was clean and had plenty of booth seating. It was neat to see all of the pictures of celebrities that visited the restaurant hanging up on the wall. The service was fast and the employees were pretty friendly. The food was pretty good. The chili was phenomenal; however the junior dog was cold and didn't taste much like a hot dog. The restaurant does have a variety of options and even has salads and turkey dogs for a lighter healthier option.

    Cherry F.

    Sometimes you stumble into greatness and this is it! When I saw a tour bus outside and hungry teenagers feasting on the food with smiles, I knew I needed to try it. There is off street parking and I was greeted very warmly. I ordered the Big Ben's Single cheeseburger. Ok, there was lettuce, tomato, cheese & chili. Can we say I'm glad I ate this at home because the chili was delicious and my face was the evidence. I needed something to eat as I traveled so I ordered the turkey burger. It was moist, delicious and seasoned perfectly. I also tried the yellow cake and enjoyed it as well. It's great for families, business lunch or tour bus capacity. The ambience was welcoming and relaxing. Loved the smiling faces of the staff.

    Never have I ever came here and waited less then 30 minutes with not a soul in sight
    Kelley R.

    This one of the saddest reviews I have ever done. I have given this place time after time to improve b it instead it's worse, dirty, and snail slow. Three people working still waited 35 minutes. Was looking down typing this review and look up the lady is just looking at me never said she was ready to take my order. It took all 3 of them to handle whatever they are looking at on the screen in the middle. They all look high and look like they hate working here. Clean your kitchen and remember why your restaurant is a staple when it was only 1 location. Went through all of that and it was nasty!

    Large Chili Con Carne
    Brian S.

    This location was open during the 2nd annual H St Festival and stayed open after the vendor booths closed so we stopped in. There were many people in line with the same idea but they adjusted operations by having someone come down the line and take orders on paper that helped speed up the process when we got to the counter. I had the chili bowl and I actually got two, both the original and spicy, although I only paid for one original. The spicy was noticeably different, and the one I would probably get again on top of some fries. Inside it felt familiar, like an old time fast food restaurant. I noticed a picture of President Bush painting the "B" of the store sign and thought I was having a moment of déjà vu. Then I realized I have seen it before at the airport location. Now I just need to visit the original U Street location.

    Alisha B.

    Tons of seating and very clean. The food was great and the service was okay. But the food is the reason for coming unfortunately all the food came out really cold but it was still pretty good. I wil be back for sure

    Room decor
    Marc S.

    It was a quiet time for Ben's, I am assuming as this was my first ever visit. Without any other customers in the room I was immediately confused on where, and how, to order. The staff recognized my confusion and directed me. The ambiance was that of a 50's diner, very comforting. Great memory wreak on walls. Looks like what I expected after seeing this place on tv. The gentleman that took my order was friendly and helpful. I informed him that this was my first visit and asked what I should order. Without hesitation he directed me to "Half Smoke, shake, and banana pudding." I attempted to order that, then it turned out that Ben's was out of the pudding?! So I added potato salad (I know NOTHING like banana pudding), and had a coffee shake. My order came out quickly, I was the only customer in the room. The order came with Ruffles chips. The Half Smoke was delicious, the chili on it had a little spice to it as well as the sausage. The only issue with the Half Smoke, was the sausage casing was pretty tough to bite through. Note sure if that is the product or the result of the cooking? This and no banana pudding are really my only negatives. The coffee shake was outstanding. Great flavor and thickness. Overall a great place with good stuff on the menu! I'll be back, hopefully for the pudding!

    Enna J.

    ICONIC. HISTORIC. Ben's has been a staple in DC since the 1950s so it's a must visit whenever in town. I love that they serve vegetarian options. The food and service was EXCELLENT. The walls are covered with photos of celebrities, activists and change makers that also visited Ben's over the years. So you really feel in awe of how historic this place really is

    I'm atrocity of order of fruit

    The food was ass the chill looked like don shit after eating chocolate. It looks like a lactose intolerant kid ordered a Dairy Queen, ice cream cake, and eat it by himself. The bathroom doors had no lock. Friend passed out from food poisoning after trying the Pepsi.

    Spicy Half Smoke

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    7 hours ago

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    7 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    21 days ago

    Milkshake and half smoke is one of the best hot dogs I have ever had. Like the fact that there are many locations.

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    10 months ago

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    7 months ago

    Loved hearing the owners story, and the food was great! It felt very home-y and historical.

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    7 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Good but some of the options weren't that good. Service was slow too. But good thing is: I figured out I can fit 25 fries in my mouth.

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    1 year ago

    This place is terrible horrible customer service and very slow got my whole group order wrong didn't give us all are good never eat here

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    2 years ago

    The food was good. The service was fair.Overall I enjoyed all the scenery. I had the pleasure of going to the very first one.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Best foods in town. Kids loved it. Menu had plenty of options. The service was excellent. Must Visit.

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    2 years ago

    Great chili and very friendly service, glad we came on our visit to DC. Plan to return when we come back.

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    5 years ago

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    Page 1 of 6

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    Z Burger

    Z Burger

    3.9(36 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    Good food My burger…read morewas very good as were my onion rings. I was not expecting hand dipped rings so that eas a nice surprise. I was not real impressed with the speed of the employees. It took her a while to take my order. Later, I noticed the self order kiosk as another couple used it to order. If that was the only way to order, I would have walked out. Be aware that not only do they have a button to add a tip, they add a service and packaging charger to your order and yes, I was eating in. I will return as the food was good

    This is part of a small local chain or restaurants. that is know for its variety. There is metered…read morestreet parking out front of this restaurant and within a reasonable walking distance. They have a decent sized out door patio out front and a modest dining area. inside. The inside was not the cleanest. The floor was sticky, dirty and had a lot of trash on it. The staff there did their job, nothing more, nothing less. This place has two counters to order one looks like a shake bar and the other is where the food is prepared. This restaurant has a little bit of everything. They have burgers, phillys, hotdogs and chicken sandwiches. Oh, and they have the largest selection of floats and milkshakes that I have seen. I ordered the bacon philly with a side of fries. It took about 8 minutes for them to prepare my food. It was made fresh. The food was really good. The fries were hot and well seasoned. They gave me a ton of fries. They loaded the bag up like they do at 5 Guys. My sandwich was delicious. The meat was fresh and it was packed with flavor. I was very happy with my meal. They would have easily gotten 5 stars if the place was cleaner and teh staff was more welcoming.

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    Z Burger - Spicy chicken sandwich with "loaded" toppings

    Spicy chicken sandwich with "loaded" toppings

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    Swizzler Crispy Chicken + Smash Burgers - Bacon Jalapeo Meal & Swizzler Signature Cheeseburger Meal

    Swizzler Crispy Chicken + Smash Burgers

    4.4(238 reviews)
    1.9 miNavy Yard
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    This was my first time ever eating at Swizzler Crispy Chicken and Smash Burger, and honestly... I…read morewasn't even supposed to get this order. I had ordered Wise Guys on Uber Eats, and this showed up instead and I am SO glad it did. Whoever originally ordered this got a bacon jalapeño burger and a spicy chicken deluxe. The jalapeño burger was a 10/10. I'm not even big on peppers, but it had the perfect amount of jalapeños, great flavor, and was just really well done. I passed that one to my friend, and I took the chicken sandwich. The spicy chicken deluxe was incredible. Perfectly crispy, great sauce, and I'm pretty sure it had bacon on it, which just took it over the top. Everything worked together so well, and I was honestly upset that I hadn't known about this place sooner. The fries were also really good, crispy and plentiful. They remind me of Five Guys fries, but honestly? This felt like a better version of Five Guys overall. I don't even know what the price was, but I can confidently say I would pay good money for both the smash burger and especially that chicken sandwich again. The best part? This place isn't even far from my house, so this is officially my new burger spot. Sorry to whoever lost their order,but thank you for putting me on. I'll definitely be back.

    Great burger , great service and actually better than i expected! I like this place better than…read moreshake shack plus the aesthetic inside is so cute! I have to try the chicken sandwich if the burger was that good! 9.3/10

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    Swizzler Crispy Chicken + Smash Burgers - Fries they were awesome!

    Fries they were awesome!

    Swizzler Crispy Chicken + Smash Burgers - Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich

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    Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich

    Ssong's Hotdog

    Ssong's Hotdog

    4.5(11 reviews)
    2.0 miNavy Yard

    I went to the Nationals vs. Dodgers game last Saturday afternoon with a big group. Sometime during…read morethe second inning, half of the group left to find something to snack on. 2-3 innings later, they each came back with a K-Dog which made my mouth water. Despite the inflated stadium pricing, I soon scurried off to find Ssong's Hotdog, which is located near Section 308. The line was sizable, so I waited about 15-20 minutes before it was my turn to place my order. Unfortunately, they were out of almost everything. The potato mozz sausage stick -- the one I drooled over -- would require a 30 minute wait, which I wasn't down for. MOZZ SAUSAGE STICK - 11.49 This was the only option they had left, which is half mozz and half beef sausage. It was pretty small -- four bites and it was gone. The top half was the mozzarella part, which was completely hollow with maybe a few cobweb strands of mozzarella, so it was mainly batter. Overall, incredibly disappointing K-Dog, and it was stale too! I don't know if I'll attend another baseball game, but if I do, I don't think I'll be back at this K-Dog stall.

    Gotta love Ssong's Hotdogs. I was at Nats Park for The Lumineers concert and have tons of…read moreallergies. I was so happy to see Ssong's Hotdogs there since I frequent their Columbia Mall location. I know they are safe for me and was excited to get a glizzy while I was there. They were having a Internet outage while I was there and instead of letting all their hot dogs go to waste, they gave them out for free, not only helping introduce newcomers to their amazing hot dogs, but also reducing food waste. I love business practices like that. I would've already supported them anyway since I seek them out. I also came back later when they were online and ordered a Boba while I was there. they were able to mix their two flavors together, making something even more delicious and new to me. I highly recommend the spicy potato mozzarella dog.

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    Ssong's Hotdog
    Ssong's Hotdog
    Ssong's Hotdog

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    Five Guys - A Five Guys cheeseburger, milkshake and regular order of fries sits on a table inside a Five Guys restaurant.

    Five Guys

    3.7(209 reviews)
    1.7 mi
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    I've frequented this FIVE GUYS restaurant for several years now, and the burgers and fries are,…read moresimply put, among the best. Always fresh, tasty, and DELICIOUS. The staff always does a thorough and timely job of preparing and serving up a meal. Other burger places can learn a lot in terms of quality control from FIVE GUYS.

    As five guys goes this was a normal food experience the burger was good and the fries were as well…read more The young lady at the counter was pleasant and friendly but she made a huge mistake. We tried to order 2 single burgers 2 medium drinks and 1 medium fry the bill was a few cents shy of $50 bucks. I didn't even question this but it's seemed a bit steep. After her participation in a discussion over getting 1 order of fries she added 3 medium fries to our order. The truth is I only picked up on this when they callled out my order number and gave me 3 bags. The addition charge was $20 bucks. If you work behind the counter you should have an idea when the price is wrong. Okay the boss made it right by charging us for only 1 order of fries but the counter girl did also fail to charge us for our drinks so they left those off the bill too. The food was fine and the dining area is clean and overall this isn't a bad place to grab a quick bite. Just keep an eye on the receipt to avoid paying for stuff you didn't order.

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    Five Guys - A photograph of the contents of a Five Guys burger bowl, which include two ground beef patties, tomatoes, jalapenos, lettuce ...

    A photograph of the contents of a Five Guys burger bowl, which include two ground beef patties, tomatoes, jalapenos, lettuce ...

    Five Guys - A Five Guys hot dog sits on the counter in a Five Guys restaurant.

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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(1.1k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Amazing service and food. Came here specifically for the parmesan truffle fries and it was so worth…read moreit. The best I've ever had! The Capital burger was good too. They also provide complimentary sweet pickles. Enormous thanks to our server, Stephon!! We loved his contagious smile, he treated us with so much respect and kindness.

    Have you ever been to a high end place and ordered a burger? You get that look like ordering steak…read moreat a great seafood place. Well I do enjoy burgers and plenty of places have upped their burger game. As much as it cost for a burger at certain fast food places you might as well hit up some of these other places. The prices are basically the same now. On a few trips to Capital Grille I did go with the burger and so I decided to check out its affiliate Capital Burger. Capital Burger actually has more burger options to choose for over Capital Grille and a more slimmed down menu. Still with the name burger in its name, you know where their focus is. I went with the bacon cheeseburger that comes with candied smoke bacon that came at $22 with your chose of sides (fries or various salads). It was cooked to the perfect medium rare and you can tell when a burger is cooked with better ingredients and cooked with a give a damn. It was not thrown together, and the fries were not just sitting under a heating lamp. I actually ordered a to go burger for the spouse. Here is where customer service comes in. I was asked how far I had to travel and the person taking my order said she will separate portions so it will travel better. Thank you. It is that little extra that goes a long way. This time I went with the Capital Burger to go along with some key lime pie to nibble on later. Great service and great food. There are plenty of good burger places but if you are a burger fan then definitely check this place out. Absolutely no disappointment. For a true high end burger experience I have no problem giving this place a solid five stars.

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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.

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

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    Ben's Chili Bowl - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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