Ben's Chili Bowl

DC has no shortage of historic landmarks – The White House and the Lincoln Memorial, to name a couple – but when it comes to restaurants, Ben’s is right up there with the greats. Since its founding in the U Street Corridor by Ben & Virginia Ali back in 1958, it’s become a landmark not just for its signature offering – a thick, spicy, smoky “half-smoke” sausage doused with a family-recipe chili sauce and topped with mustard and onions – but for its venerable history as a civil rights icon. Back during the 1968 riots that devastated the neighborhood, for example, Ben’s was the only restaurant permitted to stay open past curfew, feeding activists, police officers, and firefighters alike.

Today, Ben’s Chili Bowl isn’t just a DC legend; it’s one of the most famous restaurants in America. It’s still run by Virginia along with her and Ben’s sons Nizam and Kamal, and not much has changed since it first opened all those decades ago: locals and tourists alike still line up for a half-smoke that’s been griddled to a deep golden-brown, with its signature snap and unique flavor that’s unlike any other sausage out there. It’s not just a restaurant; it’s an experience – and it’s shipping nationwide!