Georgetown Independent

Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Media Credit: benschilibowl.com

I am probably not the best candidate to review iconic D.C. restaurant Ben's Chili Bowl. I do not eat red meat, and have not since I was young. My mom quit when I was very small and, wanting to be like her and thus cool, I quit. Much like the coolness factor of everything my mom did, the coolness factor of abstaining from red meat has dwindled (this trend peaked for a few glorious years in middle school when a few of my friends quit as well and we all ate Veggie Burgers together from the school cafeteria), but my refusal to eat so much as a hamburger remains. For this reason, I was reluctant to tag along to Ben's Chili Bowl when a few friends suggested the journey. But, I got on the Metro anyway; sure, I was going to be the lame girl who ordered fries or made them thaw out the lone veggie dog that had long ago surrendered to freezer burn.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that Ben's Chili Bowl offers numerous options for the vegetarian and non-meat eater. These include a Tuna Sub, a Veggie Burger, a Turkey Burger, a Turkey Dog and Vegetarian Chili, among others. There are, of course, many options for the carnivore as well: Chili Dog, Chili Half Smoke (advertised as Bill Cosby's favorite), Beef Chili Burger, and the perennial favorite Chili Con Carne. Even though Ben's offers so many vegetarian versions of its meat dishes, I was still hesitant to order my Vegetarian Chili; this stigma when it comes to ordering applies to most serious steak houses and possibly any restaurant in the state of Texas. I was denied my dream of a grilled cheese topped with vegetarian chili because grilled cheese is breakfast food at Ben's. However I was happily surprised by the tastiness of the bowl of chili I did order and the quickness of the service as only a few minutes elapsed between the time I ordered at one end of the counter and picked up my food at the other. My friends ordered two Ben's Famous Chili Dogs with cheese, a Ben's Original Chili Half Smoke, and a Chili Con Carne with cheese. Although I did not taste the meaty dishes, my friends and I agreed-whether it was vegetarian or con carne, on a hot dog, a half smoke or in a bowl, Ben's chili was just right.

Possibly the most interesting part of Ben's is the history. A member of the staff asks if this is our first time at Ben's. When I told him it was mine, he gave me a flyer detailing Ben's history and its place as an eatery of the stars on "Black Broadway" and its important position during the riots of 1968. As I sauntered out of Ben's Chili Bowl with a belly full of vegetarian chili but wishing I had tasted some of their cheese fries, I was happy that my friends convinced me to come. Reflecting on the experience from the office of The Independent, I think my friend Matt O'Brien put it best when he said, "Go sparingly… but when you go, go all out."

Ben's Chili Bowl is located at 1213 U St N.W.


Palmer is Arts & Entertainment Editor and an English sophomore.

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