Located in the U Street/Cardozzo neighborhood directly across from the Greenline Metro station since 1958, Ben’s Chili Bowl has been a gathering place and focal point for black Washington, DC.  It has witnessed the rise, fall and resurrection of U Street and is probably the only business on this strip that has survived both the 1968 riots and the construction phase of the Metro Green Line.

Ben’s attracts a diverse cross-section of Washingtonians. Lawyers, college kids from nearby Howard, folks en route to a performance at the Lincoln Theater, musicians, you name it. Bill Cosby has been coming here for so long that he’s even got a chili dog named after him. No special service for stars, however. Once at the counter, everyone is treated equally.