Ben's Chili Bowl

Ben's Chili Bowl
Ben's Chili Bowl, Northwest Washington, D.C.
Map
Restaurant information
EstablishedAugust 22, 1958; 65 years ago (1958-08-22)[1]
Owner(s)Virginia Ali
Food typeAmerican
Dress codeCasual
RatingYelp: [2]
Zagat: 22 out of 30 (Food)
Street address1213 U Street, NW
CityWashington, D.C.
Coordinates38°55′02″N 77°01′44″W / 38.9172°N 77.0288°W / 38.9172; -77.0288
Websitebenschilibowl.com
Minnehaha Nickelodeon Theater
(now Ben's Chili Bowl)
Built1909; 115 years ago (1909)
Built byDistrict Amusement Company[3]
ArchitectP.A. Hurlehaus[3]
Architectural styleRenaissance Revival
Part ofGreater U Street Historic District (ID98001557[3])
Significant dates
Designated CPDecember 31, 1998; 25 years ago (1998-12-31)
Designated DCHDJanuary 11, 1999; 25 years ago (1999-01-11)[4]

Ben's Chili Bowl is a landmark restaurant in Washington, D.C., United States, located at 1213 U Street, next to Lincoln Theatre, in the U Street Corridor (a.k.a. Cardozo/Shaw neighborhood) of Northwest D.C. It is known locally for its chili dogs, half-smokes, and milkshakes, and has been part of the U Street neighborhood since its founding in 1958. It was frequented by both police and protesters during the 1968 Washington, D.C., riots, and is regularly visited by celebrities, such as Anthony Bourdain and Chris Tucker, and famously President-elect Barack Obama in January 2009.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference founded was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Ben's Chili Bowl – U Street". Yelp. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES – Greater U Street Historic District". National Park Service. United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Inventory G of Historic Sites and Districts" (PDF). DC.Gov. Office of Planning. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  5. ^ "Diner adds Obama to list of famous patrons, Reuters Blogs". Blogs.reuters.com. January 10, 2009. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2009.