Ben's Chili Bowl
Best Late-Night Counter in Washington DC · DC
The half-smoke headquarters of U Street
Ben's Chili Bowl has been a Washington, D.C. landmark on U Street since 1958, famous for its chili half-smoke — a spicy, half-pork-half-beef sausage buried in mustard, onions, and chili. It survived the 1968 riots and the neighborhood's long decline, feeding the Black community and civil-rights figures through it all.
Visited by presidents and celebrities (a wall notes who eats free — a short list), Ben's is a genuine D.C. institution: family-run for generations and inseparable from the history of U Street.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Late-Night Counter in Washington DC Washington, DC · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
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This page is the standing record for Ben's Chili Bowl (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
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