After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr the U Street Corridor Way in Washington DC was devastated by the April 1968 riots. Ben’s Chili Bowl got permission to stay open past curfew to feed the police officers and firefighters working to impose order in the neighborhood. Ben even wrote “Soul Brother” in soap on the front window in hopes that it would stop the angry mobs.
The history to this neighborhood landmark goes back to when a building built in 1909 became Washington’s first silent movie house, the Minnehaha, which was right next to the Lincoln Theater.
Ben Ali, a Trinidadian-born immigrant and his fiancee Virginia opened the restaurant with $5,000 and a dream, creating something magical in 1958.
At the time U Street was known as “Black Broadway”, where jazz greats of the day like Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Nat King Cole would stop by the restaurant when they performed at local U Street clubs.
Ben’s Chili Bowl became famous for their half smokes, award-winning chili, chili burgers, classic chili dogs and milkshakes.
A half smoke is a type of hot dog found in Washington DC that’s larger, spicier and with more coarsely ground meat than a regular hot dog. The sausage is half pork, half beef, smoked and served with herbs, onions and chili sauce.
Fans of Ben’s included Presidents Bush and Obama, Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Bono, Denzel Washington, Anthony Bourdain Ted Koppel, Chris Tucker, Bill Cosby and numerous atheletes.
Ben died in 1982, having passed the daily operations to two of his sons but Virginia at 92 still can be seen greeting her customers.
From the early 90’s business revenues grew by 10% annually to $1.5 million in 2005 and the restaurant grew to 20 employees.
Today this famous chili joint has expanded to three locations.
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