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    Ben’s Chili Bowl

    2.4 (21 reviews)

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    Veggie burger with vegetarian chili
    Jessica A.

    I was fortunate to get an events dc gift card while attending a conference at the convention center. I haven't had Ben's chili bowl in years, so I thought it was best to take advantage of the opportunity to get a free meal. I don't eat red meat, so I was very glad they had vegetarian options. I ordered the beyond meat veggie burger with veggie chili and American cheese add on, and the meal came with fries. The burger was good, but the chili could've used more seasoning. I don't remember loving the veggie chili when I ate it with the veggie dog at the original location, so it's probably just not for me. I also do think it's very overpriced. I had to pay in addition to the gift card, bringing my total to about $25 for a lunch meal. It was a hefty amount, but it's still way overpriced.

    Bill W.

    Absolutely Horrible and Way Overpriced ! So a hot dog with chili and fries is $15.50. I know it's DC and inside the Convention Center but let's be real for a second ! The bun broke in half so that tells me it lacks some freshness, the hot dog must have been on the grill or rollers longer because it was somewhat crunchy with no flavor, the fries were decent, crunchy exterior ... The chili is not to write home about, I don't see the WOW factor .. To many decent places to eat outside of the building at a fraction of the price ! Not Recommend !

    Chili Dog.
    Eric W.

    Ben's Chili Bowl now has a location in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. It's positioned near the main entrance of Hall D and while at Otakon it was always busy. This is not a large location and only has two registers, so expect a wait when ordering. They serve a similar menu to Ben's other locations, but has Pepsi products instead of Coke. Ordered a Chili Dog, but went with only that as the prices here are a little expensive. I received my order in a reasonable amount of time. It was a good hot dog and the chili sauce has the right amount of bite. From seeing the French Fries others ordered, they looked good. Overall, it was worth the stop and it's different from other food options offered in the convention center, but the prices are an issue.

    Entrance to Great Food!
    Keno W.

    Heading back from vacation in The Bahamas.We had a layover in the DC area.I was thinking,man!How can I get me a Ben's Chili half smoke.The famous smoked sausage of the D.C. area.Well guess what...they have a location at Regan National airport. As soon as we landed,I looked at the airport map and made a beeline to Bens Chili bowl. It was busy,however people were being served very quickly.They had burgers, chili (beef,Turkey or vegetarian .I absolutely started with the classic half smoke with mustard, onions and chili on it .The flavor was good! I took a bite into my sandwich and it exploded with juices, which was a good thing.The sausage could've had more seasoning in my mind, but the flavors worked.The chili was thick and hearty,it could have used more salt. The crowd there was great, soccer was on the big screen,pilots,Airport workers and flight attendants were all enjoying their food laughing having a good time before their next flight or final destination. Only issue I had was that one classic half smoke and chili fries cost me $18.42. I know, it's airport food but come on guys... no disrespect. A sausage on a bun?! $18.42? Next time in DC I think I'm going to hit up a local spot like in the heart of town...until next time DC.

    Please note the advertised "SHAKES", which are not actually on the menu!
    Max S.

    I was headed to DC for a conference, and someone suggested that I go to Ben's Chili Bowl, which is apparently a beloved DC institution that has been around for decades. Unbeknownst to my interlocutor, there is now a branch of Ben's located within the Walter Washington Convention Center. I tried it for lunch on the first day of the conference, hoping and expecting to enjoy their burger, fries, et al. Unfortunately, it was a huge and total disappointment. The burgers were made of what tasted like the lowest quality meat I have eaten in years; they reminded me of the public school lunch burgers I ate in the Bronx years ago. The fries were limp and semi-soggy. The strangest part of the meal was that, despite the sign above the counter proclaiming, in huge letters, "Half Smokes - Dogs - Burgers - Shakes", I was informed by the person at the counter that "we don't serve shakes at this branch of Ben's"! Overall, there is no excuse for a burger joint to serve such lame food. I will bump up my score from a 1 to a 2, mainly for the efficient service and convenient (if you happen to be attending an event at the Convention Center) location.

    Dung H.

    Overrated. Too salty. Staff was not attentive, friendly and helpful at all. Pricey for fast food.

    Ordering area

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    5 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Food took forever to come out and was not that good for how long we waited and he threw up in the bathroom after like wtf vro

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    11 months ago

    45 min after eating here, I was running to the bathroom with the "BUBBLEGUTS"!!!! Haven't eaten there since.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    We door dashed on a cold snowy day. Great chili dogs, fries and yummy banana pudding. Highly recommend!

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Ivy City SmokeHouse - Was not a fan of the crab cake flavor or fries . The crab meat was slippery.

    Ivy City SmokeHouse

    3.8(725 reviews)
    2.1 miIvy City
    $$$

    My friends and I went here for The Set, an R&B party that we all enjoyed! The party did not start…read moretil 10p that night and to start with parking, there is a garage locally that you can park at. It costs $40 for a flat rate and that was that; the walk in took maybe 4 minutes. I also wanted to highlight their parking situation because I frequently have a lot of parking issues when trying to access DC. But we walked inside, had an easy access to the event, and as the entered.. the vibes welcomed us! Great dj, great drinks, and great friends! I think I saw that these R&B events are monthly or continuously scheduled out, so if you love the vibes, go to Ivy City!

    FOOD POISONING !!! do not eat here . I hate having to leave a review like this, but I feel it's…read moreimportant to share my experience. On July 2, around 3:00 p.m., a friend and I visited this restaurant for lunch. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich without the bun, and it came with a side of fries. Everything seemed normal at the time, but later that day I became extremely ill. I have since been diagnosed with food poisoning, and more than 48 hours later I am still dealing with the symptoms. Based on the timing of my illness and my medical evaluation, I believe this meal was the source of my food poisoning. This experience has been physically exhausting and has completely changed my confidence in eating here. Food safety should always be a top priority, and unfortunately my experience has left me very concerned. I sincerely hope the restaurant reviews its food handling and preparation practices so no one else has to go through what I've experienced. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend dining here.

    Photos
    Ivy City SmokeHouse
    Ivy City SmokeHouse - House Cut Fries

    House Cut Fries

    Ivy City SmokeHouse - Natural gas heated patio

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    Natural gas heated patio

    Billiken's Smokehouse - Pulled Pork Platter with potato salad, coleslaw and cornbread

    Billiken's Smokehouse

    3.6(267 reviews)
    47.9 mi
    $$

    Fantastic bbq joint! Really enjoyed the half blt but the start is the burnt ends! The juices…read moremost favorable burnt ends I've ever had in this area! The pitmaster knows what they are doing. And the service- omg she was super helpful kind and made me feel like a star.

    Disappointing service from a rude server at a place we've long enjoyed…read moreWe've been loyal customers here for quite some time, visiting at least twice a month, usually on Friday or Saturday nights when we enjoy the live music. Unfortunately, our last two visits have been marred by the same new server who was consistently rude and dismissive. On our most recent visit, we waited over 10 minutes before she approached our table. My husband ordered a meal (he loves the BBQ), but I cannot eat the smoked food due to stomach issues. I simply ordered a rum and coke with lime. She responded with "Pepsi?" and later repeated back only "Pepsi" when confirming the order, completely ignoring the rum portion even after I emphasized it. When my husband requested sangria -- something the bartender has happily made for us on previous Friday/Saturday visits -- she insisted they don't serve it and that he must have had it on a Sunday. We never visit on Sundays. Later in the evening, we moved closer to the fire pit because it was cool outside. She brought our water over and checked on us a couple of times. We told her we were fine. Toward the end of the night, my husband went to the bar to order another drink (as we've done before when the server isn't readily available). When it came time to close out our tab, the server arrived with the manager (Nolan) in tow. His presence felt awkward and accusatory -- as if we were about to skip out on the bill or posed some kind of problem. When we expressed confusion, he said he was just there to "warm his hands." As longtime, regular customers, we found the overall treatment disrespectful and off-putting. We tried speaking with a manager afterward to share our experience, but it didn't seem to go anywhere. We genuinely wanted to continue supporting this spot for the music and atmosphere, but after two poor experiences in a row with this server and the strange handling at close-out, we will not be returning. There are plenty of other options nearby.

    Photos
    Billiken's Smokehouse - Hot sauce

    Hot sauce

    Billiken's Smokehouse - Brisket, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans, & Cornbread

    Brisket, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans, & Cornbread

    Billiken's Smokehouse - Outdoors

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    Outdoors

    Old South Smokehouse - Old South Smoke House ribs - No Visible Smoke Ring - Are These Steamed??

    Old South Smokehouse

    4.1(242 reviews)
    71.4 mi
    $$

    Over 3 years ago I left only a 2 star review. We tried the Smoke House again and couldn't believe…read morehow good it was. Bigger menu, great pork BBQ, great burgers and even their crab cakes were good. The place is always busy and the service excellent. We'll definitely continue to eat here.

    Great place for BBQ. Has all the things that you would think they would have. There is plenty of…read moreparking. They have a bar area, a dining area, and an addition with even more seating. We sat in addition where it was rather loud due to 5 kids at one table with their parents, and another party of 12 in there. The acoustics aren't terrific. Didn't ruin the experience, but just know in case you are sensitive to noise. Ask to sit in other areas. Very friendly employees! From the moment you step in. Hostess was nice and our server was terrific (shout out to Riley). She kept checking in on us and made sure that we had all that we needed. We ordered a margarita and I wouldn't recommend this at all. It tasted like lemonade and a some tequila. They also put sugar on the rim. It was subpar to say the least. It was nothing as described on the menu (fresh squeezed lime juice). We ordered the fried pickles for an app and I highly recommend them. The sauce that is served with them is great! For entrees, we ordered the Bone & Butt (ribs w/pulled pork) with a side of baked beans and a burnt ends meal with sweet potato fries. The ribs and pulled pork were absolutely great! Even the burnt ends were good too. However, I do like super wet sauces and they do come drenched in BBQ sauce. That was a me problem as I should have asked and I forgot. I should have ordered them plain. The corn bread was okay. We asked for butter for that. The fries were fabulous. The baked beans equally as good. There are two different sauces on the table for you to put all over the things. You can tell that they are making these things in house and take great care to make sure that they are good quality. The portions are terrific and the prices super reasonable. They have an extensive dessert menu. We didn't order as couldn't fit anything else. We even had to take to go boxes. This is located near Great Wolf Lodge! If you are staying there, this is super close and worth the drive. It's also not far off of 95 so if you are in the area swing by - worth the drive off of 95 (not far at all). Would for sure come again! Very tasty.

    Photos
    Old South Smokehouse - Dining Area

    Dining Area

    Old South Smokehouse
    Old South Smokehouse - Burger and fries

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    Burger and fries

    Ben’s Chili Bowl - hotdog - Updated July 2026

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