We were visiting the DC area and ended up eating here. We came on a Sunday during brunch and really enjoyed it. The staff was very friendly from the hostesses to the wait staff. I ordered the blackened catfish and grits and bottomless mimosas and peach and mango flavor. The food was delicious and a good portion size. read more

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The bottomless mango mimosas are so good and a must try! They have a 2 hour time limit so be advised. Took my husband and we had a great time. Great atmosphere, cute setting, and good service. The food was delicious as well. I got the blackened salmon, eggs, and potatoes and enjoyed it. My husband got the salmon cakes, eggs, and potato's and he was satisfied as well. The music is good and we just vibed out. The pricing is decent for brunch and for two people it was about $150 without appetizers. There is street parking and the bathrooms are unisex (I don't mind that but some people do). Make a reservation because it gets busy. I've been here several times, I'm late with my review. I've tried all the appetizers and love them all lol. FYI read more

Ben's Next Door - Bottomless Mimosas - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Pretty cool spot. I went here for Sunday Brunch where there's of course bottomless mimosas. As we were walking in being seated by the host I was hit in the shoulder by a champagne cork and the waitress just looked at me. No excuse me nor apology. I understand mistakes happen and I'm also working on not being a very hot & reactive person so I said "ouch, wow so glad that missed my eye" and walked away. Other than that, the vibes were cool typical DC brunch spot, good music and good food. read more

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Amazing service. Sam was one of the best waitresses I've ever had. The music was phenomenal and the crab crakes were amazing! This is one of my go-tos for bottomless brunch in DC. read more

I have nothing bad to say about the brunch in Sunday. Went with a large party ablande the service was perfect! The drinks kept flowing and the food was amazing. Ohhh and the grits stood out in the best way possible I would surely come back to explore the rest of the menu read more

Ben's Next Door - Blackened Salmon Fillet & Eggs - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I visited Ben's Next Door Restaurant & Bar for lunch and tried the Hennessy sangria, which is on their Friday drink special list. The drink was very refreshing, and the sangria paired well with the Hennessy. I've been searching for a spot with Cajun pasta for months, and their version with the option of salmon was irresistible. It was excellent--very saucy, and the salmon was a great size. Next time, I'll ask them to make it spicier, as it wasn't very spicy, but the Cajun pasta is still a hit. The place wasn't crowded and had a chilled vibe. The music was at a decent volume, perfect for getting some work done while you wait, just like some other patrons were doing. read more

Ben's Next Door - Cajun pasta w| blackened Salmon - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This establishment is such a vybe. I visited here for brunch and had the bottomless mimosas. Once the mimosas hit, the music starts jumping and you just vybe out with your party. Singing all the latest R&B hits and enjoying the ambiance of the establishment. Every time I visit this establishment I eat the wings, Mumbo flavor is the best don't forget the side of blue cheese. read more

Ben's Next Door - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

WORST SERVICE !!! long wait times, bugs flying and crawling everywhere, we had to ask to get served; the tap water tastes dirty, everything took extra long and they charge 20% service charge - with TERRIBLE SERVICE!!!!! we left early half of our food was to go because we couldn't handle all the bugs flying at our table! do not come here unless you just want to sit at the bar and get a drink and leave .. otherwise RUNNN! they've gone down in quality it's been a couple years since i've been and will not be coming back. I try to support black owned businesses but this just isn't a place worth spending any of your money. this establishment needs more oversight, managers, etc if they want to last food is subpar nothing to rave about, grits are chewy not creamy at all. read more

The grits!!!! THOSE GRITS! Ben's next door had Ben on my brunch list for a while and finally I was able to try it out. The bottomless mimosas start at 22$ a person and our waiter had the carafes coming consistently!!!! You only get a 2 hour brunch window so get to drinking quick! As for food I went with the Doin' The Most and really enjoyed it! Subbed the potatoes for grits and was blown away! Eggs were made great, I got bacon but would totally get sausage instead - nothing bad just too much bacon, and the French toast was pretty good (although not the best). The space is hustling bustling with great mix of trap, r&b, and hip hop music you can really grove too. The prices are really reasonable and it's perfect for date night. read more

Ben's Next Door - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came with our handicap friend who had a broken ankle and scooter and Camille was amazing. Made sure we had a seat at the bar, was attentive, and had a great heavy pour. I'm a New Yorker visiting in the city and she was so welcoming! Ask for Kamill and come to Ben's! Drinks are amazing and vibe was 10000%!! read more

Always a good time win I visit Ben's Next Door. For brunch we tried the fried catfish and grits , shrimp and grits and the lump crab deviled eggs. You know it's good when there's no need for a to-go box. They have specials for every day of the week, so it's literally something for everyone to enjoy. I'll definitely be back to try some of their other food and drink items. read more

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Good food Good service Good music Wanted the jerk salmon sliders for happy hour but found out it was just one small slider read more

Ben's Next Door - *New Shrimp Po Boy - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ben's Next-Door Restaurant is my go-to spot for a cozy meal. The food is always fresh, the staff is super friendly, and the vibe feels like home. Follow my IG account for Curated Google Maps list for brunch, happy hours, rooftops, parks, wineries & more in the DMV area: @yourdmvbestie read more

My friends and I love BND! Always a blast every single time we go; no complaints ever! Two hours is more than enough time to get your fill. My favorite brunch entree is the fish and grits. The catfish is fried to a perfect crisp and the grits and broth compliment it well. If you're like us, you like your mimosa carafe with less juice lol so be sure to ask your server for their suggestions! A great Black owned business to visit when you're in the city! 10/10 always. **each day of the week is dedicated to a specific kind of liquor and features deals on them in addition to their happy hour menu read more

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Love the vibe! it's a real cute spot. I came in for HH and got the bone-in wings with the mambo sauce, those were very good. I also got the jerk salmon slider, it was sadly, bland and didn't have much flavor. Same with the HH po-boy. read more

Ben's Next Door - HH Bone-In wings and Jerk Slider - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I went to Ben's Next Door for Sunday Brunch around 3pm. After a brief wait we were seated about midway through the restaurant. The service was good as was the food. Then the DJ started playing music shortly after 4pm. The music was no doubt absolutely too loud for such a small space. Not only did we have yell across the table to speak to each other, the server also could only yell to communicate. Having a club DJ playing at such a unreasonably loud volume was unacceptable. We didn't finish our meal and left the restaurant shortly afterwards with a very negative impression of something that's a restaurant not a dance club. read more

Of course I'm going to support this local favorite and black-owned business. Today, I chose the bourbon bread pudding; along with the requisite scoop of vanilla ice cream (sold separately). Full disclosure: I was raised with the pleasure of having both a white grandma and a black grandma (may she Rest In Peace). I happened to love them equally. As such, I feel uniquely qualified to offer a completely unbiased opinion about the dessert I sampled at Ben's Next Door today. Having benefited from the pleasures of growing up with time cooked cuisine prepared by people groomed under various cultural influences, I know firsthand that bread pudding can take many forms, depending on the prevailing cultural influence. As such, my experience suggests that Ben's Next Door offers an interpretation of bread pudding that is most reminiscent of the variety that my White grandmother served to me and taught me to prepare. Unfortunately, today, I was feeling much more black grandma sentimental. My black grandma's bread pudding was fluffier, featured more eclectic ingredients, and boasted much more powerful flavors. And...it tasted better with ice cream. read more

True rating is 3.5. Rating this location a 4 because the food is good and it's a vibe. Service was great once we got seated;however, we had reservations for 2 @ 1pm, didn't get seated until 1:35. Catfish was delicious, cooked to perfection and bottomless mimosas were a win!! Parking was free and convenient with a short walk up the street. I would 100% recommend. Can't wait until my next visit. Current rating of 3.7 is accurate. read more

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The DJ plays the tunes you want to hear setting the mood for a fun time? However, it appears bartenders only serve select individuals... waited at the bar for 15 minutes with my friend and no service. I'm not sure how the food is but I'm going elsewhere since I've been ignored. read more

Ben's Next Door is always a vibe. The service is amazing! They have an amazing happy hour. The food and drinks are top tier. I love their deviled eggs! read more

Ben's Next Door - Bar - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

~ Arrived Sunday for brunch & it was lit! My waitress was on point with everything. I wish I could remember her name. Bottomless mimosas kept coming... Long Island kept coming. Music was rockin'. Everybody in the establishment was showing off their vocals. None more impressive than me tho. Diesèl !! Favorite Dish ??... The chicken & waffles !! Man-o-man! Loved it. Moist, fluffy wit a lil crisp & the chicken was nice too. Must have. The shrimp and grits were solid. Eggs (which is my fav food) we're solid. Vanilla French toast was something different, but cool. Returning ?? A must! They showed so much love. It's supposed to be a 2-hour limit for brunch, but she saw how much fun I was having & let us do our thang. Respect. I hope you enjoy it. ~ #TeamDieselEvaaaa read more

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Whew finally getting around to writing this. Ok here we go. So my friends and I came here for brunch on New Years Eve and it was my first time. Although I've lived in the DMV for years and it's been on my list- just never got around to it. In conclusion, it's a vibe: good food, good music, good people. Shoutout to our waiter, Marshall (Marshmallow) who was very nice and did his best to attend to us even though it was so busy almost the entire time that we were there. He's the reason I'm giving 5 starts because the oven was broken yall and so I had to switch me u items twice! But he assured me that the food would be good and it was. I had the shrimp and grits which was good ( I do wish the tails were removed but small matter) and I had the bread pudding which was also good. Y'all we were there for legitimately 5 hours and I don't know how they didn't throw us out . Although yes we were still ordering etc the entire time but somehow our table became THE table at the front of the restaurant and people just kept coming over and adding more chairs and I know we were loud and at one point people were dancing in the middle of the hall. Bless the waiters hearts for walking around all of that. Overall I had a great experience and would do it again. read more

Ben's Next Door - Shrimp and Grits - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went for a late brunch (be sure to make reservation) and it was still very crowded. Music was really good and our server was great. She was patient with us being indecisive with the menu and kept the mimosa coming. The floor was super slippery and the bathrooms weren't well kept. We were there into happy hour and ordered the deviled eggs which were okay, really wasn't a deal. The catfish was cooked very well. My friend said the chicken was a little greasy but waffles were good. read more

Ben's Next Door - Catfish & Grits Chicken Waffle - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Fun Vibe! Good Music, Loud, & Great Food! Staff are Friendly & Fun!! Love the Chicken and waffles! And it was Patron Night..those Margaritas were Fierce!! Cheers!! read more

Ben's Next Door - Shrimp and Spunach - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The perfect stop to catch up with friends, with good drinks, good food, and good music. If you're trying to have intimate conversations, you can easily catch yourself having to elevate your voice to be heard. I came with a group of 6 on a weeknight right after happy hour ended. Brian/Bryan was our server and took great care of us. We ordered apps, drinks, and entrees. I personally ordered the Catfish sandwich, which was huge especially for the $18 price tag. The spicy mango mag was both sweet and tangy. I could tell jalapeño was the spice base, but it wasn't overpowering at all. My friends also enjoyed their food and cocktails. We stayed for well over 2 hours and never felt rushed. I'm not sure who makes the playlists, but the need a raise because at one point it felt like we were having a restaurant wide singalong to some old school R&B. read more

Always a solid choice on U Street, especially you're looking for a GOOD Black owned business. This place is pretty consistent for quality service, food and drinks. It's a great choice for happy hour or brunch. Happy hour is daily from 3pm-7pm although I believe they have happy hour drink specials on the weekend starting around 11am. The jumbo lump crab deviled eggs, wings, popcorn shrimp and either of the sliders are great choices. I tend to get a combination of things because they are small bites. I'd also recommend the the catfish sandwich and butterfly shrimp if you want something more filling. If you're stopping by for brunch I'd recommend the chicken & waffles, shrimp & grits and the vanilla French toast. All are amazing! For the grits you can choose between shrimp, catfish or blackened salmon. They do have a variety of sides you can add on including deserts. Bottomless mimosas is an additional $22 and they definitely keep them following. Now for the drinks. The spicy mango casamigos rita, bulleit strawberry smash, and the Hennessy sangria are all pretty good. The salted caramel old fashioned is good depending on which bartender makes it. One of mine has an entire orange slice instead of just the peel. The Duke is also pretty solid if you want to a cognac based drink. It was too sweet for me. They also have a solid beer and wine selection if you're looking for something other than a cocktail. They will make you a nice mocktail as well if you tell the bartender what you like. The ambiance is pretty chill but a good time. It's perfect for an outing with friends or to catch a game. They have seating inside and outside. The inside can feel a bit cramped depending on where you're seated. The outside sitting fits larger groups. The music is always good and you will definitely get some great people watching. read more

Food was great! Deviled eggs are my favorite! The bottomless Bellinis during brunch were delicious! The staff was patient while we looked at the menu and the ambiance with the photo was very nice! read more

Ben's Next Door - Jumbo Lump Crab Deviled Eggs - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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DC is the place to be!! I made reservations for 5pm for 4 due to the system glitch not allowing me to change it to 5. I explained this to the waitress and it was corrected immediately. My table was ready right on time. The service is a bit slow. Please note: This is Not much of a deal breaker for me. The cornbread was my least favorite because I'm not crazy about the cinnamon taste. My friend loved her chicken and waffles. The teenage girls raved about the fries lol. My chicken sandwich was on point!! The tables were spread apart from each other and two tents full of tables. I must warn you this restaurant was packed! I sat outside and i'm unaware of the protocols inside. From the outside it appeared the restaurant was on the smaller side (one reason I avoided going inside). The food and drinks were definitely on point!! The vibe was definitely there. I can't wait to return. read more

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This is the spot! Was here for the brunch and I would say one of the best brunch spots that I have ever been to. From the vibe to the music to the service to the food, everything was on point. Made reservations and even though was a few minutes Kate, they were still honored with no problem and was seated immediately. Started off with the lump crab deviled eggs. There was definitely no shortage of crabmeat on each egg. Could have used a sprinkle of old bay seasoning on top (as seen on previous pictures). But still overall a good appetizer to start with. My entree was the 'Doin the most' which consist of french toast, eggs, potatoes, choice of protein and home fries. I choice the chicken apple sausage (2 links). Maybe 3 pieces of French toast would have been slightly better instead of 2 but I guess the home fries is to make up for that. Other than that, this hit the spot and every bite I took was very good. Waiter was very friendly and engaged. Good music to enjoy. All around friendly atmosphere and I'm looking forward to my next time coming here. read more

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We had a really good time in Ben's Next Door. We were looking for some late night dinner and the catfish sandwich was great. It is MASSIVE, so you better be hungry. Everyone was welcoming and help explain some of the dishes. I would have appreciated a larger choice of craft beer. Thank you guys! read more

Happy hour wings aren't so happy. They are midget wings. They have the nerve to charge gratuity even if you are sitting at the bar! Smh read more

Ben's Next Door - Happy hour MIDGET wings smh - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Tried this place out with a friend and it was great. The shrimp and grits were amazing and the service was exceptional. Chef Shaun came by our table to check in on us and we were very appreciative that he did. I also had chicken and waffles which were ok/good. Favorite was definitely shrimp and grits. Will definitely go back. read more

Ben's Next Door - Shrimp and grits and chicken and waffles - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This was my first time at BND during the pandemic. The restaurant practiced social distancing by providing outdoor seating. I wouldn't recommend going at night with the wind and cold air. My meal was delicious. I got the steak and frites with the Jenny margarita. The steak was super tender and juicy. I definitely recommend. read more

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It was very lively here on a Tuesday afternoon which was great to see. The waitress we had was awesome which encouraged us to grab some more drinks. Especially as they hyped up the happy hour deals. We ordered some calamari off the happy hour menu. The calamari was a little stringy but were good enough for the price we paid for it. As for drinks, I had a Patron Margarita and a Gentleman's Peachy Sour which were both tasty. Can recommend those if you're after some cocktails. For some reason it was faster ordering cocktails than beer. I guess beer isn't normally ordered here? I was living the speed of receiving the cocktails but after ordering a beer through the waitress we had to ask different bartenders what was going on. Apart from this we still had a good time and wouldn't mind returning. We were told the owner owns both this bar and Ben's Chili Bowl next door. Why can't we order half smokes while in the bar? We would've stayed for longer and had more drinks! read more

Ben's Next Door - Bar - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Let me start off saying the food was good the service was good but as long as you spending and add drinks to your bill everything is fine..Now it's time to pay the bill, bill was paid then we was told by the manager we had to leave we still had food on the table drinks in the glasses manger started removing food drinks from tables that we paid for my bill was over$ 600 this how you treat people spending there money in their restaurant...I won't never go back to Ben's next door read more

If you've been to DC then you are familiar with the popular #benschilibowl on U. street. In 2008 #BensNextDoor opened next door. They have happy hour, daily specials and brunch. Stop by the next time you're in DC. I went to college in DC and I think I've been to bens Chilli bowl and bens next door once. I was totally going to skip but glad my friend insisted. The waitress was super nice and we caught the tail end of happy hour. Lump Crab Deviled Eggs with panko gremolata & old bay ND Bone-In Wings - honey sriracha and Next Door's signature dry rub Braised Kale w/ Smoked Turkey I was really impressed with the Crab Deviled Eggs and the Kale! The Kale is their version of collard greens. The honey sriracha wings had a nice flavor. The dry rub wings tasted better with some mambo sauce. I'd definitely visit again. read more

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Man... after traveling nearly the whole DC area for breakfast, found this Ben's Chili side kick. Man...I tell you, anytime you see city workers in a restaurant... you know you are in the right spot! Trust me' Food was on point. Tee the bartender! The Best! read more

Ben's Next Door - DC Baby!!! - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Just left...at the bar to try the happy hour. Sat for 20 min. They weren't busy just un attentive. The young man at the bar didn't seem busy or overwhelmed. Just didn't care. Decided to take my money elsewhere. Breaks my heart. read more

I was so glad to get out on a beautiful warmer than normal autumn night. BND has consistently provided great service and YUMMY food! We came here during COVID, so the tables were properly spaced - thank goodness because it was packed - so we felt pretty good about sitting indoors. The cocktails were on point. I opted for a Bacardi mango daiquiri that included the right about of rum. Times 2 For our meals, we ordered 2 sets of wings - buffalo and mambo sauce - yummy - and the blackened chicken sandwich that we shared. Overall, we had a great experience as always! BND is a must when hanging in the city. Unfortunately, the half smokes/hot dogs from Ben's were NOT on the menu read more

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Amazing happy hour. The boneless wings are really fresh and I've been back 3 times for them. All their food is pretty solid in general, especially for the price. They have an outdoor patio as well which is great. read more