Opened in 1958 in a former silent-cinema building, Ben's is the best-known survivor of U Street's era as Black Broadway, having traded through the 1968 riots and the long years of Metro construction that emptied the corridor. The speciality is the half-smoke, a coarser, smokier sausage particular to Washington, served split and topped with chilli. Chilli-covered chips, vegetarian versions and milkshakes complete a short menu. The interior keeps its red stools, Formica counter and wall of photographs. The original U Street premises closed for renovation in 2025 and reopened in May 2026; the family also runs branches elsewhere in the city. Queues form late at night and after concerts at the neighbouring Lincoln Theatre.
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