Ben's Chili Bowl
1213 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Ben's Chili Bowl is excellent! Take the subway, and get off on the U stop. The block is lined with historical concert venues. I think I read somewhere that Duke Ellington played in several clubs on that street, not to mention that there are EXCELLENT Ethiopian restaurants there. I walked into one that had both outdoor and indoor seating, but can't remember the name, and I lost my camera midway through this trip.

Anyway, this place is awesome because the people who work there actually look like there having fun. They have a retro jukebox playing Lauren Hill. Ask for the chili half-smokes. They split it, and grill it. Chili is awesome, these photos say it all, need I say more?

By the way, Bill Cosby eats there, and some of his recommendations (chili half-smokes) are on the menu. I went there twice on my 4-day trip.