An addition to the historic Ben's Chili Bowl, Ben's Next Door offers all the great half-smoke kind of fare and more. Not only are these folks good at simple, fast food but they know how to do larger soul-food type plates very well.
The shrimp and grits at Next Door are some of the best I've had in DC - there's plenty of medium-sized, well seasoned shrimp with a tomato broth, on top of a heaping pile of cheesy, herbed white grits. It tastes as good as you expect shrimp and grits to be.
Their brined fried chicken is also deliciously seasoned and served with braised kale and sweet potato puree, both of which are amazing. The kale tastes like real Southern-style collard greens and the puree is sweet but a good balance with the savory chicken.
I've also tried Next Door's Chocolate Coconut Pecan pie, which tastes just as rich and sweet as that sounds. It may be too much for some, but for those with not just one sweet tooth like myself, the mix of chocolate chips and coconut shavings mixed with pecan filling and drizzled with caramel on top is just the right ending.
Pros: Good service, delicious food and drinks
Cons: Gets cramped and crowded early, loud
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