hile it may not be the best hot dog I've ever had, the one I devoured at Ben's is damn near the top. After hearing people rave about it on Yelp for so long, and seeing it on virtually every travel or food show that does a DC episode I finally made it over to U Street to visit this landmark (albeit, in transit to another destination for a Yelp event) over the summer to partake of their meaty goodness.
Ah, the half-smoke. It's rarely a bad idea to mix meats, and Ben's follows that rule to the highest degree. This dog brilliantly blends multiple flavors for optimal deliciousness, and tops it off with a bit of mildly spicy chili. There's not much in the way of available toppings, but who needs it when you've got some of the best chili in the city? As a true Southerner I am of course compelled to add some ketchup and hot sauce (I put that stuff on everything!) and just a tidbit of mustard. The man inside me wasn't quite satisfied enough with that though, so I had it topped with gooey cheese as well, a full scale overflowing mess in the making.
Don't worry though, they give you chips to clean up all your sloppy drippings with. Bonus!
Pros: Hot dogs rock
Cons: lines suck
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