Why Gentrify?!

U Street’s Ben’s Chili Bowl will celebrate its 50th anniversary on August 22. It will also expand into the Shanghai building next door with a 2,700 square foot restaurant that will seat 70 patrons and serve beer and other newer fare, such as salads. A lot is planned for the big anniversary!

The grand opening will coincide with the 50th anniversary celebration of Ben’s this Aug. 22. Ben’s 50th anniversary gala will be held at the historic Lincoln Theatre Aug. 21. Comedian-activist Bill Cosby will serve as Master of Ceremony. “It will just be a celebratory night to celebrate mom and dad and the legacy of Ben’s Chili Bowl,” Nizam Ali said. On Aug. 22, U Street will be closed and there will be musical performances and dancing in the street. On Aug. 24, there also will be a concert at the 9:30 Club. More can be learned about the history and legacy of Ben’s from their book, “Ben’s Chili Bowl: 50 Years of a Washington, D.C. Landmark,” which will be on sale Aug. 18 at area bookstores. The book is on pre-sale now at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

Ben’s Chili Bowl may be a hop, skip, and a jump away from my pad, but I finally had my first meal there. In fact, I finally entered the restaurant after staring inside the windows, looking at the long line of eager customers on several occasions. After hearing about Ben’s from before I even lived in DC, I have wanted to try it out. But, every time I had the opportunity and inkling to enter, it appeared that a significant percentage of DC residents were in line, with the same idea.

Well, this time, I didn’t just stare from the sidewalk and walk away, I entered the restaurant, immediately greeted by the pungency of grilling half-smokes and hot dogs. The line was long, but it moved along fast enough. The catchy music was blasting, and the crew of workers behind the counter treated the customers to some impromptu singing and dancing in between orders (talk about happy workers!).

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