Ben’s Next Door

This is my fave spot in DC. It’s not too pretentious and not too hood… perfect balance. The vibe is always cool. I always meet folks and have great convos here. Bartenders and servers are very warm and friendly. I’d give it 5 stars but the wings need some encouragement. Come on Ben’s you can do it! :D

I’ve been to this location 3 times, always at night (after 12a.m.)
Parking: It’s a nightmare because it’s U Street. Über, catch a cab or metro unless you live close or dont mind paying to park or driving around looking for parking.
Wait time: There’s always a bit of a wait really late at night, but it’s not terrible. Last night we sat at the bar to avoid waiting.
Atmosphere: At night they either have a DJ or play music extremely loud. Be prepared to yell at whomever you’re with. It’s not a huge space. It’s long and narrow. Most of the seating in the back is spacious enough. Since it’s on U street, you’re bound to encounter drunk people if you’re dining there late at night (after midnight). It’s always lively and turns almost into a club the later it gets.
Service. Service is okay. Not great, not terrible. I’ve been previously where it has been bad, but it was really late at night (around 2a.m.) so I gave them a pass. Bar service was okay as well. The bartender didnt pressure us to buy drinks, but made sure to ask more than once. We also didnt wait long for our food.
Food: The food is good. Nothing spectacular, but it’s good bar food. I always get the crabcake sandwich and it’s good every time. Last night was no exception. It comes with fries, which tasted okay. They weren’t as crispy as I like them, but they were still good.
Overall, they have good food and a good atmosphere. The prices are a little high but I’d go back because they stay open late.

My service was AMAZING! The waitress was very knowledgeable of the menu! My mango mojito was SOOO nice. Apps were great and my crab cake sandwich was delicious! I’LL DEFINITELY RETURN WHEN I’M BACK IN TOWN

So the brunch at bens next door is amazing. The shrimp and grits is to die for. The Caesar salad is tasty, and the banana nut French toast is so flavorful and sweet for all those with a good sweet tooth. The mimosas are tasty although they did not refill them as often as I would’ve liked but this was due to their staffing issues, which was the only problem I have with then. They were extremely understaffed and we waited over an hour for or table. Granted this was the weekend of New Years so for only that reason I give them a pass this time and decided to rate the food as opposed to the service because the food is heavenly.

Not impressed and probably won’t return for anything other than Happy Hour.
Attended a birthday dinner with a family member and some friends last night. My first impression is that the restaurant has a great ambiance and a welcoming atmosphere. I like the trendy and young professionals crowd and the bar was decent.
BUT…
THE FOOD was so disappointing that we would have been better off somewhere else and spent half the cost. The shrimp and grits were just plopped on the plate in some watery bland sauce and the grits where cold. My shrimp alfredo was also a sloppy watery mess and to add insult to injury the dish took over 45 mins for it even make its way to the table. Its as if they forgot my order and quickly made the pasta without draining the penne before plating. Now I don’t mind waiting for some good food but don’t have me wait for some crap and then expect me to pay $ 17 for it. On top of that other people in our group complained that their dishes were cold or it was just mediocre. One person in particular felt that the waffles in her chicken & waffles were hard like bricks.
Honestly, I thought I was going to be blown away given some of these Unilocal reviews. My husband is chef and even he was astonished by the mistakes he noticed as far as the cooking quality. Maybe we just went on the wrong night or maybe we are used to other quality food choices that are in DC. Either way, the cost does not match the quality and we won’t be back for dinner.

Two words: Monday brunch. Your friend gets laid off, Monday brunch. You start grad school, Monday brunch. You want the most generously poured mimosas, Monday brunch. Shrimp and grits covered in butter? I feel you Ben’s. Let’s go.

Review about Brunch Menu and Restaurant Experience
«Sunday Funday!»
Looking for a low-​key brunch spot with delicious food and great drinks? Ben’s Next Door is the spot.
I went with a group for a birthday brunch and enjoyed myself. It’s a nice establishment next to Ben’s Chili Bowl (hint the name). My group enjoyed the salmon cakes, shrimp & grits and fried chicken and waffles!
Pause– Hunny, let me tell you about that fried chicken breast. It was fried to perfection. Nice and juicy. I ordered a side of mumbo sauce to dip the chicken in.
The waffle was sweet and fluffy!
Okay, back to the experience. The vibe was great. Service was good. Favorite drink: Ben’s Ginger.
I would definitely go back to this restaurant.

We went on a Friday and they had happy hour with Grey Goose Cocktails. I ordered one, and it was clearly Brunette Vodka in it.
I let that slide, and ordered the stuffed mushrooms… DONT ORDER THEM! They have no flavor at all. Even with salt they tasted gross.
Sigh…so we ordered the chicken and waffle and it was decent. Nothing to brag about, because it has no flavor without hot sauce. The waffle tasted like a average waffle.
Sweet potato cake was not good. The icing on top needs to go. Other than that, the cake was OK.
Next time I will just got to bens chilli bowl… because this place is not all that.

The food is very delicious… I’m thoroughly impressed. I came on a Wednesday night and they had half price bottles of wine! Nice atmosphere… Great service. I’ll definitely be coming back

This place is consistently great! I come here for brunch whenever I’m in the DC area. The unlimited mimosas are well worth it & the servers keep them coming! Our server this past weekend (India I believe was her name) was on point!
Every dish we’ve had has been exceptionally delicious. The chicken & waffles, shrimp & grits, sticky buns, and French toast.
The atmosphere is fun and laid back so it is a great place for all ages, friends, family or solo at the bar. Typically have sports on the multiple TVS as well.

Came here after work before going to job #2. I wanted to enjoy the happy hour. I ordered a turkey hotdog with vegetarian chili and a gin & tonic. For those from the area, you know that Ben’s Next Door is the upscale version of the historical Ben’s Chili Bowl, located next door. Ben’s Chili Bowl is known for their hotdogs, the half smoke is one of the crowd favorite. Ben’s Next Door features a variety of food ranging from burgers to salads from jumbo lump crab cakes to jerk chicken pasta. Today, the service was on point. There was ample seating and the food came out pretty swiftly. The crowd was mostly composed of professionals. It looks like a great spot for a work place outing. The music was eclectic. I recommend a visit. Try the catfish nuggets! They are awesome!

Decent Sunday crowd. Not packed but not empty either. I was able to walk right in on a Sunday at 5pm and get seated right away. I ordered the catfish fingers appetizer. The fish was fried well but a little under seasoned. The shrimp and grits were good but not awesome. The rosemary was unexpected but a nice touch. I felt that this dish was also under seasoned. The portion was small as well.
The bread pudding was the star of the show. The bread was nice and buttery. The bourbon sauce was perfectly flavored. It was the best thing I had.

I went to Bens Next Door the other day after the anniversary of the million man march. I t wasn’t my first time, but this was my first review.
Bens Next Door never disappoints! I was gonna get the salmon salad because I’ve has it before and it was very good, however after glancing over and seeing someone with chicken and waffles I changed my mind!
Let me tell you it was worth every single bite! The waffles were Belgium waffles and the chicken were thigh portions. The chicken was very tender and well seasoned. I was thoroughly satisfied!
This spot is one of my staple spots to suggest to anyone in town visting mainly because their food is consistently on point!
I will definitely be back!

This place is a nice bar located *dum dum dum* next to Ben’s chili bowl. It’s never impressed me but it definitely has a nice feel to it. The few food items I’ve gotten were all pretty good. The service here is alright and I’ve never had bad service. It’s a classy place to eat a overpriced chili dog. I’ve heard good things about the happy hour, I would love to check it out if I didn’t work in Baltimore. The drinks are pretty good and this place gets packed around primetime. I can’t complain but there’s nothing to rave about. The clientele here also tend to look pretty good so that’s a plus.
So if you’re in the area and looking for a famous Ben’s chilli dog I’d recommend eating at the original location. You lose the nostalgia of eating a famous Ben’s chili dog if you don’t enjoy it in the original location IMO.

I enjoy going for dinner and drinks here. I typically go for drinks there late night happy hour which they have now discontinued sadly.
But I will still attend Nonetheless. It’s a pretty nice vibe here with a bar and dining seating.
Mixture of ages and race come here. The game is typically on and they occasionally have music.

Not bad!
I wish they could provide a simple menu insert of what is available from Ben’s Chili Bowl instead of having the waiter informing everybody individually.
Our waiter was SO nice. She offered to split checks for us at a table of at least 10 people. That was a first! She definitely set the standard high for other waiters! Of course, that was unexpected but sweet of her.
I got the burger and calamari and they were both really good! I will definitely be back next time I am in the area.

This was the first stop on Unilocal’s CMYE’s Taste of the District tour. The restaurant was not busy. All of the employees were nice. I could see myself returning with hubby to relax at the bar or have brunch. I loved the vegetarian chili. It had just a baby «kick» and was sweet and good. The vegetarian chili cheese fries were to «DOI» for. The cheese was creamy and went well with the chili. The beer light light and pleasant. This is conveniently located to a metro shop right across the street. Bring your camera to capture the murals nearby.

I went on a first date here. The ambience was nice and it was just casual enough that it didn’t feel high-​pressure but not too casual.
Seating: My date and I arrived at 5 pm on Friday. It apparently took him forever to find parking (It’s U Street — what can you do?), but once he found a spot and met up with me, we were greeted promptly and seated quickly. One thing I’ve never been able to figure out about this spot is why they always insist on sitting me at a high top table 2 feet from another table. It seems like you have to request a low table in the rear of the restaurant. I’ve been on 3 separate occasions and I’m always relegated to the back.
Server: Our server was friendly and arrived quickly to offer water and take drink orders. Since it was Happy Hour, I wanted a d-​r-​a-​n-​k. Unfortunately, the one wine on the menu (the Moscato) I wanted was not in stock. :(So I settled for the Riesling. Once we figured out what we wanted, the food arrived incredibly quickly. I wasn’t timing it, but it seemed liked it could not have been more than 10 minutes. While waiting, the manager came around and greeted us. He’s always very friendly which I appreciate.
Food: The food looked and smelled great. I ordered the shrimp and grits; my date ordered the Chicken and Waffles. Hailing from the South, I was hesitant to try DC’s version of shrimp and grits. I have to admit that I wasn’t disappointed. They weren’t too salty but they were still flavorful. I will say that I like my shrimp a little darker — these were barely pink. Everything was going great until my date made a weird noise. I looked up from my plate and saw him pulling a long hair from his mouth. Both he and I were horrified! Hair made it into either the chicken or waffle batter. It doesn’t matter which one it was — its presence was enough. Is anybody in the kitchen wearing hair nets?
It’s hard to recover from that. And while our server was apologetic and offered to comp the meal, my date didn’t feel like he could enjoy the food after that. He refused another order of the chicken and waffles, and instead opted for the po-​boy. He said it was decent, but I could tell he was shook after that.
Dessert: The bread pudding was definitely a bright spot of the night. It was moist, sweet (but not too sweet), and generally delicious. I’d order it again.
Unfortunately, I ended the night with that awkward feeling you have when you recommend a spot to someone, and leave disappointed. This wasn’t my first time to Ben’s Next Door — I’m just trying to decide whether or not it will be my last.

This place was pretty good. I went here with a party of 4 on a Saturday evening. The service was good. The food was good. We ordered a little of everything. Calamari, ribs, fish, salad and chicken & waffles.
I would like to come back one day and try their weekend brunch.

This is one fly little spot! The atmosphere was very vibrant, lively and more importantly, the food is delicious!
I met up with a group of friends on a Friday night here and since it was a large party, we had to sit upstairs. Even though we were away from the bar/​dinning crowd, it actually wasn’t bad because we could overlook the entire restaurant. A d.j. started playing some old school 90’s music around 10 and got everyone hyped with a little call and response and dancing at the tables.
I ordered the chicken and waffles with a side of mashed potatoes and broccoli. The portions were HUGE!!! The meal came out within a matter of minutes and it was piping hot! Our server (I can’t remember her name, but she was new there) was wonderful! She gave us some suggestions, checked on us frequently and when I started to place my order and the beat dropped on a song I like, I started to table dance and so did she! WINNING! Even the manager was dancing through the aisles and checked on us to make sure we were doing ok.
Since I was the DD for the night, I didn’t partake in any alcoholic beverages, but a person in my party always comes here for drinks and he loves them. He also mentioned how good the happy hour Is.
All and all I enjoyed everything about this restaurant. The staff here is very accommodating and the service alone would make me come back. Beware though, trying to find parking in the surrounding areas can be a MUTHA!