New Book Celebrates Ben's Chili Bowl's 50th Anniversary

We got a press release announcing that a new book, Ben's Chili Bowl: 50 Years of a Washington, D.C., Landmark, is now available for sale. Ben's is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. Mahaboob Ben Ali and his then-fiancée, Virginia Rollins, opened the hot dog and chili shop on U Street on August 22, 1958. Congratulations to the Ali family on all their achievements!

The book, written by journalist Tracey Gold Bennett and Ben's co-owner Nizam B. Ali, with a foreword by Bill Cosby, is available for $19.99 from Arcadia Publishing. With images and stories spanning the entire history of Ben's, it should make a nice keepsake for half smoke devotees.

A big anniversary party is planned on Aug. 22 at Ben’s, featuring live music and a number of giveaways. There's also a free concert in the works at the 9:30 Club on Sunday, Aug. 24 from 2-10 p.m., with Trouble Funk, EU, Wes Felton and Friends, Mambo Sauce, Sage Infinity, V. Rich and Pancake Mountain on hand to celebrate 50 years of chili dogs.