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Ben Ali
Ali, along with his wife, Virginia, had long since handed over control of the landmark eatery to their two sons, Kamal and Nizam, but his presence there continues to loom large. The chili, half-smokes, cheese fries and shakes that have made Ben's Chili Bowl famous since it opened in 1958 are still prepared the same way today as they were when Ben and Virginia first started. Apart from its food, Ben's Chili Bowl is most famous for being one of the only U Street business to have survived the looting associated with the 1968 riots.
On the Ben's Chili Bowl web site today, a photo and tribute to Ben have replaced the usual restaurant announcements. It reads:
June 13, 1927-October 7,2009The Ali Family and all of th Ben's Chili Bowl and Ben's Next Door Family
want to thank Ben Ali for leading this legacy
and allowing us to follow in his dream
We miss you and love you.
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God Bless...
God Bless
Awww nuts!
Ben Ali will be missed!
RIP, Ben. Thanks for all those amazing hot dogs.
What would be a more appropriate tribute: a black armband or a shirt with a dribble of chili down the front?
sympathies to the family.. RIP
Rest in peace Ben.
RIP, Ben.
Rest in peace Ben. You will be missed.
Sad
Thank you Ben for standing tall during the riots, ignoring the naysayers, and providing an iconic establishment of Washington that has welcomed locals and visitors of all colors.
Somewhere in Heaven, all the greats are having their first delicious halfsmoke. John Dillinger, Ty Cobb, Joseph Stalin. I wish I were dead.
You will be missed Ben, thanks for all of the delicious food and happy times.
Sommer, Lee's Flowers also survived the MLK jr. riots. Lee's and Ben's both saved their businesses by writing, "Soul Brother" on their windows to identify their shops as owned by Black washingtonians.
Indeed, I should have written "one of the only" there, I've made a small edit to fix that.
God Bless and Rest in Peace. As soon as I saw this post I grabbed my coworker and headed over to Ben's. Best tribute ever, 2 Half Smokes with chili and chili cheese fries. Thank you for the memories.
God bless you, Ben.
Be at peace, Ben. You'll never be forgotten. Many sincere condolences to the family. Wish I could head down there for a halfsmoke and a shake right now...
RIP Ben
In what amounts to a 21st century 21 gun salute, "Ben's Chili Bowl" is trending on Twitter
RIP Ben, from China. Your half smokes were always a comforting memory of home.
Thank you, Ben.
Love Ben's (make mine a cheese fries and a shake.) Thank you for the tradition and the memories, Mr. Ali, and condolences to your family.
Ben's Chili Bowl is a trending topic on twitter (#7).
saalam aleikum, and best wishes to the family.
RIP Mr Ali. I came to discover Ben's Chili Bowl late in life but better late then never. Thank you for being living proof of the American Dream and showing that with a good heart, determination and compassion a man person can truly overcome adversity and succeed.