U Street Corridor in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Ben's Chili Bowl / Minnehaha Theater

1213 U Street, NW

— African American Heritage Trail, Washington DC —

Ben's Chili Bowl / Minnehaha Theater Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Richard E. Miller, June 28, 2009

1. Ben's Chili Bowl / Minnehaha Theater Marker

Inscription. Ben's Chili Bowl, founded in 1958 by Ben and Virginia Ali, is one of the oldest continuous businesses on U Street. It is also one of the few to survive both the assassination of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., and the years of the disruptive Metro construction in the late 1980s. Thanks in part to the patronage of entertainer Bill Cosby, Ben's has become a national landmark. The restaurant occupies the former Minnehaha Theater, a 1910 movie house owned and operated from 1913 to 1920 by Sherman H. Dudley, once a leading vaudeville performer and entrepreneur.

Erected by Cultural Tourism DC.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Entertainment • Landmarks • Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the African American Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1958.

Location. 38° 55.027′ N, 77° 1.728′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in U Street Corridor. Marker is on U Street Northwest east of 12th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1213 U Street Northwest, Washington DC 20009, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker

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. Lincoln Theatre and Lincoln Colonnade (a few steps from this marker); The True Reformer Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Marlon Francisco Morales (within shouting distance of this marker); You Had To Wear a Tie (within shouting distance of this marker); Industrial Bank of Washington (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); New Negro Alliance's Sanitary Grocery Protest Site (about 500 feet away); "We had everything we needed right here." (about 500 feet away); Louise Burrell Miller Residence (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.

More about this marker.
[Photo caption:]
Ben's Chili Bowl, 1958
Collection of Ben's Chili Bowl

Also see . . .
1. Wikipedia entry for Ben's Chili Bowl. (Submitted on June 29, 2009, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. Sherman H. Dudley. (Submitted on June 29, 2009, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
3. The Minnehaha Theatre / Ben's Chili Bowl. Historic U Street Jazz, The George Washington University 1999 (Submitted on January 19, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.)

Photographed By Richard E. Miller, June 28, 2009

2. Ben's Chili Bowl / Minnehaha Theater Marker

- next to entrance, center left. Viewed from across U Street. The building to the left (across "Ben Ali Way") is the historic Lincoln Theater.

Ben's Chili Bowl 1958 image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, December 29, 2014

3. Ben's Chili Bowl 1958

Close-up of photo on marker

Ben's Chili Bowl image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, December 29, 2014

4. Ben's Chili Bowl

Interesting News image. Click for full size.

The Washington Bee, 1911

5. Interesting News

Minnehaha Theatre Advertisement The Washington Bee, Dec. 16, 1911.

Mural on the west side of the building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 27, 2019

6. Mural on the west side of the building

The mural from 2014 has been replaced with a new one, now featuring Prince.

Interior of Ben's Chili Bowl image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Richard E. Miller, June 28, 2009

7. Interior of Ben's Chili Bowl

Note the portrait of President Obama on the west wall (left).

Barack Obama's portrait at Ben's Chili Bowl image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Richard E. Miller, June 28, 2009

8. Barack Obama's portrait at Ben's Chili Bowl

close up of photo commemorating then-President-elect Barack Obama's January 10, 2009 visit to Ben's - with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, lower left.

Ben Ali Alley Murals at Ben's Chili Bowl image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, December 29, 2014

9. Ben Ali Alley Murals at Ben's Chili Bowl

Barack Obama image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, December 29, 2014

10. Barack Obama

Mural in Ben Ali Alley on the wall of Ben's Chili Bowl.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, December 29, 2014

11. Bill Cosby

Mural in Ben Ali Alley on the wall of Ben's Chili Bowl.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, May 28, 2015

12. Ben Ali

This photo of Ben Ali can be seen on the wall of Ben's National Airport location.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2009, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,190 times since then and 112 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2009, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 3, 4. submitted on January 19, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 5. submitted on January 20, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 6. submitted on February 27, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 7. submitted on June 28, 2009, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 8. submitted on June 29, 2009, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 9, 10, 11. submitted on January 19, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 12. submitted on June 7, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.