Ben's Next Door

There are many restaurants on the U Street Corridor that I decided not to visit because they surpassed my college budget. Most of the appetizers at these places were under $10, but the entrees ranged from about $15-$25 or the equivalent of three lunches at Au Bon Pain, a splurge just not worth it to me. That is the problem with U Street, the sudden expansion of numerous expensive restaurants catering to a wealthier clientele, decidedly people not from area nor hungry college students looking for a cheap bite. So it’s with a bit of trepidation that I wandered into Ben’s Next Door.

But wander in I did, visibly younger than the crowd of diverse twenties plus packed around the bar. My friend and I were seated towards the back of this pretty huge restaurant, it kept going back and back farther than I could see. We placed our appetizer orders, a nice big bowl of creamy Mac and Cheese and a Rack of Ribs before the bombardment of drink specials came our way. First it was our waitress describing the Scotch special of the evening, four shots of different aged alcohol for the low price of $25. A few minutes later the promoter came over in her swanky black knit dress to repeat the special. My friend was quick to put it on his underage radar but I couldn’t get over the price, three lunches for a bit of booze!! No way, the food was expensive enough, and I’m not yet at the age where I can depend on my income (read lack of income) to pay for my party bills.

But before I could fret about it, we got a nice little basket of cornbread, followed by our appetizers, both big enough to be a meal. The Mac and Cheese was some of the best I’ve ever had, creamy throughout and crunchy with breadcrumbs on top. The ribs were a bit tough but very flavorful and coated in a sweet orange BBQ sauce. I was stuffed before my main course of fried chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and collard greens arrived. But I was still able to eat a few morsels of what seemed to be double dipped fried chicken, sweet potatoes mashed with bananas and tasty greasey greens. This is the standard fare for all these bistros that line U Street, overpriced soul food. But I guess I just wasn’t expecting it to be so good.

In the future I’d like to investigate more of the expensive restaurants of U Streets, to see if the focus is on the food or the atmosphere. I think Ben’s Next Door captured both aspects quite well, though I’m not sure all others deliver at quite the same caliber. And I wonder if I want to support businesses that threaten to drive places like The Greek Spot, and Chix to extinction. One night at those places equals about four meals at The Spot or Chix. And so you see U Street is at a turning point, will it continue to serve it’s old community along with the students or strive create more businesses that cater to a richer niche? The Greek Spot and Chix are only 3 years old, so it’s refreshing to see that young second generation immigrants can afford to set up shop in this area. However, the question is: Will real estate prices continue to rise thus attracting more people who can afford more expensive entertainment? Or will prices level out leaving the neighborhood to become an equal mix between cheap and expensive? My hope is that the area will continue to serve not only students from the surrounding areas but also the older community, which I hope will not fade away like the glory of what U Street used to be.

Photo Courtesy of Ben's Next Door