I have to say, while the food is good and gave wonderful African-American vibes. While the atmosphere is nice, and the music is good the service is absolutely terrible. I have gone two separate times and have had horrible service both times. Even with a reservation, you are going to wait upwards of a half hour to have your order taken in another half hour or longer for your food to arrive. I could let that slide, but the issue is when they make mistakes they are reluctant to take accountability and like to shift the blame on the Customer Rather than admitting fault. The staff do not communicate with each other, which causes mistakes in orders that they then want the customer to pay for. Case and point, we went during happy hour in order the five appetizers for the table and they bring us the wrong ones, us not knowing how this is typically served. We eat it and wait for the other two (as they only brought out 3). 25 minutes later, they bring out our actual appetizers and when we pointed out that they already brought three of the five they informed us that it’s the wrong order, but we have to pay for both orders. When I expressed that, I didn’t want a duplicate of the items that were on the wrong order, but I would still pay for the five appetizers as ordered. The waiter said, and I quote. Why would you eat it if it wasn’t yours?? This makes zero sense from a Customer perspective as how am I expected to know which menu items are which and how they are meant to be served? There are no pictures on the menu or anything for me to have a frame of reference for what my food should look like, so I found this response to be rude and demeaning. Management didn’t make it right, but with two bad experiences, I felt that it was irredeemable. If you can get past the bad customer service, the restaurant is great. Otherwise, I would pick another place.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
it's Kayla
While the food and drinks at this establishment are of good quality and definitely deserve recognition, the overall experience was unfortunately overshadowed by the poor customer service. It was disappointing to find that staff members were inattentive and rarely checked in throughout the dining experience. In fact, I’ve received more attentive service at self-serve buffets.
To make matters worse, there seemed to be a lack of organization, with food orders being mixed up, and when politely addressed, the staff responded with visible attitude rather than accountability. Hospitality is just as important as the meal itself, and in this case, the lack of professionalism and courtesy significantly impacted what could have been a pleasant visit.
I hope management takes these concerns seriously, as the food and drinks have potential—but without improvements in service, I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to others
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Tone \u0026 Things
experience and services is great but the food is not Ben's
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Linen V
Food was good but the portions are small and the way they break down the check for medium to large parties is very confusing
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Shante
Sooo I ended up I here by accident. I literally was walking by strolling the streets of DC solo waiting for the dispensary to open and I popped in for some air conditioning originally but seen the vibe was lit and there was seating at the bar. I ordered the bottomless mimosa (peach) which I highly recommend. I wish I had an appetite because the food looked so delicious but all I ordered were eggs and them jawns were good. I enjoyed the music and atmosphere. I shall be back again for the full experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stuart Bellmore
this place is a disgrace to what ben’s chilli bowl used to be. we waited 30 min for hot dogs and shakes.
we waited while food orders for the exact thing we ordered came out for families way after us. this place is disorganized and needs a manager to overhaul the service staff. mcdonald’s can do better and that’s an insult and a low standard to meet.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Latisha Dutch
First and foremost, I went for Sunday brunch and if you don’t like super loud music then this isn’t for you. I personally loved it although you can’t have much conversation with people (it’s that kind of loud). However, the music is great and widely varied — there was a mix with music for all ages. Not only is this place a whole vibe — the food is phenomenally delicious. The drinks were equally great! I can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Candice Harold
What a deal the $30 for unlimited Mimosas is! Wind down after a long week with Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, Ben's Next Door.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Syrell Grier
Excellent everything. Food was delicious, bottomless mimosas were delicious (and did their job I must say), and the vibes were IMMACULATE. We were there celebrating a friends birthday and we had so much fun… we were there for about 4 hours. Our waitress Sam provided great service and made sure our birthday girl felt special. Will definitely be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Latrese Johnson
Ordered the french toast entree and received one slice of bread that was already cut up into small pieces. Extremely overpriced. Music was too loud.
I love Ben’s next door I’ve been coming here for years I recently came in and received amazing service from the staff as per usual but the reason I’m leaving this review is I watched the manager I think who’s name is Corey yell at the employees in a way that I find completely unacceptable and needs to be fixed immediately.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 5
texas angel
Great place to visit when in DC
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Latiya Loring
I don't even know where to start, finish, end or begin. I know some may feel a bit weird reading this review and might say, DAMN she going in as if she this dude lover, home and friend. Some may even call me a bit delusional. Others have even referred to me as clown. The thing I witnessed today, upon me returning to this place, left on my face a DISSAPOINTED frown. Who, what, when, where, and HOW did the interior designer of this place let this level of DISRESPECT go down. They have pictures of some of the HIP-HOP GREATS posted UP along the wall. There missing one of THE GREATEST contributors to this game picture, who might I say is not that tall. Somebody must be literally INSANE to forget to post a picture of the REIGNING king of the mainstream rap game. They have a picture up of Nikki, Drizzy, this place is in Dc, so there should be one up of SHY GLIZZY.. Order in the court, I'm a diplomatic sport, I will give them a chance, because I want this establishment to remain in business and thrive, I implore them to put up on the wall a picture of Lil Wayne, THE GREATEST RAPPER ALIVE.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 3
Nellie M.
THANK YOU DOR CELEBRATING MY BABY BIRTHDAY!! SHOUT OUT TO THE SERVER TRINITY! Don’t walk….Run! DRINKS WERE HAAARRD! Whew!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Deborah Ingram
Disappointed and Frustrated – Not the Experience We’re Used To
We’ve been loyal customers for a while and typically enjoy both the food and service, but our most recent visit was deeply disappointing.
We had a reservation for 5:00 PM and arrived early at 4:50 PM. We were seated promptly by 4:55 PM, which we appreciated. However, that’s where the positives ended. Our assigned server, Yafet, never came to our table to greet us, take drink orders, or even acknowledge our presence. Another staff member with locs kindly brought us water, but it wasn’t until we had to find Yafet around 5:45 PM that he finally came to take our order. That’s nearly an hour of being ignored.
When the food finally arrived at 6:45 PM, it was cold and unappetizing. We didn’t complain on the spot out of respect and loyalty, as this has never happened before. But the lack of service continued—Yafet was nowhere to be found for basic things like refilling our water or checking in.
To make matters worse, we had to track him down again just to get the check. Upon reviewing the bill, we noticed he had added a 20% gratuity—automatically—for just two people and we ordered from the Main menu ( Happy Hour). When I questioned it, he said it’s standard on holidays. I explained that due to the poor service and cold food, I wasn’t comfortable tipping that much and wanted the freedom to choose the amount myself, as it’s my hard-earned money. He walked away, and another staff member returned with a reprinted receipt, this time without the gratuity, after I requested to speak with a manager.
This wasn’t just about the money—it was about principle. The lack of integrity and basic customer service from Yafet was unacceptable and ultimately cost him. I hope management addresses this so it doesn’t happen to other guests, especially regulars who expect—and deserve—better.
I have to say, while the food is good and gave wonderful African-American vibes. While the atmosphere is nice, and the music is good the service is absolutely terrible. I have gone two separate times and have had horrible service both times. Even with a reservation, you are going to wait upwards of a half hour to have your order taken in another half hour or longer for your food to arrive. I could let that slide, but the issue is when they make mistakes they are reluctant to take accountability and like to shift the blame on the Customer Rather than admitting fault. The staff do not communicate with each other, which causes mistakes in orders that they then want the customer to pay for. Case and point, we went during happy hour in order the five appetizers for the table and they bring us the wrong ones, us not knowing how this is typically served. We eat it and wait for the other two (as they only brought out 3). 25 minutes later, they bring out our actual appetizers and when we pointed out that they already brought three of the five they informed us that it’s the wrong order, but we have to pay for both orders. When I expressed that, I didn’t want a duplicate of the items that were on the wrong order, but I would still pay for the five appetizers as ordered. The waiter said, and I quote. Why would you eat it if it wasn’t yours?? This makes zero sense from a Customer perspective as how am I expected to know which menu items are which and how they are meant to be served? There are no pictures on the menu or anything for me to have a frame of reference for what my food should look like, so I found this response to be rude and demeaning. Management didn’t make it right, but with two bad experiences, I felt that it was irredeemable. If you can get past the bad customer service, the restaurant is great. Otherwise, I would pick another place.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
While the food and drinks at this establishment are of good quality and definitely deserve recognition, the overall experience was unfortunately overshadowed by the poor customer service. It was disappointing to find that staff members were inattentive and rarely checked in throughout the dining experience. In fact, I’ve received more attentive service at self-serve buffets.
To make matters worse, there seemed to be a lack of organization, with food orders being mixed up, and when politely addressed, the staff responded with visible attitude rather than accountability. Hospitality is just as important as the meal itself, and in this case, the lack of professionalism and courtesy significantly impacted what could have been a pleasant visit.
I hope management takes these concerns seriously, as the food and drinks have potential—but without improvements in service, I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to others
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
experience and services is great but the food is not Ben's
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Food was good but the portions are small and the way they break down the check for medium to large parties is very confusing
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Sooo I ended up I here by accident. I literally was walking by strolling the streets of DC solo waiting for the dispensary to open and I popped in for some air conditioning originally but seen the vibe was lit and there was seating at the bar. I ordered the bottomless mimosa (peach) which I highly recommend. I wish I had an appetite because the food looked so delicious but all I ordered were eggs and them jawns were good. I enjoyed the music and atmosphere. I shall be back again for the full experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
this place is a disgrace to what ben’s chilli bowl used to be. we waited 30 min for hot dogs and shakes.
we waited while food orders for the exact thing we ordered came out for families way after us. this place is disorganized and needs a manager to overhaul the service staff. mcdonald’s can do better and that’s an insult and a low standard to meet.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
First and foremost, I went for Sunday brunch and if you don’t like super loud music then this isn’t for you. I personally loved it although you can’t have much conversation with people (it’s that kind of loud). However, the music is great and widely varied — there was a mix with music for all ages. Not only is this place a whole vibe — the food is phenomenally delicious. The drinks were equally great! I can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a deal the $30 for unlimited Mimosas is! Wind down after a long week with Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, Ben's Next Door.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent everything. Food was delicious, bottomless mimosas were delicious (and did their job I must say), and the vibes were IMMACULATE. We were there celebrating a friends birthday and we had so much fun… we were there for about 4 hours. Our waitress Sam provided great service and made sure our birthday girl felt special. Will definitely be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ordered the french toast entree and received one slice of bread that was already cut up into small pieces. Extremely overpriced. Music was too loud.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
I love Ben’s next door I’ve been coming here for years I recently came in and received amazing service from the staff as per usual but the reason I’m leaving this review is I watched the manager I think who’s name is Corey yell at the employees in a way that I find completely unacceptable and needs to be fixed immediately.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place to visit when in DC
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I don't even know where to start, finish, end or begin. I know some may feel a bit weird reading this review and might say, DAMN she going in as if she this dude lover, home and friend. Some may even call me a bit delusional. Others have even referred to me as clown. The thing I witnessed today, upon me returning to this place, left on my face a DISSAPOINTED frown. Who, what, when, where, and HOW did the interior designer of this place let this level of DISRESPECT go down. They have pictures of some of the HIP-HOP GREATS posted UP along the wall. There missing one of THE GREATEST contributors to this game picture, who might I say is not that tall. Somebody must be literally INSANE to forget to post a picture of the REIGNING king of the mainstream rap game. They have a picture up of Nikki, Drizzy, this place is in Dc, so there should be one up of SHY GLIZZY.. Order in the court, I'm a diplomatic sport, I will give them a chance, because I want this establishment to remain in business and thrive, I implore them to put up on the wall a picture of Lil Wayne, THE GREATEST RAPPER ALIVE.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 3
THANK YOU DOR CELEBRATING MY BABY BIRTHDAY!! SHOUT OUT TO THE SERVER TRINITY! Don’t walk….Run! DRINKS WERE HAAARRD! Whew!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Disappointed and Frustrated – Not the Experience We’re Used To
We’ve been loyal customers for a while and typically enjoy both the food and service, but our most recent visit was deeply disappointing.
We had a reservation for 5:00 PM and arrived early at 4:50 PM. We were seated promptly by 4:55 PM, which we appreciated. However, that’s where the positives ended. Our assigned server, Yafet, never came to our table to greet us, take drink orders, or even acknowledge our presence. Another staff member with locs kindly brought us water, but it wasn’t until we had to find Yafet around 5:45 PM that he finally came to take our order. That’s nearly an hour of being ignored.
When the food finally arrived at 6:45 PM, it was cold and unappetizing. We didn’t complain on the spot out of respect and loyalty, as this has never happened before. But the lack of service continued—Yafet was nowhere to be found for basic things like refilling our water or checking in.
To make matters worse, we had to track him down again just to get the check. Upon reviewing the bill, we noticed he had added a 20% gratuity—automatically—for just two people and we ordered from the Main menu ( Happy Hour). When I questioned it, he said it’s standard on holidays. I explained that due to the poor service and cold food, I wasn’t comfortable tipping that much and wanted the freedom to choose the amount myself, as it’s my hard-earned money. He walked away, and another staff member returned with a reprinted receipt, this time without the gratuity, after I requested to speak with a manager.
This wasn’t just about the money—it was about principle. The lack of integrity and basic customer service from Yafet was unacceptable and ultimately cost him. I hope management addresses this so it doesn’t happen to other guests, especially regulars who expect—and deserve—better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
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