It was our second day to tourist around Washington, DC. Again we took the Metro from not far from our hotel which dropped us right in the middle of the Mall. The Mall is roughly the stretch between the Capital Building and the Lincoln Memorial encompassing the Smithsonian Museums (of which we toured 2) many war memorials and presidential memorials. There is probably a better definition of what it encompasses but for the purposes of this blog, that is where we spent most of our day. On day 1 we went east from the Smithsonian Metro Station and on the second day we went west.
To my chagrin, the memorial to the greatest president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was deep in renovation. The mass of hoarding and scaffolding made it less of a photo op than usual but we spent some time in reflection there just the same. 
At about lunch time, we hoped the Metro to visit another DC landmark, Ben's Chili Bowl. The history of this place is rich having opened in 1958 and survived good times and bad, including the 1968 riot that followed the assassination of MLK Jr. when it stayed open and fed both police and black activists. There is a lot more. Google it!
The walls are decorated with memorabilia of many notable people who have visited. We sat at the presidential table apparently!
So we came for the history and stayed for the vegan eats. This is not a vegan restaurant but they have options! Of course, we had their Chili Dog and Fries which was pretty good. The chili was of kidney beans and some kind of soy protein. It was rich and tomatoey and there was hot sauce at the table if you wanted it. The dog itself was not that memorable but it was really only a vehicle in this case. Great fries! 
We had an Impossible Burger which was also OK. To be honest an Impossible patty needs a really good sear and this one could have used a little more. The bun was nice like you'd expect on a fast food burger.
And we ordered a Chili Bowl with rice so my wife would get her rice quota for the day. I'm starting to have fond memories of the chili. They didn't have vegan cheese which might have been a big step up.
So the food was pretty average but really, they don't have to offer anything vegan. We came for the vibe and would have been happy with fries and a Coke. Counter service but they were quick and friendly.
Food 3 out of 5
Vegan Options 3 1/2 out of 5
Comfort 4 out of 5
Service 4 out of 5
Value 3 1/2 out of 5
Historical Value 5 out of 6
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