DC's Ben’s Chili Bowl Featured In Docuseries On Black Cuisine

WASHINGTON, DC — Pepsi is partnering with chef and author Marcus Samuelsson on a new docuseries called “You Have to Taste This,” highlighting the diverse Black cuisine across the country, including in Washington, D.C.

Among the first episodes is a feature on D.C.’s Ben’s Chili Bowl. In the episode, Samuelsson talks with co-founder Virginia Ali about the history of Ben’s Chili Bowl dating back to the 1960s with visits from Martin Luther King Jr. and how the restaurant is embedded into the community.

Samuelsson also tries out the restaurant’s signature dish, Chili Half-Smoke & Chili Cheese Fries.

The Ben’s Chili Bowl episode is among the first four episodes of the series that take viewers on a culinary journey by uncovering the stories behind the chefs and their unique travel-worthy dishes.

The docuseries is part of the Pepsi Dig In platform, which aims to amplify and drive business to Black-owned restaurants.

“It is long past time to recognize Black excellence in the culinary world. I’m thrilled to partner with Pepsi Dig In to highlight the cultural history and diverse deliciousness of so many incredible Black-owned restaurants,” chef and author Marcus Samuelsson said in a statement.

In each one-to-two-minute episode, Samuelsson visits a new restaurant across the U.S., including his own, Red Rooster Overtown in Miami, to sit down with the chefs and owners to discuss everything from their own background and business story to the cultural elements that define their cooking.

Along with the feature on Ben’s Chili Bowl, the series includes episodes on:

• Dukunoo, a Jamaican restaurant, owned by Shrusan Gray, Leonie McKoy, and Rodrick Leighton, in Miami’s Wynwood area known for its jerk chicken, music and cocktails.
• Slutty Vegan, an Atlanta-based vegan hotspot, founded by Pinky Cole, known for their piled-high plant-based burgers.

The Pepsi Dig In initiative aims to generate at least $100 million in sales for Black-owned restaurants over the next five years. The Dig In platform also serves as an invitation for Black restaurateurs to tap into a variety of resources available from PepsiCo, including business services, training, and mentorship.

Episodes of “You Have to Taste This” will be live weekly across the Pepsi Dig In social platforms and featured on Marcus Samuelsson's YouTube channel.

The episode on Ben's Chili Bowl is now available on YouTube.