Nationals Park, Washington, DC

Half Smoke All-The-Way

According to the Ben’s Chili Bowl website, they have been making this sausage sandwich since 1958 and it was made popular by comedian purported sexual predator Bill Cosby in the 1960s. Ben’s has been featured on several travel shows, my favorite being Man vs. Food when host, Adam Richman, got a peek at the top secret brown bag of spices used to flavor their famous chili.

The half smoke is a quarter pound, half pork/half beef smoked sausage. When you get it “All-The-Way” at Nationals Park, it comes with mustard, onions, shredded cheddar cheese and Ben’s chili sauce. It was unabashedly the best thing I have ever eaten at a ballpark.

Luckily, I was given a fork to scoop up the extra chili that smothered the top of the sandwich. The chili was delicious, the perfect consistency to top the sausage and left me wanting more on the side.

Once I was able to complete the requisite amount of chili excavation with my fork, I was finally able to pick the sandwich up and take a bite. Wow. The snap and flavor of the sausage combined with the toppings was perfection. I savored each bite.

The Ben’s Chili Half Smoke is quintessential ballpark food and the best thing I have ever eaten at a ballgame. Just remember the fork and a pile of napkins!

What is the best thing you have ever eaten at a ballgame?