Arcade cabinets, a food / bar setup, AND karaoke?! It's a match made in heaven, seriously. I was walking up, and saw a bunch of people sitting outside... it's pretty open. And I heard the vocals -- ohhh I heard the vocals! I got so excited as I showed my ID and walked in. The bar was pretty full, so I just grabbed a water and hovered a bit. I asked the DJ how to sign up for karaoke -- and this is a first... it was just text message! There was a QR code for the phone number. I put my song request in and was up before long... quite enjoyable! After I sang I went upstairs to see a whole row of arcade cabinets and pinball machines....!!! I only had 20s, so I couldn't get tokens without extra effort XD. But the games were all less than a dollar (from what I saw) -- mostly 25-50 cents which is OUTstanding! I can't speak on how the food tastes, but what they've got is perfect for someone like me. When I return to Detroit I will be stopping in. read more

If you've never been a checkers, I don't know LOL. It's a staple for downtown. It's been there for probably longer than I've been alive lol. It's a dive bar vibe so you know what you're getting. You can get food and drink. It's not anything fancy, but if you have a nice amount of people with you, this will be a good spot to go to. The bartenders are typically cool depending on when you go, but they can get pretty inundated with customers depending on how the crowd is. So you got to be patient. But it's nothing crazy or not. It's nothing special. It's a pretty good time. But typically it'll be a good stop off for when you're walking around downtown going somewhere else. So just keep that in mind, it's nothing major but it's still a staple regardless. read more

Slow service, pretty bare bones in terms of condiments, silverware, etc. I get it's a dive bar, but they're doing the least. The shoestring fries weren't fresh and kind of bland. Burger was mid. Best thing we had was the onion petals. Wouldn't return here for the food. read more

Checker Bar - Checker burger and fries - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

This place was perfect for a late night snack! Greasy cheese sticks just hit the spot, service was a bit slow, but a great late night spot overall! Wonder how it would taste more sober... read more

This spot is at a great location and the smell will bring you in. The pizza - WOW the pizza. We come here to play pinball and the pizza always looks and smells amazing. The restaurant part is downstairs and the arcade is on the second level. You can still order food in the arcade though so that's a plus. Great spot for drinks, family fun or just an out spot for lunch or dinner. read more

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Simple food decent prices. Hole in the wall but the server was nice. I wouldn't run home and brag about this place but it made due for what we needed. read more

Met here for the Rotten tour. Had a big group. Was waved to the back by a waitress that said larger tables in back and let me get the table for our group together. Service was ... lackadaisical, and many of our group went to the bar for beers. We were finally able to get an order for dinner in. The mushroom and okra appetizers are way better than you would expect. The sweet potato fries unfortunately had powdered sugar on them- unadvertised on menu and made them very sweet. Cash machine available also. The bathroom I was in had a leak, from the ceiling, which was interesting and even though early in the evening floor was obviously wet and hmmm also interesting. Food and drink very affordable. read more

This place is hidden in middle of city. My wife went with the egg burger that comes with Checker fries. While I went with the home checker burger (tastes like bowling alley burger) that comes with fries (not like checkers or rally's fries). But this place has different drinks for days if that what you're into. This is not a Military friendly location. read more

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We came to Checker Bar on a recommendation from the bartender at Jacoby's. Nate and I snagged the last two seats at the bar and ordered a couple N/A drinks from their decent list. I was happy to see that they were priced very reasonably, at $5-$6. We also split a basket of fries, which were hot and fresh and very similar to McDonald's. It was nice to take a bit of a break from bar hopping with a snack. We didn't check out the arcade but I'd like to come back. The bartenders were on top of things but it started to get super slammed as the Red Wings game was finishing up as everyone has to order at the bar so there was a line forming for drink and food orders. We waited a bit to close out our tab but it seems like a really fun spot that I'd visit again in the future! read more

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Granted we went on NFL draft Friday, but we had burgers. They were really good but I can't say that they were the best that I've had I've had much better in Detroit. The buns are soft which is a bonus but that's about all that stands out about them. The atmosphere in that bar is awesome, you can't beat the location and the ambiance. The young lady that waited on us was sufficient I wouldn't say that she was totally outstanding but then again like I said we went on a very busy day. I would go back I would probably go during the week. But I'll let you make your own choice. read more

Checker Bar - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Honestly I'd tried to go to another bar I'd only seen that turned out to be closed on Sundays. When we got there though, everything else was closing up, so checkers was recommended to to us. I texted the rest of the group to meet us there. They serve food till they close, which is normally 2, but Sunday it was midnight. We still had plenty of time to unwind and relax wth good food. My nachos were delicious and the screwdriver and cranberry vodka were also great! read more

Checker Bar - Nachos and drink - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Food was mediocre. Wife had potatoes skins and they were burnt. I had pulled pork sandwich with fries which were decent. Daughter had side salad which was ok with nachos covered with beef, it was ok. Other daughter had cheeseburger with fries which was ok. Had to seat ourselves and pick up a menu and wait for someone to come and take our order. We saw quite a few flies which was also a turnoff. Don't recommend this place read more

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I've had many fun nights here from playing the arcade games with friends or even hitting the Photo Booth with my gf! But I do miss the times before the renovation when there were a ton more games read more

Great service!! Fast & great and I love how I'm always getting a free drink. Lol Clean establishment read more

Great food, pizza was amazing. Staff was super friendly. Bar is a a fun place not that expensive, great place to hangout. Would for sure go here again. read more

We stopped here after Detroit Pride. I ordered two vegan meatball subs. One came out in a decent amount of time, but one of the vegan meatballs was still frozen. The second didn't come out until the whole rest of the table was done, and all of the meatballs were cold! I realize things were a little busy, because of the events going on downtown, but I wouldn't try the food here again unless it was dead. read more

Cool little dive bar with an arcade attached! The Checker Bar is known for it's tasty burgers! It's super close to all the sports and downtown happenings. Very close to Greektown, Campus Martius, Ford Field, Comerica. Parents bring their kids here. There is an outside patio. Vintage games upstairs. Great date night or family outing. read more

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Fun dive bar with surprisingly good food! I got the burger and cheese sticks, but the pizza looked incredible (as the waitress kept serving them to other patrons). At night, the upstairs appears to be for a younger crowd and louder and the downstairs was more for a family crowd. read more

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Used to be a fun place years ago nothing but ghetto vibes now there pizza doesn't have the same great taste anymore that everyone fell in love with pre Covid. read more

One of the things I am most concerned about is the cleanliness. I went to a booth and there were crumbs EVERYWHERE. And this table had just been "Cleaned", also PLEASE don't take kids there, there are swears and inappropriate phrases written by CUSTOMERS on the tables. Who lets their own customers vandalize??? Also there used to be an arcade but they ripped out what really made this place shine. The food is ok but not the best. The Chicken Barbecue pizza made my stomach very upset. read more

This was my go to dive bar in the D for years! They had Robbie rob doing karaoke upstairs, which was great. Now it's downstairs and too loud. I don't know if they sold the place but the food used to be cheap and now you have to pay $17 for a meatball sub . They used to sell two dollar cans of shorts beer, and if I ordered a well drink it was a generous pour. Not anymore. They are doing everything they can to capitalize on Detroit"'s comeback. It is free enterprise after all, but I miss the days when Danny was managing the place. I seldom visit now. read more

I know everyone comes for the burgers. But the pizza is also amazing! Does get a little busy during game days but the burgers and the pizzas are honestly what I come for! read more

I live two blocks away from this place, and I will never step foot inside of there . They have an issue with employees and white customers, saying the N-word. And there have been multiple customers that have been asked to refrain from using racial slurs. And the employees either tell them to shut up or they double down and use more slurs. If it wasn't for the overt racism, I would go there more often. But a lot of the Black people that condone this behavior, are staff members and not patrons read more

Checker Bar - I literally live across the street. And I used to go there once per week until they allowed customers and staff to use the N-word. - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

My friends and I made the Checker a before-and-after stop for a tour with the Detroit Bus Company last night. I was surprised, and pleased, to run into Corey behind the bar. Corey was our bartender at another place in Detroit that is known for their craft cocktails. Their loss. She made an absolutely perfect Sidecar, and it was great catching up. Much better than the $21 old fashioned that I had earlier at Townhouse ($21, really!) Also behind the bar, Benjamin did a great job and put up with our bad jokes and banter. Taking off a point for the burger however. The Checker was always known for one of the best burgers in Detroit. Right up there with Millers, Red Coat, et al. Not so much anymore. They did make great shoestring fries. I couldn't stop eating them. Going to go back and try their pizza. Other tables had the pizza and they looked pretty good. I recommend the Checker Bar for the casual atmosphere and now, great cocktails. read more

Checker bar is super cool. At some point over the last few years, it went through some renovations and the front entrance and upstairs has changed to have large doors/windows that allow it to be open air in the summer. Upstairs is an absolutely awesome arcade bar with all of the pinball and video arcade classics. This time we didn't try the food, but from what we saw, it was looking really good. Beer selection was solid, with a good variety of options. Checker bar is a place I want to go back to soon. It's a popular stopping spot for the various pedal pubs that cruise the streets of Detroit for good reason. My one complaint.....add cup holders around the games. read more

This is a local bar with great bartenders Natalie made our experience warm and welcoming. The locals were so hospitable we enjoyed banter and conversation with locals it was a great day drinking spot. read more

Good place for a quick burger, fries and beer after work. I had the breakfast burger because egg yolk is a great sauce. I found the beer list to be above average in selection. I don't recall having a winter warmer before and enjoyed the Blitzen version. read more

Checker Bar - Breakfast burger - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

The food is very good especially the burgers and I've heard the pizza is excellent. He gets a low-grade because they charge a credit card fee before they even ask you if you're going to use a credit card. I dislike all places that charge for using the credit card. read more

Wasn't too sure what to expect when we walked in and it was pretty much empty. We sat at the bar to make things easier as you need to place your orders at the bar anyway. The staff were fantastic! Very friendly and very attentive. We had the bacon cheeseburger and a small pepperoni pizza with mozzarella sticks to start. The food was great. A very solid burger and the pizza was good. The best thing about the place was the price. We had our food, and 2 drafts and 2 well drinks, 20% tip and was only $50!!! Will definitely be back. PS lost 1 star for no TP in bathroom. read more

Yall ima be real the food is terrible but the vibes here are not ! Hole in the wall neighborhood spot, second floor is an arcade. Cheap(ish) drinks. But the food is all soooo bad like terrible. Me & my friends have a rule that no matter how many drinks we have we are NOT ordering food. Also their old menu had a few good options, but the new one got rid of the Buffalo Cauliflower & the new items feel like an afterthought. Regardless a neighborhood spot w/ a lot of heart. read more

If you like karaoke, this place is definitely a vibe. I had so much fun that I barely remember the night. Upstairs has a game room setup. The drinks are plentiful!!! It's also located right downtown-- walking distance to everything read more

Food: The wings were hot and tasty; no complaints. Service: The him/her dropped food off in bags like take out trays and never came back to check on us. Ambiance: Mediocre. But pleasant. SERIOUS ISSUE: Security comes in at 1am and yells across the restaurant ' It's 1am and we're now closed. You need to get the f$&& out'. First of I just spent 21.20 in this 'business' and you allow security to come in and speak to your patrons like this. WOW. This was my first time visiting Detroit and eating with the local but I will never forget this disrespect and will never come back. I was there with four other ladies from VA and they were taken aback as well with how that comment came across! Unnecessary and uncalled for. read more

Great place and all, but they need to communicate better with the separate company that owns the arcade machines. We lost maybe $5 in coins because the machines are broken. If you tell the bar they just tell you it's another company, so you're basically SOL. We spent half the time putting coins in machines hoping they would actually work. I feel like it's not asking much to put a sticky note on the game that says "doesn't work" I'm not exaggerating either, half the games appear like they are in perfect working condition, then you find out they're broken. Could be considered a scam. Which wouldn't surprise me considering it's Detroit. read more

I've never had the food here, but the drink selection is good, bartenders are friendly, and it has a fun atmosphere. However many of their arcade games don't work! They light up and take your money... but that's about it. For a bar that has their entire upstairs based on the premise of an "arcade", that's pretty disappointing. 2 different pinball machines ate all my quarters. read more

Love this bar! The hamburgers and fries are good, drinks are good, decor is so fun. Upstairs on the 2nd floor they got an arcade. Staff is also great! One of my favorite Detroit bars! read more

good prices but I guess you get what you pay for. I had two drinks and one shot from there. later that night I got really sick. I think they use cheap liquor. read more

Stopped here during a bar crawl in Detroit for some beer and some food. There service was FAST which was a plus especially with how large of a group we had. Their fries were amazing. My boyfriend got the double bacon cheeseburger and I got the checker burger. The burgers themselves were relatively small but tasted delicious. Sides come with chips so you have to ask for fries. read more

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Our server "Diamond" was not diamond in the rough. We asked for a black cherry white claw and she didn't even go check and said they don't have it even when it was listed on their menu. My wife also ordered the pulled chicken sandwich and it was pulled pork, didn't have the coleslaw either. Terrible service. It's too bad. Not good. Not good. read more

Let me just tell ya. I like to take pics but I couldn't because I was feeling too good. The bar tender was amazing and I really enjoyed the food. I do think they messed up and forgot to put my order in for the pizza after they messed up my little azz wings. Everyone that sat around us was a usual customer and so sweet when I told them we were visiting from Atlanta. I learned of other places to visit in Michigan and I enjoyed meeting everyone read more

when the bartender, James, was done with his shift he was incredib rude and rushed me to cash out. I was looking at my bill and decided what to tip and he's telling me that I need to on hurry up and write something down so he can finish his shift and clock out. I will not be going in there if James is working, he's a fucking asshole. Fuck James. read more