Yep. Love them. They are usually slammed. Good food. Good drinks. Fun bar. Not upscale at all... and I love it!

This place is money. Super laid back. Great beer selection. Food is tasty and priced fair. Service was solid. The arcade games were in good working order and tons of fun. Great date night spot, or to bring the fam, or to grab a beer and burger alone. Be aware of the attached parking lot though. I felt it a bit pricey and surely cheaper options are available nearby. read more

I love this place!!!! Ok so we only had drinks downstairs. Which was pretty cool. The part I love is the second floor. Video game heaven!!!!!!! Yesssss. Our group had a frickin ball!! All our favorites are there. Upstairs also has a bar and food. Nicely air conditioned, very clean and not to crowded even on a Saturday. We will be back !!! read more

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Didn't eat. Beer was good. It's a nice place but it's worth mentioning that at least 25% of the quarters put in the games didn't register a credit. I'm not a newbie when it comes to operating a video game coin slot since I basically grew up during the heyday of arcades. The games are great but the eating of the quarters is an issue. Beware read more

This place is a super divey place. So this place was recommended for the burgers. That being said I came by myself for lunch and got the jalapeno popper burger. The burger was a little disappointing. The meat itself was unseasoned (bland) and kind of dry. The jalapeno cream cheese was pretty good - it definitely helped give some moisture to the meat. I liked that it had 2 onion rings on there, and I honestly would have liked even more jalapenos on there. For a $11 burger it just really could have used some more toppings. Also burgers don't come with sides, but I was awkward (I hate eating alone...) and felt pressured to get a side, so I got a small order of sweet potato tots ($3). Tots were pretty good - you have to really like sweet potato taste (which I do :) ), but for $3 small order...it was a really..small..order.. All in all I wasn't that impressed with the burger. It definitely didn't give me that satisfied burger feel afterward. I was also considering the Mount olympus burger which is a lamb burger (and basically a gyro in burger form), and I dunno if that would have been better, but my jalapeno popper was a little bit of a letdown - esp when it was recommended as a great burger place. And it was an expensive meal - like $17 with tax and tip for my burger and side - I feel like I should have had way more food. I've been seeing reviews that hh is pretty good and cheap, so if I ever come back, I'd probaby try hh. read more

Checker Bar - Jalapeno poppers burger with a small side of sweet potato tots - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Came here with 5 friends after a Pistons game. It was packed and only looked like one server was working. Seemed like the service was first come first serve yourself. Got the wings which were pretty good. Affordale food. The waiter was nice but you can tell she was stressed. Their bathrooms stunk really bad. Dark atmosphere. Busy foot traffic. Aside from that, there's a cool arcade upstairs. Probably would recommend going upstairs and maybe get service quicker. read more

Checker Bar - Smoked wings - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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I recommend to go to this place , The drinks were delicious, the food was amazing , and the cleanness of the bathrooms were on point. This restaurant has a nice cool vibe and energy. Congrats to the chef for preparing our burgers to good taste and presentation. The only thing that I was really disappointed at was the SERVICE! . It wasn't a full drive of service that I was looking for for it being my first time. I think waitstaff needs to be retrained and more progressive with customers. But the food made up for it . I truly recommend this place for their excellent food ,and dine in experience. read more

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Ok I literally made a yelp account just to share this feedback. Checker Bar has been my favorite spot downtown for years-the best pizza, burgers, and I love their bartenders. It's one of the last spots in the city that feels authentic. A dying breed. It's the real deal. That said, their bathrooms for the last few months HAVE BEEN SO ATROCIOUS. So bad. Like PUDDLES OF PEE on the ground and on every surface. Literal flies on the toilet. It's so bad. Please figure this out lol read more

**$10 minimum for credit card transactions. ATM available.** I fell in love with Checker Bar first as a patron on a peddle pub. The bartenders were fun and accommodating of our rowdy group. I remembered their camaraderie when looking for a place to daydrink in Detroit recently. The first thing my husband and I noticed was the sign outside the door... they have happy hour *every day* until 3pm. This grants you $2 hot dogs and sloppy joes, $3 Stroh's, $2 well drinks and more. It's a cheap way to get loaded on bar food and/or booze. The bartenders are always welcoming, unlike the vibe I get from a lot of Detroit bars. The unisex bathrooms are kind of hit-or-miss, so beware of that. But you'll find a great selection of beers on tap and in bottles, a handful of upright arcade games and tons of seating if you bring a group. I'm a huge fan of their shoestring french fries. If you want a no-frills but unique Detroit experience, stop into Checker Bar sometime. read more

Pretty cool bar to grab a drink and hang with friends. They even have an upstairs barcade. I also enjoyed their bar food a bit more than the average bar. It won't knocked your socks off but it's forsure edible and yummy. I will say one draw back is their overall selection, in my opinion it's a bit limited. I'm sure we will be back again. read more

Pretty good bar! You have to go to the bar to order everything..food and drinks! It is then brought out by the kitchen staff. For the size, it gets crowded quickly. Great burgers and fries!!!! Give them a try! I'll certainly go back for an after work meet up. read more

We like to try out new restaurants and bars whenever we come back to Detroit. This time we tried out this bar to grab a drink and a bite to eat. The first thing we noticed was how over the top friendly and accommodating the whole staff is. The interaction between them and their customers made the whole experience really fun. The bar itself is quirky an eclectic and it was obvious from our time there on a Sunday afternoon that they have a lot of regulars and fans. We sat up at the bar and our server was a young lady named Meesha who could not have been any friendlier. I ordered the chicken wings, and was really looking forward to them, but after ordering Meesha had to let me know that they were all out of wings. She must have apologized half a dozen times and honestly seemed more disappointed than I did. I ended up getting their double bacon cheeseburger which was delicious. My wife ordered a personal pizza and loved it. I think the only knock we had was the bathrooms. I didn't need to use them but my wife was not a fan. Nevertheless, we will definitely be back for the the staff, the food and the atmosphere (except the bathroom "atmosphere" I guess). The bottom line: If you're a fan of dive bars and bar food this is a great place to go. read more

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Went here during the Super Bowl draft and multiple people in my party were overcharged by at least $45 extra for tip on $20 tabs. Now the bar won't answer any calls. Straight up illegal business practice. read more

Great 'dive bar' atmosphere and the food is real good and relatively inexpensive for downtown. Good authentic neighborhood bar with excellent drinks and nice bartenders. read more

I came in for the last hour of the bar being open to have a drink with my friend for a late bday celebration. We sat downstairs. I have been in Checker before and always had decent service. This time - not the case. I ordered a 2nd drink after the bartender came to us twice to ask if we wanted one more drink for last call. I finally said ok and ordered one. Five minutes after I receive the drink, the man who had carded us at the door comes up and says "you have to leave, the bar is closing." I said "OK, just finishing our drink." It was 1:05. He comes over to us again at 1:08 and says "it's time to leave " and then I told him we are waiting on our Uber plus we clearly had our drink to finish. He was very rude- standing next to us like we were being loud and belligerent or something. He continued to stand there! Even though there was still people sitting in the bar, who were finishing their drinks and staff that was cleaning, sweeping, etc. There wasn't a huge rush for us to get out the door like it was some urgent need. If I was given three more minutes, I could've finished my drink that I paid for. I've never been treated like that before. I do not plan on going there again, but if I did, I would tell this guy to work on the way he treats customers. We are the ones that help this place stay open and provide jobs to people. He might want to treat us a little nicer. The bartender was also not very friendly and made us feel like he didn't want to be there. One more reason not to go. It's a shame because I used to like this bar. read more

I use to go to the Checker when I had a client across the street. That was several years ago. New owners with very few changes inside and that what makes the Checker cool. Today I thought I was lucky to find a parking space on the street right behind the Checker. The bak door is LOCKED so you have to walk around the block .. no big deal. My fiend ordered some type of a hot dog, didn't cost much, I ordered a "Skinny Jimmy". This is normally an average sandwich in Detroit but the Checker took this "Big Boy" standard to the level of a 7/11 quick stop nothing sandwich. The fry's saved the day but as far as food goes C-... Maybe the roaming booze wagons keep people coming back. I won't! read more

Fck this place... so rude.. what a flusterCluck... no direction. Surprised it's still open. Staff ignores you.

Don't eat here if the owner comes to town and decides to switch up the menu. I've been here multiple times in the past and have had quality food for a decent price. Quality was shit and price was not fitting for what you get. If you want onion rings, don't go here you can get the same thing at Prime & Proper for the same price ($12 for less than a handful of rings), and they do not come out of a freezer. Disappointed! Owner should keep focus on what he's good at and stick to picking the music playlist. Let the people who operate the day to day do what they are good at. read more

We stopped here briefly during our HandleBar tour today. I was pretty hungry so I ordered a slider and the sweet potato tots, one slider was $3 and the tots were too. They also had drink deals for our group so I got a rum and coke for slightly under $4, which was a great deal. With tax and tip my bill was $11 which really isn't that bad. The slider had some sort of amazing caramelized onion on it which was great and the tots were delicious too. We were running late so we had them box it up for us before we left and we took it on the HandleBar which was nice. Service was a little slow but not bad and I definitely want to go back here to try more of the menu items. It's a dive bar but is a very tasty one. read more

Checker Bar - Menu - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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The burgers and fries at Checker Bar are definitely all they're cracked up to be. Go basic with the Checker burger and a side of shoestring fries, and fill yourself up for under $10. Or try a pair of Checker dogs with a side of 4-way deviled eggs (jalapeno, BLT, lobster, and traditional), also for under $10. Take out if you must, but the 50s style divey-ness of the bar invites you to have a seat and dig in. Service is friendly, but can be slow during lunch rush, so come early or late, or plan for a leisurely pace. read more

From Dec 2018: this is a great bar-hopping stop! No-nonsense service and decent menu. Big room, like an old-time tavern with a Western vibe with a jukebox. Brewdog tangerine IPA -- delicious. read more

On a recent trip to Detroit we found Checker Bar in Cadillac Square and it quickly became base for our group. Excellent food, drink and the staff were all so awesome and fun (shoutout to Jeff for being amazing!) 10/10 highly recommend! - Thomas read more

Second time here first time wasn't great got the nachos, second time got a burger based on recommendations from from the guys at work. The slice of pickle was bigger than the patties on my burger and the patties was cooked about 15 minutes too long. In the hour we were there we seen 4 tables try to get refunds. We will not be returning. read more

In the mood for a great burger, slop joe or an egg salad sandwich like your Grandma used to make? Then this dive bar is your place! Checkers is perfect for good old fashioned comfort food. If you're a hot dog lover, the menu choices are pretty impressive. And let's not sleep on the drinks! Checkers has a fully stocked bar and plenty of beer choices in the bottle or on tap. Checkers is open daily from 11AM - 2AM and is located smack dab in the center of downtown in Cadillac Square, this is the perfect meeting place for a lunch date with friends or unwinding after work. And speaking of after work, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention "Sloppy Hour" which happens every weekday from 4PM - 7PM and includes $2 Sloppy Joes, Hot Dogs, Stroh's beer and well drinks. There is karoake on Thursday starting at around 9PM but it is recommended that you call ahead to confirm. The upstairs has been remodeled to include a space for pizza and '80s arcade games. If you like dive bars with classic Detroit charm and history, then make it a point to stop in to Checkers! read more

I flew in 3 different time zones over a period of 3 days, each day where I was up between 1:30 am- 2am...daily. I dealt with hundreds of people on my flights during that time. Got grumpy from being tired and I think most people think flight attendants deal with a lot from customers. After I landed, I immediately picked up my kids and husband and took them out for dinner and video games before I fly right back out the next morning. I work in the service industry too. I get the same questions literally every couple of seconds and I STILL manage to not snap at them. That's why I find the female bartender at Offworld's rudeness unacceptable. It's not "cool" to be rude. You're remembered for all the wrong reasons and so is the establishment you work for. You don't have to be sunshine and rainbows but you can be a professional. I would've spent more money there on drinks etc, but after the long week I had, I did not want to deal with a bad attitude. I can get that in spades from my kids when they've missed their nap. No thanks. read more

Great place for a good burger. It is order at bar only, but food comes quick and drinks are cold. I'd recommend!!

I love this bar! The prices are low, the drinks are generous, and the food is good, from what I've tried so far. I'm pretty sure this is a new favorite place. The bartenders are the best thing about the Checker Bar. Our first visit, we met Robert, who is this funny, sharp and engaging guy with very unique tattoos. (Ask him about them!) He was chatty and full of info; I fell in love with him instantly. The second time, we met a lovely woman from Ferndale who was also funny and chatty. Awesome. So far, I've only ordered onion rings and the deviled eggs, but they were both excellent, and the food is cheap. The decor is cool with murals on the walls and pinball machines, and they have some outdoor space up front. We'll be there for karaoke Thursdays, so come on down! read more

Checker Bar - The deviled eggs 4 ways: jalapeño, blt, lobster, and traditional. Yum! - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

We came for the arcade...which they wouldnt open do to staff shortages. Thats the only thing that makes up for the underwhelming food and bad smell. read more

Bartenders were nice. Sliders were tasty. Happy hour was awesome! Puddle of piss in the bathroom why Why can't you put the pee in it's home? I'd return. Could use music and maybe a TV but it was good. read more

Checker Bar - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

The food was terrible. Frozen Gordon food apps. that were over cooked. Bathrooms were disgusting and service sucked

This is a fun place but they got rid of their games. It's an old school bar with a Detroit feel. I used to come and play a few old arcade games, but they're not here . I always get a hotdog and fries, and those are good. Highly recommended. Good people and staff. Fun pace. read more

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Bartender was incredibly rude. She acted like I was in the wrong for ordering a drink. Still gave a 20% tip. She didn't even say thank you.

Nice chill spot.. good place to start when ur in the area.. good drinks food was good as well

The pizza was good fresh and cheesy! I also enjoyed my drinks. I will be going back again. The only thing is on different nights you have to show your ID read more

First time ever there. On the positive side the bud lights were $3 and the burgers were good. Not great, like I need to go back, but definitely good. They weren't that busy and the service was sub par. Easily would of had at least 1 more beer, probably 2, but waitress never came around. The burger came with chips and all they had were hot chips. How do you run out of others? Didn't tell us until after burgers were in front of us so no point on upgrading to fries at that point. Too many other choices to consider going back read more

Place is cool but the food, pizza was below average and the wings were super fatty breaded type of fried wings. Good for drinks but for food I would try other spots around campus martius. read more

Checker Bar - The nastiest, squishiest, wetest, breaded wings I have ever had. WtF is this? They used to be smoke. Cmon Checkers - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

The word "Dive bar" reigns true at this place! This was my last stop on a night that included an Andrew WK concert and drinks at The Skip. My friend and I were in desperate need of a snack, so we ordered some fries and their grilled cheese here. Late at night the bartender does most of the serving as well and he was fantastic. He was quick with our food, super friendly and the entire place was actually packed having been around 1:30 am! The best part was the music he selected to play for the evening - some really great house music. This is a great dive bar with cheap, delicious food thats great as one of your last stops before calling quits on the night :) read more

I've been to Checker Bar a couple times. Great location, food, and atmosphere/vibe. Stopped in Checker Bar most recently during a Saint Patrick's Day Detroit pub crawl. They weren't very busy and we easily snagged a table for our large group. Atmosphere is 50s diner meets dive bar with red checkerboard print on the floor and tablecloths and bright red booths and jukebox with lots of 90s - 2000s jams. They have a decent beer list with some great Michigan craft beers on tap like Oberon, Soft Parade, and Dragon's Milk. They also offer several bottled beers and a few ciders as well. This time I finally tried the food and it did not disappoint. In the spirit of the occasion, they had a Luck 'O the Irish pizza on special which was a white pizza topped with thin sliced potatoes, roasted garlic, Guinness braised short rib, gruyere, and drizzled with beer cheese. Wow! It was super delicious! Loved this creative concoction! The pizza was perfect to split between two people and had about eight small slices. Another friend ordered a basket of bacon and a basket of tater tots and both were also delicious. They had a few arcade games on the first floor but if you want a full arcade, then head upstairs to Pop + Offworld where you will find all your favorite 80s and 90s vintage arcade games and pinball machines. There's another full bar up there. Went to Pop + Offworld for my birthday and everyone had a blast. It's a lot less cramped and more spacious than Ready Player One, if you're looking for a fun barcade. Easier to find a place to sit too.Location is great, close to Campus Martius and across the street from it's sister bar, Grand Trunk Pub/Whiskey Parlor. There's a large parking lot attached but they charge $10 or more for parking depending on what events are going on in the area. Would definitely love to stop in again for some delicious beer, great food, chill atmosphere and fun arcade games. read more

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This is one of the out of the way gems I dream about finding in each city I visit. Checker Bar is a dark little dive bar, and that is meant as the greatest of compliments. They have friendly staff and a good selection of beer (local brews well represented). It is not fancy. Not the place to take someone to dinner on date #1 but perfect for that last cocktail--and if they don't like the joint make it the last date. If they fail to see the beauty of this place you wont be happy--trust me. Checker Bar also has late night food which is a major plus for people like myself whose whistle blows north of midnight. And the food is good. Solid wings, burgers and a unique selection of pizzas. This is my new Detroit late night goto when my travels bring me back to the motor-city. read more

I've been coming to Checker Bar fairly regularly for the last two years for lunch/Happy Hours and while it is a staple downtown, my last couple of experiences left little to be desired. I loved the pizza that they added after adding Pop + OffWorld barcade upstairs and one of the biggest draws to getting a slice of that pizza was the size of it (big New York Style slice). However the last time I ordered one it looked like a slice you'd get from a small Domino's pizza and I felt sort of weird pointing it out, but it seemed necessary since the slices all cost the same no matter what size they are. The waiter said he'd bring me another one, but that never happened and I didn't press since my table also ordered the cheese bread (which is great) so I was comfortable enough with what I had. The most recent time I went, we had a decent size group (7 people) and all of our food came out at vastly different times (not just a couple minutes apart) and two people didn't have the correct order. I had ordered a Greek salad with chicken, which was clearly forgotten about and came out last after one of the, who I assume to be, managers reread the ticket off to the kitchen. I get stuff like that happens, but there wasn't an apology or even an offer to take it off my bill since the rest of the table was essentially finished eating by the time I got my salad. To make it worse, if you get a Greek salad with chicken on it, it'll cost $13.50 and was about the size of a small side salad at most restaurants. I had also ordered the new beer bar cheese with soft pretzels and I will say, that was very good. Another thing to be aware of is it seems like every waiter I get here (with exception of the manager) doesn't want to split the bill. They will do it, but there's almost always some sort of hesitation or comment like "I mean, I can, but it's going to take me a while" and I guess I don't understand that, not just because it's 2020 and these restaurants have a POS system, but I just don't think a customer needs to worry about how difficult it is or isn't for a server. They likely won't ask you upfront if you want separate checks, so I would make sure you say that in the beginning because maybe it'll be less of a hassle? I don't know. This place has pretty good food albeit a bit pricey in my opinion for what you get, but they do have decent happy hour and drink specials and it is a cool place to hangout. read more