Nice little sleeper neighborhood Resturant Bar. Food was outrageously delicious! Should have gotten the waitresses name but she was a sweetheart! Beautifully decorated and very, very friendly. A keeper in my book. We will be back. read more

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Food, good. Service good. Ambiance ok for what it is. There, done. lol. Forgot to take pictures but had the broasted chicken, all dark. Came with potato and I ordered baked. The potato was near very not warm, the chicken hot and good. You'd think it would have had a few celery and carrot sticks included just to get some veggies in and to make the presentation a bit more appealing, but then presentation is not really why you go there, I'm guessing. Got a gimlet and it was good. The server was really on the ball. We were there for a 1:00 lunch weekday. It wasn't terribly busy at all a few other tables and a few at the bar. My friend had the jambalaya special. I got the impression she was just ok with it and said it tasted better than it looked, and honestly it did look very unappealing. Almost like they took a decent jambalaya and put it in a blender. No discernible shrimp, sausage, chicken or rice, but she said it was in there. Color mostly brown. could not have eaten it. When the waitress said Jambalaya was the special I perked up but then remembered where I was and had always heard they had good chicken so I went with what they are supposed to be good at, jambalaya at a place that specializes in that type of food only. Ambiance. Well it's basically a local bar/restaurant, pretty much no frills, nothing stood out, really. Bar, tables, booths but a decent place for drinks and food. Just don't recommend the jambalaya. read more

I stopped here for lunch because I have been trying to get in here for years with no luck because all the parking was full and the place is very small. On memory day the place had open parking spaces in front and the patio had no one in it so I stopped and all but two were taken. The place looks like a small town restaurant with a small bar, tables, booths and a patio out back, nothing fancy but not divy. They have daily specials and a full menu so I ordered an whisky old fashioned and I got the deer in the headlights gaze for a few seconds before I remembered that in not in Wisconsin anymore. My drink was ok and hit the spot on a warm summer day. My service was great from the young woman. The pork schnitzel comes with veggies that sounded good and baked French onion was a $2 up charge over regular French onion soup that comes with the meal. The baked French onion soup looked great but it was a little different from what I usually get because the broth was not a dark beef broth but something light tan that I couldn't figure out but still good with the bread and melted cheese. The pork schnitzel was as big as the plate hiding the German potatoes, carrots and zucchini squash. The pork schnitzel was hot/thin with a light crispy batter and good. The veggies were overcooked to mush unfortunately. The German potatoes were skin on delicious and were cooked in onions. Overall I can see why the place is always packed because my cocktail and lunch hit the spot with the monster pork schnitzel. read more

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in town old fashioned home style restaurant pub in the heart of union downtown. started out with pretzel appetizer with cheese was really good. I got dill pickle soup it was really tasty. the chicken schnitzel with pan fried potato I also enjoyed the chicken was super crispy and pan fried potato with onion nice soft and caramelized. overall great experience if im in the area I would Def be back again. service was a bit on slower side hower that's not an issue with me since the food came super fresh. nice ambiance very cozy inside I felt like I was eating moms homemade meal. read more

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I heard about their ribs, they were decent. I rarely see a liver pate so I tried it. It was chunky and I didn't care for it. Atmosphere was like a Cheers Bar. Service was good. There was a big table of ladies having a get together there. They had announced the igloo out back you could dine in with a reservation. It had 2 long benches and a table in the middle. Friends went another time and had the patty melt (the patty itself was thick/huge, almost too big for a melt). They said the steak sandwich was ok and the Philly steak sandwich was great. read more

Checkers II - German Near Me - Union, Illinois

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Alpine chicken sandwich is the best chicken sandwich I have enjoyed just about anywhere. Juicy and flavorful. Huge sandwich. My partner had the Cajun pork sandwich. Also a big hit. Nice patio area to eat outside. Today we had the pleasure of an excellent meal without a long wait! Yay! Not sure if this is a permanent change but it was great! read more

I'm simply reviewing checkers great hot dog at a real bargain price for a couple bucks. You can get two hot dogs mustard onion to go. That's a bargain read more

We found this place out of looking around and the oysters were delicious and the fish was outstanding and my wife had I forget, but anyway, it was a great experience read more

Just had lunch here. Awesome, you won't be disappointed. Wife liked it too. Sat at the bar and had some great interactions. Was very pleasant being I told my wife I was cheating on her just last night. read more

Should be No stars.Should be called Check Your Watch.Took well over an hour for food.Food was horrendous.Burgers at McDonald's are by far juicer.Burgers tasted like sawdust here and champagne pork schnitzel thingy was nasty.Going to find a Dairy Queen for dessert as I'd be damned if I was going to try Check Yourselves menu.NEVER AGAIN WILL ME OR MY FAMILY GO HERE! read more

The food here is great. Best Pork Schnitzel ever. Wife had a cheesesteak sandwich. The schnitzel and cheesesteak were HUGE!! Great wheat beer. Highly recommended. The place has an outdoor area that has a really nice vibe to it. Definitely eat here again. read more

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As a kid my grandma used to own the bar next store to Checkers. I remember it being a smaller place that was mostly about ice cream. Almost 40 years later. It's a lovely family restaurant and bar. The food was good and plenty of it, but the atmosphere is quaint. Small town feel where everyone know everyone else. The bar tender/server was friendly and kind. I would come back again. Wish I could remember how it used to look. read more

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Great food...great service...but make a reservation especially in the winter! The owner Alex usually stops by to see how we're enjoying everything! Big John read more

Best coleslaw I've ever had ! Very good burger as well. Cozy little spot ! Prices are reasonable

Small, quaint diner with fresh, delicious food and friendly service. The soft pretzel (with both dips), pork schnitzel, and baked chicken were all SO good! read more

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This little spot has great beers and service. They have a vast menu of comfort foods and a lot of German specialties. We enjoyed sitting out on the patio! read more

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Food was great! Looking forward to going there again and trying the schnitzel. German beer was great! read more

I had been there a few times and enjoyed the outdoor area. The food is good and the outdoor tables are pleasant and dog friendly. That said, I will not be returning. The last two times we were there, the experience was ruined by loudmouth, obnoxious customers. The first time was a drunken guy yelling about the political party he didn't agree with. This was during Oktoberfest. There was a live band and he was yelling during their performance, making everyone else uncomfortable. I figured that incident was a one off, so I went back again recently. One of the customers there was loudly expounding upon his conspiracy theories. I could tell when we arrived that he would be loud, so we chose a table as far from his as possible. Still, he was loud enough to be easily heard. I know the restaurant can't do much about obnoxious customers, but those two experiences have put me off the place, which is unfortunate. read more

Once again sitting waiting for my prime rib meal and one hour twenty minutes later they come by our table and tell us that they have only well done cut left even tho ours 3 prime rib dinners where all ready cut but they don't know how they were given to someone else, never again going there . Third time this has happened at this restaurant and we even had reservations for 6 Pm. read more

Food is good - service is fine. BRING YOUR OWN SILVERWARE AND NAPKINS. Theirs is very cheap and wiill ruin you whole experience

We used to love this place!! The food is good but the bartender has a big nasty mouth and I will not go somewhere for a decent dinner and listen to that. And the owner just goes along with her so we won't be going there for dinner anymore. read more

We went to a small restaurant called Checkers in Union IL. We had been there's couple of times, but it sure has gone downhill. It was the worst dinner I've had in ages. I ordered shrimp de jonghe but it came looking like a plate of dirt. And tasted like it too. AND way too much money for sure. They do have German food and I guess maybe it German Shrimp De Jonghe. Who knows, but probably won't go back. It really is a bar with food, but the chicken is about the only food good. Hard to talk with all the locals in for their daily beers. read more

Food is very average. I came and ate lunch and they charged me 160 bucks. The Price for average food at best here is not worth it!!!!

Nice little sleeper neighborhood Resturant Bar. Food was outrageously delicious! Should have gotten the waitresses name but she was a sweetheart! Beautifully decorated and very, very friendly. A keeper in my book. We will be back!! read more

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Great German food and beer!! Love coming here when we visit our kids in Marengo. Prost!!

Great take out the other evening. Everything tasted good even though we brought it home. Generous servings, great burgers!

Let me start by stating I have 2 reviews, one for the gazebo and one for the restaurant. It's sort of hard to tell the gazebo is anything but a gazebo till you get up close and see there's a circular bar with a bunch of wonderful people from Union enjoying their drinks and beautiful weather. I was having trouble getting in the right door due to the width of my wheelchair, and it took 2 guys to force the left door which probably hasn't been opened in 10 years, but once I was in everyone cheered. The people were very friendly, the bartender lady was overly generous in her drink pours (be prepared to eat something or waiting a while before driving anywhere), and it was my lucky day as a gentleman at the bar graciously bought all mine and my friend's drinks. It's not every day you experience people being that nice for no reason other than that is just who they are. Anyway, the music selection was also particularly memorable. If you like Frank Sinatra, Bill Haley, Johnny Cash, and the most masculine group of guys singing "My Girl" as if they were in Top Gun, this will be your place. So after drinking the most vodka-filled vodka and tonic, we took our leave to the restaurant. Once inside you are transported to a much different experience that is more European as well as being very cozy and quaint. I forget what my friend had, but I went with the Hunter's Schnitzel that came with French onion soup. The soup was perfect, as in I can't imagine any other person making it better. My meal was equally exceptional, and I went home with a great deal of leftovers. Make sure you get dessert too. I brought home some cheesecake which my spouse very much appreciated. Checker's II is the definition of a hidden gem, so don't wait to plan your visit. read more

Delicious food! Reuben and Bavarian pretzel - delish? Cute place with great service, very friendly.

Out of the way kind of place but excellent food and menu variety. Worth the trip. Service is outstanding.

Great schnitzel. Friendly staff. Try the all you can eat Thursday broasted chicken ... it's great!

No! I have been here through the many changes of owners, from the old guy who scared customers off to the cocaine debacle. Food has always been subpar or plain bad, also wine selection is pretty bad. I have gotten sick twice from this place, I will never be shadowing this doorway ever again. read more

The food was varied, interesting, tasty, and plentiful. Charissa was our waiter, and she was great. We had a lot of questions about the menu, and she had all of the answers. She was friendly, courteous, and professional. We received our food and beverages in a reasonable time frame, and it was not cold. We will definitely return! By the way, there is handicapped parking in the rear, and outdoor seating in the back. read more

Our table of 5 were very disappointed at Checkers. They need help it took a half hour to get a drink trying to find a waitress to help us.I ordered Hunter Shnitzel. I had to send it back it was so cold it seemed it came out of the refrigerator sent it back another 20 min. My husband and one friend ordered baked cod. It came out fried. Our other two friends food never came until we were almost done we asked where is there food waitress kept saying it's coming by that time they told her to have them packed. They never ate except a appetizer. Our appetizer were the worst oyster Rockefeller I ever had. Oyster was runny the cheese on top was burnt. Very very disappointed. read more

GERMAN FOOD. Good food, German beers, outdoor gazebo bar. There's a set of apartments above - lucky tenants can come down for a brew 'n some chow every night! I had some SERIOUS Schnitzel und sauerkraut. Little slow to come out but worth the wait. The restaurant area was very cozy if a little small, the tables and booth were clean, the bathroom was so-so, it could have been cleaner and could use some improvements. The Gazebo was nice too, it had it's own bar right there in the middle, bar-stools around it and some two seater tables along the outside wall. It even had a decent size flat-screen tv out there too. There was an outdoor seating area too; simple clean park style tables; you know green rubber coated ones with seating attached. I'd go back again if I'm in the area. read more

Checkers II - German Near Me - Union, Illinois

I brought my wife and two kids here today. I used to come here a lot with my parents, but it's probably been 10 years or more since I've been here. They had a nice crowd for a Sunday afternoon (I'm guessing 80% of capacity). The place hasn't changed a bit. It's clean and well maintained with a good dose of country charm. They offered three homemade soups: corn chowder, french onion, and tomato bisque. The corn chowder was excellent - the other two were very good. Our entrees were all very good, but most notably my daughter and I had a taste test. She had chicken schnitzel and I had pork schnitzel. Both were very good, but the pork was a much larger portion. My only knock would be on our slightly forgetful waitress. She forgot out waters. She apologized when we reminded her, but then later she forgot to bring my wife's pop refill. My daughter made an astute observation: it appeared that almost everyone in the restaurant knew each other. The customers and servers were all very friendly. I noticed a couple of other Yelpers commenting on slow service and/or lengthy food prep times. People, this place is out in the country - where life moves at a slower pace. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the friendly people and good food. read more

Came in on Thursday night for all you can eat chicken . Had to wait ten mins for open seat at bar. We were told to get the pretzel which the owner has the dough flow in from Germany . We're ordered it and .... They were out .. Bummer so we both ordered the broasted chicken with baked potatoes . The bartender Jaime was very friendly . So here comes the chicken ! Wow really really good!! This is a definite try place if your in the area . There is a lot of German food on the menu the owner is from Germany . It looked good will try some sauerbraten or schnitzel next time read more

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This is a fun place to go to when you want to come out with friends, but there is just one, big problem: flies. In the restaurant when I went, there was a very big fly problem, or at least when I went. Fly swatters were brought out, but it didn't work by where we were sitting. Anyways, the service was solid, the atmosphere was okay, and they do have a video gaming area, but I did not visit. The food was very good and reasonably priced, and I had the Tuna Melt, and it was average, but the potato fries and coleslaw were both excellent. When we went, the only dessert that was provided were Apple Strudel, yet we did not order that. By now, they should have more. I liked the restaurant and bar, and hopefully, I will be back. read more

Checkers II - Entrance sign - German Near Me - Union, Illinois

After a lovely (though cloudy) day enjoying the Woodstock area Autumn Drive (29th annual, BTW), we were famished and chose Checkers II for a late lunch. We were seated immediately by a very kind and hard-working hostess. The atmosphere was nicely decorated and inviting. Pub-like, clean, attractive decor. Our server, Laurie, was very attentive; and we noticed that everyone serving seemed to be very good-natured -- laughing, smiling, helping each other out, joking with customers. Laurie took very good care of us, and the food was very tasty (steak sandwich for hubby, "The Queen" green salad with chicken for me). My husband said his steak melted in his mouth, and the blue cheese dressing and seasoned chicken on my salad were scrumptious. Unfortunately, we waited a LONG time for our food to be served. We think they may have been overwhelmed by the Autumn Drive crowd. Laurie stopped by our table 3 or 4 times to apologize. We were in the restaurant about 90 minutes and didn't dawdle after we ate. We'll cut them some slack because of the busyness, but I can only hope this isn't their normal service pattern. read more

Checkers II - Bar nicely decorated for fall. (Pic doesn't do it justice!) - German Near Me - Union, Illinois

This restaurant is off the beaten path so we made an effort to get there, in bad weather. The place was crowded. When we just got there a waitress screamed at us to move. That made us feel very unwelcome! Got seated very quickly, sat there for over 20 minutes no one approached us. I called over a waitress, and told her we've been waiting, she said, she'll get us someone. No one came! We were made to feel like outsiders and because we weren't locals, we weren't welcome. I truly felt I was back in 1950, fighting for my civil rights. It was obvious that the staff did not want to wait on us. We got up and left. I spoke with the hostess and told her what happen. She was a sweet young girl trying her best. It was the older waitresses that were extremely unprofessional and very unkind. All we wanted was a nice Friday night with my two kids and my spouse. read more

We've been disappointed the last 2 times we tried to eat at Checkers early on a Saturday night. The first time, we sat at the bar to wait for a table. We were then told it would take about 50 minutes to get our food, once seated (it was 6:30). Also, they were out of prime rib, which is one of the reasons we came. We finished our drinks and went down the street to Klasen's. It was helpful that they told us the situation before we sat down. I thought it was a one time someone-called-in-sick thing. Then we went for the Oktoberfest menu and prime rib. We got there early again, at about 6:15. Again, there was a wait for a table, but that was ok because the bartender is great. Everyone's really social at the bar and the wait went by quickly. When we got seated, the server was very flustered and confused by the fact that we already had drinks from the bar. We ordered quickly, only to find out that they were out of prime rib...AGAIN. I got a German dish and my husband ordered his second choice. And then we waited. And waited. No water, no salad, no bread, no soup. Our server seemed to be everywhere else but at our table. Then she vanished. We got up, thanked the bartender for her hospitality, explained to the hostess that we were leaving, and walked to Klasen's. read more