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    Checkers II

    3.6 (100 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Checkers II Photos

    Business Info

    CHECKERS II ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Checkers II

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    dill pickle soup
    Karen P.

    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.

    Bee L.

    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.

    Dinner!!!

    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.

    Main Entrance
    Donald M.

    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.

    Martinis
    Emily P.

    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!

    Paulaner on draft

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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

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    2 years ago

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

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    3 years ago

    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!!!!

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

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

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    4 years ago

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

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    3 years ago

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

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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

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    3 years ago

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

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    Page 1 of 3

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    Niko's Pointers Saloon - Lunch special cheese burger and fries, chicken club panini

    Niko's Pointers Saloon

    3.6(74 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$

    Checked out this pretty busy bar and grill in Marengo. It often has things like live music going…read moreon. Niko's Pointers Saloon is one of several bars in the downtown area of this small town. A lot of room for groups. There's a surprising amount of space. Basic menu items to get. It's got better drinks than food to be honest. There's actually some pretty thoughtfully made up cocktails especially for seasons. Also lots of the beers. The cocktails include the classics and modern stuff. A lot of beers on tap along with more in bottles and cans. It's about $6 for a basic cocktail like whiskey and whatever. As for the food it's mostly meaty. They even have the salads topped with bacon so it's not good for plant based people. It's about $11 to get the Beer Nuggets. These are pizza dough rolls fried and served with marinara sauce. Actually it was better than expected. The menu also includes plenty of meaty choices if you like things like fish and pork. For sure it's one of the most popular restaurants in the area. It's located on State Street at Prairie. There's plenty of TVs for watching games or whatever.

    My friend, partner and I ended up going here because the restaurant we started with was closed…read more When we arrived my expectations were high but I shouldn't have gone in with any. There were only two people working the bartender and a waitress. We waited like 5 minutes of not longer to get a greeting . It took like 5 more minutes to get seated. We grabbed menus to get an idea of what we might want to eat. I went into the restaurant part looking for an employee. She was wiping down empty tables saw me but never acknowledged my presence. The bartender saw us standing waiting to be seated and also didn't acknowledge us. I didn't understand why it took so long to get seated there were only 3 people at a table and the rest of the restaurant was empty. There were a few people at the bar. When we finally got seated the waitress asked if the table was dirty we said yes but she didn't wipe it or anything. She was saying that she had like 35 boys come in to eat and messed up the whole other side of the restaurant. She got us our drinks and then asked if we were ready to order. We said Please give us a few minutes to decide. When she took our order she was nice. When we got our food my friend ordered the Niko burger the bacon was rubbery and not even half cooked. She poured A1 sauce on the side and it was very watery it wasn't thick like normal A1 sauce should be. My partner ordered chicken fingers the meat inside was good and had the crisp on the outside, I ordered an Italian beef sandwich it was good but only had meat on half the sandwich and didn't melt in your mouth. I was only given a very small 2 tablespoons side of au jus. The waitress got us our refills but wasn't attentive like I would expect considering we were the only people in the restaurant. Is it a place I would go back to? Probably not. I was disappointed considering it was downtown Marengo. The ambience was wilderness and forest themed the restaurant was clean but the women's bathroom was not.

    Photos
    Niko's Pointers Saloon - Bar

    Bar

    Niko's Pointers Saloon - Niko burger.

    Niko burger.

    Niko's Pointers Saloon - Behind bar. Rustic, very rustic.

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    Behind bar. Rustic, very rustic.

    Ballers Bar & Grill - Fruit medley!!!  Fresh cut fruit in house!!!

    Ballers Bar & Grill

    4.7(58 reviews)
    29.2 mi

    This is a great neighborhood "joint". The restaurant makes some of the best bar food around. Best…read morewings in the area. Burgers and chicken sandwiches are large and juicy. Taco Tuesday is a great deal and fun. The bar is great with a good variety of beer and standard whiskey etc. Owners are the most down to earth folks. Like other Grayslake establishments, they belong in our town. Now in need to get me some wings.

    We visited when the restaurant was fairly quiet, with only a few tables occupied, but we waited…read moreover 30 minutes for our taco salads. Our server did check in twice and let us know the food should be coming out soon, which we appreciated. When the meals arrived, the portions--especially the meat--were smaller than expected. The food tasted fine overall, but the long wait and portion size made the experience underwhelming, and we're not especially eager to return. We visited when the restaurant was fairly quiet, with only a few tables occupied, but we waited over 30 minutes for our taco salads. Our server did check in twice and let us know the food should be coming out soon, which we appreciated. When the meals arrived, the portions--especially the meat--were smaller than expected. The food tasted fine overall, but the long wait and portion size made the experience underwhelming, and we're not especially eager to return.

    Photos
    Ballers Bar & Grill - Beers on tap!!!

    Beers on tap!!!

    Ballers Bar & Grill - Buffalo steak wrap!!!   Amazing Flavor

    Buffalo steak wrap!!! Amazing Flavor

    Ballers Bar & Grill - Filling and flavorful Ballers Grilled Chicken Salad!!!

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    Filling and flavorful Ballers Grilled Chicken Salad!!!

    Fatty's Pub and Grille

    Fatty's Pub and Grille

    3.6(338 reviews)
    24.2 mi
    $$

    I've heard so many positive comments about Fatty from my NIU friends! The inside is quite large…read morewith multiple event spaces to host parties as well as a large patio. We sat at the outdoor patio bar where they had two screens playing sports games. We started with a John Daley & Huskie Punch. The punch tasted similar to a painkiller which is tropical and fruity. The John Daley tasted like it had more tea than lemonade but it was refreshing. For food, I got the Honey Garlic Boneless Wings. I loved the flavor of the sauce and the medium order came as quite a big portion. They were very crispy and well breaded. My husband got The Fat Boy burger with a side of their famous Cajun Fried Potato Salad and Baked Beans. The burger was juicy and flavorful. The potato salad wasn't too spicy but tasted delicious. I see why it's so famous! Overall, this was a great summer hang out spot! I was thoroughly impressed by the food quality and atmosphere Fatty's has to offer. I will certainly be back with friends!

    Traveling trough the area I hear the "I'm hungry" call from the back seat! It's our 4yr grandson…read morewanting food. Being just after the usual grazing time for him we found this establishment that checked all the boxes for the three of us. Outdoor seating as well as indoor seating was available, seat yourself style. We sat inside. The noise level was not loud at all. Perfect for table conversations. The menu had too many tasty sounding items. I chose the Fatty Melt with the Cajun Fried Potato Salad and Coleslaw. My wife had the Chicken Club Wrap with Onion rings and Beans (for me). The little had the 2 mini sliders with fries. Being family we share the sides and the onion rings were a hit. The number one treat in my book was the Cajun Fried Potato Salad. The bean had a good smoky flavor to them. Last but not least our server should get top billing in the review. Jordan did a fantastic job accommodating our requests and took the time to answer questions without feeling rushed. She made us feel more like a friend than a patron. Hats off to you Jorden! Thanks for making our visit enjoyable.

    Photos
    Fatty's Pub and Grille - Bar inside

    Bar inside

    Fatty's Pub and Grille - Chips and salsa with guacamole

    Chips and salsa with guacamole

    Fatty's Pub and Grille - Dirty bastard beer

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    Dirty bastard beer

    Checkers II - german - Updated June 2026

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