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

First time to Union, IL. Both the food and the staff were amazing. Such a nice treat. The only thing surprising coming from a big city in the south was that around 8pm the tiny town had mostly gone home for the night. Give this place a try, you will not be disappointed. read more

Super cute. Not many options in this area so it's all relative. Our server was awesome. They have Paulaner on tap. Outdoor seating also a plus. Compared to restaurants in a more populated area you can imagine the food is lacking but like I said, it's all relative. Hubby and I will be back for another beer and pretzel before our visit with the 'rents is over. read more

We stopped on the bike and got a quick meal. I would say, it was a good meal, we were not that hungry or else we may have tried the Oktoberfest menu or possibly the all you can eat ribs on Monday nights! Maybe some other time as we were in a hurry! The service was fast and spot on. read more

Great place to have a burger!! Place is nice, staff was really nice. Ginny was our waitress, very friendly and just a nice person. The soup and cheeseburger, very good. Would come back again !! read more

Checkers II - Chicken & rice soup and chili ! - German Near Me - Union, Illinois

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I agree with other yelpers- this is a gemstone! After visiting the Illinois Railway Museum, my husband and kids and I searched for a family friendly restaurant and found this one. We were well accomodated and given a large booth right away. The server was a sweetheart and brought crayons and coloring books for my young kids and also made sure their food came quick (she saw they were getting antsy). The food was really delicious and well portioned. I had the chicken schnitzel dinner and my husband had the 12oz burger. Both were cooked to perfection. The meats were moist and I could tell the sides were made in house (carrots, zucchini, german potatoes, waffle fries, cole slaw). I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others and will definitely be back. I wish I got the server's name- she was lovely and she made us feel welcome. read more

Excellent Fare. I had the broaster chicken and my husband had the Philly cheesesteak. Both were excellent. Highly recommended! read more

Checkers II - Menu 1 - German Near Me - Union, Illinois

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Ok As a solo diner I did not feel particularly welcome Food was good but not very warm I was ignored most of the time. I felt like only the regulars were welcome. The prices are on the high side for the area. It's their loss because I tend to frequent places that I enjoy very often read more

Went here for our anniversary lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Had the Jaeger schnitzel with spaetzl and red cabbage, and it was a lot of food for the money. I never take food home and I have enough for dinner tonight. The wife got a smaller meal and she was satisfied. Its a very small place up front and service was a bit slower for the amount of people that were there but the food makes up for it. We'll be back in the future. read more

Awesome food, great servers, always polite and friendly. Liver pate appetizer is great. Burgers are huge and delicious. All you can eat breasted chicken on Thursday is juicy and succulent. read more

We took a turn of the main road to find this spot and it was a fun find! The large pretzel with 3 sauces was what we started with and it didn't disappoint. My friend and I split the philly cheese steak, which was very smart cuz it was very big. The German style potatoes were amazing. The cornbeef and cheese was good as well as the sausage platter. We ended the meal with the turtle cheesecake, which I wish I could say was the cherry on top of a great meal. Instead it was the disappointment feeling when Santa came, but didn't bring you the present you wanted. The cheesecake satisfied that urge of something sweet at the end, but to find that it was likely taken out of a frozen food box rather than the recipe box, I would not recommend this as the finisher. read more

It's saturday night in september ( october fest eve) Busy, busy, but a 2 hour wait for food is unacceptable. Hey wait, where is my red cabbage ? Second time in three weeks no red cabbage. I questioned the owner, who told me promptly to get out. Something happened, for the waitress came and told us that the meal (2) was compted. Hey, I like the place and will go back and resolve my differences with the hot head ownwer. read more

Love their chicken. We have gone there many time had great food and service everytime. We have never had to wait they have seated us right away everytime we have we have been there. read more

Outstanding food and service. It was great to eat inside and have a normal meal despite being in idiotic Pritzker land. Ordered Reuben and it was great. Huge. Onion rings not worth $10..do not bother with them. Out of a bag and fried. Icky. Ordered sausage sampler platter and it was good. Service was good. Beer great. Would return. read more

THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED... I ordered the beef stroganoff and the noodles were hard. So when the server asked how I liked it I was honest and said that it was average. The server then took it upon herself to take the meal off the bill and brought us the check. The manager came out and spoke to me, she was taken back by the fact that I didnt like the meal. She questioned me on how much I ate and was trying to argue with me that I didn't like it. We ended things peacefully and her agreeing. She then took my card and the bill and when she ran my card she put the entree back on the total, totally disregarding the waitress's decision and the conversation we had when she walked away saying "we are all good". So I made sure to stop in and personally tell the manager that I WILL NEVER BE EATING THERE AGAIN... read more

Excellent German food and a great burger! Get the fried potatoes as a side! They are delicious! Staff friendly. Very clean. They have a bar outside in a gazebo as well. read more

Sunday duck dinner with a friend. Great food, great prices, great service. It was our pleasure to have Lori as our server and she was efficient, friendly, and took great care of us. Dessert was apple strudel, which I highly recommend. Outdoor area is very nice. Do yourself a favor and check this place out. read more

This place in Union Illinois is an absolute Gemstone. The food here is absolutely above anything in the area. Anything better might be in Schaumburg or in Chicago. They're rockstars with food and service. The last 5-6 times I've been here has been above par. Excellent service and excellent food. You're missing out if you're not eating here read more

We have enjoyed going here for years. It is quite the hidden gem. The food is delicious & authentic. Tastes like all the food we had in Germany & Switzerland years back! Our favorites are the French onion soup & pork schnitzel with spätzle & green beans. We highly recommend! read more

1st time here. No greeting. Waited at the table for 18 mins b4 a server came over. Now were hungry at this point . Otherwise I would have walked out. The service sucks here. I've been a server for 10+years. So telling me weve been busy but when we got here every table walked in after us got greeted and drinks, orders taken b4 we even got a hello. Not to mention the mozz sticks were missing cheese. The tuna and coleslaw come with onions. It may be a small charm in union but it lacks in servers and customer service. Never again will I be back! read more

Went there for their Oktoberfest a week ago. the chef Alex used to own Deeters and hasnt lost his touch for German comfort food. They were serving 2 liter steins of beer and there was a ompapa bands playing in the beergarden outside. they had several German dishes available but I settled on a Jaeger schnizel. Usually pork but I asked for a chicken version and the kitchen complied. We started with Oyster Rockefeller which were very tasty. the schnizel was nice with a mushroom gravy and spetzle on the side. my wife had a plain schnitzel and enjoyed it. our friends had rolladen and said it was very good. all in all a good time. if you dont like German fare, they do have burgers, pasta and sandwiches. Nice bar, very family frendly for the kids. Recommended. read more

Everything was delicious. I have the Nowegian salmon crusted with horseradish, it was moist and perfectly baked. Excellent food after a day at the Union Railroad Museum read more

Stopped in for a quick lunch this week. Sat at the bar and had a really good turkey club and a drink. Friendly bartender, food came out fast, and the place was nice and clean. Would stop in again if I'm in Union. read more

Had dinner with my wife, daughter, granddaughter and son in law after spending the afternoon at the Illinois Railway Museum. We were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated immediately. The dining room and bar area was neat and clean with a nice decor. The menu has a nice variety of dinners, sandwiches and appetizers. I ordered the sausage trio which was as good, if not better than the Berghoff's in Chicago. Our waitress was friendly & efficient. Had we not spent the afternoon outside in the heat, we would have opted for the patio area which includes a screened in bar. We each ordered something different from the menu and they were all delicious. read more

I was born and raised in Germany, so I know my Schnitzels. And this place comes close, very close. Schnitzel, Spätzle, Bratkartoffeln - everything was great. And they have a cute beergarden - and a live band when we there. Will definitely come again read more

Food is always great. My favorite appetizer is the chicken liver pate. I know it is not for everyone, but if you like chicken livers, this is awesome. Burger's are huge, delicious, and very affordable. Broasted Chicken is delicious, go on Thursday for all you can eat Broasted Chicken. Servers are always polite and friendly. Outside eating area during warm months has a great atmosphere. For a casual, excellent affordable meal I always go to checkers. My only complaint, is that they could turn the temperature on the beer coolers down a bit, because the beer is not cold enough for my liking. read more

Nice place. Service can be slow which is the only reason I don't give it a 5 star. Food is average for the price but is still worth the visit. read more

Go there periodically. Love this place! Great fried chicken and German dishes. German fried potatoes are a must no matter what you order. Nice bar also. Nice outside eating when weather permits. Usually go there Sunday afternoon. Have introduced friends to Checkers and they also love it. read more

Big fan of the gazebo dining available in back. Good burgers. Funny never thought of Checkers as a German restaurant. Their claim to fame is their broasted chicken which I have never tried. The holly hobby decor needs a major overhaul but overall a solid lunch spot. read more

Best German food west of Chicago. Great schnitzels, worth the trip to Union.

My family and I were visiting from California and we're staying at the KOA. They offered Checkers as a local restaurant option. IT WAS AMAZING!!!! We were all blown away and we range in taste and age. Our 12-year-old son loved his French Dip and we adults loved our Sausage platters, Jäger Braten steak and schnitzel!!!! This place is crazy great!!! Enjoy! read more

The food is beyond delicious and the portions are so big we always have to get boxes to go. The only thing is the wait staff is not overly friendly and there's usually not a host available right away to seat you. The last few times we visited, we stood by the door for quite a while until we were eventually noticed. We live 30 min away, but we love coming here for the wonderful food. If you like German style food, this is the place. read more

We first found this great little place last month while searching for German food close to home without going east. The food and the portions were amazing. Terrific homemade soup and the sausages and schnitzel covered the plate. We saw they were having an Oktoberfest weekends in September so we had to go back. We went last Saturday with reservations for 6:30. The front was a little harried but we got seated fairly quickly. Unfortunately, the service after that point went downhill. It took a good 15 minutes to even get something to drink and our food order wasn't even taken until after 7PM. Soup came with the meals we ordered and while we understand the kitchens was backed up because inside and outside was very busy, we didn't even get a cup of soup for about 50 minutes that should have been in a big pot since it was the soup of the day. The waitress kept apologizing blaming the kitchen when she actually came to the table which wasn't often when my wife would have to ask and wait for a coffee refill. It was getting a little frustrating when you see other tables that were seated after us get their food before us. We finally received our food at about 8:05. No question the food was tremendous, the sauerbraten special for Oktoberfest was one of the better I've had and more slices of roast than many other restaurants. While I understand Oktoberfest is very busy, this might be the only shot they have with a new customer and the experience is going to overshadow the great food. We'll have to try it again during the week when its slower and hopefully will make up for the less than stellar experience. These restaurants have to know that due to the circumstances they don't have a lot of room for error right now. read more

The food was good, the prices were low, and it was a really friendly atmosphere. Weekday lunch was pretty empty.

Food was pretty good. Service was slow. Our waitress dispersed for long periods. Tuna melt, German "fries", taco salad.

Food is pretty good. Was in last night ordered the fish dinner to go. I was sitting at the bar waiting for the food. Another patron came up and complained that his party had been waiting an hour for their food. As he was paying for the drinks and soup they had his food was coming out of the kitchen. Not good. Yes this is the second time I've been there and the kitchen does seem a bit slow. read more

Quick and friendly service. Our waitress was very friendly. My wife had the hunter schnitzel with bacon mushroom gravy and Gnocchi - it was very tasty. Definitely will return. This is a quality place. read more