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    Checker Bar

    3.5 (222 reviews)
    ModerateBars, American, Burgers
    Open 11:00 am - 1:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Checker Bar Photos

    CHECKER BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Loud
    Happy hour specials

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    Lexi M.

    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.

    Bar
    Gary C.

    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.

    Fries
    Katy C.

    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!

    Greg B.

    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.

    Nachos and drink
    Donna O.

    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!

    Pulled pork sandwich with fries
    De Saltino D.

    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

    Pinball
    Kitty K.

    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.

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    8 years ago

    Always a great spot for a lunch break for quick good food! Always have a nice rotating draft selection.

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    8 years ago

    The perfect dive bar. With great food and drinks. The long island is excellent. The BLT and chili cheese fries are the best.

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    9 years ago

    Very cool place and very good food here. The sliders are amazing. Cold beer. AND they have arcade games and pinball!

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    9 years ago

    One of my go to bars. Drinks are cheap and stiff. Bar food is decent. Usually a very mixed crowd and they have karaoke

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    10 years ago

    Very friendly and informative bar tender, if you're visiting for the first time like me, definitely a good spot to stop by.

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    10 years ago

    Classic dive bar, great burgers and cheap beer. A regular hangout for the live in Detroit crowd.

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    Page 5 of 6

    Ask the Community - Checker Bar

    Do they have their own parking lot? What are the parking options for this bar?

    Checker Bar does not have its own parking lot, although they are located next to a paid parking lot. There's a garage across the street that costs a flat $10, or you can look for street parking and pay by the hour. Parking on the street is free on… Read more

    When is happy hour I saw 4-7, 5-7 and 2-4 which is right?

    Monday-Friday 4P-7P Saturday and Sunday 12P-3P… Read more

    View All 3 Questions

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    Standby

    Standby

    4.4
    (718 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Awesome awesome awesome! Best place in Detroit for cocktails and pork belly. Terrific service, and…read morecannot recommend them enough!

    Had such an amazing experience at Standby!! The food and especially the drinks were outstanding…read more The cocktail menu was organized into three parts: Opening, Principals, and Finish. The theme was "Yes, Chef: An exploration of culinary icons through a cocktail lens." Each drink was inspired by or dedicated to a famous culinary icon, and you can read about each one in the index. We each ordered one drink from each section. From the Opening, I chose the Diaspora Club, which was so refreshing and delicious. Then from the Principals, I chose the Chingona, which was a little bit spicy and savory but still so refreshing. To Finish, I chose the Chocolatier Cosmo, which came with a tiny house-made salted dark chocolate. I loved all three cocktails I ordered, especially the chocolatier cosmo because it was perfectly sweet and went so well with the small piece of chocolate. For food, we started off with the crispy pork belly milk bread. For my entree, I ordered the miso butter gnocchi. It was kind of on the salty side but I still really liked it. The apple sofrito added a bit of sweetness to it. For dessert, we had to get the rhubarb coffee cake, which came with strawberry ice cream. Omg one of the best desserts I've ever had!! I never thought of combining cinnamon coffee cake with rhubarb or strawberry but it's perfect, and I might have to make something like that soon. Service was great and we were seated right away at 8pm on a Saturday despite not having a reservation. Food and drinks came out promptly and timed perfectly. We spent about 1.5 hours here and we never felt rushed.

    Photos
    Seating area
    Seating area
    Smashed Cucumber Salad
    Smashed Cucumber Salad
    Coconut Shrimp

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    Coconut Shrimp
    Lumen Detroit

    Lumen Detroit

    4.0
    (579 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Came in for dinner on a Thursday night, had a reservation but it was not packed. Skipped sitting on…read morethe rooftop since it is a hot day today. We were able to see the busy city street with the table seating and the decor in here is beautiful. Ordered wagyu meatballs which were amazing with great flavor 10/10, truffle fries 10/10, and a salmon Caesar salad 10/10. For drinks I had a lumen libation 10/10 and a hibiscus margarita 10/10 both made with tequila. My dinner date had a Detroit sour which I tasted 7/10. Our server was nice and efficient, I would definitely come again.

    I went here for my friend's birthday dinner and I liked the atmosphere! It was smaller than…read moreexpected but nice and quaint. Unfortunately, I would give the place a 4 if it didn't take our food, even our appetizers, an hour to come. Our particular server forgot to put our truffle fries in so we were drinking our cocktails on empty stomachs. Eventually we got our pork belly appetizer but it was small so I wouldn't recommend it as a shareable dish. My friend and I ordered a Mango Lassi Mule and we were really excited but it literally tasted like a basic Moscow Mule which was really confusing. There wasn't any color which would presumably come from the mango and it just tasted like lime. Everyone liked their food though and had leftovers. I had the Chicken Milanese which was yummy and a good portion. I also got the bday girl a dessert but they do not comp it which sucks. They did comp one of our appetizers since it came later. Overall a 3.5 and would like to try again for hopefully a better experience.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Delectable chicken wing appetizer
    Delectable chicken wing appetizer
    Everything Bagel Wings

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    Everything Bagel Wings
    Grey Ghost

    Grey Ghost

    4.2
    (1.2k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$$

    We dined at the Grey Ghost for a special dinner last week and it was outstanding. The service was…read moreabove reproach and they carefully accommodate allergies, walk you through the menu, and provide a stellar experience. Our server, James, was phenomenal. Atmosphere is nice, decor is very cool, and the setting is intimate, but when it fills up, it is quite loud. Regarding accommodations, for our teen daughter, the chef went WELL beyond normal accommodations to modify the Steelhead Trout dish to allow her to enjoy what she called "the best fish I've ever had". He absolutely made her night. We all shared the Brussel Sprouts (w/ honey, lime, & chicken skin) and Octopus appetizers. The Brussels were heavenly and the octopus was flavorful and tender (very nicely prepared). Aside from the Steelhead entrée, my wife and son both had the Ribeye Cap w/ yaji, peanut, & kiwi. They couldn't stop raving about it. The pairing of kiwi with steak was delicious and creative! I ordered the Lobster dish and honestly, it was better than many top tier seafood restaurants I've visited. It featured tail & claw meat atop a crab cake with a citrus beurre blanc and crispy wontons. I'd go back just for this dish. For dessert, we tried the PB&J Napoleon, and found the berry sorbet to be ridiculously fresh and bursting with flavor. Portion sizes were just right. Everyone left well satiated, but not overly full. We had a reservation, and I'd highly recommend if you're thinking of going, you get one as well. It was a full house the entire time we were there, and it was only midweek.

    Visited on a Tuesday at 6:30pm without reservations and only bar seating was available. The…read morerestaurant is small but there were a lot of seats at the bar. We ordered a beer, the house rock and rye mocktail (good but VERY expensive for a small soda $7), cheeseburgers (also good- the bun was great, the flavor was good, it could've used more fixings and was $21 with no sides so again, very expensive. My husband added bacon for $6), and shared a fry (again, expensive $8, but very good and a charnel side for sure) $56 for 2 burgers and 1basket of fries is STEEP. Food was good, not $56 good! Service was good! Overall a good dinner and experience but I don't feel the need to visit again!

    Photos
    Grey Ghost
    Ramen salad
    Ramen salad
    Inside lamps

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    Inside lamps
    Selden Standard

    Selden Standard

    4.3
    (1.5k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    i had high expectations for selden standard and they exceeded them! the service was great and the…read morebroccoli salad was best we have ever had! definitely a MUST ORDER i wish it was a little better lit but we had a great time and enjoyed the ambiance overall. a cute little neighborhood too

    It was one of those meals that I enjoyed so much that I forgot to snap photos of all of our food…read more Selden Standard was the setting for an amazing date night recently in Detroit. My husband surprised me with a birthday dinner here, and I'm glad that we got to experience it. We arrived in advance of our reservation and grabbed a seat at the bar. The bartender brought us a glass of wine while we waited. It took about a half hour, but we were shown to our table for the night and promptly greeted by our server. All of the food looked amazing, both on the menu and with what people were ordering at other tables. We chose a variety of dishes - cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, squid ink orecchiette, octopus, mushrooms, and scallops. I would recommend all of them, but the standouts for me were the Brussels sprouts and the scallops. Flavors were unique and textures were especially on point with those dishes. Service was good, but we both felt like it was slow. There was a slight glitch in the beginning of the night where the host stand didn't mark that we had checked in when we actually had, which probably contributed to the half hour wait at the bar. Aside from those points, it was an impeccable night!

    Photos
    Main space
    Main space
    Smoked Potato
    Smoked Potato
    Cauliflower

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    Cauliflower
    Supergeil

    Supergeil

    4.4
    (269 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Supergeil translates to "Super cool", and this along with all the other super laxatives, is…read moreaccurate. The menu is Turkish and German fusion, which makes when you know how the doner kabob has become a German fast food staple. I've gone a few times now and had consistently great experiences. From the just the right level of eccentric inside, to the wide patio outside, the environment is comfortable and fun. Their food and cocktail menu changes often. There a few mainstays, including their doner options. Their lamb doner version is the only one I've found in the US I like (I have to remember to ask without peppers, not a traditional ingredient). Their cocktails are fresh, inventive, and interesting. I've tried a variety, and they do a consistently good cocktail. Supergeil is a reliable go to, good quality, reasonable prices, and great service. I'll be back for their patio season.

    Supergeil is an Eastern European and Mediterranean inspired restaurant nestled in the heart of…read moreCorktown. From the moment I walked in, the ambiance transported me to a beautiful Mediterranean garden, with its gorgeous tiled floors, lush greenery, and warm, inviting atmosphere. It felt like a refreshing escape right in the middle of Detroit's historic cobblestone streets. It was the perfect setting for a long-overdue reunion with my sorority sisters, and Supergeil was incredibly accommodating, hosting our group of 14 women in the middle of Grand Prix weekend without missing a beat. We kicked off the evening with a few appetizers to share, including the hummus, deviled eggs, and meatballs. Everything arrived quickly and was an instant hit around the table. The standout was definitely the hummus, served with fresh, homemade pita that was unbelievably soft, fluffy, and packed with flavor. The meatballs were also delicious, perfectly tender, juicy, and well seasoned. For my entrée, I ordered the popular lamb and beef döner, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The portion was generous and beautifully presented, overflowing with crisp vegetables, fresh lettuce, garlic sauce, hot sauce, and the most tender, savory lamb and beef. Around the table, others enjoyed the Turkish ravioli with spiced beef and pork, more döner, and a variety of salads. Everyone loved their meals, and we couldn't resist passing plates around to sample a little of everything. It's the kind of restaurant that's perfect for sharing and enjoying with a large group. And what would a girls' night be without cocktails? If you're a fan of Two James spirits like I am, you're in for a treat. The bartenders create incredibly inventive cocktails from a seasonally rotating menu. I stepped outside my comfort zone and ordered the Open Kettle, made with coffee infused Doctor Bird Rum, cola reduction, coconut cream, and Underberg. It was unlike anything I've ever had! It was rich, tropical, complex, and with just the right kick. It's an absolute must try. Another crowd favorite was the Purple Gang, featuring lavender vodka, lemon, and butterfly pea tea, which gave it the most stunning purple hue. To finish the night, we ordered all three desserts to share: the burnt sugar tres leches, strawberries and cream, and the hot brownie with cinnamon ice cream. My favorite was easily the tres leches. It was light, creamy, and perfectly balanced with the crunch of burnt caramel and the subtle sweetness of coconut, it was a creative twist on a classic dessert. The warm brownie with cinnamon ice cream was pure comfort and a chocolate lover's dream, while the strawberries and cream offered a lighter finish with sesame brittle and hibiscus, creating a unique combination that reminded me of an elevated granola paired with a glazed donut cream. From the beautiful atmosphere and attentive service to the creative cocktails and delicious food, Supergeil delivered an unforgettable dining experience. Whether you're planning date night, catching up with friends, or celebrating with a large group, it's definitely a spot worth adding to your Detroit restaurant list.

    Photos
    Interior felt like a lovely garden
    Interior felt like a lovely garden
    Hummus  w/Iranian garlic & flat bread
    Hummus w/Iranian garlic & flat bread
    Georgian soup dumplings.

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    Georgian soup dumplings.
    The Apparatus Room

    The Apparatus Room

    3.8
    (907 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$$

    We came to Detroit to celebrate our anniversary and also celebrate America's 250th anniversary…read more We did what we always do. We researched the food because let's be honest. It's one of the most important parts of a trip!! Out of every restaurant we visited and even out of our previous travels- nothing has compared to the apparatus room!! It was without question the highlight of our time in Detroit. If you go, you have to order the chicken and waffles. It is unlike anything you've ever had. I'm serious. We have been all over Florida and New Orleans, etc. etc. and I've never had chicken and waffles like this. And don't skip the Keylime pie. They call it Keylime, but it's really something completely unique and absolutely incredible!! If you're lucky enough for your server to be RONA, you are in for an unforgettable experience. She goes so far above and beyond..... and, she answered so many questions that we had about Detroit. She is outstanding as a server! If I had to put my money on one restaurant in all of Detroit- it would be the apparatus room! It is an absolute must visit and just to help you locate it, it's inside the Detroit foundation hotel!! P.S. Their rendition of the Espresso martini was perfection! Just wow.

    Beautiful place and great service, mediocre food at best and just ok cocktails, only local draft…read moreand bottle beer. The burger that is not on the menu was great, greasy but great. Will give it a try for brunch but not dinner anymore

    Photos
    Borgman Room
    Borgman Room
    Frida + Diego
    Frida + Diego
    Fancy bar

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    Fancy bar

    Checker Bar - bars - Updated July 2026

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