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

About second time I've been here. Didn't think much of it. Dive bar. But I got say I enjoyed the place. Got the Checker burger. Fantastic, Good taste .Also had the chicken gumbo. Excellent. So if you want something good and warm, Checkers is the place!!!! Friendly staff. read more

Wow, this was a great find! Thanks Yelp!! We came here on New Years Eve before the event at the Fillmore. We wanted a cheap dinner since the rest of the night was kind of expensive, and this was exactly what we were looking for. The prices are reasonable (difficult to find these days in downtown Detroit!), and everything we ordered was SO good. I plan to return many times when I'm downtown! There was a barcade upstairs, but we didn't get a chance to check it out. Definitely want to return for that reason too! read more

While visiting family in Michigan my brother showed me this local Detroit barcade. With two floors(1st floor restaurant/2nd floor barcade) it's different from most I've been to. They had a good selection of beers on tap and got plenty crowded towards the end of the night on the weekend. Not a huge selection of games but plenty to keep you satisfied. They have the classics everything from MK, Rampage, Star Wars Pinball to Street fighter. I was hoping to break my winless streak of Street Fighter but nooppppee! Thanks for the good time though. Thumbs up! read more

My burger was excellent. Cooked perfectly. Toppings and bun was perfect. Fries were good. The sweet potato waffle fries were great. Crispy on the outside and not too sweet. Service was friendly and helpful. We didn't wait too long. The beer was tasty but could have been colder. read more

Service was absolutely terrible. My friends and I waited at the bar for an hour total, half hour upstairs and half hour downstairs, and were completely ignored despite many efforts to get the attention of the bartenders to order... We just wanted to place an order. We did not exist. They were actively paying attention to everyone else at the bar, but we were invisible. Completely rude. For that, this place gets 1 star. read more

We had a boat load of fun here before a Tigers game. We made sure to try a whole bunch of different food, and as a whole, our table really enjoyed the sloppy joes, and the burgers. Their fries were also really good. Just enough saltiness to pair perfectly with a beverage. read more

Checker Bar is a dive in the core of downtown. The drinks are cheap and the service is friendly. I like the burgers here, too. There are old school arcade games in the back, sharing space with a juke box (isn't that just fun and divey?). The place is old with cool memorabilia throughout. You can tell Checker Bar stood the test of time in the city. it's dimly lit and would be a good stop for a bar crawl. Those burgers I mentioned before, they're a bit pricey considering the price on the menu doesn't reflect the price on my receipt. I had to ask about that, because I was expecting a $7 or $8 burger and ended up paying close to $12. Luckily, that burger was tasty. There's also outdoor/patio seating. It seems to get pretty rowdy out there, especially on Friday nights. To me, it looks like fun. I'll update this review once I've gotten out on that patio to see what it's really about. read more

Checker Bar - Blast from the past here at Checker Bar downtown! - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Recommend hanging out upstairs! It's live & has great music, great service & cool arcade games... downstairs is cool too but it's just more of a quite restaurant vibe while upstairs is a whole party.. had Austin yesterday & latrell today both great bartenders! read more

Classy old bar, with great decor. Can't believe I never went here before. Shared a junior philly burger along with a full size chili burger. Both were very good. Added in 2 beers.service was pretty good. Was it a $29 lunch? I'm not sure . Good afternoon vibe- lots of people coming and going. Pretty good music also. read more

Meesh was literally the most amazing server ive ever had at a restaurant ever. She was a HOMIE, felt like i knew her my whole life. Love this place so much. read more

Awesome bar. Was in Detroit for Opening Day weekend and we ate here twice. First time was Friday night after way too many beers. We all shared Sweet Potato Tots (awesome) and BOB (Basket O Bacon) to start. I ordered the Blues Burger (melted blue cheese, peppercorn bacon, Bourbon honey BBQ sauce) medium well. It was very, very well done to the point of being crispy. I didn't care for the sauce either, and the blue cheese was sparse. Disappointing. We came back Saturday afternoon to meet some friends. More Sweet Potato Tots to start, the the Philly Style Dearborn Kielbasa (Sautéed peppers and onions, Swiss cheese, A1 Steak Sauce, horseradish on a HUGE kielbasa on a fresh hoagie roll) for dinner. It was damn good. Sloppy, tasty, and filling. The bar itself is a classic dive. Great beer selection and fun spot. Will be back next trip to Detroit, would just stay away from the burgers which I believe are their staple... read more

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Very rude staff. They kick you out of the bar and yell at you until I you leave. Raggedy looking guy with a beard an attitude.

The service was extremely disorganized and slow. There was no telling where the line was, or who was next to get an order. If you aren't sitting directly at the bar, there is no chance of getting your order placed in a normal time frame. If you value your time, don't go here. read more

The vibes are good the food is good. The only reason I would not give a 5 star is because of the bar tender. He was extremely rude to everything! For no reason. The security guard even said that the bartenders attitude is always like that (rude,mean). I did not get the bar tenders name but I'm guessing after management reads this they will know. They shouldn't definitely re evaluate his employment. read more

Around 7pm I entered the bar and was greeted at the bar by a young man with a braided ponytail with a horrible attitude. He wasn't able to speak to any of the details on the menu and he was drinking and galavanting with his friends whom he showed immediate preference to. Hospitality was not his strong suite. In addition he had unpleasant breathe. read more

Sara continues to be amazing and everyone else is friendly. Great drinks and food. One of my favorite places in Detroit.

Had the "Breakfast burger" w bacon and an egg. Gotta love a dive that gets the egg just right, not too firm, but not too runny getting wasted running down your arm. Side of wings was tasty and crispy. No rubbery tough wings here. They fell off the bone nicely. Pretty good value for the money. Oh and the bonus... they have a Gallaga, ... been 20 years, but I still got it... "high score"! read more

Checker Bar - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Great burger and fries. Pretty solid beer selection. And very affordable happy hour specials. It is definitely more of an old school bar atmosphere but that is beginning to feel refreshing with all the cookie cutter places opening up. read more

Checker Bar - Blues burger. Cooked perfect medium. Fries were spot on as well. - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Checker is just one of those great old bars in Detroit. You come in here for whiskey and cheap beer, no matter how much more hip it's becoming by adding the POP upstairs. It's fun to see old mainstays like this mixed in with all the new restaurants booming around it. Grabbed an egg salad sandwich and it was about what I expected. A little small for my taste but for the price couldn't be beat. Just one of these places I will keep coming back to as long as I live near the city. read more

Checker was awesome. We were in downtown for NYE and went to Checkers to pregame and grab a bite. It has an amazing low-light dive bar ambiance. The tables have a translucent plastic table top in which patrons can put anything they want under it for people to see - anything from old receipts to movie stubs to business cards. It's like seeing a time capsule of others who sat in that same booth. The food was really good. You can substitute any burger for a house made veggie patty. I had the apple veggie burger, with a patty that was so moist and delicious that I had to eat it with a fork. Honestly, it was one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had. The place is great. I can't recommend it enough. read more

Literally the rudest bartender I've ever encountered, And I drink at a lot of places.

I love dive bars and this place fits all the criteria. A little rough around the edges , super friendly staff, good drinks, just a comfortable place to be. Bartender biffed our initial drink order, tonic instead of soda - not the end of the world. Apologized 3 times and gave us the messed up drinks. A round for 4 people was like $15. This place is just awesome. read more

The diviest of dive bars! No free games, but cheap Happy Hour! Happy Hour is Weekdays 5-7PM and is otherwise known as "Sloppy Hour." You're looking at $2 - Sloppy Joes, Hot Dogs, Stroh's and Well Drinks. If you are frugal and get well whiskey....don't get well whiskey. I never knew McCormick's made whiskey...for good reason O_o (Note: we only stayed on the second floor of this bar) This place is limited for seating (if you're there for an event or just to chill). Again the games aren't free, but they have typical arcade game prices. I was quite fond of the multi-platform system (NES, SNES, etc.) behind the bar that was projected on the big screen. That system is free and it's a good location to hang if the bar isn't taken. They do have some cool events listed here. So, definitely check there website before you make your way there. We happened to be there during karaoke (around 9 PM) and for some reason there was a kids (age 9-11?) birthday party still going...interesting mix of people here nonetheless. Cool, cheap spot that I would hit up again when back in Detroit. Game on! read more

This place is absolutely awful. It has terrible food, and even worse service. Avoid at all costs.

I'm not exactly sure what attracts me, but I sure do love me some checker bar. Maybe it's the hot dogs. Maybe it's the great happy hour prices. Maybe it's the bold and underused-as-of-late checker pattern. Maybe it's the swarms of obnoxious pedal pub patrons (ok, it's definitely not them). But something keeps me coming back, and I'm not mad about it. The drinks are good, the food is tasty, the bartenders are cool. What's not to like about checker? read more

Checker Bar - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

sucks so much, the server never came in to check on us and the machines done even work so it's a waste of money

Great dive bar feel here, also good bar food. Burgers are best but cannot go wrong. Would definitely recommend this place, also drinks are very good, decent priced also. read more

No checker boards. There was false advertising for a bar called checker bar: really wanted to play checkers. Really disappointed.

When in town visiting friends we decided to bop in here for a drink. They carded us at the door and then again at the bar, which is totally fine; however, the female bartender was so rude and snappy about it I was honestly shocked. We just shook it off and were gonna sit down at a high top but the bartenders yelled at us and kicked us out for trying to add an extra chair to the table which we did not know was forbidden there. Literally just said we weren't welcome and to have a good night. I'm actually not sure how this place is still in business if they treat customers this way. Normally people accommodate guests or at least treat them with a small shred of respect, but this bar acted as if we were not welcome. If you want to be belittled and thrown out, this is the place for you. I will never be going back and I would avoid this place at all costs if I were you. read more

The food is great, dive bar fare, but the service is extremely hit or miss. I have had very attentive, friendly servers that stayed on the ball for the entirety of my visit, but I've also experienced my fair share of lazy, self important servers who act as though they're too good for their job. News flash: I'm the one sitting down. Just try to read the room as quickly as possible, because the friendlier you are to the surly, arrogant servers, the more shitty and passive aggressively they'll treat you. Fight fire with fire and you might make a new friend? read more

Classic burgers at Checkers. They'll run you $9-15. Some cool grilled cheese bun vs blue cheese vs jalapeño and bacon options. They make a tasty patty. Gingham styled table tops on benches and booths, which give a kind of a picnic atmosphere. Though it's also a big drunk food spot since it's open late. Above is the pop off world arcade which is worth stopping by. Walk up the stairs and use up your change playing vintage 80s and 90s machines. Plus cheap pizza slices as well. Enjoy! read more

Solid little bar in downtown detroit. Lots of arcade games upstairs and pretty good burgers. Really liked their breakfast burger. Had a great time catching up with old friends there and will most likely come back. Service was good event though it was pretty busy for a Tuesday night. At least 4 pinball machines and like 20 different arcade games upstairs. They also have a pizza bar up there. DJ as well. Cool place overall read more

Great place for an affordable quality meal. They also serve until 1:45am. I had a blue cheese and bacon burger that I ordered medium. I also ordered a small shoestring fry. The burger was cooked perfectly, the bacon was AMAZING being that it was sugar glazed. The fries were also perfectly crispy. I also watched the bartender make a hand made margarita so I ordered it. It was very good. The bartenders were extremely friendly. The crowd was a mix of all different kinds of people and everyone seemed to be welcoming and having fun. Outdoor seating is also available. I did not check out the arcade upstairs, but heard that they serve really good pizza slices. I'll be back next time I'm in town. read more

This is a phone call. Weekday, 12:20am. I just get off of work. Sarah: "thank you for calling checker bar this is Sarah." Me: "hi is the kitchen still open?" Sarah: **click** hangs up I call back 4 times, no answer. 5th time: (me) hi is the kitchen still open? Female, I'm assuming Sarah: If you're going to place a carry out you need to come in. Me: okay good, you're kitchen is still open Presumably Sarah: **click** Thanks a lot Sarah at checker bar. Great service. read more

This place was very nostalgic for me. They had a great variety of arcade games. Everything was very affordable including the $4 whiskey! read more

Checker Bar - Having fun with my guy - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Gotta knock 'em down a couple notches. Don't get me wrong: the food is still absolutely top-notch, and the back of the house *more than* holds their own. I stinking love their burger and fries. Wow, that service, though. It really is abysmal. I'm not convinced anymore that it's so much understaffing as it is poor training and/or outright laziness. There *appeared to be* plenty of people working tonight, and the place was an absolute mess. Most all of the tables unbussed, and very unclean all around. Bathrooms were a mess. THE PLACE ISN'T ANYWHERE NEAR FULL, FOLKS. Why am I not able to get any bartender/barback/server's attention for 10 minutes while standing at the bar? Why, when I finally plant myself in front of one of the servers who's on her way *somewhere* am I told that food service has been shut down, even though it isn't *time* for food service to be shut down, and even though I've been made to wait forever, and get this: EVEN THOUGH FOOD SERVICE ISN'T FREAKING SHUT DOWN?!?!?!? I went to the kitchen to double-check her statement, and she was full of crap. The problem? I *had to* place the order through a server...I couldn't just tell the guys running the kitchen what I wanted. I mean, wow. Are you folks allergic to money or something? Getting a glass of water is hard. Figuring out who's actually *working* is hard as there's no actual identification or uniform for anyone (i.e. one guy who was talking to a table, just standing there chatting for 10 minutes, all of a sudden starts BUSSING TABLES...I couldn't believe that he actually worked there! I want a job like that, where I don't have to actually *work* even though all the tables around me are horribly dirty and are piled high with dishes and garbage. No, you just take your sweet time talking to your buddies, pal. I can't believe he gets paid for this "work".). Unless they're either behind the bar, in the kitchen, or holding a tray, you have no idea who's working, who's a customer, etc. Finding a *relatively* clean table is hard. I mean, I understand it's a dive bar...I get that, and I understand the connotation. Is it a *junk* bar? Does nothing matter? Have some pride. Do some *work*. Show that there's more people that know what they're doing other than the guys working in the kitchen. It's no longer in any way refreshing...it's just poorly run. They might have *terrific* food, but so did/does Slows BBQ, and when Slows' service was absolute crap for a while, there, I didn't return for two *years*. At least Slows was able to turn the ship around, and now their service is far, far better. Checker Bar has a long, long way to go. It's nice that they can do a terrific burger, but Redcoat Tavern is also running the kitchen until 1:40AM, and at least it'll be clean, with good service. Redcoat's closer, too. Time to rethink things, owners of the Checker Bar. You're throwing a *ton* of money out the door with stuff and "employees" like this. read more

I'm glad u joined me today. In honor of speaking on the best bar downtown. Matter fact it's 2 bars. Matter fact they got the best prices. Matter fact, it's som good burgers there too. & pizza upstairs. & a stage for performances & the good local dj's. And a whole arcade. And a huge tv for games or the game (if u into sports). Great place for the whole family & the night life. Great prices. Great swag. Great aesthetic. 7 outa 5 stars. read more

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