Happier Update (4-days later): Checkers apologized (for the missing bacon) and said they would refund me. They fixed it quickly. I'm rewinding from three-stars to four-stars, so from "grr" to "always tasty food and good staff, so fix this kind of mistake." I'm ready to put this location back in my late-night go-to list. Original grumpy review: Another late-night fast-food miss for me. This time i tried the Checkers on US-40 Baltimore National Pike, which always serves me hot fresh food, and always has friendly efficient staff. They have a $3 Big Buford deal in their app on Wednesdays until midnight. Just after 11pm (Apr 2026), i ordered one, added bacon, got an acknowledgement text, and picked it up from a nice guy in the drive-thru window. I got home. The burger was hot, fresh, juicy ... but there was no bacon. Sheesh. They had sent a second text to me confirming the order, and the link they sent included a customer-service option. I'll find out in "1 to 2 days" if they'll do anything. There's still a couple more fast-food joints along the road. I'm not sure i am brave enough to try them the next night I am hungry at 11pm. read more

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From the customer service to the food. They are amazing. The homie is Nick who always hooks it up. I love Checkers because of this location, I hope they keep it up read more

It was my first time there since I was going to school at College Park, the food I had was a Philly Cheesesteak burger with lettuce and tomatoes, it was delicious. The service was quick cause it was a drive thru. The Ambiance was decent cause we got our food and sat outside. read more

Checkers - Philly Cheesesteak burger with lettuce and tomatoes, side of small fries and a small Coca-Cola. - Fast Food Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

I usually love this place but they gave us moldy buns!! My fiancé got really sick because he didn't notice his right away but I noticed mine. read more

Checkers - Big Buford - Fast Food Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

I ordered the new Brisket Melt which was advertised as coming between two slices of toasted, thick cut Texas Toast. Mine came with two slices of untoasted white bread. I can't believe the person that took the order (through the drive-through microphone) knew I wasn't getting Texas Toast and didn't tell me. What a rotten operation. read more

Checkers - Sandwich as provided - Fast Food Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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This was our first visit on a Sunday evening at 7 pm on 4/19/21. We went to the walk in window instead of the drive through. It was not crowded with no line. We ordered Big Buford burgers and fully loaded fries. Our order was ready within 5 minutes. We had our food at home. The Buford burger came with double patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles and was very filling. It was definitely larger than a Big Mac. So plan to be hungry! The fully loaded fries consisted of seasoned fries with bacon, cheese, and ranch sauce on top. The food is heavy and rich, but once in awhile it is okay to treat yourself. read more

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i love the food! The service is super duper excellent! They were also very ambient! I love checkers so very much! And Ill say it again. I live checkers so very much. one more time? I love checkers so very much! read more

1) The batter for the fried mushroom's is too salty. 2) Friendly staff. 3) The kids likes the burgers; that's the only reason we stop in. 4) The fries only taste good when you get it right away. Not so great when it cools down. 5) Drinks are okay. read more

It was great the fries were really good i enjoyed the slushy the at came with it and cheap

this is the perfect late night spot for me and my friends. the food is always so delicious and the customer service is top notch. I always love coming back and getting a hot sandwich. will be returning soon! read more

great place to eat, love love the service here. always on time with the food. wonderful hours and i just love the milkshakes here and the food is off the charts. i love it here too but i have to say that the food is so good. the outdoor seating is so nice as well read more

This checkers food is always hot and fresh. Great service and quick. My kids always ask to come here, and we don't eat fast food ever

It's fast food y'all, skip the small talk n allat n u gotta valid meal right der. I mean fr, they thought uh everythin too. Ketchup in da bag n allat. Verified slapped alls im sayin read more

You're gonna get what you expect. Fast food quality and fast food service. The day before I got shipped off to boot camp many years ago, my friends and I ate here. All of a sudden we hear screaming from inside, so we ran over to see one of the employees bursting out the door. He was really angry and panicking. Another employee inside starts screaming "call 911!" As we're calling 911, we asked what happened and the employee told us the guy who walked earlier stabbed another employee. But like I said, food and service is what you think it's going to be like. No indoor seating btw if you're not familiar with Checkers. read more

Usually this checkers in Ellicott City, Maryland is pretty good, but tonight........... The order was simple... #2 (Baconzilla Meal) w. Swiss and no cheese sauce. Loaded fries and large watermelon slushies. What we got was a small slushies, small fries, and a burger with NO CHEESE AND 2 PIECES OF BACON! WTF!? It's been a long day and too damn tired to go back, but.this is freaking ridiculous!!! read more

Two Double Mushroom Burgers, one fries and one drink for 10 bucks. And I get to eat outdoors? Perfect for a Sunday early lunch when running errands with the better half. Service was quick and the fries were HOT! read more

Checkers - Double Mushroom Burger - Fast Food Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

I give up. After two attempted drive thru visits where my order couldn't be understood, after repeated polite repetition, I've given up on this location. I went to Burger King down the street. read more

Checkers is great and there aren't too many of them around. I like the champ burger and the fries. They are really delicious fast food! The fries are seasoned fries. They are very unique to any fast food I've had. They are super deep fried and crispy on the outside while remaining completely soft and nice on the inside. Checkers is also pretty cool. It's a retro style drive-thru, it has 2 lines on either side of the building and a little window in the front where you can walk up and order. read more

I was craving a burger and Checkers fulfilled that void. Service was good and they had a few specials.

After spending all day and night at a music festival, we stumbled upon this Checkers and it was one of very few places along a "strip" that was still opened around midnight. They had a a mushroom and swiss cheese burger that tasted as gourmet as could be all things considered. For hangover food, it probably warrants 5 stars, but under normal circumstances, probably just 3 stars. So for my review......I'm going with 4 stars. Thank you Checkers........for still serving food after midnight. read more

Not impressed at all. I had to repeat myself a couple of times at the order box. Then I get to the window and had to restate my order as there seemed to be some confusion that I wanted two meals. Not sure why that was difficult to understand since there were two of us in the vehicle. Anyway no big deal I guess but I did not appreciate the tone when the lady taking my order for the fourth times "says that is why I asked you". My response was that is why I answered each time. The fry's they actually had precooked and then cooked a second time as I ordered. Not sure that is safe food handling. When I arrived home my Big Buford was not very nice looking at all. My wife' bacon cheese burger did not look so bad but we didn't order her a double paddy. Oh well we tried to try something new but doubtful we will ever return to this chain restaurant if this is what to expect. The place had zero customers when we arrived and departed. This should have been my red flag. read more

Standard checkers with a pretty good amount of outdoors seating. Definitely go through the drive through line instead of walking up to the register! Drive-thru has much higher priority. My friends and I did drive through, parked and ate our food at one of their outdoor tables and saw the same people still waiting in line at the register for a good half hour before they even got to the front. The 2 for X deals are pretty good. I got a double mushroom swiss and a double checkerburger with cheese for 6 dollars. Overall, the checkerburger is a great deal bc it comes with all the toppings (if you like onions, tomatoes, etc on your burger). read more

This checkers is the perfect example of people who hate their jobs will make the customers hate their days. Just had the rudest experience at this location. If you dont like your job quit, there are other jobs on rt 40. read more

This retro themed restaurant is a great place to hang out and eat when spending time with friends. The food is cheap and pretty good. Even at night it's pretty safe and well lit. If you order at the window sometimes there is a bit of a wait, but it's usually never to long. read more

DO NOT EVER GO TO THIS CHECKERS!!!!!!! These people are so rude. Let me tell you about the first and last time I ever went there- We ordered three meals. When the woman taking our order through the drive thru asked, "Medium or Large?" My cousin(the driver) replied,"Large". Then literally five seconds later, before we went to the window to pay, my cousin said,"Actually can we change the order to all smalls, please?". The lady got a HUGE attitude and sighed over the intercom. Then there was an awkward silence so my cousin said," Is that OK?" and the women replied (yelling) "NOT REALLY". I used to work in the fast food world for a short time in my life and I know that if someone changes their order at the drive thru speaker all you have to do is push one or two buttons to change it. It's really not a big deal at all. She had an attitude during the rest of the transaction. I will never go there again. read more

This is your basic, grease in your face, American burger joint. If you are tired of McD's, Burger King, Jack in the Box, etc..there is a little more zing and variety to these hamburgers. They have pepper Jack cheese as well as a moderately decent chili. The chicken sandwiches are good as well. Their chili fries can harden your arteries with one look. Look for their weekly specials....you can usually get 2 for $5...Fries are the curly seasoned type....and are deep fried correctly. Overall the quality is very good for fast food....not as good as In N Out , 5 Guys, or a good sit down restaurant.....but much better than the nationally advertised burger joints. Service here varies alot because it seems like the help turns over more than the customers......if you dont like the service...wait a week and it will change. To management's credit, the food quality and taste stays the same no matter who is making it 3.5 stars for this chain, and worth looking for the specials. read more

Every time I come here, it's kinda a miss in some way or another. However, there's a taste that only Checkers gives in their fries - the addicting taste that is worth the other inconveniences. (1) The turnover rate seems crazy for these workers. They all sound like they don't want to be there... and just customer service whether at the drive through or at the window are both mediocre. (2) Most times I use the drive through. It's ALWAYS slow.. waiting and more waiting for the food... You can peak in and see the lack of staff sometimes... and they look frazzled during busy lunch times. (3) I always get chicken tenders and fries if I go. A bit more $$ than McDonalds or such, but still - sometimes you just crave it and gotta go for the greasy, salty stuff. Do not expect amazing quality. It's fast food... Tip: There's outdoor seating only (no indoor); it's good when the weather is nice outside... lots of truck drives come by to eat I've noticed. read more

I eat at this checkers somewhat frequently... I've never had any cause to complain. The folks who work there have never been rude to me and the orders are ususally right... I mean, they don't seem to screw up any more or less frequently than any other fast food joint. I had a "Big Buford" value meal today and it was very good. I think their burgers are among the best you can find within the realm of fast food. Three stars is the most I'll ever give for a fast food restaurant, so this place gets my stamp of approval. read more

Don't bother with this place. I've been here 3 times in the past couple months and haven't had a nice experience once. This last time I went on Monday afternoon, I pulled up to the drive through and I waited there for about 5 mins but no one said anything, I kept my window down and was calling out but I tried to wait because I assumed they were busy with orders inside. Eventually two more cars pulled up behind me so I decided to call and the lady yelled at me over the phone then proceeded to rush me through my order with no explanation for ignoring at the speaker. I then had to wait another couple mins before she even took my money and the food took longer than necessary to come out, I work in fast food as well so I understand how it is and I try my best to be patient but this was ridiculous. My food ended up being cold anyways so I really don't know why they kept me waiting that long. Long story short the whole place is just slow and unorganized, the food isn't worth the bs. read more

I know it's probably lame to recommend Checkers at five stars, but these people get the job done, and I have never been delayed in getting my food here. They have two drivethru lanes, unlike most other places, and the food might be salty for some, but I love it. read more

While a fan of Checkers, we recently went through the drive-thru at this location one night and I was under-whelmed by my food. It tasted a little different than from what I remember Checkers tasting. I'll give it another try some day. read more

I love their French fries, every time I come to checkers. I end up buying a whole meal. They have the best dollar menu in town including friendly customer services and cheap prices. If you like french fries this is the place to be. read more

Too darn slow. Booooooooo and one of the workers kept coughing. They also screw up my order a lot. 1 star mucho no good

Came in on 7/3/21 around 11:00 pm, it was my girlfriends first time going there so I asked for a few minutes so she could figure out what she wanted to order... I have come to this location many of times with zero issues, tonight however, was far from acceptable, given this is a Food service venue. I finally got to ordering our food and I ordered my girls food first. He told me the total to which I replied "I still have other things to order." The teenager working the drive thru then repeated the total and said to pull forward- to which I then once again repeated that I hadn't completed ordering everything. There's about 1 minute of silence and I am then screamed at- just about at the top of his lungs "PULL FORWARD" will be getting this employees name and this belligerent joke fired- he is in no position to be serving anybody anything with that attitude. I work in food service. I get the long hours and I get the frustration but this was immensely disrespectful and uncalled for. I am appalled and will NOT be returning to this location at any point in time in the foreseeable future. read more

I'm surprised at the bad reviews.. the staff has always been pleasant to me, I've always gotten correct change, and Checkers has never screwed up my food order. ever. unlike mcd's, bk, and taco bell, who screw up my order nearly 100% of the time. the food is amazing and the prices are low. I'd still eat there of I hadn't sworn off fast food. read more

I'm not enjoying my Angry Buffalo chicken wings that I waited 10 minutes for because they were cooked fresh. They should have called them fried chicken party wings with a splash of hot sauce. They aren't angry Buffalo. I would call them slightly upset pieces of chicken. I'm really disappointed. read more

We always get great service and food every time we come here. We often get big orders and they come out fast and always fresh. Best Checkers around! read more

The fries are great, but the burgers are hit or miss. When they are busy, the burger comes out soggy. When it's a regular size crowd, the burger tastes great. They are definitely worth a try if you have a location near you. read more

Used to be a big fan, but after the last trip I made probably not going back to this location. A polite young lady took our order efficiently and professionally, and apologized for the delay. After a short time another person, I think a manager, who was visibly frustrated came to the window and told me to tell her what we had ordered. I told her and she huffed and said she didn't know what was going on and couldn't find it on the computer. The young lady who took our order stepped over and calmly said that it was all taken care of and we had paid. The frustrated person told her loudly "Jesus, calm the f**k down." Then handed us a bag of food. The order was wrong but I didn't feel like dealing with the angry profane person so we ate the wrong food. I feel bad for the people who have to work there. read more

Two words that immediately come to mind. The fries. Simply put, this is the reason why I love checkers. Not the burgers or chicken sandwiches. Not the buffalo wings that they recently started to offer. I could get a large order of fries and eat them without anything and call it a day. No meat necessary. And if you're really daring, you can get the loaded fries, which could include cheese, bacon bits, or chili (or all of the above). But that's a bit much, so I usually pass on that. If you've been living under a rock and never been to Checkers--go and get some fries ASAP. read more