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    Check's Cafe

    3.7 (254 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican, Sports Bars
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Check's Cafe American Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    CHECK'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Naked wings - bad choice
    Lorie L.

    Live and learn. Sadly for this learning we paid money to experience it. Our first visit to Check's was a complete bummer. The menu is extensive and we were actually struggling to decide what to order because it all sounded good. What I believe we received was a plethora of frozen items - naked wings with hot sauce, grilled chicken sandwich, oyster, and fries. Granted the fries were good. Otherwise, my grilled chicken sandwich should have been fried chicken and the bun was crumbly and stale. The hot sauce was a runny version of Frank's. The chef salad had the audacity to promote itself as such due to the lack of toppings and the salad being a bagged mix. The restaurant smells like bad fish and it hits you as soon as you walk in. Plenty of seating inside and few patio tables outside. Scan the QR code for the menu and order at the front. I knew the vibe would be divey and the restaurant would be filled with neighborhood locals. However, it was so strange that we found ourselves laughing through the meal. Workers scowling at the counter and talking to regulars like children, women loudly indulging in drinks at the bar, men dropping the f-bomb every other word in conversation. I have teens so, whatever, but not a family feel to this place. Such a waste of $90 for four people and two of us drank water! I urge you to drive down the street to Dairy Del for a better menu of food items plus wonderful dessert.

    Keri C.

    Check's delivered exactly what I wanted it to-neighborhood vibes with a little bit of attitude, but in a way that still feels friendly (if that makes sense.) My buffalo chicken sandwich was yummy/ Chicken was moist and french fries were good. I have also tried the fried fish sandwich, NE clam chowder, green beans, potato salad, and cornbread. All very solid. Corn bread was served warm! That's the ticket. I think that food is good, but I'm giving it 5 stars because I want this place to be here forever. It's easy, it's approachable, and with so many 'hot' spots popping up in Germantown, it's nice to have a neighborhood spot like this. Primed for people-watching, great for watching college sports (if that's your thing), and a nice heavy pour in a well cocktail-what's there to complain about? Check's feels like a place that knows exactly what it's doing and is standing by it. I'm all for it.

    Buffalo chicken sandwich & fries
    Emily B.

    Fun atmosphere. There was a band playing and they were great. Very busy spot with a lot of history. Food was ok, but I would definitely order something different next time. The burger wasn't great, but the buffalo chicken sandwich was pretty good and dripping with sauce. The fries were fabulous, crispy, & hot!

    Bacon Lettuce & Tomato sandwich and French fries.
    Cathy F.

    Cool neighborhood restaurant. You order at the counter, and they bring it to you. Service was quick. I got a BLT sandwich with fries and it was really good. It was a lot of bacon. They had a few craft and domestic beers on tap.

    Check's Cafe indoor seating by the bathrooms
    Clara W.

    Ate at Check's Cafe for lunch while checking out Germantown. The cafe has definite character. It's fun, food is great, and staff is all wonderful. Love the mix of diner and bar feel to the decor. Would recommend for a great bite to eat.

    Lunch

    Eating at Check's Cafe today. traditionally one of our favorite spots for lunch. Was shocked to see that a plain hot dog with onion rings and a turkey sandwich cost us $30. For my turkey sandwich they charged me a dime each for lettuce, tomato and pickle and 50-cents for cheese. soda and ice tea $3.29 each. I generally expect for sandwiches to come dressed, guess times are changing, and restaurants are making it harder and more expensive to support your local eateries. Very disappointing and won't be frequently visiting in the future. And we did leave cash tips too.

    Bar area
    Conroy D.

    Check's is a neighborhood institution. It has a great feeling of nostalgia when you walk in the door, the servers are very friendly, and they get to know all the regulars. The prices are more than what they used to be, but they are fair and the food is pretty good. I went there on a Sunday around noon. This was my first time eating at Check's since before the pandemic, and I was excited to visit. I ordered at the counter (no table service here) and grabbed a seat at the bar. Laura was tending bar that day and told me it was quieter inside than usual, but that didn't dampen her spirits. She was very kind and quick to refill drinks and check on us. Before my burger came, she even let me try the day's chili...and even though it was 90 degree out, it was so good! My burger was not as good as I remembered 4 years ago, but was still pretty solid. The cheese melted nicely on there and the fries hit the spot. Next time, I think I'm going to branch out and order the fried chicken or one of their fried fish dishes. Those have two sides and probably more bang for your buck. They have regular drink and food specials worth checking out. It's also in a cool part of Schnitzelburg near several other places worth checking out. They also have a second floor they use on busy days and some cafe-like outdoor seating that's very pleasant. I definitely recommend coming if you enjoy a good neighborhood watering hole with friendly faces. I will be back.

    Side salad that was ordered with the fried cod fish sandwich
    Jessica W.

    One year later from when my husband first brought me here, and the experience has gone down hill. Food not good and prices definitely not reasonable for what we got. I ordered the pan fried oysters again because that's what I come here to get. But paying $15 for 5-6 pieces of fried oysters isn't exactly reasonable when it's ala carte. I ordered the broccoli cheese casserole as my side for $3.25 and it was cold. My husband ordered the fried cod fish sandwich meal and the cashier said it came with two sides but actually we were charged $2 for the side salad so technically it came with one side. His meal with a fish sandwich that was cold and soggy, Mac n cheese that was cold and he had to take it back to heat it up, and a salad that was wilted, was $20. We are Grateful for the meal. But it's nothing to rave about here anymore.

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    5 days ago

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    3 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    18 days ago

    A hamburger, fries, and a drink for $22 is highway robbery. It's one of the smallest and worst patties of meat I have ever seen.

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    10 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Checks is a Louisville institution with great fish and chili. The burger is ok and it's been overran by lame college students

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    7 months ago

    The bean soup is off the hook. Reminds me of my childhood!! The service was great. Very clean and everyone was super friendly.

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    9 months ago

    Don't bother going if you want to listen to a football game. Three games on no sound! Not enough help eithet

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Loved the ambiance and the chicken and dumplings. Ordered at the counter and they brought us our food.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    11 months ago

    2 club sandwiches, 1 cheeseburger, 3 fries, and 3 diet cokes with tip $76.92. Seems rather high for this type and amount of food.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Local favorite. Fish is really good, famous for chili & bean soup too. We enjoy Wed trivia.

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    1 year ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    Page 1 of 7

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    Old Louisville Tavern - Chicken tender basket

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    1.3 miOld Louisville
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    I just love this spot. I'm not a sports girlie, I don't typically seek out a tavern with TVs kind…read moreof vibe, but it just the go-to place for me in Old Lou. The bartenders have that amazing charm of a casual place. They can chat, they can be sassy when needed, but they are efficient always. I am obsessed with their fish and chips, but recently I got a steak and salad. The steak itself was fine, a little bit better than the average pub steak, but the sauce on top? So flavorful, garlicky, and easily soaked into the meat. This place and their sauces, I'm telling you! They are awesome at it. The salad was so fresh and smothered in yummy toppings. The blue cheese was nice and tart. Combined with my steak? Ugh, I was so happy. And of course, as always, I loved my bartender. Plus, the weather is nice and they have plenty of outdoor seating.

    We stopped here on a weekday for an early dinner and ordered a Black and Blue Burger and a…read moreTerrell's turkey burger. Both came with steak fries. We sat at the bar and enjoyed these with a cold beer, and a nice time was had by all. Service is great and bartender was friendly and had charming banter. Noise level inside was mild at about 1/2 capacity. Patio seating is also available in front of the building and buffered by a sidewalk between the street. Drink and food quality are top notch and a great value. Very happy to plan a return visit here.

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    The GRÜV Sports Bar & Lounge

    The GRÜV Sports Bar & Lounge

    4.0(105 reviews)
    2.5 miFourth Street, Downtown

    Was in town for a graduation at the KICC and our group of 10 decided to try it out…read more Like others have said, don't go if you are in a hurry. But if you are not, it's definitely the place to go. We ordered a variety of foods. I had the Jamaican Jerk wings.....Best wings ever!! They are spicy, but I like spicy. You have to try them. Was not a fan of the fries. They taste like there's sugar in the seasoning. They weren't bad, but I think they try to do too much with them. But the wings!!!!

    I guess we got them on a bad night?! Cold food and horrible service! My friend ordered nachos and…read moreit was served with shredded cheese and sprinkles of lettuce, when we asked about the rest of the toppings the cook came out of the kitchen apologizing for being out of pico and lettuce? Why wasn't this brought up before we paid! Also my fries were cold and when I mentioned it to the server, the cook walked back out and tried to insinuate that I was lying and ate most of them when it was impossible because they were put into an empty container! This was my first time coming here and it was a horrible experience. I will not return because even after speaking with the manager all he did was apologize but he didn't really take any action...yes maybe a free drink? But who cares about a free drink after they've spent $35 and got mediocre food! I cook better than this with my eyes closed. We really have to do better....sad :(

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    Check's Cafe - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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