Checkers Restaurant

So sad to see you go. You are so missed on the block. I need your tomato basil soup recipe. Miss you all at Checkers.

We have always enjoyed going here for some years, and it has particularly been a great place to go to get a good, reasonably quick, lunch. Although in recent years we have gotten a number of new and better places in town, Checkers has usually satisfied quite well. We have enjoyed most of their salads quite a lot, they have a good range of very different ones, and some of their main dishes such as the salmon are great.
The people have always been friendly and the service both friendly and efficient.
I have to say that I do not like the changes made a few years ago to to décor, though, since the pseudo-​traditional/​Mediterranean modifications are a bit stodgy and commonplace, and they clash with both the space itself and what does still remain of the prior more urban/​modern décor.
In sum, this is hardly the best place downtown, but it is a good, solid, friendly place with reliable dishes that have not changed in years, and it is nice to have places that give that sort of continuity, in addition to places with constantly changing variety.

I was not impressed with this place. The food was just okay and the price doesn’t match. I think the food is overpriced personally. I’ve had the blackened chicken salad and a few of their pastas. I don’t think it’s bad, but I don’t think it’s great. Meh…

Came here the other night for dinner.
I ordered the Slow Roasted Salmon. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the mashed potatoes were good, but the spinach that came on the side was not flavored well. The artichoke garlic dip was pretty yummy. It was cooked differently than I am normally used to but in a good way! The server knew her wines pretty well too which was a plus! Id come back!

Delicious ! Great Wine, nice folks and Catherine (owner) is a sweetheart ! I love the Cobb Salad with warmed Chicken.

We returned for dinner last Saturday after a lunch last fall. Really delicious, quiet, friendly. Also, the Strudel Guy had created a number of great dishes, which we enjoyed! Looking forward to returning for more.

I own a local business near Checkers and probably order lunch from here 5 times or more a month. I am the type of picky eater that likes things a certain way, extra this, no that, ect. Every time I call or come in, they not only remember who I am, but they know my order before I tell them and they get it perfect every time. LOVE this place! Also, I’ve never had such good bread in my life! Keep up the good work!

We just had a late lunch here today with our baby. The staff was totally friendly and the food was quite enjoyable. We had one of the all veggie calzones with pesto sauce… AMAZING! Will be back!

Wonderful face lift for this local great food spot. The interior is quite inviting and charming. The food still great, perhaps even better now that I have to watch what I eat. Thank you Catherine for your hospitality, your place is truly a gem. I’ll be seeing you for lunch today.
Cheers!

Checkers one of my favorite places to eat. Their chicken marsala and the paneed chicken are two of my favorite dishes there. Both are served with mashed potatoes; the marsala comes with steamed veggies and the paneed comes with chard. The Sonoma salad is also one of my favorites here, this is a green salad with candied walnuts, fresh apples, and feta. The prices are really reasonable here, and the atmosphere is pleasant. Lastly, the linguini carbonara is good but a tad on the salty side, but its pasta, bacon and chicken in an alfredo type sauce so that should be expected. Whether it’s lunch or dinner, you will have a good meal here.

Food was ok. Had a soup and sandwich. Not very flavorful or memorable, I probably wouldn’t come here again.

This is a great place for a nice quick lunch. I go here often for lunch and the service is fast & the food is yummy. I particularly like their soups — the chowder (Fridays) is delish and the garlic soup is very good (though it lives up to its name — be warned.) They have a signature tomato soup — I’m not a fan but I know other people who love it. You get really soft yummy bread with olive oil & balsamic while you wait — a nice touch.
I’ve only come here once for dinner on a date and it has nice atmosphere for dinner as well. Their happy hour is til 6 p.m., with $ 5 pizzas, $ 5 beer and $ 3 wine. A good happy hour place if you want a nicer atmosphere (not a bar.)

I love eating at Checkers! The food is wonderful and the service is great.
My favorite starter dishes are the Steamed Mussels and Garlic Shrimp. Depending on if it’s dinner or lunch, I’ll go with the Salmon Filet or Smoked Chicken and Arugula. Both very good dishes for either occasion. I prefer the smoked chicken for lunch, however. It’s a nice light dish for the day with tons of goodies. The ravioli is also a delicious dish to try. Of course, these are my personal favorites. There are so many more to choose from. If you’re looking for a casual, hip place to have a nice memorable meal, look no further!

I have really enjoyed everything I’ve had at Checkers, nothing extravagant but that’s not really what you are looking for when you come in. Focacia is good, salad good, ravioli really good and soup blah (chinese chicken?). I like the ambiance and location best, a perfect spot downtown for lunch in an hour.

I really like this place … it’s has an atmosphere that is slightly dressy, yet doesn’t make you feel out of place for wearing jeans. The food is off the hook … went there on Friday for lunch and had the Thai pasta salad … OMG, if it wasn’t rude, I would have picked up the plate and licked it clean. I’ve had other items on the menu, but this one really stood out. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 was I had to ask at least 6 times to get some sweetener for my tea. I would let this slide, except the place wasn’t packed. But honestly, that’s a pretty small complaint when you have the food. Go check it out (pun not actually intended).

They used to have a great shrimp and pasta dish with this wonderfully spicy red sauce. Unfortunately, they have the same dish there but without the sauce. Totally ruins what was once a great dish! I seriously love an actual sauce with my pasta-​not just flavorless olive oil.
On the plus side, the bread is nice and warm.

I often reserve my 5-​star ratings for immaculate and unparalleled service, and this is one of those times. In a town saturated with bro-​dogs and suburban socialites, getting lunch and a drink on 4^th street on a Saturday afternoon is quite the challenge — who knew!
My boyfriend and I grew irritated by the lack of service service twice before this (ahem at Russian River Brewery and ahem Stout Brothers — you suck!), so we decided to pop into Checkers since it didn’t look busy. Maybe service is just slower out in the ‘burbs. Coming from SF, I’m not particularly use to this.
Word to the wise: you’ll dodge those «popular» hotspots for this place if you’re smart.
Our attitudes immediately changed after being greeted by Catherine — this establishment’s lovely and very charming owner. We saddled up to the bar, got our drinks and pizza in a heartbeat. Our Saturday would have probably been a bust if it wasn’t for this place. All we wanted was a quick beer and bite to eat — is that so much to ask for?! Anyway, thanks for really turning our day around, Catherine!
On a strip where plenty of other restaurants exist, great customer service is the only way to stand out. 5 stars to Checkers!

Katherine, the wonderful owner of Checkers, donated a dinner gift certificate to the Sonoma Humane Society’s auction and I was the lucky winner. My 4 friends and I had a delicious dinner (we shared 5 different dishes), enjoyed the well chosen wine list, and had a lovely unrushed evening. This is a friendly, unpretentious place with honest food, fair prices, and an owner who really wants everyone there to have a special, comfortable evening. I highly recommend it.

Checkers continues to be a good solid place to eat… but I think their portions have gotten smaller… no worries though… we could probably all stand to eat a little less…
LindySez — Sitting on the patio and watching the world go by… priceless.

The girls and I met for lunch here today. 3 of them had salads and I had the lamb. We all had wine, and the bill was about 90 bucks for all of it. It had been a while since I’ve been in – the service has picked up quite a bit, and is friendly and attentive. The food came out correctly and prompt.
Small wine list — especially for wines by the glass — no bubbles. boo.
interesting Alsacean styled California Pinot Gris — it was for sure good, and most of the wines were surprisingly reasonably priced (if not rather boring for an over all list.
The lamb was tender, however the potatoes and sauce laced flavor. The spinach had been cooked with a smokey bacon, and kinda over powered everything. It certainly wasn’t my favorite dish I’ve ever had there.
The ladies (2 cobb salads, one endive and smoked chicken) loved their meals.
The foccaica is yu, and I think it’s the # 1 reason (aside from the nice patio) that makes me come back.
I
the past I have had hit or miss lnches and dinners here — sadly I think they lack consistancy in quality service, and also chefs. Great menu — although a little on the spendy side for what really is ‘just pasta’ in many of the dishes.