C L Checker’s Pub & Restaurant
1801 Airport Rd, Allentown, PA, 18109
C L Checker’s Pub & Restaurant Menu
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Address :
1801 Airport Rd
Allentown, PA, 18109 - Phone (610) 264-4131
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Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Fri, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Laurie D.
Went for dinner on a Friday night because we had never tried it before and drive by and thought we should try a new place. We were suprised at how empty it was for a Friday night around 7/7:30, and were apprehensive because it was so dead, but we stayed and had dinner downstairs at a bar table. The waiter/bartender was very attentive and the food was really good. We were just suprised there weren't more people there because we had a really good experience.
(4)Rob S.
I was in town on business and was staying at the stay bridge hotel and was looking forva close place to grab dinner and a couple drinks so i decided to eat at chess n checkers. The service was fantastic they were all very friendly. I had the signature seafood bisque soup to start and then had the meat pie with glazed carrots. I have been all over the country and never tasted anything like it. It was amazing and i would definitely be back when i am in town.
(5)Joe S.
The service here is really great - attentive, friendly, welcoming. The ambiance is also nice. You can grab a drink at the bar downstairs or there is a dining room upstairs. It's also a big place, so not too loud. The chef should be fired immediately. Sauces come bland, salads come with way too much dressing, fries = burnt and overly salted. The menu is extensive, and expensive. You will leave here saying your meal was "alright," but doubt it will be memorable. Next.
(2)Joel T.
I stayed at the hotel directly behind the restaurant and decided to go in for dinner. I ordered the crab cakes which were the best I've ever tasted and I've eaten crab from the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. My wife had the full rack of ribs which were delicious. Our server Rich was very gracious and bent over backwards to serve all of our needs from the time we walked in the door until the time we left. The whole restaurant is absolutely beautiful to say the least. We come to the area quite frequently and I believe we found a diamond in the rough in Allentown, PA. We will continue to dine here again and again. Not sure where these bad reviews are coming from but I highly recommend you try this place.
(5)Brad H.
Sevice was pleasurable. The bartender very friendly & helpful. They could use a nice good old fashion cleaning and remodeling of this place. I did not eat here so i cannot comment on the food.
(3)Josh K.
Ate here last night. Upon entering this establishment i thought ok this is not so bad. Place was not busy so we were greeted right away and given menus. I ordered the boneless chicken wings and a club soda 10 wings 9.99 club soda 2.99. Wings were no better then great value brand in a bag with an abundance of bbq sauce on them with little flavor. If you are in the area and desperate for food i would maybe ear there again however there are several other places to choose from within a 2 min walk.
(1)Anthony R.
i have written of my dislike for this place on Google Maps, regarding their treatment of the handicapped and myself. They saw that i need two canes, other times a Walker. My Wife and i, were always instructed to go up to the second floor; we have gone up the stairs, when hunger for certain items called. We ate those Famous Crab Cakes. We were waited on and served on the ground floor, before the addition of the second floor and other renovations. Those Crab Cakes are not worth the haul up to their second floor, or any other second floor, as far as my Wife and are concerned. We stay at the hotel across the way, and view Checker's parking lot/back entrance. On some nights, all Hotels being busy; Checker's appears dead, due to lack of cars in the Parking Lot. Maybe, Guests from the area Hotels walked over. . We started going to various restaurants within L.V.I. Radius. L.V.I. Airport and our Hotel has many, Popular Restaurants nearby, more coming; either across or down the road. From first hand knowledge: Checker's treatment for Seniors and the Handicapped is the worst. Additional Renovations have been made. Were rumors and complaints about Handicapped Customers forced to use the stairs a reason for the changes? A Taste of Italy renovated, too, putting in a sit down bar, with Pizza Station moved to the back. Customers can come in for a drink or have a drink while they wait for a table or Take Out. Why mention A Taste of Italy's Improvements here? They are Friendly to the Elderly and Handicapped, while C. L. Checker's is not. Whatever resulting changes made to Checker's accomplished, we do not know. We have not been back in years. It will be a few more, before we do!
(1)Miguel S.
Haven't been back since our first time quite a few years ago, but with all the potential this place has in terms of the space, layout, etc., it didn't just fall a little flat. It fell into, well... the downright disturbing. Basically, the guy running things in the bar area was so out of control nasty to one of the ladies working there that we couldn't even really pay much attention at all to our mediocre food. His badgering was so overt, loud and uncalled for on various levels that it was impossible this behavior involved a bad day or anything of that sort. Clearly, she was so rattled that her job performance suffered big time. Everyone in the entire place (employees & patrons) were totally distracted by this. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it before. "Best crab cakes in PA" is what the sign says out front. Don't buy it. Unfortunately, we'll always have memories of a very different nature.
(1)Alana P.
I am not sure why there are bad reviews about service. The bartender was super nice and attentive. It did say grand reopening. The crab cake salad was delicious. My husband had the buffalo chicken cheesesteak and it was really good.
(4)Christopher C.
As much as I hate to pile on another negative review to this place; it really deserves it. Checkers used to be a little dumpy small almost bar-type of place on Airport Road until a massive renovation that added a second floor and really made the place look more like a ski lodge with suits of armor and a chess-type theme than a restaurant. Yes the service really is that slow. Yes the prices are really that out of whack for what comes on the plate. And no, I mean hell no do they have the best crab cakes in PA or even in Allentown or even on Airport Road. Red Robin or the Waffle House, both next door, would give you a better epicurean experience than this place.
(1)Kimberley J.
...I'm also wondering whats up with all the bad reviews of this place?? We had burgers and waffle fries there and they were damn good!! The burgers were fresh and we asked that they be done medium. They came out so perfect i almost didn't need ketchup...Almost...well actually i had BBQ sauce on my burger. The fries were good...i'm not really a fry person. The food came out hot and in a timely manner... I really enjoyed my meal here. Maybe its hit or miss here...
(5)A C.
Food was okay -- limited, overpriced, not really pubby, but the service was terrible. I sat downstairs at the pub, watching the Phillies game. Manager comes in, turns the TV station to CNN without even bother to acknowledge that there was a customer (but did ask the bartender), and watches some asinine panic attack about North Korea. He leaves, bartender then turns to CBS News and leaves the bar. Never mind that I'm eating. Never mind that I wanted another beer. Never mind that NOONE GOES TO A PUB TO WATCH THE NEWS. I left a $1 tip with a note about it. Go to Red Robin instead. Better food, much better service, same price. Oh, and the bartender was terrible at making a Black and Tan. That's Pub 101.
(1)Kyle K.
In as few words - slightly overprice - great decor - terrible service. I have visited this restaurant several times over the years, never "wowed" but could at least get a beer and enjoy the atmosphere, but last night triggered me to review the place. The best I can describe is feeling unwelcome. Attentiveness to my large group was nearly nonexistent aside from the one gentleman that seated my group and had to convince the other workers that he could add chairs to our table. The restaurant was by no means packed, but we had numerous "empties" left on our table and some of us had to go to the bar to order drinks. I have worked in the "industry" for 15 years and lived in the area for 24 years. There are several better options within feet. Visit at your own risk.
(1)Sara C.
Beautiful & awesome inside and out. I ordered a chicken caesar salad & the only thing I didn't enjoy were the croutons. I can't explain why, but shit I've had better croutons.
(3)Melissa D.
What's up with the terrible reviews of this place? I tried this place last night with a group as part of a meet-up. This place gets a nod from PAFOA. If you understand that acronym, this venue is OC friendly. C&C has some really great deals on beer. Some of the specials for the night were a bit on the pricy side, but the appetizers were reasonable and were a hit at our table. I tried the Thai crab salad, which unique and tasty, was a little lacking on the crab meat and overloaded with rice noodles. While it was okay, I probably would get something else the next time. Also, the place was mostly quiet. If you're looking to hold a group meeting or event, this is a pretty great venue. It's also nicely renovated and convenient to 22. We had a good server and got our food FAST.
(4)Jill S.
The French onion soup was sweet and full of sherry... Strange. Caesar was dressed well. Sub par food and poor seasoning. The hubby liked his overpriced meal but I'm super happy to have saved by eating the mini scallops wrapped in undercooked bacon, dipped in mayo BBQ sauce. Nope.
(2)Kristen D.
I can't believe there are only two reviews on here of Chess and Checkers, and they're both bad! My friends and I have been coming here for years and we love this place. The Checkeretzel (cheese stuffed pretzel) is one of the best appetizers ever. I don't eat much meat, so I usually substitute a veggie burger in for one of their burgers. Their burger choices are great, you can get anything from blue cheese to jalapenos on your burger. Their waffle fries are also amazing. The menu is pretty inexpensive overall and I've never had an issue with the service here. In fact, most of the times I've been here, the place has been mostly empty. The atmosphere is so unique - giant fireplaces, knight's armor, crazy artwork - there's no place like it in the Lehigh Valley, or anywhere else for that matter! I'd ask that you visit with an open mind and put aside the bad reviews. I've been to Chess and Checkers many times over the past few years and I've never experienced any of the negativity mentioned by other reviewers. I'd recommend it to anyone!
(4)Daniel H.
What's with the one star reviews? I took a Marine on leave here a little while ago and we had a great time. From what I can tell it's lager drafts for $3 all the time and although they charged us $8 for a shot it was gigantic and I initially mistook it for a rum and coke... Food was great too. $8 got me a giant burger on a big fresh roll. The burger came with awesome fresh cut fries that were better than Five Guys (less greasy, a strike against the burger chain). They also have sweet potato fries, which my wife would love. I hear secondhand that they have great wings and the crab cakes are awesome too. Next time, though! Since I take all Yelp reviews with a grain of salt, I'm going to say that I don't know what all the previous reviews are talking about with regards to the service. I got my food really fast and the drinks came darn quick. The waiter was attentive and made sure my friend got his beer refilled. Glad I decided to come here instead of the Copperhead! This is a great "dive-y" kind of bar but it's clean and not full of weirdos. (Apparently they also get the PAFOA "thumbs up")
(5)Deb S.
I have never left commentary on the internet regarding restaurants but I feel the need to forewarn people about how terrible the food is here. We ended up going in on an evening after shopping. We saw the building and it looked so beautiful from the outside that we decided to give this place a try. Our first clue was the empty parking lot on a Friday evening (lesson learned). Upon getting our food, most of it was not hot, very bland flavor, and tasted nothing like what it was supposed to taste like. The crab cake we ordered didn't taste like crab even though it had SHELLS in it. We ordered chicken skewers with peanut sauce; I am telling you right now, I have no idea what sauce they drowned the chicken in, but it wasn't peanut sauce. It was dark brown sauce. Peanut sauce is the color pf peanut butter! I cannot even tell you what it tasted like because I never tasted anything like it. It was like a building trying to pretend to be a restaurant because the food resembled nothing like dining out food. I tried to tell the waiter about my daughter's meal and how much she didn't like the sauce (I swear it had hot sauce in pizza sauce) he said, "Yep that's our sauce!" Did not try to work with us, offer something different, nothing. You get what you get and you better like it. To me, that is unacceptable in a restaurant setting. And in all honesty, we should have sent everything back to the kitchen but we didn't have the heart to complain about every single meal. We literally left all our the food on the plate. When the waiter cleared our table, he didn't ask if we liked it and why was all the food still sitting there. Spent $67 for 3 people! That didn't include tip. Horrible, just horrible. Eat here at your own risk. Seriously.
(1)Jay G.
Worse food ever, went there with 4 people, I used to go there a lot before they changed cooks and I used to love the food and they had a great menu but that has all changed. One person wanted meatballs with spaghetti; well they don't sell meatballs anymore. We ordered the Nachos with Chili and pub pickles, those where good. We ordered popcorn shrimp and well there was something like real tiny tiny tiny and I do mean tiny size something that might have been shrimp served. We ordered the ribs that where dry and over cooked and not very tasteful. We did get Spaghetti and no meatballs since they don't sell them anymore and the sauce was awful taste like it just came out of a can. With all this our main couse came less than 5 mins after we got the appetizers it really felt that we were rushed out which in this case was a good thing since we sent the food back and decided to go someplace else to eat.
(1)Scott W.
Visited C L Checker's Pub (aka Chess & Checkers Pub) for the first and last time the other night. While I can't say that the establishment was completely bad, the food and service did not live up to the decor and presentation, and some of the issues the place has are just... odd. *Pulled into the parking lot on a Saturday night to find the place half empty. First warning sign. *Upon entering the establishment, there is a sign that says both the first and second floors are open. Nowhere is there any indication that the first floor is just a bar, and that the restaurant is located on the second floor. Choose wisely. *Menu is standard bar food churched-up for fine dining, some high-ticket items and the rest just slightly overpriced. What was odd however... *No drinks menu. There is a full bar on the restaurant level, yet no menu listing available wines, signature cocktails, or even what is currently on tap. This has to be the first restaurant I have ever been to that had a bar and no drinks menu. My suspicion is that the drinks are so overpriced they don't want to list them, but I didn't feel like testing that theory firsthand. Other than that, though, I can't think of a reason why you WOULDN'T want to present drink options to a patron. *I get the feeling that the owner of the establishment read a book on how to save money by skimping out on the customers. There are no condiments on the tables except salt and pepper, but when I received my burger and fries, I was provided with a small plastic takeout container full of ketchup. I'm sorry, but if you're charging me $12 for a burger and fries and serving them on a higher-end serving plate, the plastic container (with lid, so you know they have a stack of these waiting) ruins the effect. And speaking of cheap... *Throughout the menu is the repeated instruction "Ask your waiter if you would like a pickle." Really? Besides the poor phrasing ("Excuse me waiter, would I like a pickle?"), the fact that a pickle comes with a meal but I have to specifically ask for it is a huge red flag that somebody is trying to save every dime they can. If a restaurant is forcing you to order your garnish separately in order to save money, who knows what else they are skimping on. *On to the actual food. Ordered my burger medium rare, came to me practically well done. Essentially, everything on my plate was overcooked, from the bacon on the burger to the fries, of which at least a third of them were slightly burnt. They were also the wrong fries, as the menu specified waffle fries with the burger, but I received were shoestring fries. And the pickle I requested was kind of sad. *My girlfriend ordered the beef wellington appetizer, which was somewhat bland and more pastry than beef. It was supposed to come with horseradish sauce, but instead came with super-crazy-pepper-death sauce that was literally inedible. When the waiter was informed, he didn't offer to try and acquire real horseradish sauce to replace the hot pepper sauce, but instead brought back ranch dressing as a substitution. Mmmmmmm... bland beef wellington in ranch dressing. *Speaking of he waiter... service was not bad, but was definitely not good. Minimum effort was exhausted at all turns. Once drinks and food were received, there was no drink followup to refill water and take new drink orders, and while he did bring more hot water for my girlfriend's tea, he neglected to bring a second teabag (another penny-pinching red flag). There was also no how-is-everything followup, just the usual "Any desserts?" before the bill. Even the servers at the Waffle House next door take the time to ask how everything is while you are eating. All and all, just substandard and unusually lacking (No drinks menu?) service and food all throughout. Decor is nice, though, if you ignore the spots where nobody has bothered to repair the marred paint job. Odds are the only thing keeping this place afloat is it's liquor license and a local position as the overflow location when all of the nearby restaurants are packed and you aren't in the mood for Waffle House. Avoid if you have a reasonable alternative.
(2)Bob L.
I too don't understand the bad reviews!? I travel to Allentown on business five or six times a year - I have eaten here several times as it's right next to the Hilton Garden hotel - it's open late and the food has been great! This time I had the Crab Cake sandwich (can't remember the name if it on the menu) but it was really good. Bill who serves at the bar is great, always prompt courteous service. Food was presented well and came out hot. Also had a small Caesar salad which was actually big and tested great. All in all, I recommend this restaurant as I've had great service and good food!
(5)Troy Z.
This place is ok. The food is edible but not really good. They say they have the best crab cakes in PA. But the crab cake special costs 37 bucks for 2 crab cakes and something else. Not worth it. I didnt get it, but i cant imagine it being that good. Too expensive for mediocre food. Staff is ok. Not going any less than 3 stars because there were actually people here and the food is edible, but can not ever consider it a 4 or 5 stars.
(3)Mark J.
It's not that this place is horrible, but it just not very good. The crab cakes are OK, but to say they are the best in PA is downright ridiculous - yes they have real crabmeat which makes them better than most. The chicken pot pie wasn't very good, again not that it was bad but just middle of the road uninteresting. Atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired.
(2)David K.
I worked there for 2 weeks and ran screaming. Disgustingly filthy kitchen. Cheap one ply napkins. Plastic ramikins for side sauces. They call themselves "upscale" Dillutional at best.
(1)Robin R.
We saw this place in our travels and decided to give it a whirl because they mentioned chess. I thought I might see a Bobby Fischer sort playing but....NOPE. As you can see by the pictures it's nice enough, there is a fire place and a piano. You get a spiffy view of Airport Rd from the second floor. {{giggle}} The beer was cold :) But the chess pieces were mixed matched, which was damn annoying :( I did notice a nice mixture of music playing while were were there, long enough to play two games of chess. Okay...I'm not really a chess player, I am learning, my fella played both sides of the chess board in the process of teaching me. Quick chat with the server uncovered the fact they have had only one tournament which had the chess players telling the restaurant goers to *hush*. Blahahahaha....funny stuff, there. Maybe keeping the chess players on one floor segregated and quite would be best. :) It started filing up as we were leaving so it seems like a pretty busy place and based on what I saw and smelled the food was typical fried fare.
(3)Dan B.
Co worker recommended so gave it a try....walked in and 12 dudes were sitting at the bar...no one in dining room...didn't want to be a pain so I saddled up..ordered a cocktail and took a look at the laminated menu that stuck to the bar when I picked it up...gross. I watched a few apps and entrees get delivered to my fellow sausage fest dudes and was not too impressed. A giant pub burger came out that looked good but by that point I wanted to split. I'd go back on a busy night with a group and sit in dining area that looked nice.. YMMV
(1)Shawn B.
Worst restaurant experience of my life and that is saying something considering I have been served scorpions in Asia. - waitress was inept....and her belly hair was showing....right next to my food. - my food was so badly burned it inedible. The worst part....The owner. She came out to deal with our complaint and wanted to know if it was so bad, why did I eat it. I didn't. The waitress may have thrown it away but I promise you reader...I did not and could not eat that food. She stared with such hatred I had no idea what to do and I was finally upset enough to no longer be polite and simply stated I wasn't going to pay for the food. Wow was that a mistake. She freaked out on me in the middle of the restaurant and I seriously wondered if she would call the police if I left. In the end we got out having not paid for my meal but not without the entire second floor knowing about it. Please consider this my most highly recommended restaurant to NEVER eat at including out of any place I have been to in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Brazil, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, and Australia. This will forever be my Amy's Baking Company.
(1)Elizabeth C.
They never removed dirty plates/glasses from the table. The waiter didn't know the menu and had to come back 3 times for our order, never asked if we wanted coffee after the meal and was terribly slow (they were not busy). The food was only Ok. I would not recommend the chewy coconut shrimp which did not even come with a dipping sauce.
(2)Dori H.
Underwhelming. It's a beautiful place on the inside, and I had such high expectations. The place is clean and well maintained, but when I asked the bartender for a wine list, I was given a ridiculous amount of attitude. The cab I ordered first had turned, but the riesling was delish. The food was the best part - the buffalo sauce for chicken fingers wasn't technically buffalo but it was damn good. My boyfriend's crab sandwich was delicious, too. Be warned: they advertise waffle fries with a sandwich, but my man got regular fries (all the better for me to steal). We wouldn't go out of our way to go back, but since it's close to the Carmike, we may drop in before a movie.
(2)Charlie G.
Showed up at 1:15am Hungry and was served one of the best burgers I have had in a while. Great food great beer great atmosphere.
(5)An Z.
If I could rate with zero stars I would! I'll be amazed if this place is still open in six months.... Waitstaff were miserable, atmosphere was lifeless and this was the opening night of the world cup!!!?? Wish I'd read reviews before coming here, never again!
(1)Scott S.
I'm mystified - what is wrong with this place? I've learned which bitter reviews in Yelp just need to be ignored because the patrons are usually the problem, not the establishment. Got in late after flying all day and this was close by. Had a couple beers, fried pickles, and a buffalo chicken cheesesteak w/ fries. We were served in good time by an attentive waiter in a clean establishment - not sure what else one could want. My buddy had the burger with a dry rub and it was cooked perfect and huge. We'll be back if I ever get to Allentown again.
(5)Kevin C.
We used to like this place. Had great cheestesteaks and the upstairs is really cool. Most recent visit there was a big sign that said New Cook/Management or something. Well, they should have kept old cook. Food was horrible. Both entrees we got were just terrible. Nasty cheesteak and a burger that was like hockey puck and we sat downstaris which kind of seemed like a basement? The server was nice, but so slow and I think we saw her three times the whole time we were there. She took our order, brought us food and then brought the check. She was probably afraid to solicit comments! ha
(1)Augie B.
Tried this place yesterday. Service was decent but food arrived cold and wasn't that good. Not going back anytime soon
(2)Mongrul H.
Their claim to fame is their crab cakes. I had 2 hours to spare before getting on a plane, so I ordered the crab. The bartender seemed a bit detached, and a little rude, but the crab cake was outstanding! The bldg is renovated and very nice, service could be better (maybe he was just a little bored) , but the crab cake was awesome!!!!! The side veg was perfect as well. I may never be in this area again, but I will never forget this crab cake!!
(4)