Checkers Pizza — Restaurant in Manchester

I'm going to give Checkers an honest shout-out for stepping up & getting back to what I liked about them in the first place. Good food, later hours, and a friendly and accommodating owner (at least I assume he is the owner). Just a really decent guy.

If you really didn't like the style of pizza or whatever the menu item - that's not really a fixable criticism. But if you have tried Checkers and enjoyed their food, gone back and was dissatisfied, or had a bad first experience - I recommend giving them another chance. If you have never tried them, then hopefully a brutally honest review gets them some business.

Why? Because too often I'll try a place, really like it, then go back and have a negative experience. Typically, I'll see it when a place becomes successful & opens another location, or just gets busy, but the root cause is generally the same: When the boss is gone, it seems some employees (not all) don't push through and make sure their food is on point, or be nasty to people- whatever.

I know it's hard work, hot kitchen, customers that are jerks. Bosses that are jerks. I get it. But have enough pride in your work to stay on point.

One night I ordered something with marinara, they were busy & forgot to put it in the bag, so when I asked for the (paid for) marinara, the girl goes over & scoops some of the pizza sauce into a little container. Thats just weak. I know it's not flattering to call them out on the interwebs for that particularly if I'm giving a 5 star review, but I really am trying to make a point - and being a fan-boy or an employee trying to up the rating isn't it.

There are 2 other Manchester places that I really like - one of them & their famous New Haven style pie use to be good every time. Now? The food is good when it's good, but some days...not so much. And the other place started in Vernon/Rockville with their particular style of pizza and food & it was awesome. Within a few months I was done with them. Unreliable quality. Anyway, this place opened up a location in Manchester, the Vernon one faded away, and the Manchester one is good every time. Bigger place, much more staff.

Checkers - I can only imagine how hard it is to compete in the pizza game, and I know the profit margin is not as big as we assume it is. But I wish you success, thank you for making me food when I work late & need some chow, and to all of you locals, hope this encouraged you more than...

a couple of weeks ago my ex husband, his wife and I decided to order delivery from checkers. My ex husband ordered a meatball grinder with bacon and about 5 minutes after he started eating his grinder he had an allergic reaction. It was so bad that his face was turning purple and spotty and his tongue was starting to swell. Luckily we were able to get him his epi pen. However when I called to find out what exactly was in the grinder a very rude male employee informed me that they don't make anything in the restaurant it is all purchased frozen from restaurant supply stores. I told him that even if everything is purchased they should know what is in the product that they are selling because of the fact that there are so many people with food allergies. That is when he very rudely informed me that he is just an employee and it's not his responsibility to know what is in the food he said if someone knows they have an allergy they shouldn't eat the food. I used to be general manager of a restaurant and I can guarantee you that all my employees that served food knew everything that was in all the food on the menu because of this exact reason. I got tired of dealing with the idiotic employee so I asked to speak with the owner. The employee took my number and assured me that the owner would call me, however I have not heard from him. This is not how you run a business and honestly with practices like this you are just asking for a lawsuit. What would have happened if my ex husband hadn't been lucky enough and had been hospitalized or worse because of this reaction. This place is a lawsuit waiting to happen and personally I wouldn't want to order food from a restaurant that purchases all the food they sell from places like...

Last time I ordered they never came. When I called the next day, they told me they needed to make sure I paid and they would send it out that night. An hour later I call and they say the boss hasn’t gotten back to them. (Order was literally just 2 orders of Mozzarella Sticks). Another hour later they call and tell me it will be on its way, I ask if they can throw in a free soda, they say yes. They show up… no soda.

This most recent time I ordered however… the pizza showed up and it was legitimately the most unappetizing and disgusting pizza I’ve ever seen. Somehow they burnt the crust yet the poor quality mozzarella didn’t even melt and was still in strands. Somehow a piece of paper under up under the cheese. I don’t even know how you could mess up a pizza this bad.

I would have called to complain but frankly, I could never trust a restaurant that would send a pizza like this out with any semblance of food safety. And if you’ve ever been inside the place, you would know it’s not particularly clean.

The only thing I ate last night was a tax for the knowledge to never order from here again. Sucks they’re the only place open late, and this is probably the only reason they still get...