Checker Bar

For many decades, the Checker Bar & Grill at 124 Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit was legendary for its burgers. After first opening across the street in 1955, the historic establishment has found its way into the hands of GTP owner, Tim Tharp and his General Manager, Dave Gregory.


After purchasing the restaurant from the original family, Tharp and Gregory have put forth a profound effort to breathe life back into this classic Detroit establishment. Think: historic tin ceilings, graffiti murals by local legends, restored brick walls and funky retro kitchen objects you forgot you missed so much.

While their boozy ice cream cocktail menu is coming soon, the kitchen is buzzing, offering an array of burgers and other treats, all of which are earning accolades for their fresh ingredients and creative combinations. The Blues Burgers speaks for itself with 1/3 lb fresh Wigley's ground beef, melted blue cheese, sugar glazed peppercorn bacon & bourbon honey BBQ sauce. When you make it over for lunch, don't forget to order a side of shoestring fries. They're arguably the best around. If you're curious but not yet sold, come ask us how you can win a free burger. Full Menu Here

"Opportunity came, and for better or worse, we jumped on it," said Gregory a few weeks back. "We're Detroit enthusiasts. This is where we live and play. We don't want to see everything downtown turn corporate."

The excitement about this new purchase doesn't stop with the first floor. Starting January 15th, the second floor will be home to a rotating POP restaurant series. Every Thursday evening, POP will feature a different local chef and their plated creations. Beginning at 8pm on January 15th, GTP Manager and longtime Detroit chef, promoter and entrepreneur, Steven Reaume, will host his second pop-up in a four-part NOODL series. We could go on and on about Steven's breadth of talent, but Core Detroit did an excellent write up, so here you go:

Core Detroit

The list of other upcoming POP series and other events can be found on the Checker website. We have some exciting plans in the works for this space, so dial in and don't miss out.