Checkers Downtown

Our dinner was the prix fixe dineLa dinner. Three courses for $34. My Caesar Salad was good and my wild salmon with a butter sauce on the side was excellent. The beef tenderloin had a fantastic wine reduction sauce. The third course was a flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream in the middle. It was very good. In all fairness the martinis were a little weak. Service was good and the restaurant was quiet. It was a Monday night however.

We arrived at Checkers at 6 pm and expected to get out for 8 pm at the Music Center, and we were assured that would be no problem. Well there was a problem. After drinks we waited 45 minutes for someone to take our order! Not impressive. The food however was impressive, the salads crunchy and full of delicious surprises. The ahi tuna with avocado and tomatoes was perfect with just enough pepper to wake up the tastebuds. The monkfish was also perfect, even though the accompanying risotto contained some rice grains that were just a little too much al dente. I would have loved to try the desserts, but by the time we finally got our coffees, it was time to leave for the Music Center. I will definitely return for the food, but beware of timing for the Music Center.

I recommended this Hotel to an out-of-town friend who was treating her Mother to a trip to LA for her 80th birthday. When my friend made her reservation, she advised the Hotel she would be arriving late on Friday night. The Hotel told her she could "guarantee" a late arrival by use of her credit card which my friend did do. When she arrived there, she was told the Hotel was "oversold" and they could not accomodate she and her mother. My friend felt horrible because she wanted this to be really special for her Mother. I felt horrible because I recommended the Hotel. I would not do so again and I encourage you to advise your readers accordingly.

This was a great place to have dinner with friends. Low lights with a full bar and the staff is totally friendly. I went here for a girls night out and due to one of our party being late we missed our reservation to be seated but the nice maitre d allowed us to order from the full menu from the lounge.

I'm not sure why this place has 4 dollar signs because it wasn't that expensive. For three people we spent $115 and that included the tip. That didn't include alcohol because we paid for drinks at the bar but I still consider that ok for dinner for 3 people. We had the swordfish pasta, seared ahi tuna, and the mahi mahi. We also ordered a huge salad. Since it was girls night out we all shared food so I got to sample all of the food and let me say all of the fish was fresh and flavorful. The portions were so large that we weren't able to finish.

There was also a ton of people there from out of town for a conference- I guess it is inside the Hilton Hotel so that makes sense - and I met some great people and had a lot of fun. It was a positive experience and I would go again.

The atmosphere at Checkers Restaurant is classy and refined. It's an ideal place for a quiet, romantic meal. Try reserving an early dinner to avoid the "dinner-and-show" crowd, and to get the most attentive service.