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Serving Up Double Trouble: The Checkers and Rally’s Menu

Last updated on February 3, 2015 by Sherman Morrison 15 Comments
in Hamburger Franchise, Menu Reviews

Checkers Rally's Menu by Nemo's great uncle



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This Franchise Chatter guide on the Checkers and Rally’s menu was written by Sherman Morrison.

The story of how the nation’s two largest double drive-thru burger chains, who used to be engaged in cut-throat competition against each other, came to be one is quite fascinating.

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When Alabama native James E. Mattei dabbled in Wendy’s franchises in addition to his real estate development activities, he quickly observed that at least half of his fast-food business was coming via the drive-thru, and that most of the orders were for burger combination meals.

His idea was to pare down a fast-food operation to focus on just those things, which meant big savings by eliminating dining rooms, big parking lots, and complex menus. Thus, Checkers was born in 1986, with the first location in Mobile, Alabama.

Meanwhile, a year earlier, in Louisville, Kentucky, the first Rally’s opened, with a very similar double drive-thru concept that only offered very limited seating inside the restaurant.

Both chains served to shake things up in the burger market, offering lower prices than the big four (McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Hardee’s) due to their lower overhead. This created a price war that consumers loved, but many restaurants found it hard to compete in that environment.

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After the fall-out, Checker’s opted for made-to-order burgers rather than the pre-fabs offered at the big chains, and in the mid-1990s, they also worked out a big geographic non-compete deal with Rally’s so they wouldn’t be hurting each other.

Finally, in 1999, the two companies realized it would make the most sense for them to join forces into one double drive-thru behemoth. Now headquartered in Tampa, Florida, the combined Checkers and Rally’s operation has more than 800 locations in 28 states and Washington, DC.

Rally’s locations took on the Checkers look with the bold checkerboard squares, red neon signs, and chrome styling on their small modular buildings. With the exception of the name on the signs, the Checkers and Rally’s menu offerings, as well as their look, are the same.

Because Checkers and Rally’s menu prices vary by location, this article will focus on the quality of their food in their two primary menu groupings, burgers and fries.

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Seared and Seasoned Burgers

Checkers and Rally’s offer 17 different burgers. Because most of them are just slight variations of each other in terms of toppings and number of cheese slices, I’m just going to list them all with their essential features, then go more in-depth into some of the more interesting offerings.

Here’s the Checkers/Rally’s burger line-up:

  • CheckerBurger or RallyBurger. Single patty with all the fixins (lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, mayo).
  • CheckerBurger or RallyBurger with Cheese. Same as above with one slice of cheese.
  • Double Rallyburger with Cheese. Two patties, 1 slice of cheese, all the fixins.
  • Cheese Champ. Single patty, cheese, all the fixins.
  • Big Buford. Two patties, two slices of cheese, all the fixins.
  • Bacon Cheese Champ. Same as the above with the addition of bacon.
  • Baconzilla. Two patties, three slices of cheese, bacon on top of each patty.
  • Bacon Roadhouse. Two patties, two slices of cheese, onion tanglers, bacon, and BBQ sauce.
  • Bacon Cheddar Crisp. Single patty, cheddar cheese, bacon.
  • Bacon Cheddar Crisp Double. Same as above, but with two patties, and a slice of cheese on each.
  • BLT. Three strips of bacon topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
  • Cheese Double. Two patties, 1 slice of cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard.
  • The Two Cheesy. Two patties, 2 slices of cheese, pickles, ketchup, and mustard.
  • Fry Lovers Burger. One patty, cheese, seasoned fries, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayo.
  • American Double Melt. Two patties, 2 slices of cheese, grilled onions, on toasted sourdough bread.
  • All American Cheeseburger. One patty, 1 slice of cheese, pickles, ketchup, and mustard.
  • Chili Cheeseburger. Single patty topped with meaty chili and cheese.

In general, I think most people find that the burgers from Checkers and Rally’s are definitely a step above the usual big-chain suspects, but come nowhere near the higher-end “better burger” chains like Five Guys Burgers and Fries or In-N-Out Burger. The Checkers/Rally’s burgers are just not tasty or fresh enough to compete with either of those chains.

Of course, this is a franchise, and there’s always going to be variation from one location to the next, but the variation at Checkers/Rally’s always seems to be towards the bad end of the spectrum.

The most common reaction is this: As a burger joint, their fries are pretty good, as long as you eat them before they get cold (more on that below). That doesn’t say much for the burgers, does it?

Despite their claim that the burgers are both “seared” and “seasoned,” most of the time you’re left wondering where is all that flavor? You might even wonder if they’re even cooked on a grill at all – they have a suspiciously steamed quality to them.

As you’ll see in the listing above, many of the burgers come with lettuce, which is always a disappointment. This is shredded iceberg lettuce, and besides adding no flavor whatsoever, it also tends to fall out of the burger before you even get into it.

What’s worse is that the most identifiable trend in the Checkers/Rally’s burger experience is your likelihood of getting a burger that is not served hot. In fact, it is often the case that any slices of cheese added won’t be melted.

This is not the case with most of their bacon burgers, which suggests that at least the bacon is put on the burger while still piping hot. This is also not the case when you get a burger that seems to have a cheese sauce put on it rather than slices of cheese. This is sometimes the case when you have one of their cheddar cheese burgers, though not always, which is a real mystery.

The standard bun at Checkers/Rally’s is a sesame seed bun, though a few of the burgers come on toasted sourdough (the American Double Melt and the Bacon Roadhouse). Their buns are not usually toasted, which means they can get pretty soggy pretty quickly, and even when the bread is supposed to be toasted, it often isn’t, which is always a disappointment. The sourdough, even when toasted, comes out feeling like nothing other than super-dense white bread.

A few of these burgers deserve special mention, although not because they’re especially good, unfortunately. Take the Fry Lovers Burger, for example. There are people who like to put fries on their burgers, and I’ll have to admit I’m one of those people. But to make that worthwhile, you need to really pile a good amount of fries on it.

When you look at the promo picture for the Fry Lovers Burger, it looks like they’re getting it right. But when you do get the burger, you’ll be lucky if there’s even six fries on it. Not exactly satisfying. Of course, if you’re smart enough to get an order of fries with it as well, you can rectify that oversight yourself.

The big question is this: How can the Fry Lovers Burger taste essentially the same as the chain’s regular cheeseburger? Another mystery to ponder…

The other burger that gets attention is the Bacon Roadhouse. Again, the meat comes out as flavorless and without any char whatsoever, making one wonder if the patties are really even seared or seasoned at all. The BBQ sauce is weak and does little more than add a bit of sweetness and make the whole thing a sopping wet mess. The “onion tanglers” (fried onion rings) don’t come out crispy at all, and once again the cheese seems suspiciously more like a cheese sauce than melted slices of cheese.

There’s a lot that tends to go wrong with Checkers/Rally’s burgers, and even accounting for variation among franchise locations, it seems that most people have relatively disappointing experiences with them.

Of course, you could always opt for the BLT – lacking any patty whatsoever, you won’t be underwhelmed by it!

Fry Love

Checkers/Rally’s makes the audacious claim that their fries just might be the best on Earth. Personally, I don’t think they should be making that claim.

First of all, I don’t want my fries battered or coated with anything. Not only are Checkers/Rally’s fries battered, they are then seasoned with some kind of blend that’s pretty heavy on the pepper, which is not my favorite.

Still, they are tasty, but I have trouble figuring out the chain’s cult-like following that praises these fries.

Try keeping track of how many you throw away because they don’t even look like they’re worth eating – the little stubs that are either burnt and too hard or too soggy. I think you’ll find that the ratio of throw-aways with Checkers/Rally’s fries is far greater than you’ll get with any other fast-food chain.

They aren’t too bad if you eat them while hot, but as soon as they cool down (which happens quickly), they become soft and soggy and incredibly greasy.

So one way to do something about this problem is to dump something on top of them to hide their deficiencies. Here’s the run-down of what you can get on your fries at Checkers/Rally’s:

  • Seasoned Fries. This is their standard offering – battered, fried, and seasoned.
  • Fully Loaded Fries. A load of seasoned fries topped with cheese, ranch dressing, and crispy bacon.
  • Baconzilla! Fries. A load of seasoned fries topped with cheese, ketchup, and lots of crispy bacon.
  • Cheese Chili Cheese Fries. A load of seasoned fries topped with zesty chili and a lot of cheese (hence the repetition of the word in the name).

If the fries just don’t do it for you, you can also get their “onion tanglers” (onion rings) or their Fry Seasoned Monsterella Stix (Mozzarella sticks with their fry seasoning applied). Both are pretty standard, and nothing to write home about.

I’d like to say that the mediocre-at-best menu offerings from the Checkers/Rally’s menu are rectified by stellar customer service, but that’s just not the case. It’s a drive-thru, after all, with extremely limited seating inside, if any at all, so there’s no real chance to have any kind of deep interactions with the staff.

The ordering process is fast, which is good, but other than that, you’re probably not going to find anything that distinguishes them in a way that makes you want to go back, except for pricing.

Checkers/Rally’s menu prices too often represent a temptingly low expense. They are known for offering burgers at just $1 during many promotions. Even there, however, you’re bound to be disappointed. You can often only get that $1 price if you’re ordering three different sandwiches, and if you’re by yourself, you don’t want to eat that much mediocrity.

One of the things I find most annoying about the Checkers/Rally’s menu is that although it offers no fewer than 17 different burgers, they don’t seem to get any of them right.

A lot of those choices are just tinkering with small adjustments in the number of slices of cheese (when it’s even slices to begin with) or the combination of toppings. All the burgers come out on the small side, and all 17 are really variations on the same mediocre burger. There’s nothing to get excited about here.

The Checkers/Rally’s menu is one that offers you ample opportunity to give it two thumbs down, which is probably the most likely outcome you’ll experience when you eat there.



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Tagged as: Checkers, Rally's

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    July 6, 2015 at 9:07 pm

    Good, It’s disgusting.

    Reply
    • bill says

      September 18, 2018 at 11:54 pm

      Rallys food will get u sick. Their food is too greasy. Not only that. Its not filling for some reason. Its not worth the money.

      Reply
    • Don Thorson says

      December 10, 2019 at 1:15 pm

      I say, if you don’t like it, don’t eat it. Go somewhere more to your candyassed liking. Not everyone likes the same thing. I, personally hate McDonald’s (Mac-N-Vac) where you feel like you have to throw up or get your stomach pumped after eating there.
      So far, I have liked Rallys Big Buford burgers, even cold out of the refrigerator the next day.
      So again, IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE and quit running them down.

      Reply
  2. Sean says

    August 30, 2015 at 3:44 pm

    I think reading this article was a waste of time. I love rally’s/checkers

    Reply
    • Melani says

      August 17, 2018 at 10:47 am

      I feel the EXACT same way Sean …I don’t even eat fast food AT ALL!! But RALLY’S???? That’s my ISH!

      Reply
      • Kathleen. Stainis says

        September 1, 2019 at 6:02 pm

        I eat at Checkers and I would say their good, good price, can’t beat it.

        Reply
  3. Vicky says

    September 1, 2016 at 3:07 am

    If you want the worst customer service this side of the globe, the Checker’s located in Berwyn Heights, MD is the place to go. I don’t know where they get these people that are not only rude, but can’t get the order right. However considering the location, why should I have expected any better. Useless contacting the Corporate Office which means they don’t see an issue (unless of course they are on the receiving end of this crappy service). Food, cold and nasty. Sodas, watered down. Take notes regarding the customer service at Chik-fil-a, Outstanding! Even McDonald’s customer service is better than this place!

    Reply
  4. El says

    October 4, 2016 at 8:55 am

    Bunch of lies. There’s bad customer service and bad burgers in a lot of stores. Burgers are fatty foods anyway and is not good for your body. Checkers is actually very tasty. Comparing with the other fast food stores checkers burger taste better. 5 guys burgers is okay too. Having said the I’m a very picky person.

    Reply
  5. Rin says

    May 7, 2017 at 8:45 am

    Who the hell wrote this? Rally/Checkers burgers are absolutely disgusting, and 4/5 times will make you sick after eating. They’re cold, barely any warmth to them, and the buns are disgusting, they aren’t toasted, and it feels like you’re choking on every bite. And the grease, good god, it’s disgusting. Half the time, by the time I’ve eaten half the burger, the other half is soaked in grease, and it’s even worse with the fish sandwiches.

    The ONLY thing they have that’s decent are fries, and half the time they’re soggy and cold by the time you either walk out or drive away.

    Reply
  6. Jack says

    January 10, 2018 at 10:07 pm

    It is what it is. Burger King is better, Wendy’s is better, Hardee’s is better, of course Five Guys and In-N-Out are better.
    The patties are about as flavorful and textured as McD’s but at the time of this post the 2 for 2 McDouble deal is gone and Rally’s has 2 Big Buford’s for $5. I would usually get 6 McDoubles and eat all of them so Rally’s is now a better deal. The toppings are better, too. The patties are often lukewarm and McDonald’s serves theirs warmer, but I don’t like piping hot food so I let it cool to lukewarm, anyway.
    Customer service? It’s a drive-thru. At the location I visit the window teller says hello, gives the total, takes my money, and quickly gives me food. Quick and easy. Not much to it, but they do it quick and that is good in my book.
    In conclusion it’s cheap, quick and if you mind the specials you can get alot of food. There are better tasting/ quality options but you’ll spend more money. If you want alot of cheap burger when you’re broke or a good nasty burger after pub hopping, 2 for $5 Bufords and you get one for your friend.

    Reply
  7. Julia says

    March 3, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    I’m unfamiliar with “throw away fries” but then again i love the crispy tiny bit ones. If you get a large fry and they get soggy, 5 min in the broiler (or toaster oven) and they’re crisper than when they’re served! I injure that does no good if you’re not home, but i always pick them up and bring them home to eat.
    Fast food burgers are all the same, except for burger kings flame flavor and white castles onion infused flavor, so I go for the fries (cuz I also LOVE coatings) and the burger is a constellation.
    The service is actually unnecessarily awful though. The day any other place makes those fries will be the last day I ever get rally/ checkers, but if you don’t like the fries I don’t know why you bothered reviewing this.
    Honestly, this review didn’t make me think the establishment was bad, it made me think you just don’t like cheap fast food. Go review a real restaurant if that’s what you like.

    Reply
  8. Andrew says

    June 27, 2018 at 11:48 am

    I ate at a checkers for first time today . just moved here and herd of it..and I must disagree with this food review….well like all them I guess it just depends on the location. But the one I went too was amazing …it had seared meat and toasted buns the prices where stupid cheap, although burgers where under sized …more like value menu sizes at most places they where very tasty . and I loved the fries … I like a Jack in the box curly fries better buut there right up there with them .. There where 5 of us all first timmers there and where all satisfied and will be returning.

    Reply
  9. Paul says

    July 7, 2019 at 8:14 am

    I’ve eaten at checkers on and off for the last 15 years. There are not that many locations neat me now but I’ve tried maybe a dozen or so locations over the years. I can tell you that the double checker burger with cheese had the most flavor and is excellent if you catch them when they cook it fresh. Ended if not, they are still really good. I would suggest ignoring this review and try it yourself.

    Reply
  10. Joan Phillips says

    August 6, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    I live across from Checkers. I have lived here for 16 years and just started going to Checkers. I find the food very good except sometimes the fries are cold. The Employees are all very friendly.

    Reply
  11. William Wright says

    December 12, 2019 at 12:36 pm

    I love Riley’s in checkers the best hamburgers best chili dogs french fries. This is the only fast-food place I will eat without getting sick McDonald’s gives you diarrhea Arby’s a waste Wendy’s too hard.

    Reply

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