Checkers Foods

Don’t judge a book by its cover would be the way to describe the store. Yes it looks a little outdated but they carry some of the best meats and produce at the best price in Lawrence. I drive from across town to use the store because of the excellent products and good prices.

Ah, Checkers. I like you because you’ve eschewed the need for ambiance over savings. No frills stocking of shelves over carefully marketed placement with brand news, yadda yadda.
If you want it cheap, Checkers has it. But there’s more going on here than that. Their produce is actually fresh, not ala Dillon’s. Take that, Kroger. Some of the better produce in town, minus The Merc, which while pricey, is real quality. What’s the most expensive produce in town? The wilted crap at Dillon’s though while cheap is usually mostly inedible by the time you get it home. And tomorrow? Fuggedaboutit.
But I digress. Really, make a list of 10 items, come here and compare against HyVee, Dillon’s, etc. Not even close. Sure, you have to bag your own but so what? I don’t shop here frequently but when I do I always ask myself why I don’t more often.

This is Lawrence’s best grocery store.
I’m a regular, & practically on a first name basis with the late-​night cashier. My husband makes elaborate meals & he can almost always find what he wants here. Aside from regular grocery shopping, I really like Checkers for food gifts. I’ve put together really great local barbecue & local Mexican food gift baskets (complete with chocolate) thanks to Checkers.
Food selection & price: 5 stars for Woohoo
Cleaners/​paper goods/​household goods selection & price: 3.5 stars for A-​OK plus
Customer service: 5 stars
Cleanliness & Layout: 5 stars
Hours: 10 stars for Woohoo times 2
Outside sign & façade: 2 stars for Meh (Time to update!)
Good: Produce (sometimes great), Good (approaching great) selection of local/​regional products, Mediterranean, East Asian, & Mexican/​Latin food selection, Coffee & tea selection, to a lesser extent, other «ethnic» food can be found (i.e. Jewish)
Great: Overall selection, Olive bar, Ice cream selection, Barbecue sauces & condiment selection, Vegetarian food, Clean, Easy layout, 24 hours, One-​stop shopping for food & household basics, Locally owned
I’m super happy they now carry MarCon pies (the best pies in the world, check by the dairy section). The two things they are lacking (which they had a few years back) are a good frozen pierogi & Dr. Brown Cel-​Ray Soda. But they now have an olive bar, so it balances out.

More variety than Dillon’s and Wal-​Mart. Better prices on produce and pretty much everything else, too. You bag yourself, which I both prefer and enjoy. Their ribs and pork butts n shoulders are fresher and without the injected crap that you get at the other two larger chains in town. Their Tomatillos are always fresh and plentiful. Garlic can be dry, but no better or worse than other chain stores in town. They no longer carry Blackburns butter pecan syrup. Nobody else does either. They DO still carry Earl Campbell sausages. Just added a small Asian kiosk by the cheese.

Ok, must admit that the tacky yellow and green exterior and the assumption that ‘warehouse’-type shopping that would require me to purchase huge quantities (5# box of Total anyone? Anyone?) gave me a reason to avoid this store for a while.
But I am so glad I took the plunge and stopped by Checkers Foods.
Yes– it’s a big warehouse with goods piled on top of pallets, but it also has name brand food for less than Dillons… and (wait for it!) they support Lawrence Give Back.
Gotta love supporting a local business that supports local nonprofits. Very low key place, real people, takes coupons, and encourages reusable bags.
Go there: for good buys on frozen food, most pet foods, sodas, canned goods.
Stick with: Farmer’s Market for fresh veggies, fruits.
Keep checking: Dillons ads because sometimes their buying power results in lower special pricing.
Remember to: bring cash — and your Lawrence Give-​Back card.
Thanks, Checkers!

Checkers is a Lawrence grocery treasure. At first blush, it might appear to be a nondescript grocery, but in reality its a great place for all of your needs. Checker’s opts for a warehouse-​style configuration with bare concrete floors and exposed roofing supports — kinda like shopping for groceries in an Old Navy.
Checker’s serves a fair amount of Lawrence’s student and foreign populations, and has a great and reasonably-​priced produce section. Always plentiful amounts of what is in season — green beans, Brussels sprouts, bundles of asparagus, fresh corn to shuck — not to mention a variety of hot peppers, tomatillos, cactus leaves, jicama, and taro root. And the produce section also has selections of garden-​fresh herbs. And organic produce. And, and, and…
The deli and cheese section has seen substantial improvement over the past couple of years and now offers a good selection of cheeses, as well as a bulk olive bar.
The meat section carries a fine selection of beef, pork, and chicken, as well as a selection of fresh and frozen lamb. The frozen meats also include Halal quail and whole frozen duck.
Checkers has an on-​site bakery that prepares a great selection of fresh-​baked breads and rolls. Because Checkers services some of Lawrence’s Hispanic population, they also make pan dulce and tortillas and have a special section of Mexican food products.
When it comes to canned and packaged foods, Checker’s has very reasonable prices. Their store signage states that the twelve-​packs of soda are $ 0.10 over invoice, and chips and snacks that are pre-​priced are less than the price marked.
In the last year, Checkers has also added a dedicated section of foods that are gluten-​free, organic, and formulated for special diets. They also include a bulk section of nuts, rices, and, my favorite, steel-​cut oats. Checker’s also carries coffee from the Lawrence Coffee Roastery, one of the local coffee roasters.
And, though I’ve been rare to take advantage of it, Checkers is open 24 hours.
Overall, I’m a big fan of Checker’s, not only because it’s a great nearby grocery store, but also because it has all the things I need.

The best stuff is totally cheaper at Checkers! They always have really fresh produce, with an ever expanding selection of organic and local foods. The may and eggs are always cheaper than competitors, so I do most of my shopping here. With a new bulk and health food, it definitely wins my shopping vote.

All the best stuff is cheaper at Checkers… this is what the store advertises and it could not be more true. An excellent selection of produce, both from local growers and organic, as well as a great deli (with a wide variety of cheeses), and a bakery that makes tortillas (and other baked goods) in the store.
The selection and quality of food is always top notch, and yeah, maybe it lacks a little in ambiance, but really, when I am at the grocery it is to shop, not soak up a great atmosphere. I’ll take all the money I saved by shopping at Checkers and use it to hang out in my favorite restaurant or bar.
They also participate in the Lawrence GiveBack program, where I get a percentage back on the groceries I buy and a percentage goes to my selected local charity — talk about a win win.

Words I thought I’d never say: I love Checkers!
I am guilty of judging a book by its cover. Large, warehousey grocery store couldn’t possibly carry food worthy of my home. WRONG.
I have lived in Lawrence three different times: once as a student and twice as a «grown-​up.» And only once had I deigned enter Checkers. I had no idea I was missing out on the best-​run, largest-​inventoried grocery store in town.
Checkers has the best produce department in town, hands-​down. The produce is fresher and consistently cheaper than other stores. They carry local stuff as much as possible, and the produce aisle is spotless and overflowing with fabulous fruit and veg.
I continue to be surprised with the range of items Checkers carries. There are bulk non-​perishables all the way through specialty items and an entire department of organic goods. I discover something new to me every time I’m there (it’s a big store!). Most recently, I found locally farmed beef and pork, and local milk in glass jugs.
Checkers is one of my favorite grocery stores ever!