Review of Checkers Bistro in Lancaster, PA

After a long day at a work training event, my boss treated us to dinner at Checkers Bistro in Lancaster.  Checkers Bistro serves an eclectic menu of traditional foods with an Asian fusion.  They serve fresh and locally grown food and it is evident that they value the Lancaster farming community.

We started at the bar for some pre-dinner drinks.  The bartenders were well dressed and very knowledgeable of the menu.  My co-worker started with a Sauvignon Blanc and I had a mojito.  I do love my mojitos.  

When all of our party arrived, we were taken to our table.  Our waiter was friendly, yet professional, and even though he was tending other tables, he always seemed to be available for questions or to refill our water glasses.  He even folded our napkins when any one of us got up to use the bathroom.

The bathroom was clean and instead of paper towels, they use cloth towels to dry to your hands.  This reduces waste since they are washed and reused and not thrown away like paper towels.  

We started with calamari and Peking duck tacos.  The calamari was soft and buttery and instead of tomato sauce, it was served with a hot and sour sauce that was light and made a great compliment to the calamari.

Next came the soup and salad.  I split a roasted beet salad with hazelnuts and goat cheese with my coworker, while she also had the french onion soup.  I love beets and the goat cheese was rich and creamy.  

For the main course, I ordered coffee-cured petit filet.  It was served with asparagus and potatoes au gratin.  I enjoyed every bite of it.  One of my coworkers ordered halibut and my manager ordered scallops.  

Dessert was the best part.  We shared profiteroles, delicious little pastries filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce.  Three were not enough!  We also shared some hazelnut mousse while another coworker ordered creme brulee.  

The food was great, the employees were great, but I had one issue.  We were seated by a window and the restaurant was well lit when we were first seated.  As the sun went down, the lighting got lower, so by dessert it was too dark for me at our table.  I know it creates ambiance, but I have never liked when restaurants lower their lighting while guests are eating.

Overall, it was a great experience and I love the fact that Checkers Bistro uses locally grown food on their menu.  While they are open early for brunch on Saturday, they are only open for dinner Monday through Friday and Sunday.