Checkers Drive-In is as American as it gets! They’ve got hot dogs, burgers, fries, milkshakes, and even frozen beverages. But what’s really Keto-Friendly at Checkers and Rally’s?
Well, checkers isn’t quite known for their “healthy” meal options. On the contrary, their menu is smothered with carbs all over the place. Think about buns, potatoes, sugar (lots of it!), dairy, and much more.
But if you play your cards right, you can leave the place with a satisfied belly and a smile on your face. Oh, and you would still maintain your hard-earned ketosis!
For example, simply choosing the bone-in chicken wings over boneless ones can make a day and night difference in your keto game.
A 5-piece serving of lemon pepper wings costs just 2g carbs. On the other hand, its boneless counterpart has upwards of 22g of sugary carbs!
This article will help you design the perfect low-carb order at Checkers Drive-In. We will also share the exact number of net carbs in each menu item to help you plan better.
How to Survive Keto at Checkers Drive-In
A ketogenic diet wants you to consume 70-80% of your calories in the form of fats. And your daily carb quota is restricted to 20g of net carbs.
Such tight carb limits are designed to turn you into a fat-burning machine!
You see, as you consume high fats and extremely thin carbs, your body turns to fat as a primary source of fuel. It breaks down fat molecules into “ketones” that fulfill all your energy requirements (hence the term ketosis.)
Here’s how a keto-friendly meal looks like:
But if you are dining out and looking forward to satisfying meals, there’s some compromise involved.
For example, if you pull into the Checkers Drive-In and glance over the menu, you’ll hardly find low-carb, high-fat dishes. But you can still minimize your carb intake to avoid falling out of ketosis.
So your best course of action is to stick with least-carb dishes like the bacon slices. Each serving of 2 slices has less than 1g of net carbs.
Before we look at more keto-friendly options at Checkers, here are some items that you must AVOID at all costs:
- Burgers and Sandwiches because of bread/buns
- Boneless chicken wings
- Anything that has a layer of crispy breading
- Fries
- BBQ Sauce (has lots of sugar)
- Desserts, Shakes & Smoothies
- Beef Tacos
- Monsterella Stix
So that means no burgers for me?
Where there’s a will there’s a way!
The good news is that you can still enjoy those juicy hamburger patties provided you get rid of the bun!
Simply swap out the bun with a lettuce wrap or have your burger in a bowl.
Consider this: The Big Buford burger comes with two large hand-seasoned beef hamburger patties, two slices of melted American cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, dill pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise all on a toasted bakery-style bun.
The major chunk of carbs come from bun, ketchup, and tomatoes. If you cut them out, you’ll be left with a delicious burger meal for less than 5g net carbs.
Checkers doesn’t specify the exact carbs in their burger patties. But it’s just beef mixed with a few spices. At worst, expect 1g of net carb per patty.
It’s still a pretty good deal, right?
They also have a host of low-carb sauces that takes your keto game to the next level! These include Buffalo Sauce, Parmesan Garlic, Blue Cheese Sauce, Ranch, and Lemon Pepper Seasoning.
But that’s not all.
Checker’s menu also includes a large variety of Chicken Wings. And some of them fit the keto bill!
Are Checkers Chicken Wings Keto Friendly?
Checkers’ bone-in chicken wings are highly keto-friendly. You can get a 5-piece serving of lemon pepper wings for as low as 2g net carbs.
The only exception are the Sweet and Smoky BBQ wings. As discussed earlier, the BBQ sauce has a lot of sugar inside which hikes up the carb count.
Here’s an overview of carbs in each flavor (5 pc serving):
- Plain Chicken Wings: 2g net carbs
- Angry Buffalo Chicken Wings: 2g net carbs
- Medium Buffalo Chicken Wings: 3g net carbs
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings: 2g net carbs
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings: 3g net carbs
- Sweet & Smoky BBQ Chicken Wings: 18g net carbs
I mostly order the Angry Buffalo wings with a generous serving of blue cheese sauce (yumm!) It makes quite a filling meal for less than 5g net carbs.
What about the boneless wings?
Well, boneless wings are the worst option on a ketogenic diet. What makes them so delicious, is also what makes them utterly high in carbs!
Boneless wings are nothing but a fancy name for chicken nuggets. Checkers’ boneless wings are battered and then fried, giving them a crispy texture. However, a single piece contains over 5g of net carbs (excluding the sauces!).
If you are really craving the bonesless wings, try pulling off the breading with your bare hands. It’s not a foolproof plan by any means. But you can significantly lower your carb intake.
MORE: White Castle Low-Carb Menu
Checkers Keto and Carb Guide
You now have a basic idea of what to order on keto at Checkers Drive In.
Keto can be really flexible as long as you stick to the macros (more importantly, your daily carb limit).
So here’s the complete carb guide for Checkers and Rallys:
Note: The table only includes net carbs i.e. carbs minus dietary fiber.
Burgers & Sandwiches
| All American Cheeseburger | 35 |
| Smoky BBQ Bacon Buford | 35 |
| Smoky BBQ Bacon Buford Triple | 38 |
| Big Buford® | 37 |
| Big Buford Triple™ | 31 |
| Baconzilla!® | 40 |
| Baconzilla! Triple™ | 38 |
| Checker/Rallyburger® | 37 |
| Double Checker/Rallyburger™ w/Cheese | 28 |
| Cheese Champ® | 37 |
| Fry Lovers Double | 46 |
| Grilled Hot Dog | 29 |
| Chili Dog | 31 |
RELATED: Gluten Sensitive Options at Checkers
Chicken & Fish
| Classic Mother Cruncher Chicken Sandwich™ | 58 |
| Bacon BBQ Mother Cruncher Chicken Sandwich™ | 66 |
| Crispy Fish Sandwich | 50 |
| Deep Sea Double® | 57 |
| Chicken Bites and Fries Box | 58 |
| Half Pound Chicken Bites and Fries Box | 80 |
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich | 38 |
| Double Spicy Chicken | 45 |
| Chicken Wings, Plain – 5 pc | 2 |
| Chicken Wings, Angry Buffalo – 5 pc | 2 |
| Chicken Wings, Medium Buffalo – 5 pc. | 3 |
| Chicken Wings, Lemon Pepper – 5 pc. | 2 |
| Chicken Wings, Garlic Parmesan – 5 pc. | 3 |
| Chicken Wings, Sweet & Smoky BBQ – 5 pc | 18 |
| Boneless Wings, Plain – 5 pc | 20 |
| Boneless Wing, Angry Buffalo – 5 pc. | 20 |
| Boneless Wings, Medium Buffalo – 5 pc | 21 |
| Boneless Wings, Lemon Pepper – 5 pc | 20 |
| Boneless Wings, Garlic Parmesan – 5 pc | 21 |
| Boneless Wings, Sweet & Smoky BBQ – 5 pc | 36 |
RELATED: Freddy’s Keto & Low-Carb Options
Local Flavors
| B.L.T | 34 |
| Bowl of Chili, 12 fl oz | 17 |
| Chili Cheeseburger | 34 |
| Mushroom Swissburger | 33 |
| Double Mushroom Swissburger | 33 |
| Bacon Cheddar Crisp | 27 |
| Bacon Cheddar Crisp Double | 28 |
| Chicken Nuggets – 10 pc. | 26 |
| Double Olive Burger | 37 |
| Olive Burger | 36 |
| Beef Tacos (2) | 32 |
| Apple Pie, 1 | 36 |
Sauces & Dressings
| Angry Buffalo, 1 fl oz. | 0 |
| Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauce, 1 fl oz. | 16 |
| Medium Buffalo Sauce, 1 fl oz. | 1 |
| Parmesan Garlic, 1 fl oz. | 1 |
| Lemon Pepper Seasoning, 0.25 fl oz. | 0 |
| Ranch Dressing, 1 fl oz. | 4 |
| BBQ Sauce Dipper, 1 each pc. | 15 |
| Frank’s® Buffalo Hot Sauce Dipper, 1 each pc | 0 |
| Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce, 1 each pc | 2 |
| Honey Mustard Dipper, 1 each pc | 4 |
| Ranch Dipping Sauce Dipper, 1 each pc. | 2 |
Fries & Sides
| Fries – Small | 44 |
| Fries – Medium | 57 |
| Fries – Large | 67 |
| Fries – Fry Lover’s XL | 103 |
| Cheese Chili Cheese Fries® | 38 |
| Fully Loaded Fries | 65 |
| Monsterella Stix™, 4 pc. w/ 1 portion cup Marinara | 19 |
| Monsterella Stix™, 6 pc. w/ 1 portion cup Marinara | 27 |
| Bacon, 2 Slices | 1 |
| Cheese Sauce | 2 |
| Chili, 1 fl oz | 1 |
| Grilled Onions | 1 |
Conclusion
Checkers is your typical fast-food restaurant with carbs all over the place.
However, there are some low-carb hacks that can help your enjoy a meal with your friends without sitting idle.
Checkers and Rally’s keto-friendly options include bacon slices, bunless burgers, and different flavors of chicken wings. You can choose from various low-carb sauces to suit your taste buds.
For beverages, stick to water, unsweet tea, Diet Coke, or Dasani.
NEXT: Wendy’s Low-Carb Menu