Chillin’ on the Checkerboard’s Patio

Enjoying some Checkerboard Inn Sicilian Pizza with Onions on the Deck in Trucksville!

As summer rolls to its inevitable conclusion, I’ve been trying to test out as many outdoor decks and patios as possible.  Many members of the NEPA Nation suggested that the Checkerboard Inn in Trucksville had one of the best patio’s in NEPA along with some really good pan fried Sicilian pizza so this was a no-brainer to check out.  With these two boxes checked and a beautiful sunny day, we packed up the family and headed to the charming town of Trucksville which is home to fellow pizza heavyweights Pizza Perfect and TC Riley’s.  Needless to say, expectations were high on this review!

A look at the Checkerboard Inn Sicilian Pizza
We arrived to find a packed parking lot on a Friday afternoon, but the huge patio easily accommodated us.  We chose a seat under the covered bar area, although the uncovered patio was very cool as well.  The outdoor dining area was huge, and before we got settled, I decided to run inside and check the dining room out.  That too was huge and looked like a really fun and casual place to eat complete with a few games and a relaxing environment, but the patio was where it was happening with the perfect weather.  We took a look at the menu, which didn’t include the pan fried Sicilian Pizza that we were seeking, but after asking our server about it and checking out Checkerboard’s facebook page, I learned that the Sicilian is basically an everyday special – $9.95 for an 8 cut tray.  We also ordered a few other items including the french dip, the loaded tater tots, and a salad – all were delicious but we’re here to review the pizza!

A look at the golden brown pan fried crust on the Sicilian Pizza at Checkerboard Inn.
The pizza didn’t take very long to be delivered to our table.  It looked quite good at first glance with a cheese color spectrum of bright white, yellow, and tan contrasted with a deep red sauce and a neatly browned edge crust.  The cheese likely contained some mozzarella and perhaps another neutral cheese.  It didn’t have much elasticity to it, which usually points me in the way of mozzarella and cheddar or something similar.  The sauce was also pretty neutral with a light sweetness and some seasoning to it.  The crust was lightly cooked and soft with little chew which made it disappear easily into my mouth like a Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut!  The main flavor on the pizza came from the (optional) onions which rested between the sauce and cheese.

The Pizza Princess and I enjoying our time at the Checkerboard Inn. Anyone know how to fix selfie mode to reverse mirror image on text?!
Overall, I thought the pizza was pretty good.  I thought it could have used a little more time in the oven and a bit more flavor for my personal tastes, but as you can see it looked very good and we really enjoyed our time at the Checkerboard.  I noticed that recent posts include the new “Sweet Sauce” that you can add to the pizza, and I think that would really make this pizza pop!  I look forward to returning and trying the new blend.  The patio, atmosphere and great food makes this place an absolute must try in NEPA especially if you live in Luzerne County but it’s certainly worth a commute from a bit of a distance (as we traveled about 40 minutes).  The extensive feedback I’ve heard from the NEPA Nation on the Checkerboard Inn has been almost exclusively very positive to date.  If I haven’t heard from you yet about your Checkerboard experience, please let me know what your thoughts are in the comments!

If your eyes are tired from reading, check out the YouTube video review of Checkerboard inn and SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEPA PIZZA REVIEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL!

 

The Ratings

Restaurant: Checkerboard Inn
Location: Trucksville, PA
Date: July 2019
Eat In/Take Out: Eat In
Pizza Ordered: 8 Cut Tray
Price: $9.95


Crust: 3.25/5
Sauce: 3.5/5
Cheese: 3.5/5
Overall Taste: 3.75/5
Crispy/Cooked Properly: 3.25/5
Overall Value: 4.5/5
OVERALL RATING: 3.5/5