I went to Checkers for the first time, and my $23 meal was some of the best fast food I've ever had

When I pulled into the parking lot, the first thing I noticed was the chain's outdoor seating options.

I thought this was a nice touch for a fast-food restaurant, but when I got inside, I realized that was actually the only seating. The restaurant had no indoor tables.

Checkers is a modern take on a traditional drive-in restaurant, so it's known for only having drive-thru and pick-up windows.

If it was a cold day, this might've been the chain's downfall for me. But since the weather was nice, I was excited to enjoy the meal outside.

There were two walk-up windows inside, one for ordering and one for pickup. The menu hung right in between them, which made ordering quick and easy.

I wanted to try an array of items since it was my first time, so I got a Big Buford cheeseburger, a regular chicken bites and fries combo with a medium Diet Coke, and a cheesecake sundae for $23.

I thought that was a great deal for essentially two full meals and a dessert.

When I opened the box of chicken bites and fries ($7.30), I was surprised by how much chicken was in it.

I got well over 10 pieces, so I was satisfied with the portion size. But if you wanted something bigger, there was also a ½ pound box for about $8.

I had the option of honey mustard or barbecue sauce, and I chose barbecue. It paired perfectly with the slightly peppery breading on the chicken.

At first, it seemed like the chicken might be overdone, but every bite was juicy. If anything, the extra crispiness added to the flavor.

Checkers seemed to really hype up its fries on the menu. In fact, on the drink cup there's even a "Fry Bomb Guarantee" — if I wasn't satisfied with them, I could've gotten a coupon for a free large order on my next visit.

But I was far from dissatisfied.

The breading reminded me of Popeyes' fries, which are my favorite. The coating had a great seasoning and crunch that made every bite delicious.

My friends recommended the cheeseburger to me, so I was excited to try that next.

The Big Buford cost $7.50 and came with two patties, but there was also a triple version for $8.50.

I liked all the options, especially because neither was that much more expensive than Checkers' single cheeseburger, the Cheese Champ ($6.09).

The meat was surprisingly good — I'm picky about burger patties, but this one was soft and well-done at the same time. I also really enjoyed how soft and fluffy the bun was.

Halfway through eating, though, I got a little overwhelmed by the amount of meat.

The ketchup, mayo, pickles, lettuce, and other toppings balanced it out fine, but next time, I'd probably order a single cheeseburger.

I was glad I ended up having enough room for dessert because the array of slushies, ice-cream cones, and sundaes on Checkers' menu caught my eye.

I didn't get dessert with my original order, so I decided to test out the drive-thru this time and opted for a strawberry-cheesecake sundae ($3.50).

My sundae was delicious.

It had layers of strawberry sauce with real strawberries, vanilla ice cream, cheesecake filling, and graham-cracker crumbs that reminded me of Golden Grahams cereal.

I would've been satisfied with just vanilla ice cream, but the cheesecake filling was a nice touch.

This was one of the best fast-food desserts I've ever come across, and I will be returning to repurchase it.

I didn't really come in with high expectations — it's a fast-food restaurant, after all. But every part of my $23 meal from Checkers was tasty and worth the money.

My only real complaint about the food was that the cheeseburger had too much meat, but that was more of an ordering error on my part than anything else.

I wish the chain had indoor dining options, but it's nice that there's outdoor seating, mobile ordering, and a quick drive-through.

My first experience at Checkers was extremely satisfying, and I'd definitely go back — especially for the delicious fries and yummy dessert.