Cooper’s Resto Bar

Cooper’s closed 9÷1÷2010

Good service and very delicious entrees. The Pappardelle w/​Duck Confit was scrumptious and so was the Penne w/​Brie & Jumbo Shrimp special my husband ordered. The appetizers were good but the mussels were very small although they were covered in spicy curry sauce which made up a little bit for what they lacked in size. Desserts were up to par. Overall a very good experience.

We finally made it back for another visit to Coopers, this time for dinner. We were in the area around 8pm and walked in without reservations. Inside was pretty full and the hostess was about to tell us there would be a few minute wait but we asked to sit outside and were seated right away. They had nice big fans on outside which made it more comfortable in the hot summer weather.
Our server was top notch talking the time to explain the specials as well has answer any questions about the menu with knowledge and honesty. Julio had the tomato soup to start and he loved it. I had the Tuna but changed the potato salad side for crispy bok choy. It also came with asparagus and the whole meal was great. The bok choy was so delicious! I’ve never had anything like it. The leaves melt in your mouth, I highly recommend that as a side. The tuna was rare and the sun dried tomato sauce went perfectly with it. Julio ordered the bone-​in ribeye special which was served with potato pancakes. The plate looked a little empty upon arrival. with only the steak and potato. For $ 33 they should have also included a vegetable of some sort. He didn’t like the potato but I thought it was good and a nice twist of something different.
This place is quite pricey for the area. My meal was worth the price but Julio didn’t feel the same way about his. We had great service. The waiter approached us that he had caused a delay in entering our order into the computer so they offered us a free dessert, very nice. We took Pineapple Cheesecake to go but neither of us liked it at all. I would come back, the early bird 3-​course deal for $ 20 sounds like a great deal so we’ll have to try that!

I’ve ben here twice. It was not out of this world but it wasnt horrible either. The service is great though I’ll give them that. The food is pretty good but the place is overall to me just very stiff. I think me and my boyfriend were the youngest people in there. I wouldnt go back again just because it is far and not worth it. I’ll give this to them. coconut flan is awesome!

This place has a true culinary soul… which means most of the time its incredible and occasionally you’ll have a miss, and thats perfectly fine at these prices. High end well thought out dishes are usually twice the price in miami, but Cooper’s is fairly priced and an excellent dining experience. Ok, so a quick guide… definitely have the mussels they are in a light curry broth (a nice change from white wine or tomato broths), crab cake is nice if your into that, duck pasta (can’t’ remember name) is superb and so are most of the daily specials.

This update is based on convenience and disappointment…
I did review this restaurant in the past and gave it 4 stars. My husband and I decided last minute to have and evening out. We drove past Cooper’s and notice the parking lot seemed light and decided to have dinner. We entered and found, again, the quaint atmosphere as before. We were greeted by the hostess and asked for a table for 2, which we knew would be no problem based on the fact that there were several, meaning 5 or 6, empty tables. We were shocked at the response from the hostess… do you have a reservation? I responded with, «Oh, I didn’t know you were reservation only.» We are not, we just recommend reservation, was the hostess’ response. I simply feel that some kind of advertising on the outside sign should have stated that reservations were recommended. It was a big turn-​off walking into a restaurant that I enjoy eating, seeing several empty tables, and being told to come back in two hours without warning.

I’ve been to Cooper’s twice now for lunch during the week. Yes, I know what you’re thinking… who has time to go to lunch by US-​1 and 167^th street during the week? Well, me. I work nearby at a large insurance company. Anyways, being that there isn’t that much a selection down here except for fast food places and of course, the restaurants at The Falls shopping mall, Coopers is surprisingly enough an awesome alternative.
I was surprised once I walked in the first time I went. I felt like I was in a restaurant in a «nicer» part of town (e.g. Gables, Downtown, etc.), but no, I was on US-​1 and 167^th Street. Who knew!?! The service has been impeccable both times and the food… well I can talk on and on about it. The C.A.B.L.T. sandwich is amazing. It’s considered one of their best selling dishes (it comes a side… try their seasoned fries… FABULOUS!). I’ve also had the nicoise salad (but I get it with a balsamic vinagrette instead of the cider dressing it normally comes with). I can never finish the salad cause the portion is huge! Not a problem though :)
I’ve also tried several of their desserts as well and have always found them pretty good too. All in all I’ve become a huge fan of Cooper’s. I’ve heard they’re good for happy hours and that they’re outside seating is nice on the weekends so I can’t wait to go again. Please, please, please… if you find yourself down by this neck of the woods in Miami, you should definitely try to check out Cooper’s.

Coopers had taken over a dead restaurant called Flamingos around my neighborhood.
After month of its opening I decided to give it a go.
Coopers looks like an upscale restaurant, but with reasonable prices.
I went to the bar and ordered 3 dishes: The 3 cheese grilled cheese, a bacon cheeseburger and I forgot the last one.
While I waited for the food to be prepared to go I noticed that the flowers were fresh and real on every table.
The restaurant smelled great, but the flower scent was a bit overpowering.
The server at the bar was very attentive. He occasionally would engage in small talk with me.
After about 20 minutes I got my food and made my way home, which is 10 minutes away.
One minor pet-​peeve about my order was that since I was there at 2 p.m. they didn’t serve mashed potatoes for lunch. At least that’s what I was told. I usually like to have my burgers with mash, but was OK with fries.
When I grabbed the grilled cheese the bread was soggy and really greasy. Now mind you, yes I know grilled cheese sandwiches have to have a certain buttery greasiness, but it was just too much. They should use a thicker bread or less butter.
Their bacon cheeseburger was nothing out of the ordinary.
Though my review is based on my first and only visit, it has been over 2yrs since I’ve been there.
The Good:
Décor is a plus
Service is great.
Ambiance is amazing.
The food price is affordable
The bad:
The food wasn’t great.

My husband and I checked this place out this weekend after reading all the reviews on here. The place is super cute! The décor is awesome. The ambiance outside is great… it doesn’t even feel like you’re a hop away from US1.
We got there @ around 7 or so… we requested a table inside but had to sit outside since we didn’t have a reservation. That kind of sucked, especially b/​c it was windy and cold.
We ordered the escargot, which was awesome. Fishcakes, which weren’t all that great, the maple glazed pork loin (I attached a pic) w/​crimson mash (yum!) and I substituted spinach flan (awesome!) for brussel sprouts (yuck). My husband had the skirt steak (which was tiny and thin, kinda like a flip flop) w/​the crispy bok choy (which was AWESOME! topped w/​peanuts, delicious) and fries… which were blah. They were plain and had no real flavor to them. We ordered the Smores Baked Alaska for dessert, and after we ordered it we were informed the «chef isn’t happy w/​the ingredients he got so he’s not making it today.» That sucked. We didnt order anything else after.
The service was OK. They only had one server for the outside area, so the girl was spread thin. That is crazy for a Saturday night. She seemed very overwhelmed, but come on! That’s no excuse to leave my done plate in front of me for 15 min until I ask you to please take it away.
Everything was good. I would go back. I’ll call and make a reservation, especially if it’s a cold night.

I was afraid I would leave Miami without having had one nice meal, which would be typical of time spent in Miami with my family. They live out in chain restaurant land.
So I was very surprised to pop just down the street and this little gem of a restaurant.
First off, great décor and a really nice bar. It looks like it’d be a great place to drop in for a late night drink and/​or a snack.
Second, the food is very good. I’d call it casual chic. Several items on the menu caught my attention, but the evening’s special bouillabaisse was the winner. It did not disappoint. I also ordered a side of truffled mac and cheese, because you just can’t pass up truffled mac and cheese. Ever. Finally, ended the evening with the crème brûlée and the coconut flan. The waitress really recommended the brulee, but I have to tell you the flan was better.
All in all, a real score here. Judging by the crowd that showed up, others agree. Cooper’s is definitely the best thing I found in this neck of the woods.

I was on a visit to South Florida when my sister and brother-​in-​law brought me here for dinner.
Everything from the time we walked in left me completely impressed. As mentioned in other reviews from the outside you would never know what to expect but from the time we walked in it was class and elegance.
As it turned out we arrived just before 7:00 and were able to take advantage of a fixed price special, a three course meal for under $ 20. The menu offered choices of about six or seven appetizers, five or six entrees and three deserts.
Each of us got a different appetizer and all of us were blown away by the quality. I had ordered the mac and cheese that included truffle oil and some grated black truffle. The size of the appetizer would have been dinner for me on any other night so I only ate half of it (reluctantly) to save room for the meal.
For my entrée I had linguini with clams. The past appeared to be home made and the sauce was perfect and the clams fresh. The others also were thrilled by their entrees.
Desert was a home made mango sorbet, just perfect!
I don’t get to Florida often but this will be a regular stop when I’m here.

Just a short update: Everything here is still great but now that I’ve finally tried the very tasty Eggs Benedict on the weekend, I now have a new reason to tell friends to give this restaurant a try!

First off if you didn’t know this place was here you would pass right by it. Its pretty well hidden in plain sight on US1. The outside of this place doest look like much until you pull into the parking lot and see the cool little longing patio outside in classic LA style!
I was seated right away but it took a while to a server to notice I was ready I actually had to call one over!
I ordered a drink and decided I wanted an appetizer but the one we wanted they were out of. Which was the Kobe beef Skewer they were also out out the Lamb shank. Dammit the 2 things I wanted. Oh well So I ordered the mini meatball appetizer and the skirt steak. Both were Delectable. The meat balls were juicy on the inside and fried on the outside so they had a crispness they were served with a citrus sauce you really didn’t need but was good none the less. Since they were out of the lamb shank I ordered the Grilled Black Angus Skirt Steak Chimichurro. This was also divine it came with spiced french fries and a garlic sauce for the steak which i also used on the fries. They also served it with bok choy. i had never had bok choy till that night and it was fantastic i was just sad i could not eat it all. i was so full from dinner I did not eat the next day. The food is top notch. The service was a little shaky due to the fact i had to get someone attention and they were out of what i really wanted but the food was Amazing !

Look up the definition of mediocre and you actually see a photo of this restaurant. It gives the appearance of a Coral Gables restaurant but lacks the panache. Cuisine (random menu selections) service and management need help. Definitely not worth the wait or price. Don’t be fooled.

We returned to Cooper’s for dinner on Valentine’s Day. Contrasting with another reviewer’s experience, we had reservations and were seated immediately.
There was a foie gras special which I selected as an appetizer, and it was rich and full-​flavored, with an interesting citrus sauce accompaniment. My wife chose the mini-​meatballs with Florida citrus remoulade, which was also good.
For entrees, she had the Caribean-​spiced Mahi-​Mahi with Molasses Rum Sweet Potato Hash and Caribbean Red Pepper Purée, and I had the Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Sweet Corn Succotash and Burnt Orange Glaze. The mahi-​mahi was very good, and the sweet potato hash was outstanding. It’s worth trying to get them to sell it to you as a side at lunchtime when it is not on the menu. The succotash was fresh-​tasting, and I enjoyed the shrimp, but in my opinion they were a left on the fire a little bit too long.
Desserts were Crème Brulee and Warm Molten Chocolate Cake. Both were better than average because they were actually made in the restaurant, I believe.

I have dropped the rating on Cooper’s because the last two times I have been there, the food has not been prepared properly. Both the chicken and the salmon dishes were not cooked thoroughly and had to be returned to the kitchen. If I return in the future, I will be sure to ask for the food to be cooked well-​done.
Also, the potato and the vegetables were not hot. I think the kitchen has slipped since I first dined at Cooper’s.

the first explanation for the 5 stars is: as good as it gets in this part of town. hey, we have NOTHING down here in palmetto bay/​cutler bay. All we have is fast food, chains, a few good holes in the wall ethnic places and some decent redneck bars/​restaurants (sorry for that description but it is accurate). we went to Coopers tonight. all of us eat out while traveling, all over the world and around Miami. we were quite pleased with the food, prices, service and drinks. the scallops were incredible, the baby bok choy rocked, and the tuna was perfect. we are thrilled to have them in our neighborhood. thank you and keep it going!!!
to add to the above, we went back again last night. the food, once again was excellent. on top of that, we had a kick ass martini and the dessert (which i don’t normally eat) was just yummers. they make this baby bok choy which (i think) is shredded and flash fried, no coating, and there’s sesame flavor and seeds in it. wow. also, they do lots of seasonal things like the heirloom tomato salad i had last night. that was scrumptious. they’re definitely keeping up. and by the way, we had two drinks a piece, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and dessert and the bill was $ 112.00. the prices are super reasonable!!!

I really like this place. Flamingos (in it’s past life) was a dive in my opinion and this is a refreshing change. The décor is awesome and dresses up this particularly small restaurant which happens to have a staff ratio that’s quite high once you weigh the seating to all of those well dressed staff members.
There are few dining choices that even attempt an ambiance such as this in the SW as the area is overwhelmed with fast food joints and simple casual dining spots so it is a welcomed option. The bar looks great, the seating booths are cool and it has no neighbors so that you feel somewhat «nestled» when you pull into the parking lot.
The food was awesome. I had my first visit for a casual lunch with a couple of friends and I ordered their chicken which was awesome. Chicken is common I know, but this was prepared as if it was of the free-​range variety served at Grass Lounge in the art district. Wow and only 13 bucks including a «spinach flan» which is just baked spinach in the shape of a flan cake, it was served without any salt so I adjusted to my palette preference. My guests both ordered the Nicoise with rare tuna and it looked exceptional, they were both completely pleased.
Overall, I was quite pleased with the service despite the fact I was there when they were slammed by their lunch hour. I will be going back for a cocktail because I looked at their selection and they do carry a nice selection of single malt scotches and Irish whiskeys.

Randomly looking for a place to eat nearby the house on Saturday afternoon, when we stumbled upon this place. The location used to be a restauarant called Flamingo’s, which has been extensively remodeled and turned into this new Cooper’s.
Interesting place, however I can’t say it really strikes me thoguh. There was nothing in particular about this place that was «WOW», but it was definitely OK.
The service was definitely good. From the moment we arrived, we were seated right away, and the waiter was there within seconds to get drink orders. Once he returned with the drinks, he proceeded to explain all the specials and take our order. Soon after, another server came to the table to give us each 1 piece of bread, no bread basket (this I found quite strange — recession times?).
The food is good but again, not WOW. I started with one of my all-​time favorties, French Onion Soup. I think Campbell’s had something to do with this recipe. Nothing special. Lacked full flavor. Kind of bland… Then I had a linguini with clams, white wine, garlic, and butter. Tasty but not spectacular.
The bf started with their soup special, which was some kind of a spicy chicken curry. It was very spicy and not that great. Then he had a burger, which was quite large in size, but nothing spectacular. When ordering, he had asked for bacon on it and they looked at him like it was the biggest deal in the world. Then the server proceeded to tell us it was an extra charge, as if that was supposed to deter him from ordering bacon.
So, in sum, Ehhh. They have a great décor, they really try to promote themselves as a fine dining establishment (prices to match), but the food is just NOT up to par, or worth the prices for that matter.