If I could give Cooper’s Alley six stars I would. I have lived in Monroe County and Hamilton County for lots of years. We had a group of 6 businessmen for a private dinner on a Tuesday. It was the finest meal I have had in Indiana in the past 20 years. It beats all the Indy restaurants and I mean all. From the fried tomatoes, chicken, beef, homemade bread and homemade butter to an amazing charcuterie tray. The meal was locally sourced. We had blankets and had cocktails outside around the fire table. Cocktails and wine were superb. Wow! It is an experience. Kudos to Carrie and her team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica Waller
I wanted to love this place so much, but unfortunately the service was EXTREMELY SLOW, food was mediocre and overpriced. Only plus was the atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Helen Fox
It’s important to know that Cooper’s Alley, at least when we went, is a scratch-kitchen farm to table restaurant. The menu changes and it’s often extremely limited, such as having 1-2 options for each service. This obviously upset some customers who left disgruntled while we were there. But we loved it and the food was amazing - like eating at your grandma’s house. The atmosphere inside and outside were great. They had a nice musician outside too. Highly recommend eating outside when the weather is nice. Service was definitely lacking and pretty disorganized so expect to wait or for issues to come up.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Devan McArthur
Made reservations for 10:30am inside and upon arrival we were greeted with that they had a private party inside and couldn’t accommodate us unless we sat outside which was pretty chilly outside.
We went ahead and sat outside anyways ordered drinks which didn’t come out until our food came out which was 20 to 30 mins of a wait. Upon receiving our food it came out lukewarm… also for the amount you spend the portion sizes are not up to par. The decor/atmosphere is really cute and different but as someone who supports/works in a family owned business I hate to even give such a poor review but I hope they make some changes to their service and succeed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Sy Shut
Reservations are pointless, we had a reservation to dine inside and they “ bumped” us outside on a chilly morning. We witnessed 2 other parties get “ bumped” outside while we were eating that also had reservations for inside dining. One of the parties was 8 guest with a newborn and spent 25$ on flowers for a nice indoor breakfast for their birthday, had reservations for an month and called the day before to confirm, they were placed outside in the front yard as well. We were told they over booked to a private party and we were not offered a single concession or discount .Portion sizes left us hungry, 18$ a head even with our 10 year old who ate a piece of bacon and a piece of fruit. Food was mediocre but not even warm on a chilly morning. Please value service and integrity over cash.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
John Lacy
My wife and I were excited about this spot. I had researched a lot of the restaurants in the area and chose this based on reviews and pictures of the ambiance. First, let me say the ambiance was great. That’s about where it ended. Let’s start with the appetizer. There were no bacon wrapped goat cheese stuffed dates. No cheese. And no cranberry jalapeño dip. The fruit was grapes and precisely 2 red raspberries. Then the salads came out. They were in tea cups. Feta was dry and there were blueberries, but no mixed berries. At this point we are thinking the main course will make up for it. I had the chicken. I assumed for $75 that would include at least a 1/2 a chicken. Nope. A drum and a thigh. The chicken was good but the price is inexcusable for that amount. My wife had the shrimp diablo pasta. Again, underwhelming. The shrimp were frozen. The spaghetti was over cooked and the sauce was meh. My wife described it as something you would expect at a buffet. We got veggies X 2 and it was green beans, broccoli, and 2 halves of Brussel sprouts. They didn’t appear fresh either. They were drizzled in honey and that made them palatable. So all we had to hope for was dessert. A “cheesecake” persimmon cake & a pumpkin walnut cake. Both appeared to have been frozen. Not fresh. Very anticlimactic. Total with tip was $168. Which we were literally laughing about when we left. Like it was some windup or joke. Nothing was farm to table. Nothing was fresh. It was a very average restaurant masquerading as a higher end one but without the knowledge to pull it off. It was like they weren’t even trying or cared. I’ve since read more recent reviews and those experiences seem eerily similar. We wondered if they were struggling and trying to cut costs. First to go is quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Kris
Yes we had a reservation. And yes this place was absolutely amazing. The restaurant is styled so beautifully, very instagramable. Every room is styled different and absolutely stunning. Our server Emily was delightful and let us look around. You're going to want a second serving even though the portions are very filling on their own. BEST espresso martini. I can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lindsay Abrams
Such a disappointment. We were excited for the ambiance and type of service at this restaurant. Unfortunately we waited almost two hours for our entree. We perceived notable tension between some of the staff, mainly kitchen staff that seemingly trickled out to the front of house staff. Unfortunately perception is reality and we had an unpleasant experience. Our waitress was super sweet and was doing her best with the chaos. The food was just ok for the prices and the desert was only one choice, poorly made strawberry cake that was not edible. We walked away quite disappointed this was our choice for a special evening.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Kelly Coers
Had a 1230 reservation to celebrate our daughter’s birthday. Paid $30 for flowers at table to surprise her…they weren’t there, had to inform them. Then only offered cheeseburger or grilled cheese. Was told “brunch” needed at 12, even though their website states 9-2. Server hardly checked on us. Also they offer no appetizers or snacks, just the 2 options. Felt treatment changed after we only ordered drinks. Good concept but definitely needs guidance on running a business. STAY AWAY!!! Will not be back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Tara Hester
The cutest little discovery in Brown County! Great atmosphere, delicious yet simple food that everyone will enjoy, and an adorable venue! ??
11/10. Soup to nuts: picture perfect settings & sublime offerings to pair. Not the place to dip in and out in a hurry - better to stay a while and sip on something beautiful knowing that something tasty your way comes. Service is inviting and knowledgable without pretense, and the staff know their way around a locally driven menu. Hats off to front and back of house. Appreciate the accommodation (Jackie) despite the busy tourist season. Can't wait to be back in the winter for a cozy supper.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brennan Woodruff
Just made my first trip to Cooper’s Alley for brunch, and I must say I don’t think I’ll dine anywhere in the area ever again…It was that incredible.
The ambience of the space makes you feel right at home, then the cocktail menu goes just exotic enough while maintaining its root in farm classics.
The breakfast platter was surreal. I never eat biscuits and gravy and I ended up eating all of mine.
This is worth a special trip. We’ll be back, and tell all of our friends
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
jana leigh
fun, great service, great food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
destiny roberts
Planned on stopping in for brunch with my dad, when we got there, most of the patio furniture was not set-up and the restaurant looked closed but their hours stated they were open. Host said they could not seat us without a reservation, so I promptly made one for 15 minutes later and when we returned after taking a short walk to pass the time, the host said they could not seat us as the manager wasn’t on the premises and we would have to wait another 30 minutes to be seated?! Even though she told us to make a reservation! Seems like an adorable place and I’ve been dying to try it, but being told to make a reservation, then not being accommodated at the available time listed on the website was a bummer.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Renee Hedinger
My friends and I had a very odd expirience at Cooper's Alley. We went and were so excited by the décor of the place, it is definitely very cute.
When our waitress came though there were only 2 options for lunch, either a burger or grilled cheese. She did not let us know of any beverages we could order or ask if we wanted anything on the burgers/sandwich.
We ended up asking if they had anything besides water and ordered mimosas which were $10 and 98% OJ.
I cannot have gluten so I asked if they had food available to make a salad. She just said yes and walked away but did not ask me what I would like on it.
When we got our food my friends just got plain cheeseburgers with no toppings ($18) and I got a teacup of spinach ($10).
My friend asked if they had ketchup and they said they'd have to hunt it down.
I don't know if they ran out of food that day or what was going on but the service was minimal, the food was plain and small and it was overpriced.
If I could give Cooper’s Alley six stars I would. I have lived in Monroe County and Hamilton County for lots of years. We had a group of 6 businessmen for a private dinner on a Tuesday. It was the finest meal I have had in Indiana in the past 20 years. It beats all the Indy restaurants and I mean all. From the fried tomatoes, chicken, beef, homemade bread and homemade butter to an amazing charcuterie tray. The meal was locally sourced. We had blankets and had cocktails outside around the fire table. Cocktails and wine were superb. Wow!
It is an experience. Kudos to Carrie and her team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I wanted to love this place so much, but unfortunately the service was EXTREMELY SLOW, food was mediocre and overpriced. Only plus was the atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
It’s important to know that Cooper’s Alley, at least when we went, is a scratch-kitchen farm to table restaurant. The menu changes and it’s often extremely limited, such as having 1-2 options for each service. This obviously upset some customers who left disgruntled while we were there. But we loved it and the food was amazing - like eating at your grandma’s house. The atmosphere inside and outside were great. They had a nice musician outside too. Highly recommend eating outside when the weather is nice. Service was definitely lacking and pretty disorganized so expect to wait or for issues to come up.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Made reservations for 10:30am inside and upon arrival we were greeted with that they had a private party inside and couldn’t accommodate us unless we sat outside which was pretty chilly outside.
We went ahead and sat outside anyways ordered drinks which didn’t come out until our food came out which was 20 to 30 mins of a wait. Upon receiving our food it came out lukewarm… also for the amount you spend the portion sizes are not up to par. The decor/atmosphere is really cute and different but as someone who supports/works in a family owned business I hate to even give such a poor review but I hope they make some changes to their service and succeed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Reservations are pointless, we had a reservation to dine inside and they “ bumped” us outside on a chilly morning. We witnessed 2 other parties get “ bumped” outside while we were eating that also had reservations for inside dining. One of the parties was 8 guest with a newborn and spent 25$ on flowers for a nice indoor breakfast for their birthday, had reservations for an month and called the day before to confirm, they were placed outside in the front yard as well. We were told they over booked to a private party and we were not offered a single concession or discount .Portion sizes left us hungry, 18$ a head even with our 10 year old who ate a piece of bacon and a piece of fruit. Food was mediocre but not even warm on a chilly morning. Please value service and integrity over cash.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
My wife and I were excited about this spot. I had researched a lot of the restaurants in the area and chose this based on reviews and pictures of the ambiance. First, let me say the ambiance was great. That’s about where it ended.
Let’s start with the appetizer. There were no bacon wrapped goat cheese stuffed dates. No cheese. And no cranberry jalapeño dip. The fruit was grapes and precisely 2 red raspberries.
Then the salads came out. They were in tea cups. Feta was dry and there were blueberries, but no mixed berries.
At this point we are thinking the main course will make up for it. I had the chicken. I assumed for $75 that would include at least a 1/2 a chicken. Nope. A drum and a thigh. The chicken was good but the price is inexcusable for that amount. My wife had the shrimp diablo pasta. Again, underwhelming. The shrimp were frozen. The spaghetti was over cooked and the sauce was meh. My wife described it as something you would expect at a buffet.
We got veggies X 2 and it was green beans, broccoli, and 2 halves of Brussel sprouts. They didn’t appear fresh either. They were drizzled in honey and that made them palatable.
So all we had to hope for was dessert. A “cheesecake” persimmon cake & a pumpkin walnut cake. Both appeared to have been frozen. Not fresh. Very anticlimactic.
Total with tip was $168. Which we were literally laughing about when we left. Like it was some windup or joke. Nothing was farm to table. Nothing was fresh. It was a very average restaurant masquerading as a higher end one but without the knowledge to pull it off. It was like they weren’t even trying or cared. I’ve since read more recent reviews and those experiences seem eerily similar. We wondered if they were struggling and trying to cut costs. First to go is quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Yes we had a reservation. And yes this place was absolutely amazing. The restaurant is styled so beautifully, very instagramable. Every room is styled different and absolutely stunning. Our server Emily was delightful and let us look around. You're going to want a second serving even though the portions are very filling on their own. BEST espresso martini. I can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a disappointment. We were excited for the ambiance and type of service at this restaurant. Unfortunately we waited almost two hours for our entree. We perceived notable tension between some of the staff, mainly kitchen staff that seemingly trickled out to the front of house staff. Unfortunately perception is reality and we had an unpleasant experience. Our waitress was super sweet and was doing her best with the chaos. The food was just ok for the prices and the desert was only one choice, poorly made strawberry cake that was not edible. We walked away quite disappointed this was our choice for a special evening.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Had a 1230 reservation to celebrate our daughter’s birthday. Paid $30 for flowers at table to surprise her…they weren’t there, had to inform them. Then only offered cheeseburger or grilled cheese. Was told “brunch” needed at 12, even though their website states 9-2. Server hardly checked on us. Also they offer no appetizers or snacks, just the 2 options. Felt treatment changed after we only ordered drinks. Good concept but definitely needs guidance on running a business. STAY AWAY!!! Will not be back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
The cutest little discovery in Brown County! Great atmosphere, delicious yet simple food that everyone will enjoy, and an adorable venue! ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
11/10. Soup to nuts: picture perfect settings & sublime offerings to pair. Not the place to dip in and out in a hurry - better to stay a while and sip on something beautiful knowing that something tasty your way comes.
Service is inviting and knowledgable without pretense, and the staff know their way around a locally driven menu. Hats off to front and back of house. Appreciate the accommodation (Jackie) despite the busy tourist season. Can't wait to be back in the winter for a cozy supper.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just made my first trip to Cooper’s Alley for brunch, and I must say I don’t think I’ll dine anywhere in the area ever again…It was that incredible.
The ambience of the space makes you feel right at home, then the cocktail menu goes just exotic enough while maintaining its root in farm classics.
The breakfast platter was surreal. I never eat biscuits and gravy and I ended up eating all of mine.
This is worth a special trip. We’ll be back, and tell all of our friends
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
fun, great service, great food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Planned on stopping in for brunch with my dad, when we got there, most of the patio furniture was not set-up and the restaurant looked closed but their hours stated they were open. Host said they could not seat us without a reservation, so I promptly made one for 15 minutes later and when we returned after taking a short walk to pass the time, the host said they could not seat us as the manager wasn’t on the premises and we would have to wait another 30 minutes to be seated?! Even though she told us to make a reservation! Seems like an adorable place and I’ve been dying to try it, but being told to make a reservation, then not being accommodated at the available time listed on the website was a bummer.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
My friends and I had a very odd expirience at Cooper's Alley. We went and were so excited by the décor of the place, it is definitely very cute.
When our waitress came though there were only 2 options for lunch, either a burger or grilled cheese. She did not let us know of any beverages we could order or ask if we wanted anything on the burgers/sandwich.
We ended up asking if they had anything besides water and ordered mimosas which were $10 and 98% OJ.
I cannot have gluten so I asked if they had food available to make a salad. She just said yes and walked away but did not ask me what I would like on it.
When we got our food my friends just got plain cheeseburgers with no toppings ($18) and I got a teacup of spinach ($10).
My friend asked if they had ketchup and they said they'd have to hunt it down.
I don't know if they ran out of food that day or what was going on but the service was minimal, the food was plain and small and it was overpriced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
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