One of the best and biggest craft beer selections in Scranton. The best seafood money could ask for. Service that is quick, friendly, and respectful. How can someone not like Coopers. Everyone I bring here keeps coming back. That says something!! Always my first stop after I arrive in Scranton, and last stop before I leave Scranton. I hope Coopers will always be open. Whenever I walk in there, you get an aura of positivity and happiness.
(5)
Nancy H.
we were sent this way by a few nice local guys who we ran into. I completely understand why they sent us to Coopers knowing that we were traveling through; what a tourist attraction! A truly interesting place to see with bizarre decor, pirate mannequins, talking statues, and a ginormous octopus on the top of the restaurant. The bathrooms were themes; women's room was all Elvis and the men's room all Beatles. Decor was most definitely a sight to see. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful; giving us tips on menu decisions as well as finding a hotel for the night. As an appetizer, the soup sampler allows you to taste 3 of their homemade soups which was fun for sharing. They were all OK but nothing spectacular. They were generous with warm homemade bread which was appreciated after a long day of travel. For entrees, we tried the chicken Caesar salad, the YEEHAW burger, and the fish tacos. Caesar salad was below average, underdressed with semi-overcooked chicken. The fish tacos were okay but the fish didn't seem particularly fresh; not rotten but not great. The hamburger was delicious; cooked perfectly with a very nice bun and served with good fries. I would recommend their burgers!
(3)
Michael G.
Great if you stick to the seafood basics, broiled or baked. Not the best for what they hype, the Maryland crab bisque was so full of flour it resembled more of a biscuit than that of a soup. That's great if you want to fill up on that. Very bland. Crawfish Etouffee was ok, but again very thick and heavy with filler. The tuna appetizer was decent but not what I have come to expect these days. We had a large group (11) and most everyone else enjoyed their food. I called earlier to make a reservation but they wouldn't take it. Service was super: very kind, friendly and helpful staff. They replaced the MD bisque with Manhattan chowder which was again very thick with filler - potatoes. Beer selection is awesome and if that's your main draw then definitely worth the visit. Not making a b-line to come back
(2)
Glen O.
Came here because of The Office. Food was ok, but the crab bisque was one of the best I've had. Make sure to try their snow crab legs too. Love the atmosphere.
(4)
Aaron S.
Amazing snow crab legs are amazing, and the New England clam chowder us perfectly creamy! The bar area can be a little loud, and sometimes there are very long waits for food...don't go on a Friday night. The baked potatoes are massive!
(4)
Phillip M.
Great beer selection. The food is mediocre. The place is full of kitsch which does distract from the food. Stay with the basics and you should be okay.
(3)
Josh M.
Cooper seafood. I really really want to love this place. I have been to Cooper's about three or four times throughout traveling to Scranton. I have to say from a design standpoint the place is absolutely amazing. I love the nautical theme. The food on the other hand not so much. Experience. The theme of Cooper seafood does not fit in with the Scranton area. The theme is a nautical\local. When you first pull up and get out of your car there is a motioned censored pirate that talks to you and asks you questions. the first time I went to coopers he scared the crap out of me I didn't know who was talking to me. Do not be alarmed if you get out of your car in this pirate start talking you. Most noticeably when you pull up to the place you'll notice there is a huge lighthouse on top and there also is a huge octopus and a ship with multiple cannons and crewmembers on it. When you go inside there are two life-size sharks and history all over the wall. The coolest thing about this place is the history that's on the walls there's local history from the 1800s maps there are multiple drawings by by artists. They also have different displays from different Time periods one of them is from the pyramids in Egypt the other one is from the Caribbean. They have a life-size whale in the back room. As well as a display with the diver sharks and stingrays. If you do have little kids I do recommend bringing them there there is a lot of things to look at while you're waiting for your food it was really really is a cool place for young children. They also have a really really cool old-school train that drives through the whole entire restaurant about every 10 minutes Service. The service was good. There was nothing special about the service. The food did not take too long the waitress would fill up our drinks and everything service wise was completely normal. Food. The food on the other hand does not match what this place should be. They do have a full bar which is stocked with just about every type of liquor. I ended up ordering the specials that they posted. I ended up getting a crab quesadilla I also ended up getting. The lobster macaroni and cheese special. The lobster macaroni and cheese wasn't the greatest that I've ever had it was okay. The crab quesadillas on the other hand was extremely strong tasting with green onion. I feel like the only thing I was tasting was the green onion I ended up eating only one of the triangles. because it was just too strong and overpowering. I was going to send the dish back but I realized it wasn't even worth the effort. From a price standpoint I felt food was expensive for what we ended up receiving. The only thing I really did enjoy about the place food wise was the mozzarella stick. Mozzarella sticks were very good they were hand breaded and they just tasted really really fresh and good. They also had the drink called the shark shooter. They give you vodka in a toy sharks mouth they put the shark tale first into the drink and what you do is when you receive the drink you take the toy shark out of the cop you turn it over and dump the liquor into the actual liquid. I thought this was very cool. Overall. I really do like the looks of this place there's a lot of local history. You can't go wrong bringing guests or little kids here. I really feel that the food should be better for what this place is. I just wish that the food would match the decor. If you want to place to drink you should come here if you want to place to eat I do recommend going somewhere else. PROS: - decorated really cool - history on the walls CONS: - food was not that good - pricy for the type of food we got
(3)
L B.
Oysters are always good. Fresh and lovely but the service was slow. Happy hour is just that, one beer in an hour! Outrageous. I'm not happy in an hour without a half priced draft Owners please listen and do something! I'd be here more often and spend a lot more money if someone would take my draft order! Ridiculous! We had to walk to the bar to order our own beer. I want to come back but should I bring my own beer? My server, I saw twice in two hours! Some young server felt bad and helped us. Kudos to him. He gets the tip. Bad bad bad service! Please fix it. I love sitting on the deck but they leave you for dead.
(2)
Larissa G.
While I love Cooper's, you can probably see from my rating that I acknowledge it's not the perfect place to grab some chow. And I admit that a lot of my liking of this place comes from nostalgia - it's kind of a tradition for my family to eat here whenever we visit the area, which used to happen a lot since my grandparents lived in Scranton. We always loved the eccentric decor and enjoyed exploring the old photos and admiring some of the more random collections of stuff in the place, so even their "weird" decor is probably more charming to me than others. Of course, unless a restaurant's atmosphere is really awful, I tend to care way more about the food than its decor. Cooper's is no exception. Portion-wise, things here won't disappoint - their dishes and sandwiches and even appetizers are enormous. In fact family members have been known to make an entire meal out of soup and an appetizer. Speaking of soup, their alligator soup is a personal favorite - usually pretty thick, always flavorful, always carrying a kick (sometimes more-so than usual). Sandwiches and burgers have never disappointed, and while not the greatest seafood on the planet it's certainly never struck us as outright bad. Everything we've ordered over the years has been tasty and satisfactory, if not delightful. Their alcoholic drinks, however have admittedly varied in quality - sometimes they've been strong and delightful, but other times they were pretty "meh" and weak. Plus, in recent years the service has definitely slowed up a little bit; otherwise I'd be rating them a star higher. So for me, Cooper's is a nostalgic favorite but admittedly not the necessarily the place to be anymore. Hopefully the staff soon realizes that the slowing service needs to be addressed - even improving something like this would probably go a long way in boosting people's opinions of the place, including my own.
(3)
Kevin M.
Classic Scranton spot! Lots of character, tons of craft beer, great seafood, lots of fun room!
(5)
Michael E.
Could be better. Just went to see any relics from the tv show THE OFFICE, which there were none. Food is descent. Fish taste fresh but not seasoned enough. Rice pilaf is good but loaded with butter. Fun atmosphere.
(3)
Jonathan L.
Cooper's has an ambiance that is second to none in Scranton's casual dining scene. The entire restaurant was designed as a boat. The designers were very convincing! Eating on the deck in the summer feels like taking a day cruise (minus the salty mist). However, when rubber meets the road, or more aptly put, when plates hit the table, Cooper's falls short. The wait times for food are ALWAYS long and the food is never worth the wait. I've never had anything inedible, but for a 45 min wait, I expected a lot more than what I received. I give Cooper's 2 stars. The restaurant has a great atmosphere (on the deck). However, the food is average and the service is slow,
(2)
Dan A.
Got a warm Scranton greeting on arrival: "Hiya! How are ya?" Peel and eat shrimp app was (now updating to 'very') good as was the crab cake dinner and Brazilian lobster tail. Sides - as basic as they were - were totally ruined. Classic baked potato drowned in so much butter I wouldn't eat it. Warm side salad and coleslaw. Simple tip: don't put the cold sides under the heat lamp with the rest of the food waiting to go out to tables. Beer selection is super- they even have a local section. I hadn't been in Cooper's in about 7-8 years. I think it's slipped a few notches but based on my meal I think the seafood basics are still pretty solid.
(3)
Dawn S.
I've been to Cooper's enough times to pen a final verdict: Guilty, for impersonating a quality seafood restaurant! On the plus side: Service here is usually friendly. Wait times for meals can be a bit long, but I like to imagine it's b/c meals are possibly being made fresh. The coolest thing about this place is the outer deck. Live music, a lively crowd with a great drink selection. Speaking of drinks, I've never had a watered down cocktail at this place. There's a variety of seating choices- dining room, outdoor deck area, inside area near deck.. The Elvis themed ladies restroom (with Elvis music in the background) is... an experience. Shame: The outer deck would be the only area that I enjoy eating at. The inside dining room is dark, dank and absolutely smelly. The carpeting is very old and in need of removal. It's just nasty. Lighting is abysmal and it's always still and dead in there, despite the cute toy train that loops through every few minutes. Think funeral home. Bad. Back to the deck. It draws a crowd, but it's very small and cannot accommodate that crowd. You'll be pressed to find a seat out there and may find yourself standing on the steps. The food is really just mediocre, not the worst but nothing that cannot be cooked at home. The shrimp scampi is over garlicy.. The broiled seafood platter, just broiled seafood. The place is in need of an overhaul.
(2)
Georgio B.
Crab cake sandwich should be renamed "Mushy Gray Matter" sandwich. The accompanying fries were not bad. Not recommended.
(2)
Dean L.
Feels like you are in SC at one of those Beach Buffetts Good sea food for being landlocked Wonderful beer selection. Great for kids or date
(4)
Amanda H.
Came here again on birthday. This time was terrible. Waited an hour and a half for our food. And the scampi was terrible. Starchy pasta and bland sauce. The crab bisque was way too sweet. This is the end of me coming here on my birthday.
(1)
Fred F.
For such an inland location, I find Coopers to be pretty remarkable. Deliciously simple lump crab meat in butter can't be beat. King crab and fried shrimp combo...with some killer mashed potatoes and gravy is wonderful....great old school atmosphere.....what else do you need? A must stop every time in the area.
(4)
Keith D.
Okay my review of 3 stars has nothing to do with the quality or taste of the food. The food itself is excellent. It has more to do with service and a kind of weirdly laid out restaurant. I think this place was built in stages and added on to as time went on, thats the vibe I got. Now for service we did go on a Saturday afternoon and at best service in the a bit dated dining area which we seemed to walk through 8 doors, 2 bars and 3 hallways to get to, with a non operating train track around the ceiling, was almost uncaring. Look I get it it seems to cater to the very old for food and the young for their craft beer selection (which is DAMN impressive) not falling into either I felt a bit lost and a bit looked over. Maybe on Saturday afternoon the b-team and benchwarmers are picking up a shift, maybe if I came there to just enjoy a crabby pretzel dip and a few craft beers on the deck it'd be better. I don't know. Either way it wasn't bad food wise but there are so many other places in Scranton PA with awesome service with a staff that'd appear glad to have me there.
(3)
Kevin B.
I grew up going to Cooper's for a nice dinner with family and I've continued going all throughout college and I still return when in the area to visit family and friends. It's a great place to gather with a group of people and enjoy a nice meal and good beer. First off, their food is very good and the crab bisque (their soup specialty) is very, very tasty. I've had a variety of their dishes, from lobster to turkey wrap and I've enjoyed them every time. As for the beer, they have an extremely large selection of bottles and they always have great beer on tap. A bonus is that they often have draft beers where you can keep the glass, which is a favorite of mine. Bottom line, it's a great place to go and enjoy a good meal!
(4)
Bob H.
The atmosphere is very cool. The decor is unlike anywhere else that I have been. It can get a little pricy but there is usually a great selection of both beer and seafood dishes. Their specials change monthly to keep it fresh. The service is pretty decent considering that they are usually very busy.
(4)
Colleen H.
Outdoor seating is great as the weather gets warmer! Live entertainment on weekends creates a nice atmosphere. Service could be a little slow at times- but mainly because it's so busy always, making it understandable.
(4)
Dan S.
Here for happy hour, missing 8/22 of their most popular seasonal draft beers. Ordered 3 appetizers consisting of jalapeño poppers, mozzarella sticks, and a dozen oysters on the half shell. The oysters were dry with no brine in the shells, only one variety. The jalapeño poppers were 4 for 8 dollars and tasted like pickles. Mozzarella sticks were still cold in the middle. Only good thing about this place is the decor and the crab bisque. It's unfortunate that this restaurant being here so long, has such poor food. Not the first time I've experienced this but after being burned for the third time, I figured enough was enough. Service in the bar is alright. Nothing too exemplary, then again we ARE in Scranton.
(2)
Charmaine H.
Been coming here for years. Great happy hr awesome beer selection. Big groups seem to be an issue. Steak not good but their monthly specials seem to always fair well. Can highly recommend lobster bisque and guiness cake but only available a few times a year. I like the idea that it is not chain restaurant.
(3)
Michael B.
This place has crashed and burned in my opinion. Getting into Coopers used to be so difficult and so worth the effort a number of years ago. Now their Food is very poor in quality. I attempted to have lobster, crab legs, their bisque (which was my all time favorite) and many other items. Each time I left more and more disappointed. You can tell that some of the food I received was freezer burned at one time. So sad to see if fall to such a low.
(1)
Jason S.
Ugh. I want more from Coopers. We were there for appetizers and drinks last Saturday and sat on the deck. The weather was perfect and the deck was packed, but the service.... First, I've never seen a waitstaff look less happy to be working somewhere. Second, they were clearly understaffed. Coopers has a good thing going with the deck. The beer selection is fantastic. I just can't remember the last time I've walked away having a positive experience.
(3)
Jill M.
I think Cooper's is a tad overrated but it's hard to compare when they do several things VERY well: great beer selection (maybe the best in town?) and awesome appetizers (sweet potato fries are to die for). I had their fish fillet sandwich once, and I was genuinely surprised by the large piece of fish they gave. The atmosphere is good, and the scenery is the best. You could probably get lost just looking around at the decor.
(3)
Steel K.
My 10 year old son wanted to come hear on his birthday . What a mistake . He was able to choose a free kids meal with a purchase of an entree so I ordered the scallops . (21 bucks ) we came with presents for my son for his birthday . The waitress asked for my sons birth certificate !!!! I was shocked . I cancelled my order and order soup . So the bill was 21 instead of a potential 40 something . Not to smart Coopers . We will never be back !!!! By the way the soup was cold .
(1)
Angelo G.
Really good food (not only seafood). Pasta dishes, seafood dishes, & lobster dishes are all fantastic! Happy hour prices even on the weekends are a great deal. Regular prices aren't crazy, very affordable place to eat. In addition, they usually have a great selection of beers on tap - 26 taps & over 444 different bottle beers! Yea!!!!
(5)
Laine B.
The food is just okay, but the real reason to come here is the spectacle of tchotchkes and dioramas that decorate every square inch of the place. Kids will be entertained by the model train that circumnavigates the entire restaurant. It's a fun place to take visitors to the area. Our server was a complete flirt but charming and attentive. He was well-versed in everything on the menu, including the wide variety of beers, and kept our water glasses filled.
(3)
Molly M.
The concept is great but it seems to have become outdated. The ambiance is fun but looking a bit worn. The food was tasty. We had the mussel app. Then had the king crab legs and the scallops. The scallops were a little undercooked. The beer selection is really the shining star. There are so many choices! My son is totally into pirates and trains so we would probably venture back if we are ever in the area.
(3)
Lindsay C.
The food is great. I can't complain about any of it. The service is awful. I actually felt my waitress only deserved a 10% tip. This was one of the best restaurants in the area at one time. Now it's just a dinky tourist trap with crap on the walls.
(2)
Stanley L.
This used to be my favorite restaurant in the Scranton area. I was very disappointed in the quality of our dinner. My wife's grilled kabobs had overcooked shrimp and langostinos and undercooked scallops. My grilled salmon with crawfish etoufe was "meh". Key lime pie was OK, but the coffee was just warm and not too fresh. Since it was a Friday night at around 7:30 when we arrived, I expected to have to wait awhile for a table. Not so. There were plenty of empty tables. I guess we were not the only ones who feel that Coopers has lost something.
(2)
Allison M.
The food was fantastic. (Try the sweet potato fries!) The service was fantastic! We were right next to a Civil War Diorama and it was a great conversation starter for our 12 year old son! We can't wait to get back to Scranton and go again!
(5)
Ron S.
Went here on 7/31/2014 because they have a great beer selection and just put a really good mead on draft. That and the crab bisque is about the only good things I have to say about Cooper's. We also ordered fried clam strips, peel & eat shrimp, shrimp scampi over rice, and seafood alfredo. I asked the waitress if the clam strips were fresh or frozen and I thought she told me they were fresh (although my wife claimed that she dodged the question). The clam strips were DEFINITELY not fresh and they had a really odd texture. The peel & eat shrimp were tiny. The shrimp scampi was barely edible, the scampi sauce wasn't even made with real butter and kind of had the texture of runny snot. The seafood alfredo was meh. I should have just stuck to the soup. It's really sad. Cooper's claims to be a seafood restaurant, but nothing that I have ever ordered there is fresh. Big bummer here. I would totally recommend going somewhere else for the prices that they charge. Also, our server was terrible. She kept disappearing for like 20+ minutes. We often had empty drinks or were needing things like condiments. We keep trying to give Cooper's a chance, but I think this was the last one.
(2)
Arielle M.
Taking an extended weekend vacation in Scranton, this was one of the kitschy, touristy places I had to visit. (Especially considering there aren't many places in Scranton that are tourist spots.) The pirate/fisherman/vintage decor here and the lighthouse and giant octopus on the roof are interesting, but not "omg SO wacky!" that they stand out in a nation full of wacky themed restaurants. (Kind of like the seashore version of the Rainforest Cafe.) I ate here for lunch and was generally pleased with my meal. BF and I shared an appetizer of fried gator legs as neither of us has tried alligator before: it tasted like chicken wings, but with a little more gaminess to the meat. I was disappointed, however, because the picture on the menu showed fried, sauceless legs, and when they came to our table they were covered in buffalo sauce--basically drowning in them. I wanted to taste the gator, not bottled buffalo sauce! My entree, a blackened swordfish steak with wild rice, was MUCH better. Extremely tasty and perfectly cooked. BF had the soft-shell crab sandwich and he devoured it. But the service and atmosphere were definitely less than pleasant. The carpet smells musty and the air is stale, and all the kitsch on the walls is never cleaned, so dust lingers everywhere. The waitress was attentive all the times we didn't need her to be--interrupting our conversations to ask if we needed anything--and when we did need refills on our drinks, she was nowhere to be found. I wasn't running in horror from this place, and my meal was tasty enough, but if I ever do come back to Scranton, I won't come back. Once is more than enough for this place.
(3)
R R.
I was taken here by some friends. I'm from NYC so I might be harder to "wow" when it comes to restaurants. I think the demographic of the town is easily impressed by this place but honestly, surrounded by thousands of diverse selections of restaurants here in NY, this one was just okay. I took the advice of other Yelpers and stuck with a simple cheeseburger deluxe. Funny how my party was raving about the size of the cheeseburger which was nothing compared to Cozy's down in the village. Tried a cup of the clam chowder too, it was fine but nothing memorable. The decor indeed had alot going on, but nothing I've not seen before so I wasn't "ooh-ing or ahh-ing" at anything. I see why this would be a 'special' place to the locals since as far as I can tell, there aren't many 'fancy' restaurants there in general to choose from.
(3)
carmelo p.
I took a friend for my birthday. Two for one meals. not inclusive of a beverage. My friend ordered a lobster dish, it was smelly. Obviously it was served past it's expiration date. My dish was also past it's due date. it was the third time this happened. The service wasn't great. I was made to feel like I was imposing on their time. Used to be good...years ago.
(1)
Erain L.
first time in PA. that's the best place to eat.. Love the design of Lighthouse outlook
(4)
Gabriel D.
This place is great. I really like all of the different seafood. They have a great deal on oysters and the fish is cooked to perfection. They also have quality crab meat and lobster sauce!
(5)
Sarah P.
I thought this was a pretty cool find. Huge Lighthouse location looks out of place in the area but anyway.. Full of wacky/cool decor (giant whale hanging from ceilings, hundreds of 50's, 60's memorabilia, fish tanks in the wall next to your booth, etc etc) Def take a look around the place. They even have a hallway full of old scranton photos and gift shop. Staff was friendly but service was slow (place was packed, can't complain). It could be worse. Food was good;ordered the cajun shrimp for an appetizer (right amount of spicy/saucy) use the fresh bread for dipping. I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass with spinach and rice pilaf (came with salad). My boyfriend ordered the corned beef, potatoes and carrot special. I don't think he was expecting his to be as it came, but I enjoyed my meal. Also got two teas for just about $50 total. Didn't try the beer. It seemed that everyone was there for the Clams special (ant quite remember what it is but valid on Sundays only). All in all, funky place in Scranton with good food.
(4)
Randy J.
Cooper's is pretty great. Most of the food is good and the decor is fun. The sweet potato fries and onion rings are solid appetizers while the crab cakes, Kobe burger, and Birthday Lobster are great meal choices. My only complaint is about the steak, shrimp, crab dish: the shrimp was a bit overcooked. The waiter we had was very nice and attentive. Overall, Cooper's is a great place to grab some good food in Scranton.
(4)
Rachel B.
This is about the weirdest restaurant I've ever eaten in. Is it in a ship? Or just a ship theme? I can't really remember. But there's tons of kitschy crap everywhere (picture an Elvis motif in the bathroom, for starters). In general, the food was ok, the service was not terrible, and the beer was really good. Here's a quick list for your perusal: -Host and Hostess stand was bustling with energy (+2) and weird personalities (-1) -Server was nice and well-intentioned (+3) but messed up a couple things on our order (-3) -Beer was delicious (I had Weyerbacher Merry Monks, a favorite. +8) -Their "famous" crab chowder came in a bowl the size of my head (+4) but wasn't warmed all the way through and tasted rather unsavory (-6) -The bread was plentiful and delicious (+5) -My iceberg chopped salad was ... well, disgusting (-10) I'd say the beer and bread were about all that I enjoyed, but then again, I'd pretty much eat beer and bread for dinner every night if I didn't think I'd blow up like a balloon.
(3)
David S.
I went here with a friend a couple of weeks ago after doing a quick search for seafood places that weren't chains. The place was very busy which boded well but we were greatly disappointed with the food. Pros: The beer selection is huge although like any place that advertises hundreds of beers available, half of the selections weren't available. Even so, I did get a sampler and had some great craft beer. For an appetizer I ordered the alligator soup and it was delicious. Great seasoning and just very tasty. The service was fairly good considering how busy it was at the time we went. Cons: Overall, the food. We had a shrimp cocktail, crab cakes and a broiled seafood platter. All of the seafood was obviously frozen, nothing was fresh. The crab cakes were made well with a good amount of crab but the crab was a bit...fishy. (The tartar sauce to go with it, though, was good.) The shrimp cocktail was rubbery and my seafood platter was just...completely underwhelming. The scallops and shrimp were small and overcooked. The fish was dry and had little taste. Overall, if you're going to be a seafood restaurant, you have to get fresh ingredients. It was obvious that most of what we ate was from frozen product and it was just disappointing overall. I'll go back, but only to the bar for their beer selection. I think only one star is warranted in this case because if you build your business around seafood, it has to be good. Here, it's not. Another reason for the one star: My friend and I both had diarrhea after going there. Besides not being tasty, it will get you sick.
(1)
John M.
Ugh, this had to be some of the worst seafood I ever had. I did not have good expectations for a seafood restaurant in northeast Pennsylvania, I did however, think at minimum it would be a step above Long John Silvers. Instead, this was a step below what you find in te frozen food section of your local grocery store. Stay away, and if you must go because it is touristy and was on "The Office" then just go for a beer.
(1)
Milkey S.
The patio looks nice. The place is strangely decorated and a bit outdated. It has the distinct feel of a Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares "before" vibe going for it. I had the broiled seafood plate. It was terrible. The fish - salmon and haddock. First, the Salmon strip that they serve is about a half inch thick and three inches long. Mine was over cooked and hard. The Haddock tasted off and seemed to be from frozen stock. And by that I mean it had been frozen for a long time. The shrimps were also obviously frozen and if they had been broiled it showed no sign of it. Most of the plate looked as if it had been de-thawed, not broiled. There were a lot of people there the night I went. Most appeared to be eating burgers which I should have taken as a sign. Probably a better bar than a seafood place. My suggestion, get Gordon Ramsey in here for a complete makeover.
This used to be one of my favorite Restaurants. Not any longer. I had dinner here yesterday and the service was very slow. It was not crowded but took forever for our waitress to come back after she brought our drinks, and I had wanted a refill. I had the shrimp scampi. The menu said it comes either over pasta or rice pilaf. I opted for the rice pilaf however there was nothing "pilaf" about the undercooked hard white rice I was served. Also, the decor and furniture have been the same since I was 5 years old. I am now 25...don't you think it is time for a remodel? Long story short. I will not be back. It is sad when a chain restaurant like Red Lobster out does an independent locally owned business, but I will go to Red Lobster instead if I am in the Scranton area and want seafood.
(1)
Roxana G.
By myself ... after walking through the city a lobster tail was pretty good.
(4)
Kylie D.
I really like coopers! Even famous people like it! Derek Jeter said that it was the best food he had had in Scranton! Alex Rodriguez went there today and liked it! I love coopers! Go to it if you want good food! It is not just seafood.
(5)
Allan L.
Inexplicably popular with locals. A few good items on the menu, and a lot of very average but edible stuff. Most of their seafood is obviously frozen. Several competing decor themes, including over-the-top sea fare (never a good sign for a seafood place), including a small whale in one room, along with archive newspapers, an electric train that runs through the entire place, and a display case of old toothpaste (?). Most annoying is their birthday policy. Most restaurants that do this give you a week to a month, with a discount off the entire menu. Coopers insists on your exact birthday (when you are likely to have other plans) and you are limited to a short list of six rather unappealing entrees. This is a once-a-year place for us, usually on a birthday if we have nothing better to do, nothing good in the fridge and a power outage at McDonalds.
(2)
Sallio H.
Free meal on your birthday, enough said! Have been to Coopers several times this year when I'm in Scranton for work. Food and service are average. One of my favorite things to order there is the shrimp platter. The restaurant is very similar to Bahama Breeze, except there are a bunch of old school decorations (may need some dusting) and some odd and eclectic toys cluttering the hallway. It's an interesting place to take out of towners to just for the experience. At the gift shop inside the restaurant you can also find souvenirs for the "Office".
(3)
Scott B.
Probably the best seafood you will get in NEPA. Great food and great service. Good for families, dates, or meeting friends for drinks. The main bar has a VERY extensive selection of beers. There's also a deck area setup outside with tables. The decor is weird... not sure what they were going for. Kinda like a pirate theme when you walk in, but then they have a lot of random decorations all over... Like a Gilligan's Island diorama (wtf??), a toy train the runs around the ceiling throughout the restaurant, a collection of toothpaste tube from all over the world (WTF?), a shrine to the Beatles in the men's bathroom (they play Beatles songs non-stop), and a huge piece of coal... There's a lot more randomness all over. Not a lot of consistency That being said if you've never been you need to check it out. -The bartenders are amazing! -Free dinner on your birthday! -Try the alligator soup... REALLY tasty! -They have plenty of other food besides seafood with healthy alternatives.
(4)
Kyle E.
I'd give 3.5 stars if I could. My kids(ages 5 and 3) love it here and it is definitely a kid/family friendly restaurant. I always agree to go when they ask because I love the beer menu. It's about as good as it gets. As far as food, the menu is a little stale. Could use a few more updates. My wife and I actually prefer their lunch menu. All in all a place the kids will love and Mom and Dad can have a couple tasty beers. Not too much to complain about.
(3)
John B.
Frozen food? Best seafood restaurant in Scranton as they advertise? Maybe there aren't any others???? By far the worst meal I have ever had at the restaurant. Had the free birthday meal. The flounder stuffed with crabmeat and shrimp was really tasteless. Is this a frozen entry? The blackened catfish with crawfish etouffe my wife had was not blackened but burned. Don't know how you burn it and still make it soggy but Coopers did. Didn't taste like anything New Orlean blackened. Try the blackened grouper at Smokey Bones in Wilkes- Barre for a closer approximation to what a blackened dish should taste like. Shouldn't the seafood restaurant know how to do this??? Come on. Has something at the retaurant changed? Past meals have been good and it is a fun spot, but given this last meal, not likely to return. The bisques we had were very good but the main courses following were horrible. Good beers. Have a few with the bisque and skip the main courses if you must go. May not have written this here but the contact us part of the Coopers website did not work. Coopers is now on the do not return list.
(1)
Amy G.
I've been stuck going here for years, thanks to their free birthday meals and I have never had anything that would make me want to come back for more than relatives who want to eat here on their birthday. Coopers was one of the best places to eat in the Scranton area when I was growing up, but the food quality and service seems the have slipped. The last time I ate there for my grandmothers birthday I ordered the lobster tail, it was chewy and tasted funny, ended up sending it back and ordered filet mignon instead. 30 minutes later I received a small burnt steak the was gristly, def not filet. The only pro is that they do have an extensive beer selection, maybe if you have a couple beers the food tastes ok.
(1)
christine l.
Cooper's is my favorite place to visit when I am back in Scranton. The last time I was there, I had the ahi tuna over seaweed salad and it was excellent - rivals any sushi bar. The beer selection is second to none.
(5)
Steve B.
I've been going to school in Scranton for the past few years and never ate at Cooper's until recently. While we waited for our friend, My wife and I had a drink at the bar. They have 400 beers! That was pretty damn cool. They have most of the cool microbrews that I enjoyed in Boston. We were seated in a pretty gaudy room with a train going around the walls. Our waitress took her time getting to us and kind of ignored us after we got our meal. But otherwise the experience was very good. The food was great. But really, how hard is it to do surf and turf? Either way, we had a good meal. A big plus was the homemade deserts. I recommend the eclair cake. Overall, the place is a bit cheesy looking and our service could have been better, but the food was good and the menu was impressive.
(4)
Linda L.
Cooper's is overrated. They have an excellent beer selection, but the seafood dishes are only so-so, usually below average, and the service is normally abysmal--inattentive waitstaff. Last visit: the waitress spilled some of my drink on my sleeve and completely forgot to serve our salads. and service was quite slow. To be fair, we have occasionally had adequate or even good service, but not often enough.
(2)
Zsolt M.
Atmosphere good. Kid friendly. Seafood fresh. The meals were over cooked. Stay with something simple.
(2)
Mathew S.
The place has some great atmosphere, you don't realize how much history is on the walls until you take a close look, but it all blends in so well. The beer selection is truly impressive, you name it, and they have it! I had the seafood alfredo, it was pretty basic, just shrimp and scallops, nothing too impressive.
(4)
Ronnie D.
My co-workers and I stopped by this restaurant for lunch and found that it was overall a pleasant experience. The food was pretty good and we also had some beer which had a good selection. The restaurant was family friendly and the staff was very kind to us.
(3)
Chris D.
This place is business romantic. Whenever I am in Scranton this is where I go. Great food and the best beer selection around. Plus if it your birthday you get a free meal!
(5)
Brian P.
I had some really good calamari here, and the filet mignon was delicious too, but my waitress Lorelei really made me give the restaurant 5 stars... I left my credit card at the table when I paid, and as soon after I walked out the door into the pouring rain, my waitress tapped me on my shoulder and gave me my card. I was sooo relieved because I hadn't even noticed that I left my card. The staff is great!
(5)
Judy W.
I remember going here as a child and loving the quirky ship shaped building, but when my boyfriend and I went with another couple recently, it was a huge let down. Our waiter was very friendly, but the place was obviously understaffed as we saw him running to what looked like dozens of tables. Service was SOOOOO slow, we were there for almost 4 hours. While a cheesy crab appetizer was ok, the main seafood was over cooked and very dry- we had crab legs and lobster- and utterly unenjoyable. After this long disappointing experience, we get the bill, and we have each been charged $20 over the listed price for the crab. I point this out to the waiter, who was very kind and said he'd have to go speak to his manager. The assistant manager comes back and shows us a menu with the more expensive price on it. We point out that this is a different menu than we saw as it has different specials, and we quote some of the specials. They finally admit that they had given us the previous day's menu and market price ($20 dollar change in one day sounds insane anyway), but still insist we pay full price. We were all getting upset so I asked for the name of the general manager and we left. I called the next day and explained how displeased we were to the general manager, and she asks me what I want her to do about it in a confrontational way. I said that I want the difference of what we saw on the menu and what we paid to be refunded to our card. She says she'll get back to me. After calling and calling and calling back always getting some excuse as to why she can't talk to me, I finally get her on the phone after threatening to call the owner and our money is refunded. To their credit, AFTER all this they sent us a $25 gift certificate for our trouble, but there is no way we're ever going back there, and we don't want to insult anyone else by giving such a dining experience to them, so it's sitting in a drawer for the rest of time.
(1)
Chris w.
Always a good meal. Clean, a very creative place to eat. Great Chef, Marie is her name!
(5)
The Meepers G.
Best beer selection in town! I love this place, i am there every Thursdays working on my Beer Club Plaque! i may get one at 500, but i am not gunning for 1000! They rotate their beers every week, and Tommy does a good job at getting a few new ones in there. their prices range from around $3.50-$22 for bottles (there are a million in between). and their drafts are around $4-$8. always something good to drink. They have three inside bars and one deck bar (seasonal), the back Whale bar is pretty small, but the front Boat bar is nice and big, but normally packed, that is how great this place is. The Light House bar, isn't open all the time, just weekends, and you can rent it out (i think, it's small, but i often see something going on up there). The food is pretty dang good. Bayou Shrimp are great, and their clams are the best! and for land lovers, their burgers, salads and chicken bites are awesome. Stop in here anytime with no hesitation, it will please you. and read some of the Beer Club plaques, some are funny.
(5)
Vanessa W.
Terrible! This place used to (and apparently still does) have a great reputation but I have not a single good thing to say about it. I went here with a large group. They had called ahead and made a reservation, but the place was clearly understaffed as it took them FOREVER to wait on us - even for drinks. I got the famous crab bisque, which was tasty but texturally all wrong - thick and lumpy not smooth and creamy. Sensing a lack of sophistication (giant whale in our room), I ordered something simple - fish and chips - thinking hey, they can't screw that up. Boy was I wrong. My fish was very soggy - like it had set out for a very long time. The fries were overcooked, and tasted like the frier. Everyone else in my party had similar complaints, and one member was served the wrong dish altogether. He didn't bother correcting it in fear we'd be waiting another 35 minutes for our meal. They didn't even get our drink order right. Don't walk, RUN away from this place!!
(1)
John D.
This is one of the only GOOD places there is to go to in Scranton where you can get seafood. Also a very unique place, they just remodeled the entire "ship" setting over by the parking lot, I was there during the winter so I didn't get to get the full experience, but it looked nice. The food was incredible. I heard that they had a very impressive tap list but they had only a few and they were all of the regulars except their own brew which was pretty good. Overall, this is a great place to go, not too fancy, not too laid back.
(4)
B. R.
Cooper's is most definitely the best seafood restaurant in Scranton, hands down. You must try the lobster fondue...incredible! Plus, the beer selection is phenomenal, one of the largest in Scranton. Great service, and the portions are enough for two. You also can't beat the decor...kitchy but cozy, i love it!
(5)
Diana S.
Go for the ample microbrew selection and rare outdoor patio. Leave before you get hungry because the food will either be undercooked, overlooked, smothered in butter or tasteless. I have been there several times and have always left disappointed that the food is so bad. Perhaps someday they will decide to focus on the food and recapture their former place as an iconic restaurant (not bar) in the area.
(2)
Serhat A.
Amazing decor and extra friendly and lovely service. Strictly advise to stop by uf you pass Scranton.
(5)
Kathy S.
Had dinner here and enjoyed the whole event. When we pulled into the parking Lot we knew we were at the right place by the lighthouse and octopus on the roof. After the walk through the memorabilia covered hall. Items like board game, old photos of town make a wait in line more enjoyable. When we got to the dinning room the theme of decorating was repeated along with a train near the ceiling running into the different dinning rooms . Crab cakes and the bisque soup were a big hit with my husband. My fish sandwich was awesome. Can't' wait to return.
(4)
L P.
Cannot believe I never reviewed this place. Almost as unbelievable as the rave reviews it somehow gets. First let me say that my first and only time having dinner here was back in 2010, but I have a hard time believing anything has changed. My boyfriend and I ordered the crab bisque and clam chowder and both were completely bland. I also had the shrimp scampi which had even less flavor than the soups. How any of those dishes can be devoid of flavor is beyond me, but NEPA pulls off terrible food feats like no other. The atmosphere is alarmingly tacky. I know some find it endearing but it's kind of like someone's attic threw up. Maybe it could be considered kitschy and fun if the food was good. The real kicker though, is how overpriced this place is. They really put the scam in scampi if you ask me :) I recently went back to sit on the deck and drink/listen to the band play, and the atmosphere is pretty good for that. However, I made the mistake of ordering food again, and the crabby cheesy pretzel thing is beyond disgusting. I'm gonna assume they snuck some American cheese in there; considering the location, it's the only explanation for why it was so gross. I'm convinced I'll see this place on Kitchen Nightmares one day, with all of Gordon Ramsay's words being bleeped out as he eats their bland food.
(1)
Patty S.
This place...a pirate ship wedged in the landlocked mountains of Pennsylvania. Walking through the doors of this fine dining/sideshow esque place it makes me understand where the writers of the sitcom the office obtained their material. This place is a trophy for Scranton held in almost as high as Joe Paterno or high school football. Even if the food is just frozen and filled with preservatives...gordons fish sticks and Mrs. Pauls defrosted crab cakes are adored here. Remember we are landlocked...no ocean. If you ever had fresh seafood near a seaport...you won't like it here. So just order as many beers as you can...they have a lot and this is why they earned their one star rating. Get a 6 pack and have a fish filet instead.
(1)
Michael S.
For a while, the food became very mediocre, but that has really changed lately. The last three times I've eaten there I've been very impressed by how good my meals were. Last trip I had the blackened catfish with crawfish etouffee that was amazing. The beer list is always a highlight.
(5)
Kyle T.
This place is great for a bar, but the food has gone downhill in the past few years. They crab bisque is great, but on this visit there was no flavor which is a problem I never had before. I wish they would bring back the lobster bisque.
(3)
Kim P.
I love the seafood here. Well prepared and seasoned, I have never had a dish I haven't loved (though the seafood crepes are my favorite and i have to make an effort to order something else). The decorations are astonishing - the train room is like an old restaurant near my hometown that had a train going around on a shelf above the diners, and the whale room is dark and intimate. All are decorated with glass cases that if you look closely are filled with toys and games and chatchkis from the 60s. This is one of my favorite restaurants I have ever been to.
(5)
C W.
I don't eat seafood, but I've had their bacon burger and their boneless wings. Both are AMAZING. They have an excellent beer selection. Their beer menu mocks the Miller Lite & Coors Light, but they won't mock you if you order them. But don't be afraid to try something new. Personally, I usually opt for the Long Island Iced Tea, they are delicious. Lots of different rooms depending on the atmosphere you are looking for, including an outside deck. This place gets packed sometimes, especially if you are just here to drink at one of the bars, but you usually don't have to wait for a table to eat.
(5)
Jade H.
Ahoy seafood fans! Cooper's is a novel and nautical bounty of the sea right in our own Scranton, Pa. With vehicles circling the restaurant like sharks looking for the best spot we could hear the pirates singing from the parking lot. You walk through a maze of Scranton history, in and out of themed rooms, and through a timeline of toys. The chowdah was enough to make a sailor swoon, and the rolls were certainly better than any hardtack. Our main courses made us feel like the captain of our own schnooner, as we sat shadowed by a massive blue whale. I had the seafood platter, he had the lobster. Very well prepared and displayed. Tasted like it was fresh from the deeps! The beer list was enough to wet the whistle of even the thirstiest sailor, offering local selections and bottles from far away lands. Definitely recommend this place. Tell your mateys and head at full sail to Cooper's Seafood House.
(5)
Ian D.
2 words: Crab Bisque.
(4)
Michelle C.
This place is so random I don't even know where to begin. There is a giant octopus on top of the building, giving off a Chuckie Cheese for adults effect. In the warmer months, a tiki bar is open although I will have to wait until the spring to check this out for myself. Inside, the first thing I noticed was a gift shop, which was strange but hey, welcome to Scranton, everybody. There was also a room with arcade and claw games, as well as - drum roll, please - a Voltar machine. What's a Voltar machine, you ask? Think back. Does the quote, "I wish I were big" ring any bells? Thought so. The bar was filled with a mix of young and old, and the beer offerings were really great for a local joint. One of our crew had an organic strawberry wheat beer, which was pretty cool as I had no idea such a thing existed. I look forward to checking this place out again during a future visit to Scranton.
(3)
Seath J.
This has to be the worst place that ever called themselfs a seafood restaurant . I ordered the scallops they tasted like rubber. My wife ordered the carb bisque it was so thick and so little crab you could have eaten it with a fork. Plus side great beer selection . Save your money. It fast food style seafood . The place is decorated like your in Wally World !
(1)
W C.
We went here mostly for the beer and drink specials. The patio is great too and a lot of fun on st patricks day parade. We've eaten here a few times and were never really super impressed. Our faves were the cheesy crab dip, the crab cake sandwich and the dill dressing for salads. They have a huge beer list!!
(3)
Pete B.
Went bc of The Office. Food was actually pretty good. Went on NYE. Had lots of fun
(3)
Gomar H.
So we went to one of the most famous seafood restaurants in the U.S., Coopers in Scranton, PA. coopers-seafood.com/2007… It's been mentioned on 'The Office' several times, and has won best seafood several times. Well, good they've got a large parking lot, but are way under staffed. The ambience & decor is A+. The best decor of any seafood place I've ever been to. Posters, photos, and action figures from films and TV shows. Newspapers clippings, large memorabilia collection, a few autographs of mostly unknowns, has-beens, and local celebs here and there. Dont know what any of this has to do with seafood. Hillary Clinton likes to go there. 9/11 photos placed in the bathroom?! huh? Shame on them! . Do everyone a favor and place the 9/11 material upfront. You could spend a whole day walking around there just checking out the place... But, that's not what people are there for. So for the food: simply put, it sucks! I am not a big fan of seafood, but I did try their crab bisque. Horrid. Looked and tasted like diahrea. French onion soup was just as bad. Mix of lobster & shrimp tasted like cooked plastic. Lobster lovers stay away. My sirloin filet was as hard as a brick. If that is supposed to be medium well done then I'll invite chef Ramsey to try it. The salad had cheese. Who asked for cheese in my fresh tossed salad? huh? Is it legal to serve alligator? The beer selection was huge. Overall, take folks there just to impress them with the decor, get free dinner on birthday, but order light, have a few drinks and go home.
(2)
Eric B.
This place used to be one of my favorites in the area. We would end up there often for birthdays since they had that birthday lobster deal. Over the past year or so, this place has really gone downhill. The last time I was there I ordered the Seafood Crepes. It was so bad, I had to send it back. I am not one of those people who are difficult to please and send things back, this was probably the first time I had to do this in about 5 years, but it was really that bad. First, the sauce used to fill the crepes was like a thick butter sauce. It really was like just eating a stick of butter. Next, the seafood, which was supposed to be shrimp, scallops, and lobster, was not fresh seafood. It was like the frozen mini shrimp and scallops and imitation lobster you can buy in the frozen section of a supermarket imported directly from China. I kid you not, I was expecting actual pieces of seafood, which for $20+ one should, but instead got cheap frozen seafood. Other people in my group were also not pleased with the meal, and like I said, we have been coming to this place for years. This place always had a wait and the prices were always normally high, but that is something that you could ignore because the food used to be good and the decor of this place is just cool, but it is not worth it if they are going to serve cheap pre-made frozen food.
(2)
j d.
Best happy hour in Scranton for a beer aficionado....cant beat half priced micro brews every day 5-7.
(5)
Mike C.
Over rated Over priced Service is poor Crab bisque soup is good Beer selection is good
(2)
Jamie B.
This was definitely one of the highlights of our visit to NEPA, but we're from land-locked NM so we probably have low standards when it comes to seafood. Having said that, the service was fast and friendly the night we went, which was a Friday night. We didn't have to wait for a table. All of us loved the decor, which included many pieces of historical ephemera from the 1950s, along with a huge diorama (think museum sized) of a guy wearing a diving bell, and a shark. My husband was elated by the enormous beer selection. And our food--broiled haddock, stuffed flounder, and the fish and chips--was delicious. We did get a kick out of the player piano--what's wrong with that thing? If I ever find myself in Scranton again I'll definitely return.
(4)
Alfonso D.
I've probably been here 6-10 times over the last 30 years.Not good enough to rave about but not bad enough to stay away. Just took my daughter and granddaughter there for lunch a few weeks ago mainly because we were a few blocks away and hungry.I actually said let's go to Cooper's,I haven't been there in years. The meal was fine,some kind of stuffed fish and the waitress was friendly and efficient. The highlight was when the gave my 3 year old granddaughter a pirates hat and brought her kids meal served in a ship. I'd go back again when I'm in the area.
(3)
Brian L.
WHAT?! HOW DO YOU HAVE A GIANT KRAKEN ON YOUR BOAT SHAPED BUILDING AND SERVE CRAPPY OVERPRICED FOOD?!?! Atmosphere is nice, but it smells like fish butt, the food is pricey and is just seafood floating in butter. they do offer like 500 beers though, thats cool
(1)
Liz P.
I want to love Cooper's. I mean, it was mentioned on The Office. And my kids (ages 5 and 17) love it. Although I think the teenager is wising up. With a family country house in the Poconos about 20 miles east of Cooper's, we've had occasion to eat there several times over the past few years. The first time or two, despite my initial reservation about eating seafood more than an hour by truck inland, it was A-OK. The service (as mentioned elsewhere) is spotty during peak hours, but I've never had an unfriendly server. And my little girl just adores the train room. And the decor is amusing, and the campy player piano is worth the quarter(s) just for the howl the atonal song(?) provokes in us. I mean, is that even a song? Check it out; even if you hate your meal, it will still make your night. However, I've long suspected most of the seafood is frozen/nuked. And I *hate* the fact that they don't take reservations. And, well, although I've enjoyed some menu items, others...bleaugh. For instance, we went a few days ago (an August Sunday evening at around 6:30 p.m.), and we were seated almost immediately. In the train room (my daughter cheered). The train doesn't come around nearly often enough to thrill the tot crowd, but it's still fun. However, the room smelled...fishy. I mean, it's a seafood place, but it wasn't the *nice* kind of fishy smell. So, we ordered, and our waitress was lovely (although we did have a conversation about how long she had been working that day, and about the drink she was going to have after her shift, but hey, keepin' it real). The bread sucks, but the table appetizer took long enough to come that it was necessary. The appetizer, my mom's choice--oh, and how she lived to regret it--was the seafood fondue in a bread bowl. It tasted great, while ridiculously rich, but let me tell you about what happened to my digestive tract at 2 a.m....okay, TMI? Maybe not. The drinks: Cooper's has a great beer menu, and my husband the driver ordered a non-alcoholic beer that was delicious. My mom ordered a strawberry daiquiri that was nearly undrinkable due to chunks of ice and strawberry at the bottom of the glass. ASIDE: Funny Cooper's Story: a couple of years ago, they had a promotion where, if you ordered a certain brand of draft beer, you'd get a free glass. I ordered that beer, because it sounded interesting. As we were leaving, I realized that I hadn't gotten my free glass. I mentioned it to the waitress, who walked over to a neighboring table, and picked up a pint glass (unused, thankfully) and gave it to me. A plain pint glass. Not a branded glass. We laughed so hard about that. When we got back to the country house, we used our P-Touch to label the plain glass with "Cooper's Cup." Bwahaha! It's still there, and greatly revered. Some of us ordered entrees with salad, others of us had soup and sandwich type meals. The salads are (probably bagged) but serviceable. The soups are not bad, but also NOT HOT! I had the recommended (per the menu) Maryland crab bisque, and it would have been much better at least re-heated in the nuker, but no. My teenage son, who likes spicy, was surprised at how spicy the alligator soup was. Now to the meals. The crab cakes received variable reviews. My husband ordered them as an entree, and didn't understand why his two crab cakes with a salad cost so much more than my crab cake sandwich (on a roll with fries). Good point. I disliked the crab cake sandwich immensely. The roll was a poor accompaniment, and I found the cake boring and dry (although the roll might have detracted from the flavor, being huge and dry and bready). I left almost all of the roll, and half of the crab cake. I didn't even want to take it home, that's how awful I found it. My son who eats everything in abundance couldn't eat his Alfredo-ish pasta dish after appetizer and bread and salad. The upside of that was that he enjoyed it very much for lunch the next day. My mom ordered the crepes, and they were really good. We enjoyed the decor, as usual (we were in a corner booth with a display of political buttons, which provided a matching game for my daughter). I do wish that there were more healthy options on the menu, but hey, this is Scranton, not [insert health-conscious location here]. My daughter liked her chicken tenders from the kids' menu, but I think she found the fries sub-par because she *always* finishes her fries, and she barely touched them. Or maybe she was too excited by the train. The bathrooms were lovely. More restaurants should have bathrooms as clean as Cooper's. Anyway, three stars for the fun of it, and for our nice waitress who was sweet to my daughter (even though she was going to go get drunk after her shift), and nothing else for the bleh food.
(3)
Mark N.
Cooper's is a decent seafood restaurant. I have been to better seafood restaurants and certainly I have been to worse. The food is OK, but what I appreciate the most is the extremely kid friendly environment that the restaurant has. It is the flagship, literally, of seafood restaurants. They even give the kids pirate hats....nice
(3)
Tim O.
I find the food quality to vary from visit to visit. I go about twice a month, mostly for lunch, and I've never had anything bad. The service tends to be slow for dinner and the overall atmosphere is a bit too gimmicky for my taste. The burger is good and the bread is great if it is fresh enough. You cannot go wrong with surf and turf for dinner.
(4)
Matt N.
Meh. Like several of my fellow Yelpers have mentioned, maybe the best thing on the menu is the beer selection...which is not exactly a ringing endorsement of a restaurant. I can't pan all of the food here, I've had several satisfying and tasty meals from this place...but I think I've enjoyed the bar more than any of them...again, not great for a restaurant. It is a Scranton institution, and I think some of people's opinions are colored by that...They'll be the first to tell you that their crab bisque made them famous, and rightly so. It's good.
(3)
Glenn P.
My first experience at Coopers when I was 12 years old, when I spent most of the time trying to look up the waitresses skirt - yes, I was a sick little man back then and not much has changed since. When I came home from college I would drink at the bar simply because they never carded me. Oh, the memories - I wish I could just remember them. My mom loved it, and we took her there for her birthday every year. Surf and turf, complete with the lobster bib. God bless her, but she loved her little piece of white plastic. So I've got some history going on in this place. And so, I might add, does Bill Clinton. Yes, he ate there, they even have pictures to prove it. Of course considering some of the other things we saw (or heard about - eww) him chomping on, I'm not sure if his endorsment is a huge positive. I have to agree with the comments of most of the my fellow yelpers. The food is hit or miss. I've had lobster that's been sweet and fresh one time and another time where it could have been pollock with artificial flavoring. The soups have been generally spot-on. The specials are iffy... as in "sometimes I fell iffy after I eat them". However... and this is a big however.... the BEER!!!!! Mmmm, beer. Tasty beer. Sweet nectar-of-the-gods beer. Beer I would marry if it wouldn't mean 10 years in jail for bigamy. They do have one of the best beer menus in Scranton. I know that's not saying an awful lot, but when I can find at least 10 different imports and micros to drink, then it's a good thing. So. Go for the beer. Have some soup. Enjoy the funky, eclectic decorations on the wall. Sit where Bill Clinton sat and enjoy Coopers for what it is. Just make sure you wipe down the seat before you sit down. God only knows where his butt has been.
(3)
E C.
This place is strange. All the flair on the walls (including a gigantic whale in the middle of one of the dining rooms) is overwhelming. It's hard to take this place seriously, especially when there are pirate statues you can take pictures with (which we did). The food was average, nothing out of the ordinary. I had the coral reef linguine and my boyfriend had the New Bedford sea scallops. I agree with another Yelper, saying it was like Red Lobster. But at least the Red Lobster has the cheese biscuits. I wouldn't go to this place again but it wasn't horrible. I didn't have any alcohol but their bar was stacked, particularly with beer. I'm sure that's a plus for many people.
First the bad.....polyester seafood! Taste like plastic, not fresh. I can't really understand if this is their speciality. Now the good.....People say they have a great selection of beer. Sorry, but I go out to eat and am not very impressed by beer selections!
(2)
Ruth R.
Great spot but just soso on the food!!!
(3)
Michelle S.
Coopers is one of the only seafood restaurants in the area and they have higher prices than other restaurants in the area. I tend to think if the prices are higher the food will be better, but this is not the case. I have gone to this restaurant a few times and none of them were memorable. Today, my husband and I went here for lunch and it was atrocious! Everything was soaked in butter and the presentation was terrible. My husband ordered the "Firecracker shrimp" and our waitress insisted that it was delicious. It came out with 6 shrimp on a bed of undercooked hard, crunchy rice. I ordered some sort of mixed plate of shrimp, clam strips, fries, and flounder. Everything on the plate was bland and greasy. I am absolutely not impressed with the restaurant. Another complaint I have it the decor is all over the place. The place is meant to look like a pirate ship and then there is all kinds of old memorabilia on the walls that have nothing to do with the sea. Also I used the restroom and everything in the restroom was Elvis, there were Elvis pictures everywhere and Elvis music playing. It was a mess. Save yourself the stomachache, don't eat here.
(1)
Jonathan Y.
Being here for over 5 years and have seen the quality of food and service gone down, just like most everything else. I have had rotten oysters, over priced dishes and expensive drinks. Kid's menu is expensive. I would choose Red Lobster over Coppers, even though I am not a chain lover. Is there anything good in this history mining town?
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Music : Background Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Fri, Sat, Sun Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Mike R.
One of the best and biggest craft beer selections in Scranton. The best seafood money could ask for. Service that is quick, friendly, and respectful. How can someone not like Coopers. Everyone I bring here keeps coming back. That says something!! Always my first stop after I arrive in Scranton, and last stop before I leave Scranton. I hope Coopers will always be open. Whenever I walk in there, you get an aura of positivity and happiness.
(5)Nancy H.
we were sent this way by a few nice local guys who we ran into. I completely understand why they sent us to Coopers knowing that we were traveling through; what a tourist attraction! A truly interesting place to see with bizarre decor, pirate mannequins, talking statues, and a ginormous octopus on the top of the restaurant. The bathrooms were themes; women's room was all Elvis and the men's room all Beatles. Decor was most definitely a sight to see. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful; giving us tips on menu decisions as well as finding a hotel for the night. As an appetizer, the soup sampler allows you to taste 3 of their homemade soups which was fun for sharing. They were all OK but nothing spectacular. They were generous with warm homemade bread which was appreciated after a long day of travel. For entrees, we tried the chicken Caesar salad, the YEEHAW burger, and the fish tacos. Caesar salad was below average, underdressed with semi-overcooked chicken. The fish tacos were okay but the fish didn't seem particularly fresh; not rotten but not great. The hamburger was delicious; cooked perfectly with a very nice bun and served with good fries. I would recommend their burgers!
(3)Michael G.
Great if you stick to the seafood basics, broiled or baked. Not the best for what they hype, the Maryland crab bisque was so full of flour it resembled more of a biscuit than that of a soup. That's great if you want to fill up on that. Very bland. Crawfish Etouffee was ok, but again very thick and heavy with filler. The tuna appetizer was decent but not what I have come to expect these days. We had a large group (11) and most everyone else enjoyed their food. I called earlier to make a reservation but they wouldn't take it. Service was super: very kind, friendly and helpful staff. They replaced the MD bisque with Manhattan chowder which was again very thick with filler - potatoes. Beer selection is awesome and if that's your main draw then definitely worth the visit. Not making a b-line to come back
(2)Glen O.
Came here because of The Office. Food was ok, but the crab bisque was one of the best I've had. Make sure to try their snow crab legs too. Love the atmosphere.
(4)Aaron S.
Amazing snow crab legs are amazing, and the New England clam chowder us perfectly creamy! The bar area can be a little loud, and sometimes there are very long waits for food...don't go on a Friday night. The baked potatoes are massive!
(4)Phillip M.
Great beer selection. The food is mediocre. The place is full of kitsch which does distract from the food. Stay with the basics and you should be okay.
(3)Josh M.
Cooper seafood. I really really want to love this place. I have been to Cooper's about three or four times throughout traveling to Scranton. I have to say from a design standpoint the place is absolutely amazing. I love the nautical theme. The food on the other hand not so much. Experience. The theme of Cooper seafood does not fit in with the Scranton area. The theme is a nautical\local. When you first pull up and get out of your car there is a motioned censored pirate that talks to you and asks you questions. the first time I went to coopers he scared the crap out of me I didn't know who was talking to me. Do not be alarmed if you get out of your car in this pirate start talking you. Most noticeably when you pull up to the place you'll notice there is a huge lighthouse on top and there also is a huge octopus and a ship with multiple cannons and crewmembers on it. When you go inside there are two life-size sharks and history all over the wall. The coolest thing about this place is the history that's on the walls there's local history from the 1800s maps there are multiple drawings by by artists. They also have different displays from different Time periods one of them is from the pyramids in Egypt the other one is from the Caribbean. They have a life-size whale in the back room. As well as a display with the diver sharks and stingrays. If you do have little kids I do recommend bringing them there there is a lot of things to look at while you're waiting for your food it was really really is a cool place for young children. They also have a really really cool old-school train that drives through the whole entire restaurant about every 10 minutes Service. The service was good. There was nothing special about the service. The food did not take too long the waitress would fill up our drinks and everything service wise was completely normal. Food. The food on the other hand does not match what this place should be. They do have a full bar which is stocked with just about every type of liquor. I ended up ordering the specials that they posted. I ended up getting a crab quesadilla I also ended up getting. The lobster macaroni and cheese special. The lobster macaroni and cheese wasn't the greatest that I've ever had it was okay. The crab quesadillas on the other hand was extremely strong tasting with green onion. I feel like the only thing I was tasting was the green onion I ended up eating only one of the triangles. because it was just too strong and overpowering. I was going to send the dish back but I realized it wasn't even worth the effort. From a price standpoint I felt food was expensive for what we ended up receiving. The only thing I really did enjoy about the place food wise was the mozzarella stick. Mozzarella sticks were very good they were hand breaded and they just tasted really really fresh and good. They also had the drink called the shark shooter. They give you vodka in a toy sharks mouth they put the shark tale first into the drink and what you do is when you receive the drink you take the toy shark out of the cop you turn it over and dump the liquor into the actual liquid. I thought this was very cool. Overall. I really do like the looks of this place there's a lot of local history. You can't go wrong bringing guests or little kids here. I really feel that the food should be better for what this place is. I just wish that the food would match the decor. If you want to place to drink you should come here if you want to place to eat I do recommend going somewhere else. PROS: - decorated really cool - history on the walls CONS: - food was not that good - pricy for the type of food we got
(3)L B.
Oysters are always good. Fresh and lovely but the service was slow. Happy hour is just that, one beer in an hour! Outrageous. I'm not happy in an hour without a half priced draft Owners please listen and do something! I'd be here more often and spend a lot more money if someone would take my draft order! Ridiculous! We had to walk to the bar to order our own beer. I want to come back but should I bring my own beer? My server, I saw twice in two hours! Some young server felt bad and helped us. Kudos to him. He gets the tip. Bad bad bad service! Please fix it. I love sitting on the deck but they leave you for dead.
(2)Larissa G.
While I love Cooper's, you can probably see from my rating that I acknowledge it's not the perfect place to grab some chow. And I admit that a lot of my liking of this place comes from nostalgia - it's kind of a tradition for my family to eat here whenever we visit the area, which used to happen a lot since my grandparents lived in Scranton. We always loved the eccentric decor and enjoyed exploring the old photos and admiring some of the more random collections of stuff in the place, so even their "weird" decor is probably more charming to me than others. Of course, unless a restaurant's atmosphere is really awful, I tend to care way more about the food than its decor. Cooper's is no exception. Portion-wise, things here won't disappoint - their dishes and sandwiches and even appetizers are enormous. In fact family members have been known to make an entire meal out of soup and an appetizer. Speaking of soup, their alligator soup is a personal favorite - usually pretty thick, always flavorful, always carrying a kick (sometimes more-so than usual). Sandwiches and burgers have never disappointed, and while not the greatest seafood on the planet it's certainly never struck us as outright bad. Everything we've ordered over the years has been tasty and satisfactory, if not delightful. Their alcoholic drinks, however have admittedly varied in quality - sometimes they've been strong and delightful, but other times they were pretty "meh" and weak. Plus, in recent years the service has definitely slowed up a little bit; otherwise I'd be rating them a star higher. So for me, Cooper's is a nostalgic favorite but admittedly not the necessarily the place to be anymore. Hopefully the staff soon realizes that the slowing service needs to be addressed - even improving something like this would probably go a long way in boosting people's opinions of the place, including my own.
(3)Kevin M.
Classic Scranton spot! Lots of character, tons of craft beer, great seafood, lots of fun room!
(5)Michael E.
Could be better. Just went to see any relics from the tv show THE OFFICE, which there were none. Food is descent. Fish taste fresh but not seasoned enough. Rice pilaf is good but loaded with butter. Fun atmosphere.
(3)Jonathan L.
Cooper's has an ambiance that is second to none in Scranton's casual dining scene. The entire restaurant was designed as a boat. The designers were very convincing! Eating on the deck in the summer feels like taking a day cruise (minus the salty mist). However, when rubber meets the road, or more aptly put, when plates hit the table, Cooper's falls short. The wait times for food are ALWAYS long and the food is never worth the wait. I've never had anything inedible, but for a 45 min wait, I expected a lot more than what I received. I give Cooper's 2 stars. The restaurant has a great atmosphere (on the deck). However, the food is average and the service is slow,
(2)Dan A.
Got a warm Scranton greeting on arrival: "Hiya! How are ya?" Peel and eat shrimp app was (now updating to 'very') good as was the crab cake dinner and Brazilian lobster tail. Sides - as basic as they were - were totally ruined. Classic baked potato drowned in so much butter I wouldn't eat it. Warm side salad and coleslaw. Simple tip: don't put the cold sides under the heat lamp with the rest of the food waiting to go out to tables. Beer selection is super- they even have a local section. I hadn't been in Cooper's in about 7-8 years. I think it's slipped a few notches but based on my meal I think the seafood basics are still pretty solid.
(3)Dawn S.
I've been to Cooper's enough times to pen a final verdict: Guilty, for impersonating a quality seafood restaurant! On the plus side: Service here is usually friendly. Wait times for meals can be a bit long, but I like to imagine it's b/c meals are possibly being made fresh. The coolest thing about this place is the outer deck. Live music, a lively crowd with a great drink selection. Speaking of drinks, I've never had a watered down cocktail at this place. There's a variety of seating choices- dining room, outdoor deck area, inside area near deck.. The Elvis themed ladies restroom (with Elvis music in the background) is... an experience. Shame: The outer deck would be the only area that I enjoy eating at. The inside dining room is dark, dank and absolutely smelly. The carpeting is very old and in need of removal. It's just nasty. Lighting is abysmal and it's always still and dead in there, despite the cute toy train that loops through every few minutes. Think funeral home. Bad. Back to the deck. It draws a crowd, but it's very small and cannot accommodate that crowd. You'll be pressed to find a seat out there and may find yourself standing on the steps. The food is really just mediocre, not the worst but nothing that cannot be cooked at home. The shrimp scampi is over garlicy.. The broiled seafood platter, just broiled seafood. The place is in need of an overhaul.
(2)Georgio B.
Crab cake sandwich should be renamed "Mushy Gray Matter" sandwich. The accompanying fries were not bad. Not recommended.
(2)Dean L.
Feels like you are in SC at one of those Beach Buffetts Good sea food for being landlocked Wonderful beer selection. Great for kids or date
(4)Amanda H.
Came here again on birthday. This time was terrible. Waited an hour and a half for our food. And the scampi was terrible. Starchy pasta and bland sauce. The crab bisque was way too sweet. This is the end of me coming here on my birthday.
(1)Fred F.
For such an inland location, I find Coopers to be pretty remarkable. Deliciously simple lump crab meat in butter can't be beat. King crab and fried shrimp combo...with some killer mashed potatoes and gravy is wonderful....great old school atmosphere.....what else do you need? A must stop every time in the area.
(4)Keith D.
Okay my review of 3 stars has nothing to do with the quality or taste of the food. The food itself is excellent. It has more to do with service and a kind of weirdly laid out restaurant. I think this place was built in stages and added on to as time went on, thats the vibe I got. Now for service we did go on a Saturday afternoon and at best service in the a bit dated dining area which we seemed to walk through 8 doors, 2 bars and 3 hallways to get to, with a non operating train track around the ceiling, was almost uncaring. Look I get it it seems to cater to the very old for food and the young for their craft beer selection (which is DAMN impressive) not falling into either I felt a bit lost and a bit looked over. Maybe on Saturday afternoon the b-team and benchwarmers are picking up a shift, maybe if I came there to just enjoy a crabby pretzel dip and a few craft beers on the deck it'd be better. I don't know. Either way it wasn't bad food wise but there are so many other places in Scranton PA with awesome service with a staff that'd appear glad to have me there.
(3)Kevin B.
I grew up going to Cooper's for a nice dinner with family and I've continued going all throughout college and I still return when in the area to visit family and friends. It's a great place to gather with a group of people and enjoy a nice meal and good beer. First off, their food is very good and the crab bisque (their soup specialty) is very, very tasty. I've had a variety of their dishes, from lobster to turkey wrap and I've enjoyed them every time. As for the beer, they have an extremely large selection of bottles and they always have great beer on tap. A bonus is that they often have draft beers where you can keep the glass, which is a favorite of mine. Bottom line, it's a great place to go and enjoy a good meal!
(4)Bob H.
The atmosphere is very cool. The decor is unlike anywhere else that I have been. It can get a little pricy but there is usually a great selection of both beer and seafood dishes. Their specials change monthly to keep it fresh. The service is pretty decent considering that they are usually very busy.
(4)Colleen H.
Outdoor seating is great as the weather gets warmer! Live entertainment on weekends creates a nice atmosphere. Service could be a little slow at times- but mainly because it's so busy always, making it understandable.
(4)Dan S.
Here for happy hour, missing 8/22 of their most popular seasonal draft beers. Ordered 3 appetizers consisting of jalapeño poppers, mozzarella sticks, and a dozen oysters on the half shell. The oysters were dry with no brine in the shells, only one variety. The jalapeño poppers were 4 for 8 dollars and tasted like pickles. Mozzarella sticks were still cold in the middle. Only good thing about this place is the decor and the crab bisque. It's unfortunate that this restaurant being here so long, has such poor food. Not the first time I've experienced this but after being burned for the third time, I figured enough was enough. Service in the bar is alright. Nothing too exemplary, then again we ARE in Scranton.
(2)Charmaine H.
Been coming here for years. Great happy hr awesome beer selection. Big groups seem to be an issue. Steak not good but their monthly specials seem to always fair well. Can highly recommend lobster bisque and guiness cake but only available a few times a year. I like the idea that it is not chain restaurant.
(3)Michael B.
This place has crashed and burned in my opinion. Getting into Coopers used to be so difficult and so worth the effort a number of years ago. Now their Food is very poor in quality. I attempted to have lobster, crab legs, their bisque (which was my all time favorite) and many other items. Each time I left more and more disappointed. You can tell that some of the food I received was freezer burned at one time. So sad to see if fall to such a low.
(1)Jason S.
Ugh. I want more from Coopers. We were there for appetizers and drinks last Saturday and sat on the deck. The weather was perfect and the deck was packed, but the service.... First, I've never seen a waitstaff look less happy to be working somewhere. Second, they were clearly understaffed. Coopers has a good thing going with the deck. The beer selection is fantastic. I just can't remember the last time I've walked away having a positive experience.
(3)Jill M.
I think Cooper's is a tad overrated but it's hard to compare when they do several things VERY well: great beer selection (maybe the best in town?) and awesome appetizers (sweet potato fries are to die for). I had their fish fillet sandwich once, and I was genuinely surprised by the large piece of fish they gave. The atmosphere is good, and the scenery is the best. You could probably get lost just looking around at the decor.
(3)Steel K.
My 10 year old son wanted to come hear on his birthday . What a mistake . He was able to choose a free kids meal with a purchase of an entree so I ordered the scallops . (21 bucks ) we came with presents for my son for his birthday . The waitress asked for my sons birth certificate !!!! I was shocked . I cancelled my order and order soup . So the bill was 21 instead of a potential 40 something . Not to smart Coopers . We will never be back !!!! By the way the soup was cold .
(1)Angelo G.
Really good food (not only seafood). Pasta dishes, seafood dishes, & lobster dishes are all fantastic! Happy hour prices even on the weekends are a great deal. Regular prices aren't crazy, very affordable place to eat. In addition, they usually have a great selection of beers on tap - 26 taps & over 444 different bottle beers! Yea!!!!
(5)Laine B.
The food is just okay, but the real reason to come here is the spectacle of tchotchkes and dioramas that decorate every square inch of the place. Kids will be entertained by the model train that circumnavigates the entire restaurant. It's a fun place to take visitors to the area. Our server was a complete flirt but charming and attentive. He was well-versed in everything on the menu, including the wide variety of beers, and kept our water glasses filled.
(3)Molly M.
The concept is great but it seems to have become outdated. The ambiance is fun but looking a bit worn. The food was tasty. We had the mussel app. Then had the king crab legs and the scallops. The scallops were a little undercooked. The beer selection is really the shining star. There are so many choices! My son is totally into pirates and trains so we would probably venture back if we are ever in the area.
(3)Lindsay C.
The food is great. I can't complain about any of it. The service is awful. I actually felt my waitress only deserved a 10% tip. This was one of the best restaurants in the area at one time. Now it's just a dinky tourist trap with crap on the walls.
(2)Stanley L.
This used to be my favorite restaurant in the Scranton area. I was very disappointed in the quality of our dinner. My wife's grilled kabobs had overcooked shrimp and langostinos and undercooked scallops. My grilled salmon with crawfish etoufe was "meh". Key lime pie was OK, but the coffee was just warm and not too fresh. Since it was a Friday night at around 7:30 when we arrived, I expected to have to wait awhile for a table. Not so. There were plenty of empty tables. I guess we were not the only ones who feel that Coopers has lost something.
(2)Allison M.
The food was fantastic. (Try the sweet potato fries!) The service was fantastic! We were right next to a Civil War Diorama and it was a great conversation starter for our 12 year old son! We can't wait to get back to Scranton and go again!
(5)Ron S.
Went here on 7/31/2014 because they have a great beer selection and just put a really good mead on draft. That and the crab bisque is about the only good things I have to say about Cooper's. We also ordered fried clam strips, peel & eat shrimp, shrimp scampi over rice, and seafood alfredo. I asked the waitress if the clam strips were fresh or frozen and I thought she told me they were fresh (although my wife claimed that she dodged the question). The clam strips were DEFINITELY not fresh and they had a really odd texture. The peel & eat shrimp were tiny. The shrimp scampi was barely edible, the scampi sauce wasn't even made with real butter and kind of had the texture of runny snot. The seafood alfredo was meh. I should have just stuck to the soup. It's really sad. Cooper's claims to be a seafood restaurant, but nothing that I have ever ordered there is fresh. Big bummer here. I would totally recommend going somewhere else for the prices that they charge. Also, our server was terrible. She kept disappearing for like 20+ minutes. We often had empty drinks or were needing things like condiments. We keep trying to give Cooper's a chance, but I think this was the last one.
(2)Arielle M.
Taking an extended weekend vacation in Scranton, this was one of the kitschy, touristy places I had to visit. (Especially considering there aren't many places in Scranton that are tourist spots.) The pirate/fisherman/vintage decor here and the lighthouse and giant octopus on the roof are interesting, but not "omg SO wacky!" that they stand out in a nation full of wacky themed restaurants. (Kind of like the seashore version of the Rainforest Cafe.) I ate here for lunch and was generally pleased with my meal. BF and I shared an appetizer of fried gator legs as neither of us has tried alligator before: it tasted like chicken wings, but with a little more gaminess to the meat. I was disappointed, however, because the picture on the menu showed fried, sauceless legs, and when they came to our table they were covered in buffalo sauce--basically drowning in them. I wanted to taste the gator, not bottled buffalo sauce! My entree, a blackened swordfish steak with wild rice, was MUCH better. Extremely tasty and perfectly cooked. BF had the soft-shell crab sandwich and he devoured it. But the service and atmosphere were definitely less than pleasant. The carpet smells musty and the air is stale, and all the kitsch on the walls is never cleaned, so dust lingers everywhere. The waitress was attentive all the times we didn't need her to be--interrupting our conversations to ask if we needed anything--and when we did need refills on our drinks, she was nowhere to be found. I wasn't running in horror from this place, and my meal was tasty enough, but if I ever do come back to Scranton, I won't come back. Once is more than enough for this place.
(3)R R.
I was taken here by some friends. I'm from NYC so I might be harder to "wow" when it comes to restaurants. I think the demographic of the town is easily impressed by this place but honestly, surrounded by thousands of diverse selections of restaurants here in NY, this one was just okay. I took the advice of other Yelpers and stuck with a simple cheeseburger deluxe. Funny how my party was raving about the size of the cheeseburger which was nothing compared to Cozy's down in the village. Tried a cup of the clam chowder too, it was fine but nothing memorable. The decor indeed had alot going on, but nothing I've not seen before so I wasn't "ooh-ing or ahh-ing" at anything. I see why this would be a 'special' place to the locals since as far as I can tell, there aren't many 'fancy' restaurants there in general to choose from.
(3)carmelo p.
I took a friend for my birthday. Two for one meals. not inclusive of a beverage. My friend ordered a lobster dish, it was smelly. Obviously it was served past it's expiration date. My dish was also past it's due date. it was the third time this happened. The service wasn't great. I was made to feel like I was imposing on their time. Used to be good...years ago.
(1)Erain L.
first time in PA. that's the best place to eat.. Love the design of Lighthouse outlook
(4)Gabriel D.
This place is great. I really like all of the different seafood. They have a great deal on oysters and the fish is cooked to perfection. They also have quality crab meat and lobster sauce!
(5)Sarah P.
I thought this was a pretty cool find. Huge Lighthouse location looks out of place in the area but anyway.. Full of wacky/cool decor (giant whale hanging from ceilings, hundreds of 50's, 60's memorabilia, fish tanks in the wall next to your booth, etc etc) Def take a look around the place. They even have a hallway full of old scranton photos and gift shop. Staff was friendly but service was slow (place was packed, can't complain). It could be worse. Food was good;ordered the cajun shrimp for an appetizer (right amount of spicy/saucy) use the fresh bread for dipping. I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass with spinach and rice pilaf (came with salad). My boyfriend ordered the corned beef, potatoes and carrot special. I don't think he was expecting his to be as it came, but I enjoyed my meal. Also got two teas for just about $50 total. Didn't try the beer. It seemed that everyone was there for the Clams special (ant quite remember what it is but valid on Sundays only). All in all, funky place in Scranton with good food.
(4)Randy J.
Cooper's is pretty great. Most of the food is good and the decor is fun. The sweet potato fries and onion rings are solid appetizers while the crab cakes, Kobe burger, and Birthday Lobster are great meal choices. My only complaint is about the steak, shrimp, crab dish: the shrimp was a bit overcooked. The waiter we had was very nice and attentive. Overall, Cooper's is a great place to grab some good food in Scranton.
(4)Rachel B.
This is about the weirdest restaurant I've ever eaten in. Is it in a ship? Or just a ship theme? I can't really remember. But there's tons of kitschy crap everywhere (picture an Elvis motif in the bathroom, for starters). In general, the food was ok, the service was not terrible, and the beer was really good. Here's a quick list for your perusal: -Host and Hostess stand was bustling with energy (+2) and weird personalities (-1) -Server was nice and well-intentioned (+3) but messed up a couple things on our order (-3) -Beer was delicious (I had Weyerbacher Merry Monks, a favorite. +8) -Their "famous" crab chowder came in a bowl the size of my head (+4) but wasn't warmed all the way through and tasted rather unsavory (-6) -The bread was plentiful and delicious (+5) -My iceberg chopped salad was ... well, disgusting (-10) I'd say the beer and bread were about all that I enjoyed, but then again, I'd pretty much eat beer and bread for dinner every night if I didn't think I'd blow up like a balloon.
(3)David S.
I went here with a friend a couple of weeks ago after doing a quick search for seafood places that weren't chains. The place was very busy which boded well but we were greatly disappointed with the food. Pros: The beer selection is huge although like any place that advertises hundreds of beers available, half of the selections weren't available. Even so, I did get a sampler and had some great craft beer. For an appetizer I ordered the alligator soup and it was delicious. Great seasoning and just very tasty. The service was fairly good considering how busy it was at the time we went. Cons: Overall, the food. We had a shrimp cocktail, crab cakes and a broiled seafood platter. All of the seafood was obviously frozen, nothing was fresh. The crab cakes were made well with a good amount of crab but the crab was a bit...fishy. (The tartar sauce to go with it, though, was good.) The shrimp cocktail was rubbery and my seafood platter was just...completely underwhelming. The scallops and shrimp were small and overcooked. The fish was dry and had little taste. Overall, if you're going to be a seafood restaurant, you have to get fresh ingredients. It was obvious that most of what we ate was from frozen product and it was just disappointing overall. I'll go back, but only to the bar for their beer selection. I think only one star is warranted in this case because if you build your business around seafood, it has to be good. Here, it's not. Another reason for the one star: My friend and I both had diarrhea after going there. Besides not being tasty, it will get you sick.
(1)John M.
Ugh, this had to be some of the worst seafood I ever had. I did not have good expectations for a seafood restaurant in northeast Pennsylvania, I did however, think at minimum it would be a step above Long John Silvers. Instead, this was a step below what you find in te frozen food section of your local grocery store. Stay away, and if you must go because it is touristy and was on "The Office" then just go for a beer.
(1)Milkey S.
The patio looks nice. The place is strangely decorated and a bit outdated. It has the distinct feel of a Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares "before" vibe going for it. I had the broiled seafood plate. It was terrible. The fish - salmon and haddock. First, the Salmon strip that they serve is about a half inch thick and three inches long. Mine was over cooked and hard. The Haddock tasted off and seemed to be from frozen stock. And by that I mean it had been frozen for a long time. The shrimps were also obviously frozen and if they had been broiled it showed no sign of it. Most of the plate looked as if it had been de-thawed, not broiled. There were a lot of people there the night I went. Most appeared to be eating burgers which I should have taken as a sign. Probably a better bar than a seafood place. My suggestion, get Gordon Ramsey in here for a complete makeover.
(2)Capsaicine G.
I started with the soup sampler and followed up with the crab cake burger. The latter was good, but as for the former, the soups: alligator, Manhattan clam chowder, and crab bisque, I've had much better. Not a lot of flavor, fairly bland - the soup tasted like it came out of a can. The crab bisque was more like cream of seafood; nowhere near the crab bisque I've experienced at the Bill's Café in San Jose (rosegarden location).
(2)Michael A.
This used to be one of my favorite Restaurants. Not any longer. I had dinner here yesterday and the service was very slow. It was not crowded but took forever for our waitress to come back after she brought our drinks, and I had wanted a refill. I had the shrimp scampi. The menu said it comes either over pasta or rice pilaf. I opted for the rice pilaf however there was nothing "pilaf" about the undercooked hard white rice I was served. Also, the decor and furniture have been the same since I was 5 years old. I am now 25...don't you think it is time for a remodel? Long story short. I will not be back. It is sad when a chain restaurant like Red Lobster out does an independent locally owned business, but I will go to Red Lobster instead if I am in the Scranton area and want seafood.
(1)Roxana G.
By myself ... after walking through the city a lobster tail was pretty good.
(4)Kylie D.
I really like coopers! Even famous people like it! Derek Jeter said that it was the best food he had had in Scranton! Alex Rodriguez went there today and liked it! I love coopers! Go to it if you want good food! It is not just seafood.
(5)Allan L.
Inexplicably popular with locals. A few good items on the menu, and a lot of very average but edible stuff. Most of their seafood is obviously frozen. Several competing decor themes, including over-the-top sea fare (never a good sign for a seafood place), including a small whale in one room, along with archive newspapers, an electric train that runs through the entire place, and a display case of old toothpaste (?). Most annoying is their birthday policy. Most restaurants that do this give you a week to a month, with a discount off the entire menu. Coopers insists on your exact birthday (when you are likely to have other plans) and you are limited to a short list of six rather unappealing entrees. This is a once-a-year place for us, usually on a birthday if we have nothing better to do, nothing good in the fridge and a power outage at McDonalds.
(2)Sallio H.
Free meal on your birthday, enough said! Have been to Coopers several times this year when I'm in Scranton for work. Food and service are average. One of my favorite things to order there is the shrimp platter. The restaurant is very similar to Bahama Breeze, except there are a bunch of old school decorations (may need some dusting) and some odd and eclectic toys cluttering the hallway. It's an interesting place to take out of towners to just for the experience. At the gift shop inside the restaurant you can also find souvenirs for the "Office".
(3)Scott B.
Probably the best seafood you will get in NEPA. Great food and great service. Good for families, dates, or meeting friends for drinks. The main bar has a VERY extensive selection of beers. There's also a deck area setup outside with tables. The decor is weird... not sure what they were going for. Kinda like a pirate theme when you walk in, but then they have a lot of random decorations all over... Like a Gilligan's Island diorama (wtf??), a toy train the runs around the ceiling throughout the restaurant, a collection of toothpaste tube from all over the world (WTF?), a shrine to the Beatles in the men's bathroom (they play Beatles songs non-stop), and a huge piece of coal... There's a lot more randomness all over. Not a lot of consistency That being said if you've never been you need to check it out. -The bartenders are amazing! -Free dinner on your birthday! -Try the alligator soup... REALLY tasty! -They have plenty of other food besides seafood with healthy alternatives.
(4)Kyle E.
I'd give 3.5 stars if I could. My kids(ages 5 and 3) love it here and it is definitely a kid/family friendly restaurant. I always agree to go when they ask because I love the beer menu. It's about as good as it gets. As far as food, the menu is a little stale. Could use a few more updates. My wife and I actually prefer their lunch menu. All in all a place the kids will love and Mom and Dad can have a couple tasty beers. Not too much to complain about.
(3)John B.
Frozen food? Best seafood restaurant in Scranton as they advertise? Maybe there aren't any others???? By far the worst meal I have ever had at the restaurant. Had the free birthday meal. The flounder stuffed with crabmeat and shrimp was really tasteless. Is this a frozen entry? The blackened catfish with crawfish etouffe my wife had was not blackened but burned. Don't know how you burn it and still make it soggy but Coopers did. Didn't taste like anything New Orlean blackened. Try the blackened grouper at Smokey Bones in Wilkes- Barre for a closer approximation to what a blackened dish should taste like. Shouldn't the seafood restaurant know how to do this??? Come on. Has something at the retaurant changed? Past meals have been good and it is a fun spot, but given this last meal, not likely to return. The bisques we had were very good but the main courses following were horrible. Good beers. Have a few with the bisque and skip the main courses if you must go. May not have written this here but the contact us part of the Coopers website did not work. Coopers is now on the do not return list.
(1)Amy G.
I've been stuck going here for years, thanks to their free birthday meals and I have never had anything that would make me want to come back for more than relatives who want to eat here on their birthday. Coopers was one of the best places to eat in the Scranton area when I was growing up, but the food quality and service seems the have slipped. The last time I ate there for my grandmothers birthday I ordered the lobster tail, it was chewy and tasted funny, ended up sending it back and ordered filet mignon instead. 30 minutes later I received a small burnt steak the was gristly, def not filet. The only pro is that they do have an extensive beer selection, maybe if you have a couple beers the food tastes ok.
(1)christine l.
Cooper's is my favorite place to visit when I am back in Scranton. The last time I was there, I had the ahi tuna over seaweed salad and it was excellent - rivals any sushi bar. The beer selection is second to none.
(5)Steve B.
I've been going to school in Scranton for the past few years and never ate at Cooper's until recently. While we waited for our friend, My wife and I had a drink at the bar. They have 400 beers! That was pretty damn cool. They have most of the cool microbrews that I enjoyed in Boston. We were seated in a pretty gaudy room with a train going around the walls. Our waitress took her time getting to us and kind of ignored us after we got our meal. But otherwise the experience was very good. The food was great. But really, how hard is it to do surf and turf? Either way, we had a good meal. A big plus was the homemade deserts. I recommend the eclair cake. Overall, the place is a bit cheesy looking and our service could have been better, but the food was good and the menu was impressive.
(4)Linda L.
Cooper's is overrated. They have an excellent beer selection, but the seafood dishes are only so-so, usually below average, and the service is normally abysmal--inattentive waitstaff. Last visit: the waitress spilled some of my drink on my sleeve and completely forgot to serve our salads. and service was quite slow. To be fair, we have occasionally had adequate or even good service, but not often enough.
(2)Zsolt M.
Atmosphere good. Kid friendly. Seafood fresh. The meals were over cooked. Stay with something simple.
(2)Mathew S.
The place has some great atmosphere, you don't realize how much history is on the walls until you take a close look, but it all blends in so well. The beer selection is truly impressive, you name it, and they have it! I had the seafood alfredo, it was pretty basic, just shrimp and scallops, nothing too impressive.
(4)Ronnie D.
My co-workers and I stopped by this restaurant for lunch and found that it was overall a pleasant experience. The food was pretty good and we also had some beer which had a good selection. The restaurant was family friendly and the staff was very kind to us.
(3)Chris D.
This place is business romantic. Whenever I am in Scranton this is where I go. Great food and the best beer selection around. Plus if it your birthday you get a free meal!
(5)Brian P.
I had some really good calamari here, and the filet mignon was delicious too, but my waitress Lorelei really made me give the restaurant 5 stars... I left my credit card at the table when I paid, and as soon after I walked out the door into the pouring rain, my waitress tapped me on my shoulder and gave me my card. I was sooo relieved because I hadn't even noticed that I left my card. The staff is great!
(5)Judy W.
I remember going here as a child and loving the quirky ship shaped building, but when my boyfriend and I went with another couple recently, it was a huge let down. Our waiter was very friendly, but the place was obviously understaffed as we saw him running to what looked like dozens of tables. Service was SOOOOO slow, we were there for almost 4 hours. While a cheesy crab appetizer was ok, the main seafood was over cooked and very dry- we had crab legs and lobster- and utterly unenjoyable. After this long disappointing experience, we get the bill, and we have each been charged $20 over the listed price for the crab. I point this out to the waiter, who was very kind and said he'd have to go speak to his manager. The assistant manager comes back and shows us a menu with the more expensive price on it. We point out that this is a different menu than we saw as it has different specials, and we quote some of the specials. They finally admit that they had given us the previous day's menu and market price ($20 dollar change in one day sounds insane anyway), but still insist we pay full price. We were all getting upset so I asked for the name of the general manager and we left. I called the next day and explained how displeased we were to the general manager, and she asks me what I want her to do about it in a confrontational way. I said that I want the difference of what we saw on the menu and what we paid to be refunded to our card. She says she'll get back to me. After calling and calling and calling back always getting some excuse as to why she can't talk to me, I finally get her on the phone after threatening to call the owner and our money is refunded. To their credit, AFTER all this they sent us a $25 gift certificate for our trouble, but there is no way we're ever going back there, and we don't want to insult anyone else by giving such a dining experience to them, so it's sitting in a drawer for the rest of time.
(1)Chris w.
Always a good meal. Clean, a very creative place to eat. Great Chef, Marie is her name!
(5)The Meepers G.
Best beer selection in town! I love this place, i am there every Thursdays working on my Beer Club Plaque! i may get one at 500, but i am not gunning for 1000! They rotate their beers every week, and Tommy does a good job at getting a few new ones in there. their prices range from around $3.50-$22 for bottles (there are a million in between). and their drafts are around $4-$8. always something good to drink. They have three inside bars and one deck bar (seasonal), the back Whale bar is pretty small, but the front Boat bar is nice and big, but normally packed, that is how great this place is. The Light House bar, isn't open all the time, just weekends, and you can rent it out (i think, it's small, but i often see something going on up there). The food is pretty dang good. Bayou Shrimp are great, and their clams are the best! and for land lovers, their burgers, salads and chicken bites are awesome. Stop in here anytime with no hesitation, it will please you. and read some of the Beer Club plaques, some are funny.
(5)Vanessa W.
Terrible! This place used to (and apparently still does) have a great reputation but I have not a single good thing to say about it. I went here with a large group. They had called ahead and made a reservation, but the place was clearly understaffed as it took them FOREVER to wait on us - even for drinks. I got the famous crab bisque, which was tasty but texturally all wrong - thick and lumpy not smooth and creamy. Sensing a lack of sophistication (giant whale in our room), I ordered something simple - fish and chips - thinking hey, they can't screw that up. Boy was I wrong. My fish was very soggy - like it had set out for a very long time. The fries were overcooked, and tasted like the frier. Everyone else in my party had similar complaints, and one member was served the wrong dish altogether. He didn't bother correcting it in fear we'd be waiting another 35 minutes for our meal. They didn't even get our drink order right. Don't walk, RUN away from this place!!
(1)John D.
This is one of the only GOOD places there is to go to in Scranton where you can get seafood. Also a very unique place, they just remodeled the entire "ship" setting over by the parking lot, I was there during the winter so I didn't get to get the full experience, but it looked nice. The food was incredible. I heard that they had a very impressive tap list but they had only a few and they were all of the regulars except their own brew which was pretty good. Overall, this is a great place to go, not too fancy, not too laid back.
(4)B. R.
Cooper's is most definitely the best seafood restaurant in Scranton, hands down. You must try the lobster fondue...incredible! Plus, the beer selection is phenomenal, one of the largest in Scranton. Great service, and the portions are enough for two. You also can't beat the decor...kitchy but cozy, i love it!
(5)Diana S.
Go for the ample microbrew selection and rare outdoor patio. Leave before you get hungry because the food will either be undercooked, overlooked, smothered in butter or tasteless. I have been there several times and have always left disappointed that the food is so bad. Perhaps someday they will decide to focus on the food and recapture their former place as an iconic restaurant (not bar) in the area.
(2)Serhat A.
Amazing decor and extra friendly and lovely service. Strictly advise to stop by uf you pass Scranton.
(5)Kathy S.
Had dinner here and enjoyed the whole event. When we pulled into the parking Lot we knew we were at the right place by the lighthouse and octopus on the roof. After the walk through the memorabilia covered hall. Items like board game, old photos of town make a wait in line more enjoyable. When we got to the dinning room the theme of decorating was repeated along with a train near the ceiling running into the different dinning rooms . Crab cakes and the bisque soup were a big hit with my husband. My fish sandwich was awesome. Can't' wait to return.
(4)L P.
Cannot believe I never reviewed this place. Almost as unbelievable as the rave reviews it somehow gets. First let me say that my first and only time having dinner here was back in 2010, but I have a hard time believing anything has changed. My boyfriend and I ordered the crab bisque and clam chowder and both were completely bland. I also had the shrimp scampi which had even less flavor than the soups. How any of those dishes can be devoid of flavor is beyond me, but NEPA pulls off terrible food feats like no other. The atmosphere is alarmingly tacky. I know some find it endearing but it's kind of like someone's attic threw up. Maybe it could be considered kitschy and fun if the food was good. The real kicker though, is how overpriced this place is. They really put the scam in scampi if you ask me :) I recently went back to sit on the deck and drink/listen to the band play, and the atmosphere is pretty good for that. However, I made the mistake of ordering food again, and the crabby cheesy pretzel thing is beyond disgusting. I'm gonna assume they snuck some American cheese in there; considering the location, it's the only explanation for why it was so gross. I'm convinced I'll see this place on Kitchen Nightmares one day, with all of Gordon Ramsay's words being bleeped out as he eats their bland food.
(1)Patty S.
This place...a pirate ship wedged in the landlocked mountains of Pennsylvania. Walking through the doors of this fine dining/sideshow esque place it makes me understand where the writers of the sitcom the office obtained their material. This place is a trophy for Scranton held in almost as high as Joe Paterno or high school football. Even if the food is just frozen and filled with preservatives...gordons fish sticks and Mrs. Pauls defrosted crab cakes are adored here. Remember we are landlocked...no ocean. If you ever had fresh seafood near a seaport...you won't like it here. So just order as many beers as you can...they have a lot and this is why they earned their one star rating. Get a 6 pack and have a fish filet instead.
(1)Michael S.
For a while, the food became very mediocre, but that has really changed lately. The last three times I've eaten there I've been very impressed by how good my meals were. Last trip I had the blackened catfish with crawfish etouffee that was amazing. The beer list is always a highlight.
(5)Kyle T.
This place is great for a bar, but the food has gone downhill in the past few years. They crab bisque is great, but on this visit there was no flavor which is a problem I never had before. I wish they would bring back the lobster bisque.
(3)Kim P.
I love the seafood here. Well prepared and seasoned, I have never had a dish I haven't loved (though the seafood crepes are my favorite and i have to make an effort to order something else). The decorations are astonishing - the train room is like an old restaurant near my hometown that had a train going around on a shelf above the diners, and the whale room is dark and intimate. All are decorated with glass cases that if you look closely are filled with toys and games and chatchkis from the 60s. This is one of my favorite restaurants I have ever been to.
(5)C W.
I don't eat seafood, but I've had their bacon burger and their boneless wings. Both are AMAZING. They have an excellent beer selection. Their beer menu mocks the Miller Lite & Coors Light, but they won't mock you if you order them. But don't be afraid to try something new. Personally, I usually opt for the Long Island Iced Tea, they are delicious. Lots of different rooms depending on the atmosphere you are looking for, including an outside deck. This place gets packed sometimes, especially if you are just here to drink at one of the bars, but you usually don't have to wait for a table to eat.
(5)Jade H.
Ahoy seafood fans! Cooper's is a novel and nautical bounty of the sea right in our own Scranton, Pa. With vehicles circling the restaurant like sharks looking for the best spot we could hear the pirates singing from the parking lot. You walk through a maze of Scranton history, in and out of themed rooms, and through a timeline of toys. The chowdah was enough to make a sailor swoon, and the rolls were certainly better than any hardtack. Our main courses made us feel like the captain of our own schnooner, as we sat shadowed by a massive blue whale. I had the seafood platter, he had the lobster. Very well prepared and displayed. Tasted like it was fresh from the deeps! The beer list was enough to wet the whistle of even the thirstiest sailor, offering local selections and bottles from far away lands. Definitely recommend this place. Tell your mateys and head at full sail to Cooper's Seafood House.
(5)Ian D.
2 words: Crab Bisque.
(4)Michelle C.
This place is so random I don't even know where to begin. There is a giant octopus on top of the building, giving off a Chuckie Cheese for adults effect. In the warmer months, a tiki bar is open although I will have to wait until the spring to check this out for myself. Inside, the first thing I noticed was a gift shop, which was strange but hey, welcome to Scranton, everybody. There was also a room with arcade and claw games, as well as - drum roll, please - a Voltar machine. What's a Voltar machine, you ask? Think back. Does the quote, "I wish I were big" ring any bells? Thought so. The bar was filled with a mix of young and old, and the beer offerings were really great for a local joint. One of our crew had an organic strawberry wheat beer, which was pretty cool as I had no idea such a thing existed. I look forward to checking this place out again during a future visit to Scranton.
(3)Seath J.
This has to be the worst place that ever called themselfs a seafood restaurant . I ordered the scallops they tasted like rubber. My wife ordered the carb bisque it was so thick and so little crab you could have eaten it with a fork. Plus side great beer selection . Save your money. It fast food style seafood . The place is decorated like your in Wally World !
(1)W C.
We went here mostly for the beer and drink specials. The patio is great too and a lot of fun on st patricks day parade. We've eaten here a few times and were never really super impressed. Our faves were the cheesy crab dip, the crab cake sandwich and the dill dressing for salads. They have a huge beer list!!
(3)Pete B.
Went bc of The Office. Food was actually pretty good. Went on NYE. Had lots of fun
(3)Gomar H.
So we went to one of the most famous seafood restaurants in the U.S., Coopers in Scranton, PA. coopers-seafood.com/2007… It's been mentioned on 'The Office' several times, and has won best seafood several times. Well, good they've got a large parking lot, but are way under staffed. The ambience & decor is A+. The best decor of any seafood place I've ever been to. Posters, photos, and action figures from films and TV shows. Newspapers clippings, large memorabilia collection, a few autographs of mostly unknowns, has-beens, and local celebs here and there. Dont know what any of this has to do with seafood. Hillary Clinton likes to go there. 9/11 photos placed in the bathroom?! huh? Shame on them! . Do everyone a favor and place the 9/11 material upfront. You could spend a whole day walking around there just checking out the place... But, that's not what people are there for. So for the food: simply put, it sucks! I am not a big fan of seafood, but I did try their crab bisque. Horrid. Looked and tasted like diahrea. French onion soup was just as bad. Mix of lobster & shrimp tasted like cooked plastic. Lobster lovers stay away. My sirloin filet was as hard as a brick. If that is supposed to be medium well done then I'll invite chef Ramsey to try it. The salad had cheese. Who asked for cheese in my fresh tossed salad? huh? Is it legal to serve alligator? The beer selection was huge. Overall, take folks there just to impress them with the decor, get free dinner on birthday, but order light, have a few drinks and go home.
(2)Eric B.
This place used to be one of my favorites in the area. We would end up there often for birthdays since they had that birthday lobster deal. Over the past year or so, this place has really gone downhill. The last time I was there I ordered the Seafood Crepes. It was so bad, I had to send it back. I am not one of those people who are difficult to please and send things back, this was probably the first time I had to do this in about 5 years, but it was really that bad. First, the sauce used to fill the crepes was like a thick butter sauce. It really was like just eating a stick of butter. Next, the seafood, which was supposed to be shrimp, scallops, and lobster, was not fresh seafood. It was like the frozen mini shrimp and scallops and imitation lobster you can buy in the frozen section of a supermarket imported directly from China. I kid you not, I was expecting actual pieces of seafood, which for $20+ one should, but instead got cheap frozen seafood. Other people in my group were also not pleased with the meal, and like I said, we have been coming to this place for years. This place always had a wait and the prices were always normally high, but that is something that you could ignore because the food used to be good and the decor of this place is just cool, but it is not worth it if they are going to serve cheap pre-made frozen food.
(2)j d.
Best happy hour in Scranton for a beer aficionado....cant beat half priced micro brews every day 5-7.
(5)Mike C.
Over rated Over priced Service is poor Crab bisque soup is good Beer selection is good
(2)Jamie B.
This was definitely one of the highlights of our visit to NEPA, but we're from land-locked NM so we probably have low standards when it comes to seafood. Having said that, the service was fast and friendly the night we went, which was a Friday night. We didn't have to wait for a table. All of us loved the decor, which included many pieces of historical ephemera from the 1950s, along with a huge diorama (think museum sized) of a guy wearing a diving bell, and a shark. My husband was elated by the enormous beer selection. And our food--broiled haddock, stuffed flounder, and the fish and chips--was delicious. We did get a kick out of the player piano--what's wrong with that thing? If I ever find myself in Scranton again I'll definitely return.
(4)Alfonso D.
I've probably been here 6-10 times over the last 30 years.Not good enough to rave about but not bad enough to stay away. Just took my daughter and granddaughter there for lunch a few weeks ago mainly because we were a few blocks away and hungry.I actually said let's go to Cooper's,I haven't been there in years. The meal was fine,some kind of stuffed fish and the waitress was friendly and efficient. The highlight was when the gave my 3 year old granddaughter a pirates hat and brought her kids meal served in a ship. I'd go back again when I'm in the area.
(3)Brian L.
WHAT?! HOW DO YOU HAVE A GIANT KRAKEN ON YOUR BOAT SHAPED BUILDING AND SERVE CRAPPY OVERPRICED FOOD?!?! Atmosphere is nice, but it smells like fish butt, the food is pricey and is just seafood floating in butter. they do offer like 500 beers though, thats cool
(1)Liz P.
I want to love Cooper's. I mean, it was mentioned on The Office. And my kids (ages 5 and 17) love it. Although I think the teenager is wising up. With a family country house in the Poconos about 20 miles east of Cooper's, we've had occasion to eat there several times over the past few years. The first time or two, despite my initial reservation about eating seafood more than an hour by truck inland, it was A-OK. The service (as mentioned elsewhere) is spotty during peak hours, but I've never had an unfriendly server. And my little girl just adores the train room. And the decor is amusing, and the campy player piano is worth the quarter(s) just for the howl the atonal song(?) provokes in us. I mean, is that even a song? Check it out; even if you hate your meal, it will still make your night. However, I've long suspected most of the seafood is frozen/nuked. And I *hate* the fact that they don't take reservations. And, well, although I've enjoyed some menu items, others...bleaugh. For instance, we went a few days ago (an August Sunday evening at around 6:30 p.m.), and we were seated almost immediately. In the train room (my daughter cheered). The train doesn't come around nearly often enough to thrill the tot crowd, but it's still fun. However, the room smelled...fishy. I mean, it's a seafood place, but it wasn't the *nice* kind of fishy smell. So, we ordered, and our waitress was lovely (although we did have a conversation about how long she had been working that day, and about the drink she was going to have after her shift, but hey, keepin' it real). The bread sucks, but the table appetizer took long enough to come that it was necessary. The appetizer, my mom's choice--oh, and how she lived to regret it--was the seafood fondue in a bread bowl. It tasted great, while ridiculously rich, but let me tell you about what happened to my digestive tract at 2 a.m....okay, TMI? Maybe not. The drinks: Cooper's has a great beer menu, and my husband the driver ordered a non-alcoholic beer that was delicious. My mom ordered a strawberry daiquiri that was nearly undrinkable due to chunks of ice and strawberry at the bottom of the glass. ASIDE: Funny Cooper's Story: a couple of years ago, they had a promotion where, if you ordered a certain brand of draft beer, you'd get a free glass. I ordered that beer, because it sounded interesting. As we were leaving, I realized that I hadn't gotten my free glass. I mentioned it to the waitress, who walked over to a neighboring table, and picked up a pint glass (unused, thankfully) and gave it to me. A plain pint glass. Not a branded glass. We laughed so hard about that. When we got back to the country house, we used our P-Touch to label the plain glass with "Cooper's Cup." Bwahaha! It's still there, and greatly revered. Some of us ordered entrees with salad, others of us had soup and sandwich type meals. The salads are (probably bagged) but serviceable. The soups are not bad, but also NOT HOT! I had the recommended (per the menu) Maryland crab bisque, and it would have been much better at least re-heated in the nuker, but no. My teenage son, who likes spicy, was surprised at how spicy the alligator soup was. Now to the meals. The crab cakes received variable reviews. My husband ordered them as an entree, and didn't understand why his two crab cakes with a salad cost so much more than my crab cake sandwich (on a roll with fries). Good point. I disliked the crab cake sandwich immensely. The roll was a poor accompaniment, and I found the cake boring and dry (although the roll might have detracted from the flavor, being huge and dry and bready). I left almost all of the roll, and half of the crab cake. I didn't even want to take it home, that's how awful I found it. My son who eats everything in abundance couldn't eat his Alfredo-ish pasta dish after appetizer and bread and salad. The upside of that was that he enjoyed it very much for lunch the next day. My mom ordered the crepes, and they were really good. We enjoyed the decor, as usual (we were in a corner booth with a display of political buttons, which provided a matching game for my daughter). I do wish that there were more healthy options on the menu, but hey, this is Scranton, not [insert health-conscious location here]. My daughter liked her chicken tenders from the kids' menu, but I think she found the fries sub-par because she *always* finishes her fries, and she barely touched them. Or maybe she was too excited by the train. The bathrooms were lovely. More restaurants should have bathrooms as clean as Cooper's. Anyway, three stars for the fun of it, and for our nice waitress who was sweet to my daughter (even though she was going to go get drunk after her shift), and nothing else for the bleh food.
(3)Mark N.
Cooper's is a decent seafood restaurant. I have been to better seafood restaurants and certainly I have been to worse. The food is OK, but what I appreciate the most is the extremely kid friendly environment that the restaurant has. It is the flagship, literally, of seafood restaurants. They even give the kids pirate hats....nice
(3)Tim O.
I find the food quality to vary from visit to visit. I go about twice a month, mostly for lunch, and I've never had anything bad. The service tends to be slow for dinner and the overall atmosphere is a bit too gimmicky for my taste. The burger is good and the bread is great if it is fresh enough. You cannot go wrong with surf and turf for dinner.
(4)Matt N.
Meh. Like several of my fellow Yelpers have mentioned, maybe the best thing on the menu is the beer selection...which is not exactly a ringing endorsement of a restaurant. I can't pan all of the food here, I've had several satisfying and tasty meals from this place...but I think I've enjoyed the bar more than any of them...again, not great for a restaurant. It is a Scranton institution, and I think some of people's opinions are colored by that...They'll be the first to tell you that their crab bisque made them famous, and rightly so. It's good.
(3)Glenn P.
My first experience at Coopers when I was 12 years old, when I spent most of the time trying to look up the waitresses skirt - yes, I was a sick little man back then and not much has changed since. When I came home from college I would drink at the bar simply because they never carded me. Oh, the memories - I wish I could just remember them. My mom loved it, and we took her there for her birthday every year. Surf and turf, complete with the lobster bib. God bless her, but she loved her little piece of white plastic. So I've got some history going on in this place. And so, I might add, does Bill Clinton. Yes, he ate there, they even have pictures to prove it. Of course considering some of the other things we saw (or heard about - eww) him chomping on, I'm not sure if his endorsment is a huge positive. I have to agree with the comments of most of the my fellow yelpers. The food is hit or miss. I've had lobster that's been sweet and fresh one time and another time where it could have been pollock with artificial flavoring. The soups have been generally spot-on. The specials are iffy... as in "sometimes I fell iffy after I eat them". However... and this is a big however.... the BEER!!!!! Mmmm, beer. Tasty beer. Sweet nectar-of-the-gods beer. Beer I would marry if it wouldn't mean 10 years in jail for bigamy. They do have one of the best beer menus in Scranton. I know that's not saying an awful lot, but when I can find at least 10 different imports and micros to drink, then it's a good thing. So. Go for the beer. Have some soup. Enjoy the funky, eclectic decorations on the wall. Sit where Bill Clinton sat and enjoy Coopers for what it is. Just make sure you wipe down the seat before you sit down. God only knows where his butt has been.
(3)E C.
This place is strange. All the flair on the walls (including a gigantic whale in the middle of one of the dining rooms) is overwhelming. It's hard to take this place seriously, especially when there are pirate statues you can take pictures with (which we did). The food was average, nothing out of the ordinary. I had the coral reef linguine and my boyfriend had the New Bedford sea scallops. I agree with another Yelper, saying it was like Red Lobster. But at least the Red Lobster has the cheese biscuits. I wouldn't go to this place again but it wasn't horrible. I didn't have any alcohol but their bar was stacked, particularly with beer. I'm sure that's a plus for many people.
(2)Dan K.
My daughter and I recently went to Cooper's Seafood House in Scranton. She lives there and told me about the decorations. I love kitschy things and wanted to check it out. And I though the bubble Room was weird. This place had diorama, photos, and old toys galore. I, of course took a few photos. I really liked the Gilligan's Island diorama. But one doesn't go to a restaurant for the décor; the food is the main draw. We went for lunch on a Saturday and it was slow. There were maybe four tables occupied in the room we were in, and three waitresses covering the area. Other than taking our order and delivering the food, we rarely saw our waitress. The other waitresses were much more actively working their customers. The food was delivered quickly and it tasted okay, and was moderately priced. Portions were a nice size since my daughter couldn't finish hers. As mentioned before couldn't get a refill on my drink since we didn't see our waitress again until she brought the check. Over all, I give the food a three, service a two and the atmosphere a four.
(3)Tom D.
First the bad.....polyester seafood! Taste like plastic, not fresh. I can't really understand if this is their speciality. Now the good.....People say they have a great selection of beer. Sorry, but I go out to eat and am not very impressed by beer selections!
(2)Ruth R.
Great spot but just soso on the food!!!
(3)Michelle S.
Coopers is one of the only seafood restaurants in the area and they have higher prices than other restaurants in the area. I tend to think if the prices are higher the food will be better, but this is not the case. I have gone to this restaurant a few times and none of them were memorable. Today, my husband and I went here for lunch and it was atrocious! Everything was soaked in butter and the presentation was terrible. My husband ordered the "Firecracker shrimp" and our waitress insisted that it was delicious. It came out with 6 shrimp on a bed of undercooked hard, crunchy rice. I ordered some sort of mixed plate of shrimp, clam strips, fries, and flounder. Everything on the plate was bland and greasy. I am absolutely not impressed with the restaurant. Another complaint I have it the decor is all over the place. The place is meant to look like a pirate ship and then there is all kinds of old memorabilia on the walls that have nothing to do with the sea. Also I used the restroom and everything in the restroom was Elvis, there were Elvis pictures everywhere and Elvis music playing. It was a mess. Save yourself the stomachache, don't eat here.
(1)Jonathan Y.
Being here for over 5 years and have seen the quality of food and service gone down, just like most everything else. I have had rotten oysters, over priced dishes and expensive drinks. Kid's menu is expensive. I would choose Red Lobster over Coppers, even though I am not a chain lover. Is there anything good in this history mining town?
(3)