Cooper's Brick Oven Wine Bar

Chef Bruce Cooper, Abdoulaye Soumah, and Debbie Tonsey always know how to please the finest of the senses from smell to taste to feel to sight. From the roasted beets topped with a smooth and creamy goat cheese and almond praline to the corn and crab Mac and cheese in which a crab and corn chowder meets the timeless classic macaroni and cheese, to the whopping 10oz cheese burger topped with saut?ed crimini mushrooms and onions with a fine glass of Joel Gott's Malbec ""The Show"" and perfectly sized pizzas with fresh ingredients such as the fig with chopped hazelnuts and a port wine reduction and Roquefort cheese to the artistically done so beautiful you wish you could not eat it, however savor its beauty known as the cookie taco with homemade ice cream. The wine list is nice and from what I have seen all front of house staff samples a new wine and is asked to have their opinion on palate and osmic senses. Everyone seemed so pleasant and warm and heartfelt especially our server Eleanor whom I have not seen for a while since I last went to Manayunk where I went to chef/owner Bruce Cooper's original restaurant Jake's in 2007, which now has seating caf? seating where the old bar used to be which is now relocated to the Cooper's side which has its wine in a sort of farmers market meets kindergarten cubby organization above the liquor. As you relax and enjoy your meal you have a nice selection of timeless classics to listen to such as Michael Jackson to the new age jazz of Pink Martini and the occasional rock I grew up with such as The Who. It is a pleasant surprise to see both managers buzzing around. As I walked to the pizza counter, I watched two gentlemen work studiously, perfecting the food even in a rush before it reachs the mammoth pizza oven that rages from gas and wood to a large brick oven who's temperature is well above 150 degrees higher then what it is set at, cooking the food as I quote chef Cooper, ""?like a stone-age microwave"". Thank you all for an enjoyable evening and pleasant meal. I will return shortly. Pros: EVERYTHING Cons: A bit busy around 7-8 and 9-10 but that is expected. more

I really enjoyed going to Coopers. The atmosphere is very fun and friendly. The food is great! Drinks seem to be a little pricey, but thats average for the area. The waiters I have had are super nice! Pros: Good Pizza, nice atmosphere, nice service more

***I know it's a long review, but you NEED to read it*** My boyfriend and I are not a picky eater nor would we write a review about anything. However, we are very unhappy about the dining experience that made us want to let the future diner aware. We were seated for a long time until the server stop by the table to greet us and take our drink order. The restaurant was not busy at all since it was around 1:30pm, however, we didn?t mind that too much. After the server took our meal order, the server had NO interaction with us until we want our check. Our order was not brought over by our server (which I understand that?s how some of the restaurant operates but we saw all the other servers did it themselves). Still, it wasn?t a big deal to us but the server never stop by our table to ask us how our food was and simply walk pass us numerous times. Then we ask for our check while our table is being clear. I realized how it was ?us? who made the server act differently?because we are Asian and we are being stereotyped as being stingy and possibly won?t pay him decent tips? Or was it because we didn?t order expensive drinks? Right next to us, there?s another couple in their 40s (compared to us in the 20s), the server greeted them shortly after they were seated and brought out their drinks. The server personally deliver their dishes, ask them how the food was, went back to their table and refilled their drinks (while our drink was half drank and never refilled or asked), and the server noticed they were finished with their plates and cleared them before they asked for their check (unlike us). The final sparks that mad us ticked off was when the server walked over with the check and dropped it on our table without saying a word then walked away. Wow, we never felt so ignorant and we were definitely got more hospitality if we were at a fast food joint and this was a restaurant and wine bar!!! The worst part is we had to pay him 15% tips for all his services WHAT A JOKE!! Over all the food was okay but it was the MALE ASIAN SERVER, ANDREW, that made our trip to the restaurant our first and only one!!! more

In short...great pizza, great drinks, friendly service, fun atmosphere. I will frequent here regularly...this is just what Manayunk needed! Pros: first wine bar in manayunk?!!! amazing craft beers?!!! PIZZA!!! Cons: no reservations can lead to weekend waits more