Cooper revamps the Irish pub for the 'burbs
Alexa Jones
Cooper Pub & Restaurant in St. Louis Park is the latest addition to Kieran Folliard's Cara Irish Pubs line (The Local, The Liffey, Kieran's), but its suburban locale makes it tricky to pin down. Should it be compared to other Irish bars, or stacked against its suburban neighbors like Chili's and Applebee's?
The space: With high ceilings and giant mirrors, Cooper feels more like a downtown Minneapolis joint than a crap-adorned chain eatery. TVs play non-stop ESPN, but they're thoughtfully sequestered with the dartboards and red felt pool table.
The food: Irish theme aside, meals are much like those of Ruby Tuesday—that is, a cut above T.G.I. Friday's. The highlight was the unfortunately named chicken shots ($8.99), a refined version of Green Mill's boneless Jim Beam wings served with ranch. Equally excellent was the tomato basil soup ($2.99), which is served with an oversized crouton and delicious Irish white cheddar. The chicken chopped cheddar salad ($10.99) was less successful: It's essentially a basic salad topped with grilled chicken and an ambiguous dressing.
The drinks: Chain restaurants have nothing on Cooper's bar. The beer tends toward Irish options (Guinness, Harp, and Smithwicks for $6 a pint), and the whiskey selection is robust, ranging from your standard Jameson ($6) up through the aged varieties ($14 for 18-year) and into the more rarified territory of Midleton ($22 a shot). But most of the cocktails are the kind of lame, vodka-based, overly sweet drinks favored by sorority girls, almost all with weak pop-culture references in their names (Zed's Dead Baby—blackberry vodka, orange liqueur, white cranberry juice).
Mom, date, or pal?: Bringing a big group seems like the ideal way to enjoy Cooper, though less adventurous parents might appreciate the décor and non-threatening food. You'd do better bringing a date to The Local.
Economic impact: Most good-sized entrees are between $8.99 and $12.99. If you get into the fancier whiskeys, things start to heat up price-wise, but chances are you won't remember how much you spent the morning after a couple shots of Midleton.
Vital stats: 1607 Park Place Blvd., St. Louis Park, 952-698-2000, cooperpub.com. Monday to Friday, open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday open 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
