The Cooperage Restaurant

Very disappointing experience. My husband and I were hoping to have a nice evening out, but instead found ourselves being belittled by the manager on duty. My food arrived with a hair on it, and there was no waitstaff to be found. We finally asked a busser if he could alert our server. The manager replaced my plate (Prime Rib and Crab Legs!), blaming «the air» for the hair, because apparently everyone in the kitchen is bald. He wasn’t gracious, didn’t offer any compensation, and made us feel terrible for sending he food back in the first place. When I finally got my food, my husband was already finished eating and the serving I received the second time was considerably less than the first. My husband pointed out to the manager how unusual that it was for the management to take zero responsibility for an issue with our meal. He avoided the blame, but finally offered to take 20% off our bill. Not great, but we said fine. We gave him our card, and when we got the bill back, he had taken less than 10% off, and when we confronted him about it, he dismissed us and then proceeded to talk trash about us to the waitstaff while we were 10 feet away. Not coming back here unless there are some major changes. The food wasn’t good, and we are so dissatisfied.

We were sat far from the main dining room, I seen management pointing for the host to sit us in the back. Why? Because I had 5 children with us and you feel all children are loud? We then waited for a bit to get a waiter, so we decided to move on to a different restaurant. Our waiter caught us as we were getting ready to leave. He was so nice and apologized for the wait but his tables were across the restaurant. We stayed and he was very attentive and worked hard to keep up with all his tables. I have been coming here for over 20years and this is the first time I was treated like, well like we had a disease! But ELIAS made it a good dinner. Thank you for your time and effort Elias.

I have seen this place my whole life, and decided to go in on a whim. The food was very good, the buffet was excellent, and the place had a really cool atmosphere to it. It’s definitely not a modern well lit restaurant, but that’s part of why I liked it so much. I wish I had gone sooner.

yuck. hostess was unfriendly. server was bad. We finished our food and had to wait 30 minutes for the waitress to come back to ask for the check. i thought she had actually left or something and was going to go hunt someone down to ask for our check because we couldn’t wait any longer. worst part: my husband ordered the chicken con queso and the chicken was RAW. i’m not talking about a little bit pink or chicken with some blood in itl… this was completely cold and completely see through pink chicken. See attached picture.

I took my wife to the Cooperage for her 60^th birthday. They have a great salad bar and except for their steaks being a little too thick was always worth the money. This night was the exception. Unfortunately it wasn’t just us two; my brother, daughter and her boyfriend were also there. The bill came to $ 121.00 + tip. The cuts of meat weren’t just tough, they were gnarly pieces of cow with what seemed to be tendons and gristle. Luckily, my wife had the filet mignon, dry but edible. The rest of us choked it down or took it home to the cats. I just tried to look up their menu but the website was not working. 3 of us had the teriyaki steak and my daughters boyfriend had the steak queso. We dined there on 9 Oct at 7:55pm. Maybe they just got a bad batch of cow.

I hadn’t eaten here since I used to come with my parents. I brought my husband, salad bar was gross. Shrimp was mediocre and fries were old. Service was pretty bad but she may have been new or stressed out she was polite though. Go to pelicans instead. We left with stomach aches.

I came in with my wife that raved about how the salad bar was out of this world so I got it with the Monte Crisco sandwich with side salad bar the salad was plan and my Monte Crisco was missing a lot on it. The server was very slow and when I asked for a ice tea it look like it was for a child and when I asked for a larger cup they said they serve smaller cups for ice tea drinkers??? Made no sense at all

Don’t know the last time I gave Five Stars for a restaurant. We all had the Managers cut Prime Rib, and to say the least, it was fantastic. The flavor and tenderness was not to be matched. Almost gave up having Prime Rib out for we have been disappointed just too many times. This regained my faith in chefs knowing how to prepare such a fine cut of meat. And the soup and salad bar also very nice. Everything fresh and well prepared as well as displayed. So very happy all around. Can not wait to go back.

Food: Expensive
Atmosphere: Cheap
Drinks: Warm
Staff: Unrefined
Conclusion: Waste

Despite the bad reviews, I decided to try this place on my own. The food was not horrible, but not worth the money. The bartender was doing the best they could but was clearly overwhelmed.

Just like this area might indicate to anyone with sense – stay away. Not good food or seafood by any means

Underwhelming. Fresh Salad bar. Ran out of steak fries. How does a restaurant run out of a staple like french fries on a Tuesday? Oh well I ordered the fish and chips. But no chips. so I guess it was just fish, with rice pilaf. Btw… they add little pieces of mushrooms to the rice pilaf! Who does that?
The salmon smells too fishy and is undercooked.
This place is too overrated and too expensive for what it is. This was my first time here, possibly my last unless I’m convinced otherwise

The pleasant service and solid fare surprised me as I hadn’t been to The Cooperage since a dreadful Thanksgiving Dinner service with my dad in 2008 or 2009.
Tonight our server, Siobhan, was amiable, pleasant, witty, and unintrusive. She even commended my choice of drink: Shirley Temple.
Siobhan refilled our tea and Shirley Temple frequently and at no charge.
The salad bar was stocked by pleasant, helpful attendants with chilled, fresh vegetables, two soup choices, and standard fruit, pasta/​potato salad, and similar offerings. It wasn’t a spectacular salad bar, but it was included with our entrees and didn’t disappoint.
The salad bar attendant was so pleasant he went to the front to find out the name of the Jazz group (Albuquerque Jazz Opera) that was playing on the other side of the restaurant.
Siobhan up-​sold my wife from a burger to the King Crab Legs ($ 37.95) and a baked potato.
That’s no small feat.
And she cajoled me into the New York Strip ($ 28) instead of the much less expensive chopped sirloin.
The loaded baked potatoes were the «best potatoes I’ve had in a long time,» said my wife. And her King Crab was good. A bit dry and rubbery, but good overall.
The New York Strip had lovely grill marks and was cooked to a perfect medium well. It was a tad underseasoned, but that was kind of nice in that it let the beef stand on its own. A dash of salt and pepper and I was quite happy.
The plating and the décor are clearly holdovers from the 1970s and I think more modern décor and food fashion would cause me to give a higher rating.
And my several past bad experiences at The Cooperage from 1999 to 2009 probably play a similar role in my reluctance to give a better rating.
But really, if every future experience at The Cooperage is as good as tonight’s service we’ll have to readdress our rating of this Albuquerque staple.
Our bill came to $ 75.92 + $ 15 tip for one-​pound King Crab Legs, a 13-​oz New York Strip, an iced tea, and a Shirley Temple. e

The building seriously needs some work. The food tastes pretty good but is way overpriced. The salad bar is a nice touch but they need to add some new items to it. I have had excellent service every time I’ve been there.
I’ve been to two large birthday parties and also had my parents 40^th anniversary party in the bar and dance area. They were very accommodating.
For the prices they charge, they should definitely be able to at least get a new floor.

Today was a perfect day finished with a delicious meal.
Prime rib is all I ever eat here. Because it is the best. If meat could melt, I’m sure this would.
The salad bar is simple, yet somehow always so freaking delicious.
The bread was fresh and warm out of the oven.
Martini was shaken with just the right amount of dirty.
One minor flaw… we ordered the kid burger medium and it came out well… eehhh, it happens.
Service was good for the restaurant being exceptionally slow.
Great price for the amount of food that is served.
I have eaten here just a couple of times a year for as long as I can remember, and as long as it stays open I will continue to.

This is the second year that my friend and I celebrated New Year’s Eve at The Cooperage; it, most likely will be the last. We waited 40 minutes from «seating to eating», and, though we ordered (and paid for) the Cooper Cut Prime Rib, I am fairly certain that we got the smaller «Manager’s Cut». If you know that you’re going to be booked solid, prepare for it – don’t assume that your customers are too stupid to notice that you shorted their steaks. Our waiter acted like he was being run ragged (it wasn’t THAT busy, yet), so much so that he didn’t get around to bringing my friend a requested condiment until AFTER we were done eating.
In short, the prices are climbing, the portions are shrinking, and the service is a colossal fail. Sad, really, but it gives me a project for the new year — finding another restaurant to ring in the NEXT New Year.

I came here for a Christmas party with my friend’s work. The only vegetarian entrée option is the salad bar. For pescetarians, they have one salmon entrée. I had some clam chowder from the salad bar that tasted fine but I found a huge chunk of brown paper in it (well, I found it once it was already in my mouth). Ew! The actual salad part of the salad bar was pretty good, and the ingredients were at least mostly fresh. For dessert, my friend found a piece of white translucent paper in his cheesecake.
Overall, the food was bland yet overly salty, and pretty overpriced for what it is. The feel of the atmosphere is «old people used to love coming here after church 10 years ago.» It wasn’t completely bad but I won’t be coming back.

My husband had the fillet and loved it. He said it was cooked to perfection and the flavor was delicious. I had the soup and salad bar, high variety of choices. Our waitress was prompt and friendly.
The only negative experience was the grumpy, bad attitude of the bartender.

I’ve had their catering a few times, never been impressed. A few weeks ago my in-​laws picked this place for dinner while they were in town. First time I had ever eaten at the actual restaurant, again not impressed. I ordered the filet mignon and it was so dry. The salad bar is decent, but I wouldn’t go back just for that.

[Communicating through the C.B. radio]
Bandit: Sheriff, uh, Buford T. Justice, please.
Buford T. Justice: Who there?
Bandit: This is Bandit Darville talkin’.
Buford T. Justice: Where are you, you sombitch?
Bandit: Before I tell you where I am, Sheriff, there’s just one thing I wanna say. You must be part coon dog, ’cause I’ve been chased by the best of them, and son, you make ‘em look like they’re all runnin’ in slow motion. I just wanna say that.
Buford T. Justice: Well, thank you, Mr. Bandit. And as the pursuer, may I say you’re the goddamnedest pursuee I’ve ever pursued. Now that the mutual bullshit is over, WHERE ARE YOU, YOU SOMBITCH?
–Smokey and the Bandit
Go on, shag and wax that Burt Reynolds stache you’ve been preening. Hop in your ’75 Camaro. Make sure you iron that butterfly collar, you’re on your way to The Cooperage, where your budding chest hair may exact a wink from the hostess. This place, man, it’s where the Bandit went into hiding. In my time in this city (nearly 20 years) the place hasn’t changed, and it never should. The 70’s are alive and well in this dark expansive den of red, red meat.
I won’t add a smidge to the reviews, just layer ‘em. The prime rib cut around here will bleed on your plate (if you order it proper, at least medium rare) and the salad bar encompasses Americana: romaine, cucumber, shredded cheddar, a dollop of peppers and other be-​goods, Bac-​Os (in the 70’s, far superior to the real thang), sunflower seeds, you know the deal. Lumpy blue cheese dressing, proper. A smattering of fruits, some questionable fruit/​sweet stuff hybrids and the almighty cucumber onion salad cement the selection. You’ll wait for your cut of beef and you’ll fill up on the greens and bread.
And hey, dig the mounds of ice that display that kingdom of salad selection. Bow down.
Did I mention the place hasn’t changed? It really hasn’t, price point included. The prime rib is essentially the same cost as it was when I moved here, $ 20 – 30 depending on the cut. Neither have the tables, chairs or lighting. Come for the salsa and jazz on the weekend. Ignore your hoity-​toity air of supremacy and indulge your inner carnivore. Go ahead and pop that butterfly collar, you sombitch.