Mr. Cooper said he would make the cheesesteaks himself. Or, at least, I imagine that’s how the conversation began between the actor and his newest business partner, Danny DiGiampietro of Philadelphia’s beloved Angelo’s Pizzeria.
Danny and Coop’s, the new Philly cheesesteak spot opened by Cooper and DiGiampietro in Manhattan’s East Village, is drawing big crowds (and often hours-long lines) for their steaming hot sandwiches and the possibility of seeing the Academy Award nominee in the flesh, a spatula in hand working the line.
Videos of the actor working in the kitchen at Danny and Coop’s have been going viral ever since the restaurant soft-opened in December. Cooper first met Philly restauranteur Danny DiGiampietro after eating at his famed Philadelphia eatery Angelo’s in 2019. What started as an admiration quickly grew into a business venture and the two went in on Danny and Coop’s as co-owners.
First popping up as a food truck in New York in 2023 and again in Las Vegas last spring, the team eventually settled into a brick-and-mortar space on Avenue A at East 10th Street. (They even appeared as a pop-up in New Orleans during the most recent Super Bowl.)
After seeing videos of folks waiting in line for more than three hours to place their orders, I decided to take the train and wait for a Danny and Coop’s cheesesteak myself. Luck was on my side as a rain storm moved through the city on the Sunday I made the trek to the East Village; I was hoping the line would be minimal, and I was right.
Stepping inside, Kendrick Lamar blasted in the dining room as Murray Hill finance bros waited for their orders and out-of-towners shook out their umbrellas. I noticed the lack of chairs inside the tight dining room; the restaurant instead opted for a tall bar that crept around the dark interior of the space, with one side painted black and the other featuring the building’s exposed brick. Even on a slow day, Danny and Coop’s felt crowded.
A short line snaked to the counter alongside a simple menu etched on the wall in chalk: CHEESE STEAK SANDWICH. SODA. WATER. Thankfully, my choices were slim, as suddenly, I was next in line.
I reached the counter and placed my order, peering behind the woman taking my order… No sign of Cooper.
While I was hopeful to see the actor myself (any other Silver Linings Playbook fans out there?), I was ultimately there for the cheesesteak, not the man. A short seven-minute wait later, and the server called my name.
The $18 sandwich itself is dense: a generous portion of tender chopped steak, jammy onions, and Cooper sharp cheese tucked into a toasted sesame roll (that’s allegedly baked in-house).
While satisfying, the cheesesteak is heavy and generally underseasoned. The sides of sweet and hot peppers that they offer are necessary to cut through the oppressive servings of beef and cheese. Nonetheless, this is what one expects from a classic Philly cheesesteak. No frills, just the best ingredients possible prepared with a lot of heart.
Worth a three-hour wait? Probably not. But if you’re lucky, like me, seven minutes is right on the money.
What I appreciated the most about Danny and Coop’s was that it exuded celebration and admiration for the city of Philadelphia itself. With the speaker’s volume turned all the way up and an excited energy about the room, Danny and Coop’s feels like a party.
I can’t imagine that it was for financial gain alone that the Oscar nominee put on an apron, setting out to make the perfect Philly cheesesteak, but rather a love for his hometown and sharing the experience with other folks in the town he now calls home. It’s that energy that he is bringing to New York diners in the best possible way, and the city is better for it. For that reason, Danny and Coop’s is an exciting triumph.
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