Coopertown Restaurant Reviews

We left Key West about 9:30am and decided to stop here for lunch. Seems to me Guy Fieri had mentioned this place on his Food Network show. Most of the people/vehicles in the parking lot were there for the airboat rides, so the restaurant was not crowded. We ordered the combination platter of gator tail, frog legs, fries, coleslaw and garlic bread. This was plenty for 2 to share. The gator tail was more tender than I thought it would and tasty. The frog legs were tender and taste a little like chicken. Both had a light cornmeal batter. The other 3 items were fine. We also had ice tea, but they do serve beer. We did have to wait a bit for the food as they also make orders to go for folks taking the airboat tours. Friendly waitress and interesting memorabilia for decor. Loved it. I hope to stop here again in the near future.

Went here seeing it on travel channel. Had a good experience. A little steeply priced,bit good food. Finally authentic frog legs,good job guys.

If you're interested in trying alligator and/or frog legs. This is the place. Old and original. But the food was tasty!

The Cooperstown Restaurant hasn't changed since our last visit in 2011, except that the washrooms are now located in a trailer in the parking lot. It seems the indoor plumbing is failing. As we entered we knew what to expect. There were a few locals, mostly family of the owner eating lunch. We sat down at the cleanest table and were promptly given menus. As before we ordered the sampler, but this time it did not come with fries or coleslaw, just alligator bits and a pair of frog legs fried in a light batter. Service was prompt, within 5 minutes. Other patrons came in and promptly left, put off by the rustic décor we guess. Once group asked how long it would take for a sampler of alligator bits and could not wait the 5 minutes. The beer was cold and appreciated. I wish they would fix the place up with a fresh coat of paint, new ceiling tiles and furniture, but I guess that would spoil the ambiance and perhaps the clientele that come here.

We ordered the alligator and frog leg dinners ended up spending $92 for four people. The alligator was just okay, the frog legs were awful, tasted like water. Found out later they were farm-raised little to no flavor quality of the few food was frozen. .. no flavor to this food at all the only thing that was good was the French fry. I do not recommend overpriced junk

WE stopped here for lunch after an airboat ride. The food was delicious and well priced. The staff were helpful and very friendly

We stopped here to eat before our airboat tour. Yes, it's tiny but you totally get the Everglades vibe from this little place. Neat decor and atmosphere. The girl running it was very friendly as well. We were pleasantly surprised by the food. I didn't expect much but the club sandwich was great. This place is a must while enjoying the Everglades.

I mentioned this place in my other review of Coopertown Airboats. Found this place very convenient right next to Airboats attraction. They serve gator meat and frog legs. We tried both and liked them. Price were reasonable (paid about $100 for 6 adults with drinks). Service is quick, staff is friendly. Décor is pretty basic, but we weren't expecting anything fancy. Good place to grab a bite after the Airboat ride.

I really enjoyed the Airboat ride, employees were friendly, and for my first time trying frog legs, absolutely delicious.

Quite an eclectic menu and an eclectic server. Kid friendly and pocketbook friendly. Cheap and good.

My wife, another couple, and I came here after biking for hours at Shark Valley. The waitress was clueless. Everyone in the place seemed to be having issues with service. We finally were able to order after getting our own menu and telling her we were ready, after waiting for ten minutes. We ordered a deluxe cheeseburger, chicken tenders, a chicken dinner, and a gator sampler. We ordered 3 bottles of water and a pink lemonade. After another 15 minutes we went to the counter and got our drinks since they had not arrived. The food finally came a bit later. The chicken dinner was four pieces of greasy overbreaded chicken that made me ill (diarrhea) even after trying to remove the huge quantity of breading. The gator bites and chicken tenders were tiny and greasy. Restrooms were not cleaned or stocked. The airboat rides here are terrific but the restaurant should be closed. Maybe you can get a beer here. They serve breakfast all day.

My wife and I went to this restaurant near the end of a day after Shark Valley (which is a 'must do' by the way). Now you gotta remember, this restaurant 'showcases' the area. That is to say that in my mind it reflects, somewhat, the culture of people who live in swampy areas. I'm not being rude in saying that. Do you ever watch Swamp People on the History Channel or Gator Hunters (or whatever it's called)? This area is a bit like that. No, this restaurant isn't first class with sparkling stainless steel counters and polished floors. Yes, it's old, and admittedly a bit dirty. The stuff on the wall? OMG....not what I'd put on MY walls!! We walked in and no one came to greet us for 5 minutes. We walked out and asked the guy at the airboat counter if the restaurant was open. He went and got the girl to come in....i think we got her in trouble, but hey, she was SUPPOSED to be in there taking care of us! Ha! So we sit down on these old, vinyl covered, chairs and we order beer and frog and gator and fries. And the young lady...hmm...Cindy, I think. Quite a talker! Again, she reflected the culture and the lifestyle. The food was awesome, but yes, FRIED. Deal with it! It's not MEANT to be healthy! This was an experience--just what we wanted as tourists to the everglades. The price, we felt, was appropriate for the experience. Would we want to spend it every meal out? Nope. Would I go back? You BETCHA!

Nice place to see the old Florida feel. Only reason to eat there is the airboat ride which is good. Tried the frog lags and gator tail. Both acceptable but not great.

you want frog legs and gator tail as fresh as it gets hush puppy's and Bahama bread owwweeee also take an air boat ride --if you are nearby or sort of do not miss this piece of history in the heart of the everglades

I feel like this place is so close to being great. The staff and family are very sweet and accommodating. It's a greasy spoon in the everglades. You get what you get. I didn't love it but the kids did and once again the staff is quite lovely and sweet. I feel like the young kids who work there know what it is to be an outfitter and how to make people feel welcome.

Best frog legs I've ever had! My daughter and I rented a car and drove out here during a long layover at MIA. Yes it's small, a bit cluttered and could use a serious makeover but the food is the best. Bring hand sanitizer, not sure that the water in the restroom is safe for consumption or even hand washing. Service was prompt, courteous and spot on but we were there early in the am and the only customers present. Afterward we opted for an airboat ride and that was loads of fun too. There's also a small reptile zoo out by the airboats. A welcome spot to rest between a couple long hauls from one continent to another.

We stopped by Coopertown Restaurant after an airboat ride (Tigertail Airboats) - looking to round out our Everglades experience with an alligator appetizer. The place itself is the definition of Everglades touristy - bolted onto the Coopertown airboat rides launch and churning out the tourists. Parking is tight. I loved the cramped little restaurant interior. They serve up beer and drinks to go with a small selection of fried foods / basic burgers. There was one harried lady pretty much taking care of everything in the restaurant from cleaning tables to taking orders to (often) heading back to cook food. Very understaffed, but she handled it well. The catfish and gator were cornmeal breaded from a mix and fried. Burger came from a frozen patty. French fries were thick-cut and from a frozen package as well. That said...it met expectations for what you can get at a touristy place. Are we glad we went? Yes - we got the full experience. Was the food great? No, but it met our expectations at a solid '5' out of 10. Prices were a little high but also what we expected. Worth going once understanding all of the above and that service will be a bit spotty. Just roll with it.

This little restaurant is a throw back to the past. The one young waitress was an absolute delight. She greeted us in such a friendly manner, talked to us about their specialty - frog's legs and alligator "nuggets" - and made us feel really welcome. The prices were really reasonable, too. Most everything was fried, but good. We did try their specialties and were pleasantly surprised at how good they were. I also recommend the catfish sandwich!

Tiny, roadside greasy spoon. Food is pretty good and has some weird stuff like alligator and from legs. Also has the basic burgers, sandwiches, and ice cold beer.

very, very basic restaurant in the middle of the Everglades at Coppertown. Nothing special. But hey, what else to expect in the middle of the glades.

We had reservations for airboat tour and decided to have breakfast next door. It was early in the morning so we were first customers through the door Angel greeted us with a smile and was terrific Food was comfort food delicious!

Take the tour but don't eat here! I won't even tell you how bad the bathroom was, because it was the worst I have ever seen! I literally saw our server picking his teeth while another was smoking, handling food and actually just threw the box of food on the ground (took a picture). The manager was actually the rudest person there. There is clearly something wrong with management. We were here seven years ago and it was a completely different story. I would definitely not recommend eating here.

Gator tail was awesome, our tour guide did a great job learned a lot about the Everglades and saw a bunch of alligators and birds. Will definitely do it again.

Went for lunch after our airboat tour. Seemed to be run by one lovely lady who served, cooked and tended bar with great humour. Toasted sandwiches were excellent. Really liked this place.

Don’t let the look fool you, the food is really good. The restaurant was built in the 40’s and looks it, but then I wasn’t looking for a Denny’s. We read about the restaurant when we were researching airboat tours and it was part of the reason that we chose Coopertown Airboats (see my review in Trip Advisor). I mean who can visit the everglades and not feast on gator tail, frog’s legs and catfish. I was surprised by how much the gator tail looked and tasted like KFC popcorn chicken. It was tasty but I would have liked bigger pieces. I had the sampler size which came with fries and cole slaw. I asked the server if the $21 dinner was different she said, no, just bigger. My daughter had the sampler size of frog’s legs. They were scrawnier than I have had elsewhere, but this is probably more a testament to being wild caught than being skimpy. My younger daughter who is not a big fish fan really liked the catfish sandwich. My spouse didn’t think the catfish was as good as she had at BB King’s in Memphis but still said it was really good. Everybody agreed that the cole slaw was excellent. Combine this with the airboat tour and it is an Everglades experience that you will talk about for years.

We visited Coopertown Everglades based one a recommendation from our boat tour guide (different company than that of Coopertown). We were delighted with food, both the burger and the gato bites! Surprised at how tasty alligator is. The staff were friendly and the price was very reasonable. Don’t expect high-class dining experience, here you get authentic American and it was a delight.

Tried the Gator tail and Frog leg sampler - it was good. Never had this before, but recommend it to all who want to try.

This place is filthy dirty and old. Having in mind that smells like mold, dusty and nasty floors, I decided to give it a try because I am a food lover. Asked for two plates of gator tail deep fried. They brought us two little tiny paper cups containing 6-10 little pieces of fried gator for $11.99 each WoW I was so dissapointed, had two can beers, two waters and an order of fries for $41.00 what!!!! Will not go back this place is bad all around. I am from Miami not a tourist.

We ordered the gator bites and frog leg sample. Thank goodness that is all we ordered. I do not mind the deep frying but it tasted like they needed to change their oil. It was just dripping with nasty oil. Then to top it off there is a MANDATORY 15% tip policy. No side dishes included so you must pay extra. Water is also not free. Not worth it.

Take the airboat tour for sure, just don't eat here. Nobody got sick from our meal, but we all joked about it. The interior and bathrooms were a MESS. Dust, mold, etc. Very run down. Not sure how a health inspector passes this place. The food is very pricey, but also very tasty. Just keep your eyes closed!!! The wait staff was ONE person and man did she earn her pay. That women was amazing!!! Not sure how she held it all together!!!

It looks like a dingy train coach, and I really wonder WHERE are they washing their equipment? Are they washing it EVER? And where do they keep their food? I saw the kitchen through the opening. A food inspector must pay a visit to that place.

We ate here after a boat tour. Food was tasty. Really enjoyed fried gator salad. Hamburgers were huge, but gator tail nuggets were surprisingly small for the price. Very kid friendly menu.

The restaurant was a pretty hill billy kind of vibe which I liked because it made it more authentic in all honesty tho the food is just deep fried I payed 40 $ for the sampler because that's what I was there for it was deep fried chip deep fried frogs legs deep fried cat fish and deep fried gator all just pretty much tasted like oil and bread crumbs to be honest but at least I tried everything

Returning from an excursion we had lunch in this simple and typical American style restaurant, choosing to test the local specialities, alligator tail, frogs and catfish, trusting the manager's advice. Punctual service and pleasant, friendly staff. Worth trying for those who are curious and love new experiences.

Service was awful and beyond. Food was ok but very pricey for what you got. I can't describe how bad the service was and she of course included her tip onto the bill. Go for the ride and run from this place.

After our airboat tour, my husband and I wanted to try some gator and our guide recommended this place (We did not do their airboat tour though). We both the got the sample platter that had gator meat and frogs legs. Both were tender and tasted good. The staff were friendly too. It's a definite must if you're touring the Everglades.

Not the best frog legs... Taste like frozen chicken meat. Not a good experience today with my wife and son eating these ordinary frog legs. Gator tail nuggets are very good.

We dropped into the Coopertown Restaurant, drawn by the prospect of eating alligator for lunch and we were not disappointed one bit. The building looks a little run down and ramshackle but the greeting we got upon our entry was so enticing we were immediately put to rest. The girl who greeted us , seemed to be the waitress, sous cehf and cashier all in one. After looking at the menu for a few moments she jumped in and suggested the two party combo which included alligator, frogs legs, french fries and cole slaw. We also ordered bottled beer, from a limited selection, but adequate for our taste buds. Conversation with a few locals was aso pleasant and informative. We observed several other patrons enter and then promptly leave...their loss. Our meal was perfectly cooked and the fries were large and also golden brown, no burns whatsoever. If we drive this causway road ever again, We will drop in for another meal.

Well. I've eaten breakfast in a fair few places on Earth, in all continents except Antarctica and I can honestly say that from memory this was the worst and slowest service for a breakfast I've ever had. Think Fawlty Towers and you'd be on the right track. To start with, I had to go find someone to placed our breakfast order. Then we waited. And waited. Waited more. Didn't even get our orange juice and bottomless coffee. After around 30 to 35mins of waiting we got breakfast part one, fried egg and bacon and some toast. No cutlery though. Nor that juice or coffee. Eventually got cutlery after having to ask for it, and just one of our two coffees after more asking. At that point, quite why we didn't get all the cutlery and drinks for our family of four was beyond me. Possibly a total logic breakdown...? To cut a long story short, eventually some over cooked pancakes arrived, and then 6 minutes later our other eggs and bacon. But no sight of the hashbrowns we'd ordered. So the bill came, adding up to a price that included those really cool invisible hashbrowns. Suffice to say we paid less and left leaving no tip! Total time in establishment, just over 60minutes! Scary place. Please use with caution, and consider flying to Kenya, getting breakfast there and flying back to Miami as that might be slightly quicker. The airboat tour was awesome though...but that's another review.

Food is awesome! Service is out of this world ,just a great hole in the wall place, Must SEE!! Wish it was closer to home so I could eat those breakfasts

The restaurant was rustic and offered alligator and frog legs as specialties. Waitress was friendly. Two of us ordered cheeseburgers and the meat was literally burned to a crisp. Our friends said that the fried frog legs weren't good either. Bathroom was totally nasty with non-flushing toilets, poorly maintained, and smelly.

We had lunch here on a weekday. There were a few other customers. The parking lot was full though for the air boat rides. I had the frog legs & gator tail platter - 3 pairs of legs and a dozen or more tail nuggets - with fries & cole slaw (about $25 and one of the most expensive items on the menu) and a Beck's beer. My wife had a burger with fries and bottled water. The place is definitely rustic but looked clean to me (including the restrooms) and no sanitary concerns as mentioned in another TA review. Service was friendly and prompt and the food was good and served hot. I really liked the fries - thick cut from whole potatoes with the skins. The legs were meaty and I liked the gator tail nuggets too all fried with a cornmeal breading. The burger was good with char-broiled flavor. With tax & 15% tip it was $49 which was a bit high for what it was, but we were both comfortably full and glad we made the stop for the experience.

It might look like a dive but the place is definetly a gem!! Awesome food, big quantities, and great prices. I personally got the catfish sandwich it was huge...very good!!

I was thoroughly stoked to try this restaurant, and had researched it on Trip Advisor. When we got there, we knew it would be a little hole in the wall place, which was fine. But it was pretty dirty, even for us. The bathrooms were doable but not pleasant. We were still fine and were happy to chat with our waitress. Then the trouble started. We were only one of two tables in there and it took almost half an hour to get our food! The gator bites and frogs legs were good, although I have to say the frogs legs were pretty fishy tasting, probably because they come right from the swamp. The gator bites were delicious! We bought a tee shirt and I was only now beginning to rethink the decision because the prices were starting to bother me. VERY expensive, for what you get. Ok, it's gator, whatever. We leave a tip on the table and go pay our bill. AUTOMATIC gratuity. This was extremely aggravating. After overcharging for the food, and providing us a sub standard place to sit and eat it - you are going to charge me auto for the tip? Lets just say fifty bucks for a tee shirt and a small plate of gator & frog bites for two, was pretty over the top. Left with a bad taste in my mouth. Won't be back. Found gator bites (*probably from the same company) at the Stuffed Pig in Marathon - where we got good service, a clean place, and quite a heft portion for a lot less money. And because of the overpriced food and the definite aura of tourist trap, skipped the Coopertown airboats, and headed five more minutes down the road to Buffalo Tiger, where we got a amazing almost private tour on a brand new airboat (Coopertown's boats looked pretty beat up)

We stopped here after our airboat tour around 2pm on a Monday. It appeared that the lunch rush had just ended. Lots of dirty tables and one waitress. They were out of many things and we didn't get our drinks until half way through eating after asking two times. Even then we received the wrong drinks. It took almost an hour for our food to arrive. During that time the server seemed flustered and all over the place. Food was just meh. Not terrible just not great. It appeared that increased staffing may have solved many of these issues. Could use a very good cleaning. Probably would not return.

We had lunch here after our airboat tour. The place is a bit of a shack but that adds to it's charm. The young lady who waited on us was a total delight and we liked her very much. She was very talkative and interested in us as people. The food was very good and so was the tour. We had a great time and will absolutely stop in again if we are ever in the area :)

We at here after the airboats to experience the frog legs and gator tail. The place has a nice down-home atmosphere. We enjoyed the eating adventure.

This air boat ride goes along the "River of Grass" which is the Everglades. Our driver made the ride fun and informative. It was a slow day to see alligators but we did see one and a good number of Florida birds along the way. After the ride they have a show and viewing area with more animals. A fun day!

Friendly little restaurant. We stopped here for breakfast at 11:30am after an airboat ride next door. Good honest food, nice drip coffee, attentive waitress and excellent price. All god for me

Lovely simple food restaurant right next to the airboats business. We were served by a lovely lady called Angel. We would go back anytime. Delicious cheeseburgers with no gristle and a lovely dense taste. Airboats and alligator show was also very good. Thank you Angel

This was a 1st for my fiancee and daughters boyfriend and we were all eager to try the local catch. We had a platter of Alligator tail , frogs legs and catfish all of which was cooked to perfection. Try it you won't be disappointed

We ate here before an airboat ride. Menu includes frog legs and gator tail. We stuck w the catfish and loved it. Waitress (she is also the cook) was friendly and filled us in on the history of the place

For a restaurant that seems to be in the middle of no where (or at least the middle of a swamp), the food is surprisingly good, inexpensive, not at all fancy but good portions.

Nothing special here, except that you can eat alligator and frog's legs, which is kinda fun after an airboat ride next door. You know you gotta do it, how could you not? And, the gator bites aren't too bad, battered and deep fried with a little dipping sauce. Buy a cold beer to wash it down. Go for it!

Great value but not for foodies! Service was good, menu was limited. Catfish was OK, the rest of the family went the burger and fries route, and were happy.

Ordered the gator and frog leg combo. The food was dripping in grease, the frog legs taste like fish (which I found very strange), and the gator bites were so overcooked they were impossible to chew. The fries were the only edible thing. ALSO, make sure if you visit this place... use the restroom well before you arrive. The facilities are a Porta potty style bathroom with feces all over and 3/4 toilets were clogged in the woman's restroom. The smell was so rank, I had to leave and use the bathroom at the casino a few miles down the road. PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!

After a nice boat ride, we figured to stop in and grab a bite to eat. Especially, gator and frog legs. The gator bites were the size of M&Ms or smaller, we’re disappointing, but good. The frog legs were good as was the rest of the meals we ordered. Surprised some of our group by telling them the gator and frog legs were chicken bites and wings. After they said they liked it, we told them what they ate . Angel was a doll, a few minor hiccups that she corrected right away. Overall we had a very good time and meal!

The restaurant was small but the waitress and food made up for that. What a great little place to visit.

The restaurant is horrible (the venue, food, service & restrooms). The health department should shut this place down. The waitress was trying to do a good job, but she was overwhelming, the manager (an old dude), was horrible. Plus, the food is very over prices. Finally, the restroom smell makes you sick.

Coopertown is on US41 near the junction of Krome Ave and the Miccosukee Casino. Quick and friendly service. Usually just one server, limited menu – but really you only want the Frog Legs or Gator – you are in the Everglades after all. Don't expect frills – it's a small place that has been there since 1945 (I have been coming here since the 70's). They also have Airboat Rides...

Having enjoyed an airboat ride we had lunch at Coopertown prior to pushing on. We shared an Alligator and Frogs Legs Dinner . The Gattor was very nice, chicken tasting but a lot more chewy. The frogs legs were far less of a hit, being very watery and bland tasting. Missable to be frank. The restaurant was basic and clean and I would assess the service as being average but acceptable. We were happy that we had tried Gattor and Frogs Legs. The restaurant gives you an authentic taste of Everglades cooking and is somewhere to be experienced once.

We stopped here after the Airboat tours because the kids were starving and we were curious to try the fried frog legs and the gator bites. The food was ok but it took almost 1hr with the place not full at all. We have chosen the place close to the airboat to save time and it ended to be a very long wait. The food was good, nothing special but good

After an Everglades boat ride this hit the spot. I ordered the alligator dinner and it was delicious. I’ve had alligator before and this was the best I’ve ever had. I ate it with Crystal hot sauce and lemon and it was perfect. Don’t knock it until you try it. The fries were really good too. Small cute place with one server and she was super sweet. They have frog legs and catfish to try too.

Nice little cafe that sits on US Highway 41, 15 miles west of Miami. After a nice air boat tour of the Glades, we stopped in here next door to grab a bite before we headed west to dig deeper into the Everglades- then driving out to Cypress Preserve. Both the Gator and frogs legs here are rather good. The service is good here to, and a Bud only costs $2.25.

It is one of the MUST STOP places while traveling around or visiting south Florida. Restaurant is very interesting place as you can taste frog legs (yummy delicious meat). Guided tour on air boat was nice experience.

And the restroom outside had a stench worse than any outhouse I have experienced. Do not recommend to eat here under any circumstances.

Sample the classic foods of the area: gator tail and frog legs. They have other menu items as well. Good place for lunch or a snack.

we stopped here on our way to the keys did some research on trip advisor and got exactly what I was expecting an air boat ride through the everglades saw some gators on the ride learned some facts from our guide and them had some gator tail. great hole in the wall restaurant ,good service and cold beer.bud!

We wanted to come here since Andrew Zimmern visited. It did not disappoint! We ordered the combo platter with frog legs and gator bites. AMAZING. Perfectly cooked and literally fell off the bone. Fresh, delicious, and worth every penny.