Photo by Brian Kachejian
On a Tuesday afternoon in November, I took the subway down to the East Village to try Danny & Coop’s Cheesesteaks. It’s a small, very popular takeout place that specializes in basically one thing: a cheesesteak sandwich. I’d been hearing about it, seeing it online, and finally decided I had to find out for myself whether it was worth the trip.
One thing I’ve noticed lately is that cheesesteaks seem to be showing up everywhere, especially at pizzerias serving some of the newer styles of pizza. Whether it’s Roman-style pizza or those thin New Haven-style pies with the heavily charred crust, more places seem to be putting cheesesteaks on their menus. The sandwich has also become a big deal on social media. And I might as well admit it: TikTok is the reason I ended up going to Danny & Coop’s.
So, was it worth the subway ride? First, let me give you a little background on the place, because the people behind it are part of the story. Then I’ll tell you what happened when I walked in and, most importantly, what I thought of the sandwich.
The History of Danny & Coop’s Cheesesteaks
Danny & Coop’s is a partnership between actor Bradley Cooper and Danny DiGiampietro, the owner of Angelo’s Pizzeria in South Philadelphia. Cooper grew up in the Philadelphia area, where cheesesteaks are practically a way of life, while DiGiampietro built a reputation for the sandwiches coming out of Angelo’s. The name is pretty straightforward: Danny is DiGiampietro, and Coop is Bradley Cooper. And yes, that means there’s a chance you might actually see a famous movie star working behind the counter. This isn’t simply a restaurant with a celebrity’s name attached to it; Cooper has been photographed cooking and serving the food himself.
The partnership made its public debut in December 2023, when the two men brought a Danny & Coop’s food truck to Greenwich Village. Cooper worked the grill alongside DiGiampietro and his team, and the proceeds from the event were donated to help feed New Yorkers in need. The truck attracted plenty of attention, as you can imagine. The Philadelphia Inquirer covered the original pop-up, which showed that the pair had ambitions beyond a one-day celebrity appearance.
They eventually found a permanent home at 151 Avenue A, across from Tompkins Square Park. The East Village shop began serving customers in December 2024 and settled into regular operation in 2025. The concept has remained intentionally simple: make a serious Philadelphia-style cheesesteak instead of filling the menu with dozens of unrelated items. The sandwich uses thinly shaved ribeye, onions, Cooper Sharp American cheese, and a house-made seeded roll. That bread, in particular, is a point of pride for DiGiampietro, whose Philadelphia cheesesteaks helped inspire the New York venture. The restaurant’s opening and the sandwich’s Philadelphia roots have been documented by Eater New York and Billy Penn.
Walking Into Danny & Coop’s
The first thing I noticed when I walked through the door was the music. It was loud. I’m talking nightclub-level loud. I have no idea whether that’s the normal atmosphere or whether I just happened to walk in when everybody needed to wake up a little, but the music was blasting. Maybe it helps pump up the people working there. Whatever the reason, you certainly aren’t walking into a quiet little sandwich shop.
I went on a Tuesday afternoon, and it wasn’t especially crowded. There were customers inside, but it wasn’t one of those situations where I had to stand in a line around the block. From the time I walked in until I left with my sandwich, it took about ten minutes. That’s pretty good for a place that’s gotten so much attention.
The interior is basic. There are wooden walls and a slightly old-school nightclub feel, but this isn’t really a place where you’re going to settle in for a leisurely lunch. You order your food and take it with you. That’s fine with me, especially because Tompkins Square Park is right across the street and has plenty of benches where you can sit and eat.
Something else matters to me whenever I walk into a restaurant: how the people treat their customers. I’m happy to say that both employees I dealt with were extremely friendly. In fact, I wound up having a fun conversation with the guy serving me about rock and roll and all that jazz. I always appreciate that. You can serve great food, but the way you treat people still counts.
Taking My Cheesesteak to Tompkins Square Park
I walked across the street to Tompkins Square Park, found a bench without any trouble, and got ready to film my review. When I opened the box, I was genuinely taken aback by the size of the sandwich. This was one of the most generously filled cheesesteaks I’ve ever seen. There was a tremendous amount of meat packed into that roll.
I paid $24.99 for the cheesesteak, and when I ordered, they asked whether I wanted sweet or hot peppers for another 75 cents. I went with the sweet peppers, and I’m very glad I did. No, $24.99 isn’t cheap for a sandwich. But when you look at what some of these specialty cheesesteak places are charging these days, it isn’t a price that surprised me. And once I opened that box, I could see that I was getting a lot of food.
So, How Was the Cheesesteak?
It was actually pretty good. I liked it from the first bite. Right away, I could tell that the meat was good quality, but the first thing that really caught my attention was the bread. It looked a little dark, and I worried it might be tough to chew. I’m getting older, and yes, that’s something I think about when I’m eating a big sandwich. But the bread was surprisingly soft and tasted very fresh.
As I kept eating, I started tasting more of the cheese. It’s Cooper Sharp American cheese, and it works beautifully with the beef. The cheese didn’t hit me all at once; it became more noticeable with each bite, adding flavor without taking over the entire sandwich. Between the meat, the cheese, and that fresh roll, I could understand why people have been making such a fuss about this place.
But as much as I was enjoying the cheesesteak, something happened when I added the sweet peppers: the sandwich went to another level. That’s when all the flavors really came together for me. If you go there, I would definitely recommend getting those peppers. For an extra 75 cents, they made a real difference.
It was a surprisingly warm November day, and there I was, sitting on a park bench in the East Village, eating a terrific cheesesteak and enjoying the city. I’m a city guy. Moments like that make me happy. There’s something about getting on the subway, finding a place you’ve wanted to try, and then sitting outside in New York with good food. To me, that’s a glorious afternoon.
I don’t know what other sides they might offer. I didn’t notice a menu on the wall or on the counter, and I wasn’t looking to order a whole meal anyway. I went there for the cheesesteak, and that’s exactly what I got. The sandwich was so filling that I could only finish about half of it. Believe me, I wanted to keep eating. It tasted that good. But I knew finishing the whole thing before getting back on the subway probably wouldn’t be the smartest idea.
Here’s my video review of Danny & Coop’s Cheesesteaks, filmed across the street in Tompkins Square Park. You can get a close look at the sandwich and see exactly what I thought of it as I was eating it.
Would I Recommend Danny & Coop’s Cheesesteaks?
Absolutely. One hundred percent. I know there’s a lot of social-media hype surrounding Danny & Coop’s, and the Bradley Cooper connection certainly doesn’t hurt. But the sandwich stood on its own. The meat was good, the bread was fresh and soft, the cheese was excellent, and those sweet peppers made it even better. The employees were friendly, the wait was short on the afternoon I visited, and I walked away happy that I’d made the trip.
Is it expensive? Sure. Would I have preferred quieter music? Definitely. But neither of those things changes how much I enjoyed the cheesesteak. If you’re visiting the East Village and you like a well-made sandwich, Danny & Coop’s is worth checking out. And hey, you never know who you might spot behind the counter.
If you enjoy my sandwich and restaurant reviews, you can also read my New York Cheesesteak review at MetLife Stadium, where I tried another very different take on this famous sandwich, and my Carlo’s Pizza review in Port Washington, another trip inspired by the search for great food.
