The COOP — Restaurant in Winter Park

I have absolutely no idea why this place only has three-and-a-half stars. When I get to come to The Coop, I get just as excited as when I get to go to Disney. This place definitely feels like it's brother, 4 Rivers, in that it's a cafeteria style joint where you get your food in the lineup and sit down where is available. The dining room is about the most eclectic thing you'll ever see; you'd be hard pressed to find two chair or tables that look alike. They are all different, and it's wonderful. Some other nice touches include the map on the wall that let's you put a little sticker dot where you're from. People from Maine to Pakistan have come to enjoy The Coop.

So they have their standard menu, which is full of delectable sounding options, and then they have their weekly specials for breakfast, main meals, and dessert. Next week's special is peach glazed chicken, by the way, so expect another check-in from me soon. Once you pass the dessert showcase and remember that you'd rather have the bread pudding, you get to place your order, watch them pile it up on your tray, and have a seat.

So on this trip, I got the Chicken N' Waffles (with Maple Bourbon drizzle). I forked up the $5 to add two fixins & a biscuit (I subbed cornbread for the biscuit). My two fixins of choice were Fresh Fried Okra and Creamed Corn. I gotta tell you, The Coop has some of the best chicken and waffles in all of Orlando. The breading on the tenders is light and flaky and adds that nice crunch you want. The waffles is obviously freshly made in a waffle maker. Firm and chewy and so good. I recommend this dish first and foremost. The okra was good. It was crisp and not oily or anything. The creamed corn is redonkulous. It's not too sweet. It blurs the line, just like the chicken and waffles themselves.

My girlfriend, on the other hand, got the New Orleans Po-Boy (shrimp) with a fixin of the Bread Pudding. It was ok. It was a good sandwich, but it wasn't like, mind blowing. The shrimp was cooked well, but the sandwich just wasn't bursting with flavor like you want. The bread pudding was the best thing. It was the perfect moisture level and the perfect sweetness level. The people on the line will ask you if you want extra drizzle. Always say yes. Oh, and I forget to mention the cornbread. It was ok. I was expecting the same quality as from 4 Rivers, but that is not what I got. It was ok.

Overall, I love this place. I feel bad that I've had nothing but the chicken and waffles when coming here, but I fully plan on making my way through this menu one...

I have to be critical of this place because of how popular and highly recommended it was.

Let's start with the good; their fried chicken rocks. I mean the seasoning is potent but tamed, the texture and crunch is perfect, and the meat is tender and succulent. If you're going to visit the coop make sure you get fried chicken.

Now the bad;

unfortunately the chicken waffles Benedict was very unflavorful and had a mushy, bland, unappealing texture to the whole dish. Couple this with the fact that you really only get one tender cut in half so very small portion.

We also got the coop classic. Realizing that this didn't come with chicken tenders or any form of chicken was a bizarre experience. I mean, a fried chicken place where their classic dish doesn't contain fried chicken? Okay whatever, user error... Well the coop classic was about school lunch quality food. Plain, frozen-equivalent potatoes, beyond soupy and basically inedible eggs, and dry tiny saucers for sausage patties.

One of the (excellent) staff came around and asked me how my meal was which I really appreciate. To which, I was perfectly honest... "Meh" I said.

The staff member took it upon himself to really make things right for me here. I expressed the same concerns as above and he graciously supplied us with new eggs and some tenders to make up for it. Man oh man, these tenders hit the spot... (See first line) I repeat, if you come to this restaurant, make sure to get fried chicken and focus on that as your main purpose there. You won't be disappointed.

I can't give this place a 5 because I believe a restaurant needs to serve everything with pride and excellence to be a...

I've been here a few times. Run through the line, order your food, get your drink, and seat yourself. The line staff are usually very friendly and engaging. Talk out the menu with them if you have questions or can't decide.

I've had a variety of items from the menu. My favorite is the Country Fried Steak. It's a large portion, fried fresh when you order, and the taste is amazing. The Chicken Pot Pie is tasty, but if you're hungry, you're going to be starving afterward. It's a small dish. I usually get green beans and mac and cheese. The sides can be hit and miss sometimes if the kitchen is in a hurry to put new ones out. I've noticed more than once the sides aren't always cooked as one would expect. Given the quality, location, and success of this local brand, I think the prices are higher than one would expect. I tend to spend $15-17 each visit, without desert.

While I love the bakery items and such, you either order it upfront, and then can't eat it, or don't order it and decline to wait in the line again. I definitely feel like the deserts are overpriced.

This is a great place for a large group to sit together, but it gets loud very quickly. More could be done to absorb some of the noise I think. You get your pick of random old dining tables and chairs. Some chairs are questionable though.

The one thing I find odd is while there's no traditional service, you're still prompted to sign a check with a tip option. With the higher than average prices, this is a detractor for me. Yes, great service should be appreciated, I think eliminating the signature and going all electronic would be...