Cooper House Restaurant on Cooper River in Collingswood, NJ

Yesterday, Monday October 3, 2016, I met a friend for lunch at the Cooper House on Cooper River in Collingswood, NJ.

The Courier Post has been running articles in the Sunday paper about restaurants in the area.  It's a good thing, because I didn't even know that the old Lobster Trap had been bought out and replaced with the elegant new Cooper House.

I used to spend a lot of time at Cooper River, but since my knees  became a problem, I have limited my walking to 2 miles rather than the 4 it takes to get around Cooper.

So, we had flatbread with seasonal roasted vegetables for an appetizer, and cream/roasted cauliflower soup, then bean and roasted vegetable tacos - delicious all three items.  We both had coffee and the bill came out to $20 each including the tip, which we always pay at 20%, so it was a tiny bit more than I usually spend for lunch but a bit more than I usually eat for lunch too.  Usually I wouldn't have an appetizer and soup but my friend, Nancy, is very interested in food and recipes so we tried a few more dishes.  

I would definitely recommend this restaurant, and because they weren't busy and we were interested, we were given a tour.  There was charming outdoor seating areas with the many joggers enjoying the breeze and sunshine, and there was a beer garden for evenings.  

What I especially liked was the small walking oval behind the restaurant along the river and around a little pond, so you could have a nice walk before or after lunch, and benches to enjoy the pretty view of the river.

This was a wonderful lunch experience and my friend and I decided we would definitely go there again and recommend it to all of our friends.

If you are looking for a long hike around the river followed by a delicious lunch, vegetarian or not, or a short stroll around a nice little pond and lunch, you can't beat it.  Also, with one of the many events offered at Collingswood this is a great place to go for dinner after say, the Book Fair! or the Craft Fair.

Here is contact information from their business card: 
info@cooperhousenj.com
5300 North Park Drive
Pennsauken, NJ 08109

Also, a note on history - across the river, you can just barely see a bit of the Hopkins House.  I don't go there much anymore either since my poetry days are over, but they have literary and music events.  The house was owned by the nephew of Elizabeth Haddon, founder of Haddonfield.  She brought her sister's son over to the colonies from England to be her heir and his land stretched from Camden to Haddonfield and the Cooper River.  Another note, the Cooper River was named for another founding family, whose homestead is a historic site in Camden (located behind Lady of Lourdes Hospital) Pomona Hall, with a fine library, and interesting tours.  Two other Cooper family historic homes are destroyed, one by arson, and one by vandalism.  I visited them all and possibly did a blog entry on them.  I will check and see and if I didn't, I will at a later time.  Now, it's time to do the chores!

Happy Trails and Bon Appetit!
Jo Ann