Danny & Coop's

Bradley Cooper opened a sandwich shop last year—you might've heard of it. He soft-launched it a few days before Christmas last year (truly, a Christmas miracle), even picking up a shift that spawned an hour-long line of hopefuls wanting to catch a glimpse of the blue-eyed actor. Now that the likelihood of Cooper picking up a shift is closer to nil, the shop still maintains a steady business and even a few lines for its one and only menu item: the Philly cheesesteak.

You see, the other name behind Danny & Coop's is Danny DiGiampietro, the owner of Philly's Angelo's Pizzeria. And while yes, people still come for the pizza, Angelo's has become one of the city's famed havens for the Philly cheesesteak. Together, the duo teamed up to bring just the sub to New York. 

Matching the simplicity of the menu, Danny & Coop's is a sparse operation, with the most eye-catching bit being the red neon sign that hangs outside. The rest reads like a standard pizza shop, with black walls, wooden counters dusted with sesame seeds, and not much else. You'll see a little of everyone here, from workers catching a late lunch to travelers rolling in from the airport, bags in tow, lured by the countless TikTok's on the internet.

Regardless of who makes it in, all show up for the cheesesteak that comes in a nondescript cardboard box the size of a flute. Steaming hot, the beef has the right amount of char, dark brown where it's been pressed into the grill, balanced with lighter, chewier bits. The shreds of beef tangle with translucent onions and a nice melting of Cooper sharp cheese that only gets a little gloopy by the last few bites. The addition of peppers is needed to give the sandwich more oomph and excitement, and we took a particular liking to the spicy variety that could induce sniffles and make our ears pop. It is all encased in a seriously good bread, golden brown and baked in-house, studded with nutty sesame seeds.

All in all, it makes for a solid sandwich, perhaps not mind-blowingly good, but does its job as a vehicle for meat and cheese. The price can be a bit hard to swallow, coming out to $24.50, which includes the $2 NYC surcharge, climbing upward to $28-29 with the addition of a tip. But we reckon if it saves you the trip to Philly, then it is worth a visit every once in a while.   

Time Out tip: Lines still form before noon, but later visits in the day around 1 or 2 o'clock increase the likelihood of a casual walk-in and walk-out within minutes.