The Experience: Cooper Café is nestled just off the main gambling floor of the gigantic Odawa Casino, which along with my own Boyne Resorts is amongst the three biggest employers in the greater Petoskey area. Having a toddler at home (who some of you may remember from past Burger Adventures) means I don’t get a lot of time to visit the Casino recreationally, but I found myself there for a work-related event and figured I would do what I always do – try the burger. Copper Café is a 24-hour eatery that’s designed to fill the bellies of people who in all likelihood have just emptied their wallets, so in many cases the food would have to replace the bitter taste of defeat that keeps casinos in business. That’s a tall task.
Burger Ordered: Cheese Burger
The Taste: For a quick-serve establishment, I was impressed with the different burger options, but being my first time there I decided to stick to the classics and get the standard Cheese Burger. It comes with optional lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle, but I opted just for lettuce because that other stuff is gross. This is a no-frills burger served on a plain bun, but sometimes that’s all a burger needs to be, and this is one of those times. It was cooked in the same manner most quick-serve establishments tend to do, but it still had flavor and juice. I finished it quickly and only set it down once for fries, and that’s always a good sign. The fries were standard offering, but were crispy and tasty, and worked well with this burger.
The Verdict: Copper Café is a bit unassuming, but they offer up a quality burger at a good price ($8, which includes the fries). Also being open 24 hours is rare for this area and a nice benefit for those seeking an after-hours Burger Adventure.
Copper Café is located at 1760 Lears Road in Petoskey, Michigan
