Chef Matt McMillin is known for his role as a chef and educator, with a passion for cooking ignited at a young age. He is a recipient of the prestigious Escoffier Award and currently leads the culinary program at...
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ItalianSteakhouseSeafoodVegetarian Vegan FocusVegan-friendlyModerateLunchDinnerBrunchWine Bar
Last updated: 8/18/2026, 6:01:48 AM
Key Information
Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant in Gilbert, AZ, offers a unique dining experience combining a full-service restaurant with an award-winning winery. It features a modern American menu designed to pair with their extensive selection of wines, which are also available for tasting and purchase. The restaurant boasts a lively atmosphere and is known for its wine club, offering members exclusive benefits and monthly wine selections.
Customer Perception
Customers generally praise the excellent and attentive service, even during busy periods, and appreciate the lively atmosphere and appealing decor. The food quality is often highlighted, with the steak and pretzel-crusted pork chops receiving particular acclaim. While many dishes are well-received, some items like ahi tuna, broccoli, or calamari have received mixed reviews. The wine program, including tastings and knowledgeable sommeliers, is a significant draw. Reservations are recommended due to its popularity.
Additional Details
Cooper's Hawk operates a popular wine club, allowing members to enjoy hand-curated wines monthly, along with dining rewards and discounts. The Gilbert location is part of a larger chain of winery and restaurant establishments.
Vegetarian optionsGluten-free options (likely available upon request)
Best Times to Visit
The restaurant is popular and can be very busy, so making reservations is highly recommended, especially for dinner and weekend brunch. Weekday evenings, such as Mondays, might be slightly less crowded, but service can still be stretched.
My family and I visited this popular restaurant and winery and had a very enjoyable experience overall. We made reservations ahead of time and were seated immediately upon arrival. This wa great given how busy the restaurant was. Despite the crowd, the service was excellent. Our waitress was attentive, friendly, and did a great job throughout the meal. The manager (or possibly the owner) also stopped by our table to make sure everything was going well. This was nice to see.
For my meal, I ordered the surf and turf, which included steak, ahi tuna, green beans, and broccoli. The steak was the star of the show. It was perfectly cooked, expertly seasoned, and absolutely delicious. Honestly, it was so good that I could have ordered a second steak on the spot and a third one to take home. It was one of the better steaks I've had in quite some time. I also had a salad that was very enjoyable, especially the croutons, which added great texture and flavor.
However, not everything was a hit for me. Surprisingly, I did not enjoy the ahi tuna, and the broccoli wasn't to my liking either. As a table, we ordered the calamari appetizer, which was decent but not as good as what we've had at many other restaurants. Our family orders calamari almost every time we dine out, so we have plenty of comparisons. This version simply didn't stand out.
Overall, this is a great place to bring the family. The service was outstanding and the atmosphere was lively. My wife made many comments about the décor in the restaurant. We’ll definitely be back.
Lobster, Crab and Shrimp Bisque – 8.7/10
To begin, the bisque was perfectly creamy. The meat was not in obscenely large chunks, which made it easier to enjoy. Additionally, it made it much easier to get all of the flavors in one bite. The vegetables were also chopped and cooked very nicely. The pretzel croutons on top were the perfect finish to add a bit of crunch, and they further enhanced the flavors of the bisque.
Pretzel Crusted Porkchops (extra candied bacon) – 9.2/10
From the way the pork chop was cooked, to the amazing crust and binder, the pork chop exceeded expectations (I’m acting like I haven’t enjoyed this 50 other times). The mashed potatoes were absolute perfection. They were so smooth and creamy and had an amazing flavor. The broccolini was cooked and seasoned to perfection, giving me the perfect bit of crunch and freshness in every bite. Lastly, the candied bacon was perfectly salty, sweet, and crunchy. The combination of all these flavors created the most enjoyable dish. The complex flavors paired together created something that was rather splendid and close to perfection.
Excellent service. The atmosphere was pretty good, the music was just a bit quiet.
4
First C&H experience for 30th anniversary. I’d made reservations but apparently not found and mentioned anniversary but apparently not conveyed because the staff asked another three times if we were there for an event.
Food was wonderful. I got the gnocchi and wife got filet medallions. Server even asked chef about unusual substitutions I was considering (even though she really didn’t have time to as she was slammed). She also made food suggestions and conversed.
Perhaps because it was a Monday night, but there was little to no staff teamwork. A couple other servers even had shadow trainees. Beverage refills were slow. Our server was great but spread thin. Only upon food delivery did another server deliver. Manager never stopped by, but did visit the table next door three times for wine issues. Service was slow but not servers fault. At least we didn’t feel rushed as we were celebrating! Server comped both celebration desserts (maybe standard for anniversary event or she knew we were waiting).
5
There are a few Cooper’s hawks in the valley, but this one is our favorite one! 🤩 this one above the others gives the best experience & has the best staff! Sebastian was our wine Sommelier for our wine tasting and he was amazing with his knowledge & guidance on pairing wines. From the hostesses to the dinner staff this Cooper’s hawk is the one to choose above all the others. We look forward to seeing Sebastian teach new sommelier’s at the future mesa location!
1
Walked in and the atmosphere was amazing. My wife and I ordered a appetizer and some drinks. The Mahi Mahi that very delicious. My wife orderd the lobster with stuffed crab and I ordered the short ribs with the roasted vegetables. Off the back I noticed the short ribs looked dry. Now I've been cooking for about 20years and I know that short ribs have a jiggle and sheen to them when there done. Boy was they stiff. Im saying all of this because everyone should know how to make short ribs the right way. So. You take the short ribs and dredge them on flower and you scear them in a rondeau until brown take them out and put them aside take the pan of oil and drain it then add your Miripoux to Sautée add two bottles of wine pefered a port or a merlot ( all about the amount of meat your making ) they needed two bottles of wine. For how busy they was. N-E-ways. You take the wine pour it into your pan and reduce by half. Add your meat back to the pan add beef stock of chicken stock cover with parchment paper and foil and put in oven at 350 for 1-2 hours depends on how much meat and the size of the short rids. After a hour check on the meat it should have a jiggle to them and the meat almost falls apart.. Then take out the meat strain the juices keep the veg and skim your sauce to take out the fat and thick in sauce with roux (butter and flour) or slurry( Corn starch and water) and salt and pepper to taste and serve. I was a bit upset that it was 35 dollars and it tasted like pot roast. Even my wife knows what it supposed to tast like and Sad face 😞.
