Ok, I’ll confess that I’ve been to Cook Out like many people have in the Triangle but I’m glad to have had a chance to check out my FIRST Cook Out with a dining room, whoa. For those of you new to NC, Cook Out is a long-standing institution and late-night eatery where you can grab a burger, barbeque or hot dog to go and feed your late-night cravings. But normally cook-out is a To Go spot which is no big deal for the simple food they serve.
In the end you usually deal with chowing down in your car or at a picnic table for your Cook Out because it’s such a darn good deal. And because the grill food they serve works well outside. But imagine my surprise when I hear there’s a new Cook Out in town and it’s got seating inside?! Go figure. So on a cold and rainy day, I head out to Cook Out RTP in Durham.
Out front from this Cook Out you immediately notice a difference. Instead of the typical black and neon signage, this Cook Out sports a bright red sign with red awnings. It feels a bit more modern and the same goes for the inside. The dining room here smacks of other fast food interiors: brown tiled floor, bench seating, Formica tables and a lot of yellow and orange. But who cares about fancy, you can eat inside here! The counter up front is smallish and has the same menu you’ll find at other Cook Outs. Everything feels familiar but just a bit different here. I order up the popular Cook Out tray with chicken tenders, corn dog and hush-puppies.
And it doesn’t take long. 10 minutes later I’m driving back to the office with my little Styrofoam container and the food here is just like the other Cook Outs. Perfectly fried tenders and hush puppies, a nice corn dog and good service to boot. I’m happy to say that everything you love about Cook Out stays the same here but now you’ve got the option to eat in. So thank you Cook Out RTP for providing your loyal fans with some indoor seating and AC. At least I hope they have AC here, we shall see…
