Cook Out – A Restaurant for Tasty Burgers and Milkshakes in the Southeast

When I first moved to North Carolina in 2005, I was introduced to the concept of Cook Out. Confusion ensued when I realized this fast food joint was take-out only and focused on service through drive-thrus, often with a left-hand drive-thru. Wut wut? But over the years I learned that Cook Out was often a life-saver for a late-night meal and the Cook Out menu and Cook Out trays were pure, simple, deliciousness. Cook Out was founded in Greensboro, NC in 1989 by Morris Reaves and has over 290 locations in 10 states (NC, AL, GA, KY, MD, SC, TN, VA, WV, MS) throughout the Southeast. One of those locations happens to be a minute away from my home so I’ve curated pictures, menus, prices, and more for you to get the most out of your Cook Out order!

Now what to get when you visit Cook Out? Especially when you’re a newbie, your best bet is the full Cook Out tray which gives you a choice of ten different mains, ten different sides (choose 2) along with a drink for the low price of $7.39 in North Carolina. This price rivals what you can get at any large fast-food chain and I love all the options behind a Cook Out tray! Theoretically, there are over tens of thousands of combo options but by my calculations, the best and highest value (calorie) Cook Out Tray is the chicken strips with bacon wrap, chicken wrap, and either a Cheerwine or Coke float which comes to about 1,970 calories. Check out my menu below for all the details, I’ve noted limited/seasonal items with a ** and included ratings out of five stars on the food images.

Cook Out Tray Menu

Cook Out Tray, Regular	7.69
Choose one: Big Double Burger, Reg. Burger, Reg. BBQ, 2 Hot Dogs, 2 Quesadillas, Reg. Chicken, Cajun Chicken, Spicy Chicken, BBQ Chicken, Chicken Strips (3)
Choose two sides or double up: Bacon Wrap, Cheese Bites, Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Wrap, Corn Dog, Fries, Hushpuppies, Onion Rings, Quesadilla (Cheeseburger, Chicken), Slaw
Choose one drink: Large Drink, Huge Tea, Dasani Water, Cheerwine Float, or Coke Float
Upgrade drink to Fancy Milkshake	1.60
Cook Out Tray, Junior	6.49
Choose one: Sm. Burger, 2 Corn Dogs, BLT Sandwich, Hot Dog, Quesadilla
Choose two sides or double up: Bacon Wrap, Cheese Bites, Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Wrap, Corn Dog, Fries, Hushpuppies, Onion Rings, Quesadilla (Cheeseburger, Chicken), Slaw
Choose one drink: Large Drink, Huge Tea, Dasani Water, Cheerwine Float, or Coke Float
Upgrade drink to Fancy Milkshake	1.60

Cook Out Burger Menu

Small Burger	240 calories	2.99
Regular Burger	330 calories	3.99
Big Double Burger	340 calories	3.99
On request – Mayo, mustard, ketchup, pickles, onions, lettuce, grilled onions, cajun seasoning, BBQ sauce		0.00
Cook Out Style – Chili, Slaw, Mustard, Onion	130 calories	.99
Cheddar Style – Cheddar, Bacon, Grilled Onions, Mayo	240 calories	.99
Out West Style – BBQ Sauce, Bacon, Mayo, Pickles, Onion	210 calories	.99
Nacho Chili Style – Nacho Cheese Sauce, Chili	100 calories	.99
Steak Style – A1 Sauce, Grilled Onions, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo	100 calories	.59
House Style – Quesadilla Sauce, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion	65 calories	.59
Tomato	10 calories	.10
Bacon	60 calories	.95
Cheese Slice	70 calories	.50
Homemade Chili	70 calories	.65
Homemade Slaw	40 calories	.50
A1 Sauce	25 calories	.50
Cup of Cheese Sauce	140 calories	1.00
Quesadilla Sauce	35 calories	.50
Fresh jalapeno	50 calories	.50

Cook Out Chicken Menu

Char-Grilled Chicken, Original Style – Lettuce, tomato, mayo, honey mustard	390 calories	4.85
Char-Grilled Chicken, Barbeque Style – BBQ sauce, sliced pickles, mayo	380 calories	4.85
Char-Grilled Chicken, Cajun Style – Cajun seasoning, Texas Pete, lettuce, tomato, mayo	380 calories	4.85
Char-Grilled Chicken, Cheddar Style – Cheddar cheese, bacon, grilled onions, mayo	540 calories	4.99
Char-Grilled Chicken, Club Style – Bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo	570 calories	4.99
Crispy Spicy Chicken – Lettuce, Tomato, Onion	450 calories	4.99
Chicken Strips – Cook Out Sauce, BBQ, Honey Mustard, Polynesian, Ranch, Buffalo	660 calories	4.99
Chicken Nuggets (5) – Cook Out Sauce, BBQ, Honey Mustard, Polynesian, Ranch, Buffalo	240 calories	1.99
Cajun Wrap	500 calories	1.99
Ranch Wrap	520 calories	1.99
Cajun Ranch Wrap	520 calories	1.99
Honey Mustard Wrap	510 calories	1.99

Cook Out Hot Dogs, Barbeque, Bacon, Quesadilla Menu

Hot Dog, Plain or Ketchup, Mustard	260-280 calories	1.99
Cook Out Style Hot Dog – Chili, Slaw, Mustard, Onion	390 calories	2.99
Corn Dog – Mustard, Ketchup	220 calories	1.99
BBQ Sandwich – Slaw, Texas Pete	370 calories	4.99
BBQ Plate – Slaw, Fries, Hushpuppies	980 calories	5.99
Bacon Ranch Wrap – Bacon, Cheese, Lettuce	420 calories	1.99
BLT Sandwich – Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo, Pepper	400 calories	1.99
Cheese Quesadilla	180 calories	1.99
Chicken Quesadilla	220 calories	1.99
Cheeseburger Quesadilla	260 calories	1.99

Cook Out Fries and Sides Menu

Regular Fries	350 calories	2.39
Large Fries	700 calories	2.99
Cajun Fries	350 calories	2.39
Cheese Fries	390 calories	2.89
Chili Cheese Fries	460 calories	3.55
Onion Rings – Cook Out sauce	260 calories	2.69
White Cheddar Cheese Bites	380 calories	3.39
Hushpuppies	590 calories	1.99
Walkin’ Taco** – Doritos, chili, lettuce, sour cream with jalapeno	370 calories 50 calories	3.39 .50

 

Cook Out Fancy Milk Shakes Menu

Cook Out Floats, Drinks, Dessert Menu

Coke Float	380 calories	2.39
Cheerwine Float	380 calories	2.39
Fresh Brewed Tea, Large	290 calories	2.19
Fresh Brewed Tea, Huge	390 calories	2.39
Coca-Cola Beverage, Regular	460 calories	2.19
Coca-Cola Beverage, Large	260 calories	2.39
Cheerwine, Regular	380 calories	2.19
Cheerwine, Large	590 calories	2.39
Dasani (20 oz) Bottled Water	0 calories	2.39
Fancy Milkshake (37 flavors)	510-900 calories	3.99
Cheesecake – Blueberry, Caramel, Cherry, Choc Chip, Strawberry	360 calories	2.39

Some other Cook Out insider tips are around their secret sauces! The Cook Out Sauce is likely mayo, ketchup, mustard, and cajun spices. The Cook Out quesadilla sauce is likely a combination of sour cream, mayo, jalapeno, cumin, paprika, and more. On the milkshake front, I’ve only tried a handful but for if you want to find the best milkshake flavor, this blog is nicely done! And there are three seasonal shakes: watermelon (July-August), peppermint chip (December-January), and egg nog (December). One recent specialty Cook Out item was a Walkin’ Taco (Fritos, chili, cheese, lettuce, sour cream).

Overall it’s really hard to beat the value and convenience of a Cook Out tray so if you’ve got a location nearby, rejoice! But take it easy if you want to still fit into your pants…