The full Cook Out menu with current prices and calories. How the Cook Out Tray works, burgers, char grilled chicken, barbecue, hot dogs, quesadillas, wraps, every tray side, all 40 plus milkshake flavors, drinks and late night hours. Checked on 10 September 2026.
Cook Out is built around one idea and everything else follows from it. You order a Tray, which is a main, two sides and a drink for a single price, and the sides list is long enough that people who have eaten here for years still have not tried all of it. A corn dog counts as a side. So does a quesadilla, a chicken wrap and a cup of chili.
Prices below are in store figures checked across several states in September 2026. Cook Out is entirely company owned with no franchises, so the spread between locations is narrow, though prices have moved up across the chain over the last two years. Delivery apps add roughly 30 percent where the service exists at all, since plenty of Cook Out locations do not offer it.
The Tray is the whole menu in one line. Pick a main, pick two sides, pick a drink. The two sides can be different or you can double up on the same one, and every side listed further down this page is available in the tray at no extra cost.
| Tray | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Tray | $6.49 to $8.49 | Smaller main, two sides and a drink |
| Two Hot Dogs Tray | $7.49 | Two hot dogs, two sides and a drink |
| Two Quesadillas Tray | $7.49 | Two quesadillas, two sides and a drink |
| Big Double Burger Tray | $7.99 | Double patty burger, two sides and a drink |
| Three Chicken Strips Tray | $8.49 | Three strips with sauce, two sides and a drink |
| Char Grilled Chicken Tray | $8.49 | Grilled breast sandwich, two sides and a drink |
| Barbecue Tray | $8.49 | Chopped barbecue, two sides and a drink |
| Huge Burger Tray | $9.49 | The largest burger, two sides and a drink |
| Milkshake upgrade | Plus $1.00 | Swaps the drink for a regular milkshake |
| Fancy milkshake upgrade | Plus $1.60 | Swaps the drink for a fancy flavor shake |
Burgers are charcoal grilled rather than flat topped, which is where the smoke comes from and why they taste different from every other drive thru burger. The size sets the price and the style is free, so a Cheddar Style Big Double costs the same as a plain one.
| Burger | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Small Burger | $3.29 | 250 |
| Regular Burger | $4.19 | 320 |
| Big Double Burger | $4.49 | 520 |
| Huge Burger | $5.79 | 580 |
| Burger Style | Upcharge | What is on it |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Style | None | Ketchup and mustard only |
| Cook Out Style | None | Chili, slaw, mustard and onion |
| Cheddar Style | None | Cheddar cheese and bacon |
| Out West Style | None | Barbecue sauce, cheese and onion rings |
| Steak Style | None | Steak sauce, lettuce, tomato and mayo |
| House Style | None | Cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and pickle |
| Nacho Chili Style | None | Chili and nacho cheese |
The char grilled breast is the item that separates Cook Out from the burger chains. It is a whole marinated breast cooked over the same charcoal as the burgers, not a breaded patty, and at around 330 calories it is one of the lightest hot sandwiches in fast food.
| Chicken Item | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Three Chicken Strips | $4.29 | 660 |
| Char Grilled Chicken Sandwich | $4.99 | 330 |
| Cajun Chicken Sandwich | $4.99 | 380 |
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich | $4.99 | 450 |
| Cheese Spicy Chicken Sandwich | $5.49 | 640 |
| Chicken Club | $5.99 | 620 |
The barbecue is chopped pork in the North Carolina style, vinegar based rather than sweet, and it is the item that reminds you this chain started in Greensboro. The plate comes with hushpuppies and slaw.
| Barbecue | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Barbecue Sandwich | $4.99 | 370 |
| Barbecue Plate | $6.99 | 980 |
| Barbecue Tray | $8.49 | Varies with sides |
Hot dogs are the cheapest hot food here and the two hot dog tray is the cheapest full meal on the board. They also work as tray sides, which is where the corn dog earns its place.
| Hot Dog | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Dog | $1.99 | 260 |
| Corn Dog | $1.99 | 250 |
| Cheese Dog | $2.29 | 300 |
| Mexi Dog | $2.49 | 380 |
| Bacon Cheddar Dog | $2.79 | 520 |
Both of these sit in an odd place on the menu. They are sold as items in their own right, they can be a tray main in pairs, and they also count as a single tray side. That last option is the one worth remembering.
| Quesadilla or Wrap | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese Quesadilla | $2.29 | 180 |
| Chicken Quesadilla | $2.49 | 220 |
| Cheeseburger Quesadilla | $2.49 | 260 |
| Bacon Ranch Wrap | $2.49 | 420 |
| Cajun Wrap | $2.49 | 500 |
| Honey Mustard Wrap | $2.49 | 510 |
| Ranch Wrap | $2.49 | 520 |
| Cajun Ranch Wrap | $2.49 | 520 |
Every one of these counts as a side in a tray, and you get two. Bought on their own they run about $2.49 each, which is why the tray is such good value once you use the list properly.
| Side | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coleslaw | 130 | Vinegar based, Carolina style |
| Cheese Quesadilla | 180 | Counts as one side |
| Chili | 190 | Cup, comes with crackers |
| Corn Dog | 250 | Counts as one side |
| Hushpuppies | 280 | The Southern side, sweet cornmeal |
| Chicken Nuggets | 290 | Comes with a sauce |
| French Fries | 350 | The default choice |
| White Cheddar Cheese Bites | 350 | Fried cheese, comes with ranch |
| Cajun Fries | 380 | Same fries, seasoned |
| Onion Rings | 400 | Hand battered |
| Bacon Wrap | 420 | Counts as one side |
| Chicken Wrap | 500 | Counts as one side, the biggest side option |
The milkshakes are why a lot of people drive past three other places to get here. They are hand spun with real ice cream in a 32 ounce cup, they are thick enough that the straw is optional, and the flavor board runs past forty.
| Milkshake | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Regular flavor | $3.99 | 510 to 720 |
| Fancy flavor | $4.59 | 640 to 900 |
| In a tray, regular flavor | Plus $1.00 | Replaces the drink |
| In a tray, fancy flavor | Plus $1.60 | Replaces the drink |
The board changes and not every flavor is stocked at every location on every day, especially the fresh fruit ones. Ask if you do not see yours listed, because plenty of flavors live behind the counter rather than on the board.
| Category | Price | Flavors |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | $3.99 | Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Cherry, Peach, Pineapple, Blueberry, Coffee, Mocha, Caramel, Butter Pecan, Chocolate Malt, Vanilla Malt |
| Fresh fruit | $3.99 | Fresh Banana, Fresh Strawberry, Fresh Peach, Fresh Cantaloupe, Fresh Watermelon |
| Candy and cookie | $4.59 | Oreo Cookies and Cream, Reese’s Cup, Snickers, Butterfinger, M and M, Heath Bar, Peanut Butter Fudge, Brownie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Mint Chocolate Chip, Walnut |
| Dessert | $4.59 | Banana Pudding, Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Red Velvet, Cappuccino |
| Seasonal | $4.59 | Peach Cobbler, Cherry Cobbler, Apple Pie, Sweet Potato Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Fresh Eggnog, Peppermint |
The seasonal flavors are genuinely seasonal. Fresh Watermelon and Fresh Cantaloupe run through the summer, Peach Cobbler follows the peach season, and Fresh Eggnog and Peppermint appear from late November. Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Potato Pie run through the autumn.
Cook Out pours Coca-Cola products plus Cheerwine, the cherry soda made in Salisbury, North Carolina, which is not something you find at a national chain. Sweet tea is brewed in the restaurant.
| Drink or Dessert | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Bottled Water | $1.99 | 0 |
| Regular Drink | $2.19 | 0 to 250 |
| Sweet Tea Regular | $2.19 | 180 |
| Cheerwine | $2.19 | 240 |
| Large Drink | $2.49 | 0 to 340 |
| Float | $2.99 | 420 to 480 |
| Cheesecake slice | $2.99 | 380 |
The late hours are a large part of why the chain has the following it does. Cook Out is open well past the point where almost everything else in a Southern town has closed.
| Day | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday to Thursday | 10:30am | 3:30am | Drive thru and walk up window |
| Friday | 10:30am | 4:30am | Longest queues after midnight |
| Saturday | 10:30am | 4:30am | Busiest night of the week |
Hours vary by location and a few restaurants close earlier, particularly newer ones and those near residential streets. There is no breakfast menu, so nothing opens before 10:30am. Most Cook Out buildings are small with a drive thru and a walk up window and limited or no indoor seating, which is worth knowing before you plan to eat in.
Cook Out is a Southeastern chain, not a national one, which is why searches for it spike in states that do not have it. It started in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1989 and it is still privately held with no franchises anywhere.
There are more than 350 restaurants across eleven states. The core is North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia, with restaurants also in West Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Maryland and Florida. There are no Cook Out locations in the Northeast, the Midwest, Texas or anywhere on the West Coast, and because the company does not franchise, expansion moves slowly and stays close to the existing map.
Always order the Tray. A Big Double Burger Tray at $7.99 gives you the burger, two sides and a drink. Buying the same burger at $4.49, two sides at $2.49 each and a drink at $2.19 comes to $11.66. The tray saves you nearly four dollars on identical food.
Use the side list properly. A chicken wrap and a quesadilla as your two sides turn one tray into three hot items. Take the milkshake as the tray upgrade rather than buying it separately, because $1.00 against $3.99 is the single largest percentage saving anywhere on this menu. And if you want a soda as well as the shake, add the drink on its own rather than ordering the shake outside the tray.
Calorie figures on this page are approximate. Cook Out publishes less detailed nutrition information than the national chains and much of what circulates online is estimated from ingredients rather than lab tested, so treat the numbers as a guide to the shape of the menu rather than exact counts.
What is clear is where the light and heavy ends sit. The char grilled chicken sandwich at around 330 calories is one of the leanest hot sandwiches you can buy at a drive thru, and paired with coleslaw and a cup of chili it makes a full tray under 700. The milkshakes are the other end entirely, since a 32 ounce fancy shake can run past 800 calories on its own, more than the burger it came with. A shake is a meal here, not a drink.
A Tray is a main, two sides and a drink for one price, running $7.49 to $9.99 depending on the main. A Junior Tray with a smaller main is $6.49 to $8.49. Every side on the menu is available in a tray at no extra cost, including corn dogs, quesadillas, wraps and chili.
Most locations close at 3:30am Sunday through Thursday and 4:30am on Friday and Saturday, opening at 10:30am daily. Hours vary by restaurant and a few close earlier, particularly newer locations and those near residential streets. There is no breakfast, so nothing opens before 10:30am.
More than forty across classic, fresh fruit, candy and cookie, dessert and seasonal categories. Regular flavors are $3.99 and fancy flavors are $4.59, all served in a 32 ounce cup. Not every flavor is stocked at every location every day, so ask if you do not see yours on the board.
About $1.00 for a regular flavor and $1.60 for a fancy one, because the shake replaces the drink already included in the tray. Buying the same shake on its own costs $3.99, so taking it as a tray upgrade is the cheapest way to get one by a wide margin.
Eleven states in the Southeast, with more than 350 restaurants. The core markets are North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia, plus West Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Maryland and Florida. There are none in the Northeast, the Midwest, Texas or on the West Coast.
More than most people realise. Alongside fries, Cajun fries, hushpuppies, onion rings, chicken nuggets, white cheddar cheese bites, chili and coleslaw, a corn dog, a quesadilla, a chicken wrap and a bacon wrap all count as a single side. You get two in every tray.
No. There is no breakfast menu at any Cook Out location and restaurants do not open until 10:30am. The full menu runs from opening until close in the early hours.
No. Cook Out is privately held and every restaurant is company owned, which is unusual at this size. That is part of why prices are consistent between locations and why expansion has stayed close to the existing Southeastern map rather than jumping to new regions.
The char grilled chicken sandwich at around 330 calories, since it is a whole marinated breast cooked over charcoal rather than a breaded patty. Paired with coleslaw at 130 and a cup of chili at 190, a full tray comes in under 700 calories before the drink.
Less of it than the national chains, and much of what circulates online is estimated from ingredients rather than lab tested. The figures on this page are approximate and should be treated as a guide to the shape of the menu rather than exact counts. If you need precise numbers, ask at the restaurant.
Price disclaimer. USA Food Menu is an independent reference site and is not affiliated with Cook Out. Prices on this page were checked on 10 September 2026 across several states and reflect in store ordering, not delivery app pricing. Calorie figures are approximate, because Cook Out publishes less detailed nutrition data than the national chains and much of what circulates is estimated from ingredients. Milkshake flavors rotate and seasonal ones come and go, so confirm with your local restaurant before ordering.