Cook Out

Cookout has the best milkshakes and prices! The line usually moves pretty quickly and the staff is always friendly.

Long line moved very quick and they got our fairly complicated order correct, very seamless and nice! A very good cookout!

Great find! Best drive thru burger I’ve ever eaten. Food is inexpensive, but doesn’t taste like it. Fries were hot and fat. My kids liked the hush puppies, corn dogs, and blt. Shakes tasted real… not like chemicals. Wish they had them in Florida. Will definitely stop here again in my travels!

I don’t normally review all the fast food places I eat. I would wear my thumbs out typing.
This cook out did an above and beyond job.
Takes the order quickly and Correctly. Wow.
Fast service and did I mention the order was correct.
Yes. I’ll return and get another burger soon.

Stopped here on a road trip for some food. Quick and polite staff and the price was reasonable for a combo meal. The onion rings were awesome. The burger was pretty good too. It definitely beats McDonalds or any other fast food chain that surrounds this restaurant. If I’m ever back on the area, I’ll definitely eat here again.

For whatever reason, this didn’t post when I originally wrote it back in 2013… OMG, I’m so lucky that everything was closed a few exits back. Thought I was going to have the dreaded McD’s. but saw Cook Out and rejoiced! Little did I know that I was in for a real treat at 2am. Hush Puppies– perfectly crisp and delicious. Real Banana Shake– REAL! YUM! Footlong — delicious hot dog, though the bun seemed a bit «unsoft» to me (I ordered plain, so if it had «stuff» on it, I’m sure it would have been perfect, so I can’t deduct for that). The best part was the burger «cookout style» with chili, cheese, mustard, and cole slaw. Wow. Makes me wish that dog was dressed; Also that we had one of these in the San Francisco Bay Area. The drive-​thru service was fast, efficient and super-​friendly. Saw on the window that the health dept gave them 100%. This was my lucky night/​morning!

Food was good, but unlike other Cook-​Out locations I’ve been to, this one has zero seating. You can’t go inside and there is no outside seating. The fact that this location is right off 95 it would make since to have some kind of seating. After driving 4 hours and having no place to take a break from the car was annoying. I saw 3 families go next door to McDonalds just because they have seating and a bathroom.

A little better quality compared to typical fast food chains… although Cook Out still provides the grease and bubbly guts at no additional charge! Also, be forewarned that you will have to wait about an hour to get your milkshake to travel through the straw.

As a general rule of thumb, I won’t give anything with a drive thru window over three stars. Let’s be honest, no matter which chain you’re talking about and how delicious it may seem, if you drive up to a window and they toss you a bag of greasy food as you give them money in a shameful, sordid exchange… you’re getting the lowest of the low in terms of food. All that being said, there’s just something about Cookout.
As it’s name directly states, it’s almost as if you are cooking out at home or at the very least, grabbing a burger or hot dog from some hole in the wall dive. (Which I love those by the way.)
Whether you want to try a simple hot dog (I prefer their .99 ketchup and mustard dog to the higher priced version with cheese sauce and chili topping) or you want to play around with the different combinations of burgers (My favorite burger consists of 2 ¼ pound patties, cheese, bacon, tomato, and mayo). Not to mention if you’re going to get a combo you get 2 sides which could be anything from fries and onion rings to quesadillas and corn dogs. I’m not even going to get into discussing the milkshakes beyond stating the obvious, that they are awesome.
Everyone is different and likes different things, and Cookout seems to do a great job of catering to that with their surprisingly large menu. If you’ve never been before, this is a great location and I suggest for your first visit that you not be rushed at the drive through, take your time and really give the menu a good look. You’ll be glad you did.
–C

Before I get into my review… Some back story. I have been hearing about «Cook Out» for a while from a few people I know from NC. They ranted and raved, so naturally, when I saw one while traveling through NC I was excited.
Disclaimer: 1 I am from the north and 2 I do not eat pork.
I get to the menu and I am a bit overwhelmed to say the least. It has
a lot going on.
I see BBQ and I got all excited… then I got the news… BBQ = Pulled Pork, much to my dismay. I was all excited to have found a «Cook Out» and the only thing they have that is BBQ on the menu is pulled pork, talk about false advertising.
Once I got over the fact that there was no Brisket or even BBQ chicken I settled on a burger. I have to admit the burger was just good… After all the hype I was expecting SO much more. It seemed like it was char Grilled but that didn’t make up for the fact that there was no beef BBQ anything on the menu. I also ordered some chili cheese fries. It seemed like they might have been a little on the cold side cause they were not good at all.
My wife and one of my sons had burgers that they enjoyed, while my other son had a corn dog. My wife commented that she was also expecting more after all the hype.
All in all Cook out is just another fast food burger joint. Again with a name like cook out I was expecting real BBQ and was left so disappointed that I don’t think I will go out of my way to go back to one. I didn’t have a shake which I later found out they were known for. If and when I see another one I may stop for that only.
Writing this I am feeling that disappointed feeling all over again thinking about how that there was only pork BBQ on the menu.

Hey, ya know what? For a fast food joint this place is kind of amazing. On my never-​ending trip from Philly to NC, my husband and pilot of our trek, tends to get very cranky if he’s not regularly fed, so it was with a near meltdown on the horizon that we pulled off 95 and lucked upon this place.
The spicy chicken sandwich packed more heat, and I thought better quality meat than a Wendy’s or McD’s, although it may have been just a bit smaller.
This place was milkshake heaven though, I have never seen so many milkshake options at a normal restaurant let alone a fast food place. We tried out the cappuccino and it did not disappoint.
I also thought this place had really stand out fries. They were served piping hot (seriously, they were too hot to eat until after we had finished everything else!) The perfect amount of saltiness and a small size was plentiful for two people.
Overall this was a great experience. And to boot they were fast and cheap, I only wish they had these places up north!

Sometimes it rains, it’s below 40 degrees, or you just don’t have the money nor patience to buy charcoal or propane to fire up the grill. Alas! Cook-​Out is the remedy to cure these ills!
Even though it took me two visits to locations in North Carolina and still a goose egg in any Virginia areas I can say I was satisfied on both occasions at 2 different locations. On a recent road trip to Savannah my girl and I stopped by Cook-​Out on the way down as our first food stop. It happened on a whim as we noticed the giant billboard telling us we were within 5 minutes of the location and it was about noon, perfect timing!
There was no dine-​in area at this location nor at the other location we stopped at on the way back. However, there are 2 drive thru lines (one on each side) to make traffic go through smoothly and is it ever necessary. When we got there both lines were about 4 cars deep. We were anxious to order the hyped «Cook Out Tray» which is your choice of 8 different sandwich choices from chicken to burgers to even a barbecue sandwich then your choice of 2 sides. This is where the options get a little ridiculous and by ridiculous I mean that in the best fat kid way possible. The standard fare of French Fries, Onion Rings, and Hush Puppies are on the menu, but so are Chicken Nuggets (3), a Corn Dog, Chili, or even a Bacon Wrap (Bacon with lettuce and cheese wrapped in a tortilla). The Tray (combo) rounds out with your choice of a drink, Cheerwine or Coke Float or for just $ 1 more your choice of any one of 50 milkshake flavors. They have all the typical candy mix-​in flavors you would find in a Dairy Queen Blizzard along with Fruit Cobbler options and even Hi-​C or Orange Push Up flavors.
All of this for $ 4.99 and that’s if you get a milkshake, which isn’t really a choice you should think about in comparison to other fast food restaurants where you would pay much more in total.
So you’ve read about the value and are probably wondering about the taste. The first go around I had the Big Double Burger (think of it as the amount of meat you would find in a BK Double) with lettuce, tomato, and onion. She had the Regular Burger which had the same amount of meat just in the form of one patty. We both had a side of chicken nuggets and fries and a milkshake.
The burger did have that «Cook-​Out» flavor that they tout about. It tasted like it was fresh off a backyard grill with a certain smoky flavor to it. The chicken nuggets to quote former NFL Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green… «THEY ARE WHAT (WHO) WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!» 3 Chicken Nuggets which tasted like a brand with the same name as that legendary boxing ear biter. The fries reminded me of Boardwalk Fries in the way they were cut and were piping hot and delicious. We ordered ranch dressing for our nuggets and they hit the spot. The milkshakes were very thick and lasted damn near an hour that’s how thick. I had a Snickers milkshake while she had the Orange Push Up. I liked both but the Orange Push Up was my favorite. The flavor brought me back to the days when I would run down the ice cream man to get that Flintstones Push Up Pop! Yeah it’s that close to it.
On the way back from our vacation I had the Cajun Chicken Sandwich and Corn Dog for a side and both did not disappoint in flavor. And the Corn Dog was the size of your regular corn dog and the batter was just the right thickness not overpowering the taste of the hot dog.
Cook-​Out definitely packs the flavor and value you’re looking for in a fast food meal. If you’re willing to stop by and try a «Tray» be sure to have your smartphone in hand to surf the web or have text conversation with a friend, but don’t post on Facebook «This line is ridiculous!» because more than likely you’ll be posting «It was worth the wait!» soon there after.

First time I’ve ever eaten here! It was great!!! Perfect cheeseburger & fries, great cheesecake… U will be seeing me again, great job!

good southern fast food bbq!

I stopped by here in order to avoid eating at one of those dreaded chain restaurants only to later find out that Cook Out is indeed a chain. However, I am glad that I did because I found it exceptionally good. They advertise their burgers as having a «cooked outdoor» flavor and they are noted in Unilocal for hot dogs, but their menu is extensive.
It’s nothing but a drive through take out place, so don’t get your heart set upon being seated or having waiter service. As I mentioned the menu is rather extensive, really too much to read when in your car with others behind you and with whomever is on one of those silly speakers asking you what you want. Ugh! I hate that, but I was surprised by some of the food. Yes, the fries were soggy and yucky, and they didn’t include any condiments… guess things like ketchup only come by special request… but I opted for the BBQ Plate. The shredded (though they like to say «pulled») Carolina style pork was delicious. It a near perfect flavor and the hush puppies were down right delightful, some of the best I’ve ever had.

After fighting with a broken Dell computer for a few weeks, I have a very good reason to start writing again… A Great meal in the middle of North Carolina. Another week another business trip through the I-​95 corridor brought me to Selma. The options on Unilocal were not that promising with a Burger King and a Shoney’s but as I left the gas station parking lot I saw it… a line of about 20 people waiting for food in a dual drive through building with a fifty foot high sign that simply read … Cook Out.
«The Good»
— I went for the BBQ Platter. There was chopped BBQ with a little bit of hot sauce dabbed on top, some Hush puppies, Cole Slaw and fries. The drink??? Cheerwine of course, a benefit of the South. (Elliptical here I come)
— They have Cheerwine for a drink…
— The above meal was very filling, fresh and outstanding, and the cost… Five dollars and change.
— I returned later for a milkshake but did control myself from getting more hush puppies.
— The milkshake was one of the best I have had, either that or it was one of those moments when the hot night was met by something that was just very good. Either way, I was a happy camper.
— They have a walk up window but the two lanes for the drive through are the way to go to avoid getting run over.
«The Meh»
— The menu looked huge but there was no time to look at it with the line of pick up trucks behind me and the young lady on the speaker asking if she could help me.
— The speaker was blown out already which lead to the young lady and I asking each other to repeat ourselves.
— You may not be able to see the sign if you are up close. Seriously the sign is fifty feet tall, so across the street, you will have problems finding the joint… from space, not so much.
«The Bad»
— Nothing, try this place when you see one… Do not be scared do not go to a name you are familiar with, try something new.