Cook Out
A Southern drive-thru with a tray deal, dozens of milkshake flavours and char-grilled burgers.
About Cook Out
Morris Reaves opened the first Cook Out in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989, and his son now runs the company. Most locations have no dining room at all: two drive-thru lanes and a walk-up window, a format built for speed, late nights and cars full of students.
Cook Out is famous in the South for value. The Cook Out Tray gets you a main, two sides and a drink for very little, the burgers are char-grilled, and there are more than 40 milkshake flavours to mix and match. Alongside the burgers it sells North Carolina–style pork barbecue, a reminder of where it comes from.
Around 360 locations across ten southeastern states.
Burger menu
Signature burgers first. Only burgers and sandwiches, no sides.Where to find Cook Out
300 locations on the map. Tap a pin for directions.Loading the map…
Locations as mapped by OpenStreetMap volunteers, updated October 2026. The count can trail the chain’s own figures; check the chain’s store finder before you travel. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
If you like Cook Out
Chains whose signature burgers are built the same way.- Steak 'n Shake (United States, since 1934). Steakburgers ground in front of customers, back when nobody trusted ground beef. Also built on beef and a double stack.
- Blake's Lotaburger (United States, since 1952). New Mexico’s own burger stand, where green chile is the default topping. Also built on beef and a double stack.
- Swensons (United States, since 1934). The Akron drive-in behind the Galley Boy, a double cheeseburger with two house sauces. Also built on beef and a double stack.
- Z-Burger (United States, since 2008). A Washington, D.C. burger shop with free toppings, peanut-oil fries and 75 flavours of shake. Also built on beef and a double stack.
Not affiliated with Cook Out. Trademarks and logos belong to their owners. Descriptions are my own; nutrition figures come from the chain’s published information.