11 Tasty Cook Out Menu Items

When it comes to the value of fast food, one of the best restaurants you can visit for quality food at a low cost is Cook Out. 

Cook Out is a little-known fast food chain that was started in Greensboro, North Carolina, and has been slowly growing throughout various regions of the Southeast.

After 2009, Cook Out finally started to grow into other states outside its home state of North Carolina.

People finally seemed to realize how good this take-out chain was, and today you can find lines of cars going around Cook Out locations, with everyone trying to claim a spot in the drive-through.

At Cook Out, not only do you get what you pay for, but you also receive great cuisine that will make you want to come back again and again.

This applies to everything from the Cook Out platters to the world-famous Fancy Milkshakes.

But which products on the Cook Out menu are the very best?

As this fast food chain is so little known in most of the USA, you may not even know what they have to offer.

That is why we have made this list of the top 11 tasty Cook Out menu items for you to try the next time you pay a visit to the South East (see also ‘18 Awesome Red Robin Menu Items To Try On Your Next Visit‘). 

With an extensive menu there is a lot to get through, so let’s take a look at the best Cook Out foods to try!

1. Chopped Pork BBQ

Can you think of anything more Southern than chopped pork?

It would be unthinkable for a restaurant to be located in the South and not have pig barbecue as one of their options on the menu.

Cook Out easily understood how popular one of these products would be, and so they developed their own chopped pork barbecue.

Given Cook Out’s North Carolina heritage, the company opted for a vinegar-based barbecue sauce in the eastern North Carolina style for this recipe.

The pork barbecue is simple to recommend because customers have the choice of ordering it as simply a sandwich or as a whole plate with coleslaw, fries, and hushpuppies. 

If you’re someone who wants something different from the typical take-out hamburger, this is the meal for you. 

2. Homemade Char-Grilled Hamburgers

Hamburgers are a fast food staple, with almost every place having at least one option on the menu. 

Cook Out is renowned for its unique hamburger preparations, which may be enjoyed in one of four distinct ways, each with its own signature toppings such as cheese, chili, barbecue sauce, or A.1. Sauce.

The hamburgers at Cook Out are both juicy and crunchy.

Additionally, the burgers are freshly made, which means that you will not be served frozen meat that has been thrown on a griddle.

You can be sure that the burger you get at Cook Out is delicious since it is cooked on the restaurant’s char-grill fresh. 

3. Quesadillas

Because we’re singling out the quesadillas from Cook Out, then you can bet that they are really tasty!

Although it may be the most basic dish on the menu, consisting of a flour tortilla and a generous serving of cheese, there are times when simplicity is precisely what you are looking for.

The cheese has the ideal consistency of being both gooey and full, and as a result, it will fill you up in a way that nothing else has.

In addition to that, the price of this dish is excellent. It is a wonderful choice for a child who is hungry but does not quite want the whole fast food experience just yet, as well as for a quick snack.

4. Fancy Milkshakes

Imagine that Willy Wonka abandoned the entire candy business and instead focused on making milkshakes.

That would result in the sweet and irresistible Fancy Milkshakes from Cook Out. 

The Cook Out milkshake is packed with more than 40 one-of-a-kind flavor combinations and is going to be the item that finally makes your trip to the drive-through worthwhile.

Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry are the three flavors that are always available to choose from.

You might even try one of the recipes including peanut butter, or even eggnog if you’re in the festive mood during December.

However, make sure you bring plenty of patience.

When you initially get this, it will be like attempting to sip concrete through a straw if you make the mistake of trying to drink this straight away.

Let it melt a little bit!

After that, it will be the best milkshake that you’ve ever had. 

5. Char-Grilled Hot Dogs

Another customer favorite at the quick-service restaurant Cook Out, the char-grilled hot dogs are sell-out products.

You can get away with a simple hot dog over here.

You might also choose to indulge in a bit of insanity and go for the Cook Out Style Hot Dog.

We would recommend this meal to you if you enjoy eating a hot dog that is piled high with toppings such as chili, coleslaw, mustard, and onions.

There’re a variety of toppings that may be added to your hot dog, including the possibilities listed above and much more.

6. Cook Out Trays

When it comes to the many alternatives for meals offered by fast food restaurants, the Cook Out tray provides the most value for the money.

It is tough to dispute this statement, given it is made by the restaurant Cook Out, which describes it as the “best combo in town.”

A quesadilla, two sides, and a drink can be added to your order of a burger,  a chicken sandwich, two hot dogs, chicken strips, a barbecue sandwich, or even a quesadilla for a low price.

These items can be ordered in addition to a drink and two sides.

In this particular instance, the sides are the dominant point of concentration.

You will receive a side of french fries with your order, as is customary at fast food restaurants; but, in addition to that, you have the choice of ordering a corn dog, some chicken nuggets, onion rings, hushpuppies, a BBQ sandwich, cheese bits, wraps, a quesadilla, slaw, or chili.

Even though you are going to start this dinner with a burger, the sides are where all of the attention should really be focused because that is where the actual star power is.

Because there is an endless number of different ways that this food item may be cooked, it is really one of a kind and a treasure trove of potential uses.

The greatest thing is that you may double up on sides rather than having two distinct kinds of sides, so if onion rings are your very favorite side dish, feel free to order as many of them as your heart desires!

Invest in this dish and set the table for an excellent meal at either lunch or dinner.

7. Crispy Spicy Chicken Breast Fillet

2019-2020 really changed the food game thanks to the Spicy Chicken Sandwich competition, which was created by fast food companies.

This provides a whole new market that may be pursued as a source of revenue by businesses that specialize in providing food that is prepared quickly, such as fast service restaurants.

Every fast food restaurant in the world, from McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A to Burger King and Popeye’s (see also ‘17 Best Things To Order At A Popeye’s‘), was engaged in a cutthroat race to discover who could provide their customers with the tastiest Spicy Chicken Sandwich.

Cook Out, being a natural competitor, naturally entered the fray with its own unique spin on the game.

You are receiving precisely what you want from a chicken sandwich since it consists of a slice of fresh tomato in addition to a piece of lettuce, and this is included in the sandwich.

Put the finishing touch on the sandwich by combining this dish with some of the Cook Out sauce and serving it on the side.

8. Homemade Style Chicken Strips

If you have children who are captivated with chicken strips or chicken nuggets, you may discover that your supper at Cook Out consists of a basic pantry item.

This is especially true if you go to Cook Out with other people who also have children who will only eat chicken (we know children can be fussy). 

To the credit of the restaurant, both of these choices are available, but for this discussion, we will focus on the chicken strips.

At Cook Out, you have the option of eating your strips alone or on a sandwich, both of which can be cooked in two different ways, depending on your preference.

In addition to this, if you are interested in dipping your food (and let’s face it, who isn’t?) you have the choice of selecting one of six other sauces in addition to the traditional ketchup and mustard offerings.

The breading will be the crispiest you’ve ever had in your whole life, and the portion sizes will be exactly right so that when you leave the restaurant, you’ll feel fuller than you ever have before in your life.

9. Char-Grilled Chicken Breast

Because Cook Out has such a comprehensive menu, it is easy to feel overpowered by the many different kinds of burgers that they provide when you visit the restaurant.

When you’re in the mood for something more straightforward, nothing beats the luscious and flavorful flavor of a chicken breast.

As a result of this, char-grilled chicken breast is an option that may be chosen from the menu.

Cook Out offers its customers a selection of six different ways to prepare chicken, and the restaurant has perfected the most efficient way to consume a chicken breast without needing customers to stand in line through the drive-through of that other, more well-known fast-food chicken restaurants.

10. Wraps

People who are trying to lower the number of carbs they consume in their diet have swiftly made wraps the go-to choice at fast food restaurants as an option to satisfy their hunger.

If you want to produce a more functional form, rather than utilizing a bun or bread to contain all of your meats and veggies, you might build a wrap out of a flour tortilla instead.

The good news is that in this regard, Cook Out has you covered, providing you with not one, not two, but four distinct options from which to choose in order to satiate your demands for wraps.

One of these choices is a fantastic chicken wrap made with honey mustard, and it is deserving of the spotlight in this context.

11. Floats & Cheesecakes

When you think about a quick-service restaurant, the image of an ice cream float could pop into your head immediately.

However, would you want a slice of cheesecake?

You probably wouldn’t think about it right away; in fact, it probably wouldn’t even occur to you until the 100th or so time.

Nevertheless, Cook Out turns up the heat with their piece of cheesecake made in the New York way.

This is an easy recommendation to make because of the wonderful crust and hearty filling.

Even the ice cream float is an impressive thing to purchase.

You will feel as though you have passed away and been resurrected into heaven if you opt for the style offered in pharmacy stores, which features soft-serve vanilla ice cream.

We can’t recommend this enough, you have to give the Cheerwine float a try.

The North Carolina cherry soda is only available on tap at a select few quick-service restaurants, and Cook Out is one of those businesses, so get it while you can!

Frequently Asked Questions 

What Is In Cook Out Sauce?

The restaurant Cook Out offers a one-of-a-kind sauce that is known simply as “Cook Out Sauce.”

This sauce is a mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and cajun seasoning, and it shares the same name as the restaurant itself.

What Ingredients Are In The Cook Out Special Sauce?

There are many different ingredients in the Cook Out special sauce.

These are soybean oil, sugar, egg yolk, modified food starch, onion powder, oleoresin paprika, natural flavor, tomato puree, distilled white vinegar, salt, modified food starch, onion powder, garlic powder, oleoresin turmeric, and potassium sorbate.

What Sauces Do Cook Out Sell?

Cook Out includes many sauces in its line up, including fast food staples like BBQ, mayo, ketchup, mustard, and honey mustard. 

They also offer other less seen options like buffalo, ranch, Polynesian, and of course Cook Out’s very own Special Sauce. 

What Is A Cook Out Style?

Cooking meals outside is what is meant when Southerners talk about having a “cookout,” which is a regional word. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and a variety of other uncomplicated foods will be served at the barbeque that is being planned. 

The process of rapidly cooking food over a source of direct heating, such as a gas grill, is referred to as a “cookout,” and is commonly done at outdoor gatherings.

How Does Cook Out Cook Their Burgers?

Cook Out cooks all of the burgers and a portion of the chicken on the actual grill. 

In the world of fast service restaurants, the concept of offering fresh food rather than frozen food has become increasingly commonplace.

However, one company is so dedicated to providing fresh meat that it gets its supplies first thing in the morning every day.

This ensures that the meat they offer is never more than a day or two old at the very most.

What Does Double Up Mean?

You have the choice of choosing two different sides, or if there is one that you truly appreciate, you may “double up” and have two servings of that side instead of choosing two different sides. 

Quesadillas, french fries (cooked in either the standard or Cajun style), bacon wraps, corn dogs, chicken wraps, hushpuppies, onion rings, and other possibilities are some of the available choices for sides.