Cookout Menu 2026 with Prices: Tray Guide, 40+ Milkshakes & Every Item

How Much Is a Cook Out Tray in 2026?

The Cook Out Tray costs $6.29–$7.69 depending on location, with $7.39 being the most common price at most 2026 boards. That includes your main item, two sides, hushpuppies, and a large drink. Swap the drink for a milkshake for +$1.60 more.

Verified from in-store menu boards, May 2026. Cook Out does not publish prices on cookout.com.

Regular Tray — All Entrée Options with Calories

Verified: cookout.com official nutrition PDF, 2026.

Tray Side Options — Choose Any 2

You can double up on the same side. Exception: for loose items like nuggets, onion rings, and cheese bites, doubling doesn't always give you double the quantity. Smarter to use your second pick on a quesadilla, wrap, or corn dog.

Fries • Cajun Fries • Cheese Fries • Chili Fries • Onion Rings • Hushpuppies • Chicken Nuggets • Corn Dog • Bacon Wrap • Chicken Wrap • Quesadilla (Chicken or Beef) • Slaw • White Cheddar Cheese Bites • Walkin' Taco (select locations)

Cook Out Milkshakes 2026 — Sizes, Prices & All 40+ Flavors

Cook Out milkshakes come in Regular and Large sizes. The Regular is approximately 32–35 oz depending on flavor density — significantly larger than what most chains call a "large." These are genuinely thick. A spoon works better than a straw for the first few minutes.

Can you blend milkshake flavors? Yes — most locations will blend two or even three flavors into one shake. Keep it to three flavors maximum.

Best Blend Combos Regulars Swear By

• Peanut Butter + Banana — tastes like a candy bar; most-reordered blend
• Oreo + Mint Chocolate Chip — cool and balanced
• Blueberry Cheesecake + Oreo — cult favorite; ask staff to blend both
• Chocolate + Peanut Butter Fudge + Reese's Cup — three-flavor build

Regular Milkshakes — Official Calories (PDF-Verified)

Fancy Milkshakes — Official Calories (PDF-Verified)

All 40+ Milkshake Flavors

Vanilla • Hershey's Chocolate • Strawberry • Fresh Banana • Banana Berry • Banana Nut • Banana Fudge • Banana Pineapple • Banana Pudding • Blueberry • Red Cherry • Chocolate Cherry • Fresh Peanut Butter • Peanut Butter Banana • Cappuccino • Caramel • Caramel Fudge • Pineapple • Snickers® • Oreo® • M&M® • Oreo® Mint • Peach • Peach Cobbler • Peanut Butter Fudge • Walnut • Reese's® Cup • Mocha • Mint • Fudge • Double Chocolate • Chocolate Chip • Chocolate Chip Mint • Chocolate Nut • Chocolate Malt • Heath® Toffee • Orange Push-Up • Hi-C Punch® • Philadelphia® Cheesecake • Nilla® Wafers • Cherry Cheesecake • Malted Milk • Fresh Watermelon (Jul–Aug) • Pumpkin Pie (Fall, select)

Seasonal Milkshakes

• Fresh Watermelon — July and August only. One of the most-anticipated items on the summer menu.
• Pumpkin Pie — Fall season, typically October–November, select locations. Call ahead.
• Fresh Eggnog — December only. One of the most talked-about seasonal items.

Cook Out Sauces 2026 — Every Sauce Explained

Cook Out's sauces are one of the most searched topics about the chain — and one of the least-covered on most menu sites. Here's the complete breakdown.

Cook Out Sauce is the chain's signature condiment — a proprietary sweet-tangy blend with slight smokiness. Similar to a Thousand Island-BBQ hybrid but distinct from both. Ask for extra packets before you pull away from the window.

The Honey Mustard "From the Back" Tip: Ask for "honey mustard from the back" when ordering chicken strips or wraps. This refers to the thicker, richer version kept in the kitchen — not the pre-packaged packets. Most locations will immediately understand. The kitchen version is significantly better for dipping.

Cook Out Burgers 2026 — Sizes, Styles & Calories

The burgers are char-grilled fresh per order. Never frozen, never sitting in a steam tray.

Big Double vs. Huge: The Big Double has two smaller patties stacked. The Huge is one full half-pound single patty. Go Huge for more char flavor and a thicker bite. Go Big Double for more beef surface area and a classic double feel.

All Burger Styles — What Each Gets You

Cook Out Chicken 2026 — Breast, Strips & Wraps

Crispy Chicken Wraps — All Flavors & Calories

Chicken Strips — High-Protein Pick

Cook Out BBQ 2026 — The Chopped Pork Worth Ordering

The BBQ Sandwich is chopped pulled pork in an Eastern North Carolina vinegar-based sauce with coleslaw on top. Order it "all the way" — that means hot sauce and slaw both included. Every staff member understands this.

Cook Out Hot Dogs 2026 — All Styles & Calories

Hot dogs get overlooked. Mistake. They're char-grilled, not boiled, and some of the best value items on the whole menu.

Cook Out Sides 2026 — Complete Guide with Calories

Cajun Fries are the most recommended side by regulars. Hushpuppies come free with every full tray. White Cheddar Cheese Bites run ~299 cal — pair them with Polynesian Sauce for one of the best combinations on the menu.

Does Cook Out Use Peanut Oil?

This covers: french fries, onion rings, hushpuppies, chicken strips, corn dogs, white cheddar cheese bites, and chicken nuggets. If you have a peanut allergy, avoid every fried item on the menu and confirm with your local location before ordering.

Non-fried items that avoid peanut oil: char-grilled burgers, char-grilled chicken breast, BBQ sandwich, hot dogs (char-grilled), milkshakes, drinks, cheesecake, slaw.

Cook Out Nutrition 2026 — Straight Facts

Lowest Calorie Options

• Onion Rings (side): 128 cal
• Chicken Nuggets (side, 5 pc): 144 cal
• Corn Dog: 220 cal
• Small Burger: 245 cal
• Plain Hot Dog: 260 cal
• BBQ Sandwich: 368 cal
• Char-Grilled Chicken (Original): 377 cal

Pair any of these with onion rings (128 cal) as a side and you can keep a full tray meal under 700 calories.

Best High-Protein Orders

Sodium Warning ⚠

• Chicken Strip Club: 2,539mg (110% DV)
• BBQ Plate: 2,445mg (106% DV)
• Chicken Strips (3 pc): 2,130mg (93% DV)
• Chicken Strip Sandwich: 1,804mg (78% DV)
• Spicy Chicken Breast: 1,158mg (50% DV)

Cook Out Hours 2026 — Late Night & Holiday Schedule

Most locations open at 10:30 AM. The dining room closes before the drive-thru at most locations — always use the drive-thru after midnight.

Holiday Hours

Cook Out Secret Menu 2026 — The Honest Version

There is no printed secret menu. The kitchen is flexible and regulars have figured out custom builds using standard ingredients. Describe what you want by ingredient — the kitchen works from ingredients, not item names.

• Peanut Butter Bacon Burger — Ask for peanut butter spread and bacon on any burger. Sweet and salty.
• Quesadilla Burger — Burger patty inside a quesadilla instead of a bun. Adds crunch and cheese.
• Bacon and Grilled Onion Fries — Fries with bacon, grilled onions, and cheese sauce. Describe it clearly.
• Firecracker Hot Dog — Chili, jalapeños, mustard, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning.
• Multi-Flavor Shake Blends — Two or three flavors blended together. Max three.
• Honey Mustard From the Back — Ask specifically; get the thicker kitchen version, not the packets.

Cook Out Locations 2026 — 352 Across 11 States

Cook Out now operates 352 locations across 11 states as of late 2025. North Carolina leads with 139 locations — 39.5% of all Cook Out restaurants.

Active states: North Carolina • South Carolina • Virginia • Georgia • Tennessee • Kentucky • West Virginia • Maryland • Mississippi • Alabama • Florida (new 2025)

Company-owned, not franchised. That's why prices are consistent across locations.

Value Comparison — Cook Out Tray vs. Competitors 2026

Cook Out wins by $2–$5 on every comparison — and gives you more items.

Cook Out History — Founded 1989, Greensboro NC

Cook Out opened its first location in 1989 in Greensboro, North Carolina, founded by Reese Fleming. It built its name on three things: char-grilled burgers cooked fresh to order, a tray system that gives you more food for less money than anywhere else in fast food, and a milkshake program with 40+ flavors no other chain comes close to matching.

It remains company-owned rather than franchised — 352 locations, 35+ years, no franchise model. Expansion has been slow, deliberate, and focused on consistency.

How to Order at Cook Out — First-Timer's Complete Guide

Pick your main. Pick two sides. Pick a drink or upgrade to a milkshake for +$1.60. Name the burger style or describe toppings. Free toppings are free. That's the whole system.

Best Value Combos Under $9 in 2026

• Cook Out Style Burger Tray + Cajun Fries + Hushpuppies + Milkshake: ~$8.99
• BBQ Sandwich Tray + Chicken Nuggets + Onion Rings + Large Drink: ~$7.39
• Chicken Strip Tray + Cheese Bites + Cajun Fries: ~$7.99
• Two Jr. Trays for two people: ~$12–$13 combined

Budget Picks Under $3

• Plain Hot Dog: ~$1.99
• Hushpuppies (side): ~$1.49
• Onion Rings (side): ~$1.79
• Corn Dog: ~$1.49

Payment: Most locations accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit/debit cards, and cash. Cook Out has no app. Delivery via DoorDash or Uber Eats at select locations.