Cookout

Good place for an inexpensive burgers. Good food but nothing spectacular!

Since then I’ve given it a few more attempts. I can say that I like it a lot now.
My first visit was pretty bad. Dry tasteless burger with what I thought was strange sides.
The thing you have to expect is to make your own meal from small mixed up sides that would not be «traditionally» served in the same meal. But it is good and a good value.
I get the Steak style burger with Chicken Quesadilla and usually a chili or a hot dog. Now that’s a mixed up meal!

What a shit fest. I order BBQ chicken, onion rings, slaw and a drink. Twenty fucking orders go out before me and they tell me that they forgot my order. I tell them that my friends had already ate and asked for my money back aside from my drink. They refuse and give me half a piece of chicken on a sandwich, 2 poorly cooked onion rings and sour slaw. I wish I had drank enough to piss in the bathroom floor. Fuck this place. I will never walk back into this shit fest for as long as I live.

Better than McDs, but not much. Prices good. Milkshakes have ice, no milk – same as all fast food places. Good variety.

This is not quality food. I enjoy their milkshakes, but honestly would rather have one from steak n’ shake if given the option. As everyone states, great prices, but you get what you pay for here. I’d prefer doling out a few more bucks and getting a real burger at grindhouse or five guys.

No way. as others had said, the food is crap. Yes, it is cheap. But you get what you pay for and I won’t be going back anytime soon.
Though, their milkshakes are decent, so maybe I’ll go back for one of those.

Okay I want to this place tonight, when I got to the drive thru window, they have my order all wrong, I mean right when I pulled up the girl open the window and said you are a hot dog right and I said no, and she had no idea what I ordered, so she asked me what I order and I replied with exactly what I ordered I was charged 21 something dollars but when I got my food the chicken strips were missing, so I let her know they were missing and she ask for the ticket so I gave her the ticket, then and another girl came to the window and ask for the bag I had my food in now hold up I gave you the ticket showing that I ordered chicken strips and I told you I didn’t have them but you want to ask for the bag back like you gave me chicken strips and I’m just trying to get extra Wow I am really disappointed, first of all you had the food you should have checked the bag and made sure I had the food I was missing, instead you want to investigate and interrogate me how about my order which you made a mistake on, this is not good business at all I didn’t feel any professional courtesy from the girls working

Love this place. Awesome burgers, fast service and cute atmosphere! Be careful during lunch times this place is nuts

I would rate this restaurant higher if the service were more consistent. They have excellent hushpuppies, and the burgers are generally very good, but the service is horrible. I’ve probably been there 10 times in the last year, and something was incorrect with my order at least 5 of those times.
Most recently, I went through the drive-​through for lunch and got a Huge burger with Mustard, Onion, and Lettuce and a full (12 pcs) side order of Hushpuppies. One of the patties in my burger had obviously been cut in half (probably to check for doneness by the cook, which is just lazy in a restaurant), so half of one patty fell out of the bun as soon as I bit into it. Also, I was charged for the 12-​piece Hushpuppy side item I ordered, but they only put the 6-​piece hush puppy side into the bag. Unfortunately, I’ve found that this is about typical for their service.
If the food weren’t so good, I’d never go back. The food, however, is quite good, so I suppose I just have to settle for grumbling about my occasional trip!

Ordered a hot dog with cheddar cheese. I got cheese sauce! Even Dari Queen gives you real grated cheddar cheese. Ruined the whole meal.

We went Sunday in the drive through at lunch time. Grilled chicken sandwich was ok, slaw and rings were terrific, the fries were average (needed to be crispier). Kiddos were happy with hot dogs, fries and chicken nuggets.

If you are looking for a heart attack, this is the place. As soon as you come in, you smell & will smell of greases when you leave. The cashiers are super friendly & helpful! I was a cookout newbie. I got a hamburger, onion rings & hush puppies for about $ 5. Their food is ok. You really get what you pay for. I rather pay $ 4 for a huge burger at 5 guys. I also upgraded my drink to a strawberry cheesecake milkshake, which cost a few dollars extra. The milkshake is super thick. I couldn’t even drink it. I had to use a spoon instead. I had an okay experience. This place isn’t for me.

It’s good to see Cookout finally make it to Georgia after several successful years in NC, SC, VA, TN, etc. This place is heaven for college students. Where else can you get a huge value meal and a drink for fewer than $ 5? And, it’s not bad. The food here blows away that at McDonald’s just feet away, yet some people still go there. Why? I have no idea. This food here is cheapest and much better.
Cookout has carved a niche in communities, creating a fun, fast paced, all day and late night food chain where burgers, corn dogs, Cajun fries, and milkshakes rule and can be ordered in large quantities within putting a hole in one’s pocket. Some where for an above average fast food meal and leave waiting to return for taste and value.

Catching a good meal of BBQ fries and cherwine before mls soccer La Galaxy vs seattle sounders. Go seattle.

Everyone has been raving about Cookout for ages. I’ve been trying to get to the new Cookout location in Atlanta since it opened, but I have absolutely no patience for the long lines at all hours of the day. I happened to be in Athens with some friends for a weekend and we decided to make a pit stop here on the way back to Atlanta.
I ordered a burger. Honestly, it wasn’t the best fast food burger I’ve ever had, but it was decent. But, omg, the sides! You can get almost anything under the sun as a side. Screw french fries and onion rings. Boring! Bring out the chicken nuggets, corn dogs (!!!), hushpuppies, and quesadillas. You can choose two things as side items. I picked a corn dog and hushpuppies. The corn dog was great while the hushpuppies were not so great. I like the variety of sides. The combo also comes with a drink. You can be unoriginal and pick a soda. Or you can go for a milkshake. I opted for water. The nice thing is that they give you a bottle of water for your drink when you order it with a combo. That was nice of them.
I’m glad I had a chance to visit this place, but I’m not quite sure it lives up to the hype. Yes, it’s super cheap. But, I will not be waiting in a line to eat at Cookout. I’ll wait until the line at the EAV location in Atlanta dies down or I’ll just stop here the next time I’m in Athens.

My dirty little secret is a deep love and appreciation for fast food soft-​serve ice cream and frozen treats, particularly in the summer, and Cook-​out takes the cake (er, ice cream?) for milkshakes. Their 40 flavors of «fancy» milkshakes are all delicious (or at least the ten or so flavors I’ve sampled), and they are a bargain at under $ 3 for a generous portion.
While the combo trays are a popular entrée selection, I usually stick with just a 99 cent corndog. While burger afficianados may hem and haw over the preparation and adornment of the Cook-​out burger, and chicken finger enthusiasts may bemoan the lack of hand-​breading, I have never heard a bad word about the Cook-​out corn dog. Perfectly fluffy yet crispy salty batter around a hotdog, the corn dog is your guaranteed menu win at this reliable chain.
Cook-​outs are also always clean with fast service, making this a good spot for a pit stop on a road trip for multiple purposes.

«Corndogs, Jackie! Corndogs, for all these people!» — Semi-​Pro (2008)
I finally get the chance to try Cookout — and it is in Athens. Why? Because there were no lines. On my way home from a weekend jaunt to Athens, we passed Cookout and were starving and we decided it was as good of a time as any. Plus, who doesn’t love a milkshake at 2pm?
We went inside and were overwhelmed by the menu — the Cookout tray alone ($ 4.49?!) for an entrée and 2 sides (which are basically their own entrée items). Madness, I tell you! After gawking at the menu for at least 5 minutes, I just rattled off 3 items that interested me. I picked chicken fingers with a side of corn dog and hushpuppies (I am a founding member of the Fritter Fan Club, after all). I also selected the Peanut Butter Fudge «Fancy» milkshake for my drink. I mean, wow.
After 2 or 3 minutes — I had my food. I asked for some sauces and sat down. My plate of fried looked like too much to handle — but why not? I started with the chicken fingers — meh. Nothing to write home about. Not hot really, and without the buffalo sauce to dip in, I probably would have stopped eating for lack of flavor. I think these are the same ones I can buy in my frozen food aisle at Super Target. Been there, done that. However, the sides…
The corn dog was delish — everything I had hoped for. Crunchy, HOT (aka freshly fried) and even if it was previously frozen, this item I could not tell. They handed me a small container of yellow mustard to dip it in — but for me I probably needed 50% more. But I made do. And the hushpuppies — equal parts crispy outside and bready inside. I may have needed a little ketchup for these, but overall I enjoyed them as is.
As for the shake, so thick a straw was a challenge. This is why they hand you a spoon. Really, it was a cup full of mushy ice cream — and that is no complaint. Rich and flavorful, but it was so packed full of peanut butter flavor that if there was fudge in there — I never tasted it. Again, no complaint.
Overall, I did enjoy my Cookout experience. I think it is gimmicky, but I think it is also supposed to be. I’ll definitely skip the chicken fingers next time and try another entrée instead, but I don’t think this will be some place that I will frequent — my arteries just cannot handle it.

I don’t know what the negative reviewers experienced, but they are dead wrong.
This place is cheap ($ 1 – 4 for a burger, $ 5 for a platter that INCLUDES two sides and a drink or an extra $ 1 for a milkshake — see below). And super tasty. I’d rate it on par with Five Guys, but it has more of a smoky taste straight off the grill (as the name implies). I really like how you get free grilled onions and other toppings on the burger.
I mostly get the burger here, but have ventured off into the sides (which are super diverse). The hush puppies are great, as are the fries. Chicken nuggets are alright, but the quesadilla tastes just like the fast food equivalent (which is ridiculous).
Next to the burger, the real star is the shakes. You can’t find a milkshake this good in Athens (yes, I do love the other «shake» place, but these are thick and have chunks of whatever topping you choose inside) — other than the classic one downtown (which is great because it’s so classic). I’ve been drawn to the chocolate banana and strawberry, but discovered the banana pudding one last night. Oh. My. Heaven. It tastes like my grandma’s and has crumbled Nilla wafers inside. Totally what I was craving.
It’s a great quick stop (I’ve only ever driven through) for a cheap burger and milkshake when that’s what you’re craving.

I was in Athens yesterday and noticed the restaurant I’ve heard so much about as of lately. Since it was on my list of to try places I had to indulge. My Oreo Shake was super thick which I like. I had a burger with fries and onion rings. I enjoyed my food and will go to the one on Moreland Ave when I get a chance. The prices are reasonable and I think they are open late. Go try one of the GA locations soon. I’m glad they decided to bring the Resturant here.

After a recent talk thread about where to find great hamburgers, CookOut was mentioned enough times for me to take notice. I love burgers so much my children sometimes refer to me as Cheeseburger Papa (true story), but this burger chain is mostly located in North Carolina and I figured I wouldn’t have a chance to taste it anytime soon.
Oh how the burger gods do smile down on me, because to my delight I discovered they have a remote location in the college town of Athens, GA, just 30 miles up the road from my home via Hwy 316.
I know what you’re thinking: «SAY WHAAAA? 30 miles for a burger? Is you a fool Richard?»
Yeah, I kinda am, but I like to refer to myself more as a food slut than a fool. If you puttin’ out that good food crack then baby, I will happily place it in my mouth. I’ll travel just about any distance to get a food fix!!! I have actually planned entire vacations to different cities based on some restaurant I saw on Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives, Man vs. Food, Best Food I Ever Ate, Food Wars or even No Reservations. So while you may think that’s cray-​cray I’m here to tell all you non-​adventurous types that we’ve experienced amazing family adventures to destinations we may have NEVER otherwise traveled had we not been interested in the local food. Sometimes we discover something delicious, other times we don’t… but it makes for great memories either way.
THE EXPERIENCE
I use food as a reason for any road trip, especially if it’s within just a few hours. So 35 minutes from my home was a no-​brainer in my book. CookOut claims to have outdoor style homemade food, I suppose like you would find in an average American backyard cook-​out (thus the name).
The building itself looks like a small strip mall. So many neon signs that I thought it was more than one business inside at first glance. The store on the outside is made up of several different building materials and looks kinda like a sample wall you would find at a stone or brick yard. The diversity of materials continues on the inside with stone, metal, tiles and a variety of different shades of wood, including logs (as in log cabin). The furnishings are rustic and tables and benches are shellacked to a awesome shine with ‘cook out’ burned into the surface.
I’ve been told this place is always jam packed, however I came on a great day as there was plenty of open tables and no crowd. Whooo hooo!
THE FOOD
Okay, truth be told — this will probably never go down as my favorite fast food burger, nor would it make the top 5. Yet I will say it I enjoyed it very much and the value was most certainly a factor in my star rating. It lived up to being billed as homemade, which I liked a lot!!! Homemade as in the bun was kinda soggy from the juiciness of the burger, it was sort of sloppy with the toppings plus they put a whole HEAP of grilled onions on this bad boy. Probably too many for most people, but I grew up in Chicago where there were nearly as many grilled onions on your burger or hot dog as there was meat. I didn’t feel like I was eating a fast food burger and for that reason I was an instant fan.
What really surprised me was the price. $ 5.45 AFTER tax which included:
* Big Double Tray cheeseburger w/​grilled onions, relish, mustard, mayo
* 3 Chicken Nuggets (because you are allowed two sides and yes nuggets are a side)
* Cajun Fries (although I almost went with the onion rings)
* Large Sweet Tea
NOTES: The chicken nuggets were nothing special, same taste as the frozen Tyson nuggets we get for the kids @ the grocery store. The Cajun seasoning on the fries was okay, but I could have lived with or without it.
THE VERDICT
I think this place is going to slowly grow on me. It’s been a few hours since I finished my meal and already I’m thinking I’d like to pay them another visit. Maybe next time I’ll get one of their famed milkshakes to go with my burger. Although, since I’m lactose intolerant, that might be a long 35 minute drive home for my family :-)