Cheap eats: Cook-Out

[ponyo]

I ate at Cook-Out for the first time today. I never heard of it but was told it was a Southeast fast food chain started out of NC. I have to say I was impressed with the amount of food for the price. For $5, you get the Cook-Out tray with burger, two sides, and a large drink. For $1 more you can get a milkshake. Supposedly the beef is never frozen and delivered everyday. The double burger wasn't good as Five Guys but slightly better than McDonald's or Wendy's. I still can't understand how they can sell so much food for so cheap.

 

[Excelsior]

Cook Out is the bomb. An incredible deal and the tray is flexible, shakes are great too.

 

[lupi]

not quite as good as 5 guy, but a good bit cheaper.

 

[ponyo]

not quite as good as 5 guy, but a good bit cheaper.

Definitely not as good but it was about 1/2 the price of Five Guys. Cheeseburger at Five Guys here is $7. Cook-Out tray with 1/4 lb burger, fries, chicken nuggets, and milkshake is $6. I've never been to In-N-Out but I guess Cook-Out is sort of like the East Coast version.

 

[vi edit]

Oh yeah. Cook-out is my go to for cheap meals with the kids. I get a burger, each kid get's a corn dog for the "side". We split a drink and I get an extra side of fries. $7 out the door.

Love that place.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Never heard of it. The one place I wish we had up here is Chic-fil-a. That place was solid. :thumbsup:

 

[Spineshank]

Love Cook Out. Originally from PA where I had never heard of it.

 

[slag]

Never knew corn dogs or chicken nuggets were considered a side. Wouldn't those be a main course and sides be something like fries, carrots, apple slices, mashed potatoes, corn, etc?

 

[vi edit]

Never knew corn dogs or chicken nuggets were considered a side. Wouldn't those be a main course and sides be something like fries, carrots, apple slices, mashed potatoes, corn, etc?

Nope. They have a pile of "side" items that are a main course for a kid. Corn dog, nuggets, quesadilla (at least at mine). That's why I can go and order a $5 combo and get a burger and two corn dogs and then another side of fries and feed me and two kids.

 

[slag]

Nope. They have a pile of "side" items that are a main course for a kid. Corn dog, nuggets, quesadilla (at least at mine). That's why I can go and order a $5 combo and get a burger and two corn dogs and then another side of fries and feed me and two kids.

Wish they had one of those places in my neck of the woods. I love a cheap meal.

 

[lupi]

One opened by me on a main city road about 2 years ago, I didn't go there till it was at least a year old as I don't know what they were offering but for the first 4+ months everytime I went by they had employees directing traffic coming in from the road and had a line like krispy Kreme during the buy one get on free sales.

 

[Mai72]

I ate at Cook-Out for the first time today. I never heard of it but was told it was a Southeast fast food chain started out of NC. I have to say I was impressed with the amount of food for the price. For $5, you get the Cook-Out tray with burger, two sides, and a large drink. For $1 more you can get a milkshake. Supposedly the beef is never frozen and delivered everyday. The double burger wasn't good as Five Guys but slightly better than McDonald's or Wendy's. I still can't understand how they can sell so much food for so cheap.

How can they sell for cheap? Because the food is bad, that's why.

 

[vi edit]

How can they sell for cheap? Because the food is bad, that's why.

It's privately owned, doesn't have to pay franchise fees nor do they market heavily. It's no worse (if not better) than most other franchise fast food burger shops. I don't think they mark up food near as much and they don't have near as much overhead as the bigger places.

 

[Mai72]

It's privately owned, doesn't have to pay franchise fees nor do they market heavily. It's no worse (if not better) than most other franchise fast food burger shops. I don't think they mark up food near as much and they don't have near as much overhead as the bigger places.

OK. Thanks for clearing that up. To be honest, I've never been to one. But, when I hear cheap and fast food my first reaction is bad food.

Is there such a thing as cheap meat?

 

[lupi]

Wholesale cost of many of the things sold at a burger joint actually can be had for surprisingly low cost. It's the labor and building rent that get you.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Never heard of it. My town is getting a Five Guys. Never been there before either. Will be checking it out when it opens.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm less than a quarter of a mile from one. I typically don't bother going there because there's a better burger place 2 doors down (locally owned with a busier, but much faster drive-thru)...


The few times I've gone to Cook-Out, I liked what I got, but don't usually want to wait in the drive-thru or bother going in because the drive-thru is always wrapped in front of the entrance. It's that busy there...