We've been telling friends about this restaurant of lore for the past 15 years and finally got a chance to visit it again, this time with the kiddos! Even at 1:30 am, they're friendly, quick and the food delicious! This place sets the mood in the same way Waffle House or any gas station bathroom does - classically janky....though I'll say it has had a facelift since we were last here. We went to another cookout when we touched down and left because it looked too nice and didn't have a wrong sided drive thru! As such, we came back down Nostalgias highway to our OG cookout on Hillsbrough! It was exactly what we wanted! The stand alone, dual drive thru (with walk up) set up of this place is nothing short of amazing. If you had to design a place, it might accidentally turn out like this and you'd just accept it, not realizing the brilliance that is passing food through a passenger window! Seriously, of through the drive thru on the left. The food is such a perfect example of southern burgers - it's like in-n-out that you want to come back to! Cheddar style, steak style, west style - don't matter, it's all boss level! You'd like a burger with sides of corn dog and walking taco? Got it - one of 55 shake options? Done - more hush puppies? On it! The loudspeakers have been improved upon - you used to just pretend you understood what was being said and accept what you received. Now, they repeat it back at least. Our kids scarfed it down so fast we literally went through and ordered a second time, 6 minutes later. Three burgers, nuggets, rings and the equivalent of three pints of ice cream can't be wrong! Aside from my children, I may not love a human child more than this burger joint. It's so good, any time, any days, double stamp it, touch blue make it true, no eraseys! Thanks for living up to the hype 15 years later! read more

The speaker at this location makes it near impossible to understand the staff. Ordered a tray with a Cajun chicken sandwich. The bread was so dry I had to throw it out. Thank God I asked for mayo so I could put it on the dry chicken. The fries were fresh and hot. They were delicious but the rest of the meal was trash. Why would you give one item fresh and the rest a disaster? Quesadilla burned up and the cheesecake was frozen solid in the center. Overall, a disappointment. read more

Cook Out - Cheesecake - weird coloring and FROZEN solid in the middle - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Food was fine. Attitude was trash. I asked for extra napkins and you would've thought I killed somebody's mama.

Ya honestly solid meal for like $8. U get sooo much food and there r so many options! Also the guy that helped us at the cashier was so helpful and explained everything to us so patiently read more

Cook Out - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I mean, it's not the best burger I've ever had but it was pretty good for a late night snack after a night out :) love the cookout style on the sm burger!! who doesn't love chili added to their burger ?? just a small little grab and go spot~ service was pretty quick! read more

Cook Out - sm burger cookout style - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is one of my favorite Cookout locations! They have jalapeños for your burger! Staff are friendly and efficient.

Your typical fast food burger type place. The staff were friendly and patient with us on our first visit though which I appreciated. The good is reasonably priced and the food is pretty good. Would probably pick this over most big box fast food burger spots for sure. read more

I mean the food itself is fine, like you get what you pay for, right? I got the tray with chicken strips (honey mustard sauce), hushpuppies, & onion rings as well as a strawberry cheesecake milkshake (shakes do tend to be on the thicker side here). But slightly (read: extremely) concerning that the heat of the food melted through the styrofoam container?? Or it could be possible that something other than heat led to the condition of the styrofoam, in which case why would they even use that container, so I do think it was the heat & they must not have noticed. There was another tray on top, so I also did not notice this until I took both out at home. I suppose it's fine since we're probably all chock full of microplastics anyways lol... Service is fast, ambiance is fine- more of a takeaway vibe (there is no seating). 4/10 would not recommend, but who am I kidding haha, will probs go again anyways bc it's Cook Out and where else can you get late night cheap eats. read more

Cook Out - Tray with chicken strips, hushpuppies, onion rings, honey mustard sauce, and strawberry cheesecake milkshake - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I have never been so mad, so perplexed, so frustrated with one fast food restaurant. I love cookout and i was really wanting cookout and i order a bbq tray without slaw with a slide of chicken quesadilla and Cajun fries with a coke. My go to order. I pull up to the window i pay and i start driving off it was about a mile later that i realized they gave me chicken stripes and double potato fries. this ruined my mood in every sense of the word i was yearning for cookout, my mouth salivated for that bbq tray. i was so excited to bite into that bbq tray just for me to get chicken stripes and fries! Addmit the chicken was very good but it is simply not what i wanted and not to my cookout standards. Do better please :( read more

Best cookout in Durham. Always on point also have 2 drive thru's and a walk up window. The service is quick and always fresh. For fast food it's good. I always go to this location. read more

I came through this cookout drive through Friday 8/1/25 around 430 and the service was horrible the girl in the window taking payments was so quick to catch a attitude and rush me out the drive though for no reason and then was disrespectful when I asked for a plastic bag slammed the window closed and then told her manager not to give me a bag but if she would've slowed down she and lost her attitude she would've realized she gave me the wrong food this location sucks now I use to come here everyday but the staff just got ruder and ruder now I will be driving across town if I decide to eat cookout again just pitiful and unprofessional read more

This place is so unimpressive and inconsistent. Regularly expect your order to be wrong, cold greasy fries, etc.

If your ex is over, then look out For his trouser snake that he took out So head for the door Press the gas to the floor And go get yum late night noms from Cook Out! It's time for me to get my Book Out Of all the best food that I've Took Out If you're in the Deep South Put 1 thing in your mouth Cajun Chicken and Shakes fresh from Cook Out! Not to be confused with Coked Out, which is what your one friend in Los Angeles is. Remember to always Rock Out with your Cook Out when you're in Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and such. Not sure where Such is, but I think they have them there. I'd rather Cook In than Cook Out. Actually that's a lie. This Cook Out was absolutely wonderful, and the products are excellent. The only issue was the banana shake, which was just a little bit on the old side, but that's no big deal because it happens a lot these days at any given CO location. The Backyard Burger was delicious, although I remember it being better in the old days, but it's better than most of the Cook Out burgers I've had recently, and the chicken sandwich was exemplary and wonderful - as was the excellent Sweet Tea. The only real problem at this location is the girl, who was just way too nice. She's so nice and she took my picture and she's an angel and made me not want to leave the Triangle area. Which is a problem because Barbie was waiting for me in Atlanta. See, I have real problems too! Needed to borrow reading material. Should have gone to Book Out. Needed help robbing a bank. Should have gone to Look Out. Needed help winning a chess game. Should have gone to Rook Out. Neede.... never mind. And remember to rock out with your Cook Out. read more

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I can't comment on the rest of their menu items, but they have great burgers and milkshakes!

Perfect example of "NEVER judge a book by its cover." Excellent food and service. The staff was very helpful in assisting with items selection. Simply AWESOME!! read more

Cook Out - Feast: Cookout Style hot dogs, beef quesadilla, and bbq pork sandwich - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

First time eating at Cook Out. I went to Hillsborough Road location up the road from Duke Hospital. The food: I got the $5.99 junior tray with "small burger," two sides (bacon wrap and cheese bites) and milkshake upgrade (blueberry cheesecake at $1.60 extra. --The "small burger" was about the size of a regular Wendy's junior bacon cheeseburger, before Wendy's made the burgers smaller. The taste was similar but fresher. I paid $0.50 for cheese and $0.10 for tomato and chose not to pay for extras like bacon. The tomato was well worth it but next time might skip the cheese and upgrade to the regular $7.99 tray instead for their bigger burger. --The bacon wrap did have a more than usual amount of bacon. But it did not have much other filling so it tasted essentially like pieces of bacon wrapped in tortilla. I'd rather have the bacon on my burger. --The cheese bites were white cheddar in like a fried bread crumb. Think white cheddar Cheezits meets nugget. I liked the different flavor but would have liked a sauce. --The blueberry milkshake was impressive! Much too thick to drink with a straw. Thankfully the cashier gave a spoon unasked. This is not really a milkshake, but a soft serve similar to Goodberrys vanilla concrete. There was actual blueberry pieces in my milkshake and cheesecake flavor was not artificial tasting like I feared (they serve cheesecake slices as well). Would definitely order again. The price: $8.80 for a burger, two sides and a full size milkshake is not bad, especially for this area. The reality is though the price has increased from what I see in other photos, where the price of a regular tray is now the price of a junior tray. All things considered, I feel I got a good deal. However, it did feel like Cook Out was cheaping out by upcharging for $0.10 tomato and $0.50 cheese... those are pretty standard ingredients for burgers! The packaging: I appreciated my burger and bacon wrap were both wrapped in aluminum foil. It stayed warm even as I walked a while trying to find a place to sit (there's Duke Gardens thirty minute walk away and also a golf course and Elleebee park). A+ for thoughtfulness as the cashier asked if I needed a bag. Location: Has walk-up window for those on foot. You have to walk straight up to the window for the cashier there to open the window. They may not automatically open it. I appreciate this walk-up window but make no mistake this is primarily a drive through or pick up location. I didn't see tables and chairs around. And anyway it's difficult to get to as you cross highway roads without cross signs. Besides this though, this spot is a little fast food Mecca as there is a Bojangles, Krispy Kreme, Wendy's and Zaxbys all nearby. The service: Must have had great luck, as the cashier (a Latino man) might have been the nicest cashier I've met in Durham yet. He was helpful about everything. The service was also extremely quick as he was calling out my order even before I was finished ordering. There wasn't a long line at around 6pm. Overall: I was very much impressed with the milkshake, because at Goodberrys something of that size and flavor would cost $8 alone, not including any meal! I liked my food, it's packaging and overall service experience. The location is not very suited for people taking the bus. I would probably plan to spend $10-$12 next time for the full experience of the regular tray and the burger upgrades. read more

Cook Out - Current menu (price increase) - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Zero if I could! How is that you ask me what my order was twice and still get it wrong? Way too many people to be working in this place for so many mistakes. Not to mention that one of guy or manager at the window attitude sucked! He was mad because the person taking the order screwed up. How are you rude with me because you're inefficient?!? NOT BE RETURNING!! read more

Ordered a milk shake at drive thru. Very Fast and friendly service. Really good Milkshake. read more

Oh. My. God. Where do I even start. This place is AMAZING. First of all let's talk about quality!!! The cheese is phenomenal. The meat quality tastes good and the cherry on top is the char flavor on the patty. Great prices here as well. I love the sense of humor of the workers here (that makes waiting in the line fun). I was impressed how fast the employees moved everyone through the line! I'm from the West coast originally and thought I'd miss In n out but this place is WAY better than In n out. I also wanted to add that the cups they give you are insulated. I love this. This is a big deal to me because my drink stayed cold and non melted for hours!! I left four instead of five stars because the patties are thin. If you are hungry I recommend doubling up on them. Also it was hard to hear through the ordering speaker. Besides those two points this place is great. I recommend this burger place to anyone. read more

Cook Out - a person holding a cup with a straw - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

It's Cookout open late always Fast always Hot always Fresh & always Good. Great Milkshakes and Burgers

We had Olivia at the window and she was extremely friendly with great customer service! read more

Cook Out - Small burger already with double hush puppies - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Fries were soggy as hell, the chicken strips looked gruesome and they gave me a sweet tea instead of a coke. Those hush puppies were heavenly though. Definitely wouldn't eat a full meal here again but since they're among the few restaurants open past midnight I'd probably come back for more hush puppies, maybe a milkshake too idk. read more

There really isn't much to talk about besiding being a very affordable fast food resturant with an above average serving size and decent taste. The service is a slight minus but it's still acceptable. (forgetting about the ketchup, some items were wrong or missing) Would love to see this franchise expand to more places while maintaining the same prices. read more

Cook Out - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

"Dirt-cheap fast food and shakes" I typically enjoy Cook Out- its strong points are the amazingly low price for combos (which include TWO sides, one of which can be, for example, a "corn dog") and the very tasty and thick/ fresh milkshakes. Their shakes are basically anything you want (standards like chocolate and strawberry, but also pie, cheesecake, watermelon, etc.) put into a blender with ice cream, so pull out your spoon and throw away the straw. The burgers are hit-or-miss... some days are pretty good, but they're a little small, and I've occasionally gotten them very overdone. The long pickle slices they put on the burgers are quite good. Fries are pretty good, and they'll add cajun seasoning to them if you ask (a nice addition). Be sure to ask for ketchup, as they'll only sometimes just give you some. Grilled chicken is OK, and chicken nuggets are tasty but probably came frozen in a bag from Costco or Sam's. Wait can be a little long if you're ordering a lot (or if anyone in front of you in line is ordering a lot). It's probably most noticeable because you're either sitting in your car or you're just standing outside- there is no interior/ distraction, which is annoying if it's hot/ cold/ raining. Overall, a good place for grabbing some food for a small family picnic, or satisfying your mid-afternoon or late-night shake fix. read more

Cook Out - Exterior - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

How this place has a line in the first place is beyond me. Chicken sandwich was so small it's more like a 2 inch piece. The sandwich bun was twice as big as the chicken itself. Fries were soggy and unseasoned asf, so were the chicken nuggets...did y'all boil them??? The only thing that was good was the Oreo shake...shout out to the Oreo shake worker. read more

Got the late night munchies? Come to Cook Out! It's open til 4am on most days. PLENTY of options. CHEAP. Opt for the Cook Out Tray - one entree, 2 sides, and a drink - all for less than $5! I went with a BBQ burger for entree, corn dog and hush puppies as sides, and sweet tea for beverage for only $4.99. I didn't expect the burger to have coleslaw, nor did I expect it to be slightly spicy, but it was still tasty. Not a huge burger, but not tiny either. You get one corn dog and about 6 hush puppies. The sweet tea (aka sweetened iced tea) is REALLY good! Not only that, but you get a LARGE sized cup. This place has 2 drive-thru lanes - it's not even an option to eat inside. Most be a lot of regulars who come here because the lines were fairly short and went by fairly quickly when I was here. I was surprised because the menu has SO many options to choose from! I could imagine many people taking FOREVER to decide what to order, especially when it comes to the milkshake. You absolutely HAVE to get a milkshake - all for only $2.79! You have the ability to create your own milkshake by choosing from a LONG list of possible ingredients - everything from banana and strawberry to cheesecake and mocha to oreo and M&Ms. For someone who has a major sweet tooth (like me), it can be an incredibly difficult choice to make! Can I just have EVERYTHING??! Wait, that probably won't taste so great....In the end, I went with mocha, cheesecake, and strawberries. It turned out pretty good! read more

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One of the best burgers I've ever had. The food was served hot and fresh. It was very satisfying and filling. The next time I'm in North Carolina I'll be sure to go again. read more

Pros: - open till 3:30 am which has saved me so many times - can get massive amounts of food inexpensively - milkshakes are always so good and you can choose from over 40 flavors and mix/match (my favorites are oreo mint, mocha choc chip, and blueberry cheesecake with walnuts) - lines move quickly Cons: - quality of food is inconsistent... last time my chicken quesadilla barely had any chicken and sauce - no indoor seating - occasionally they get your order wrong tip: don't forget to ask for sauce like ketchup for your fries because it's not automatically included and often times they don't even ask read more

Cook Out - cookout tray - quesadilla, fries, hushpuppies - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The burger is on par with 5 guys. Our order included nuggets and hush puppies. I didn't try anything else but enjoyed the burger. The prices are reasonable. Service was what you'd expect. I would come back if I was hungry and seeking a quick fix read more

For those of you "not from 'round here" CookOut is what you might consider to be In 'N Out but down South we are SO much better at comfort food. 1 - The menu is ginormous. Utilize the uploaded photo of the menu if you've never been and don't want to back the line up to all high-holy hell. People behind you will be pissed that they can't get their platter with a shake faster. 2 - You should probably opt for the platter. It's the most economical and tasty option on the menu. You can to change all sorts of things up so it's pretty much whatever you want. 3 - You can't just order a burger here. You have to tell them what you want on it. I've never been denied a topping, so whatever is considered pretty normal for a burger, you can probably get it on your burger at CookOut. Or if you've studied the menu you can just order it in a style. I prefer the "CookOut Style" burger - chili, slaw, onions, mustard, ketchup on a burger. (Sometimes I add cheese) 4 - Get a milkshake. My brother brought his girlfriend to NC on her first ever visit. Before he took her to my house he used Yelp to find the closest CookOut and forced her to get a milkshake. (Force may be strong, but the force is strong with that one). And by the way, she loved it. 5 - Milkshake options are endless. Make something up and ask for it. It's probably available. Don't think too hard. Just go with your gut feeling, especially if your gut is telling you "Mint Oreo Milkshake." 6 - Don't save your burger to eat it later. It's really tempting to start snacking on those hush puppies, onion rings, or cajun spiced fries, but don't fill up on the sides before getting to your burger. Theburgers here are best fresh. I tried to refrigerate a burger once to eat later, it was a solid block of food. Reheated it was fine, but what's the point? Enjoy the burger, the sides are easier to reheat (and also pretty good cold). 7 - Vegetarians can eat here, but I don't suggest it. It's not easy. They don't do veggie burgers (as far as I know). And when you order a bun, CookOut style with cheese, they get a bit confused. 8 - Just enjoy the inaudible speaker where you order food. That's just part of the whole experience. Remember, especially if you're visiting NC, you can't get this just anywhere. People talk about how awesome In 'N Out is and I've eaten there, CookOut is very different and a true staple of the South - just like Cheerwine. And you don't want to mess with a Southerner and her glass of Cheerwine. read more

Cook Out - Menu - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I used to think that I understood the hamburger. It's a basic hot sandwich, you know? Burger patty, bun, maybe some cheese and veggies? When I wanted something fast, I'd hit up Wendy's (square patty central) and (shudder) even occasionally McDonald's, thinking nothing of it. But. Then we moved to Durham, NC, and I experienced Cook Out. Yes, this is 'fast food' - it's a drive thru, for Pete's sake, and my burger (with cheese, amazing bacon, veggies, and toppings galore) runs me just over $3.00. It's not rocket science. You may insist on your fancier burger places, where they brew their own beer and maybe even get all crazy and wine-pair your patty-focused delight. That's fine. You keep paying an arm and a leg for a burger that you insist is amazing because of wallet guilt, and I'll keep buying mine from Cook Out. Along with one of their crazy delicious milkshakes, and if I'm wanting carb coma onset, maybe their fries, onion rings, AND hush puppies. Oy vey. Seriously. Do you even have a choice? Go. Go there now. read more

This place has double-drive-thu-lines! It must be good! I can't believe what a nasty stinky little burger I got here. The prices are pretty cheap! Like they are amazingly cheap. Six bucks for a double deluxe burger and fries, okay! Well now I know better. read more

Ok, seriously this is as good as it gets for the price....~$5 after tax for combo plates, which come with one item + two sides + 1 HUGE drink, with $1 extra to upgrade that drink to a milkshake. The burger combo plate is my favorite, because for the price you can't get a better burger that comes with the option to select from a decently diverse selection of toppings for free, w/ cheese costing a little extra. On top of that, Cook Out is open at amazingly late hours (I think 4AM?), which makes it a very, very tempting option when you're out late and getting hungry. The burger itself is surprisingly juicy, flavorful, and good quality for the price. Don't expect a gourmet burger by any stretch of the imagination, but this beats McDonalds or any other chain with similarly-priced burgers for the taste & quality. My favorite sides are the nuggets, which have this nice fried taste to them, and the cajun fries, with a yummy seasoning. The small chicken wraps, which are comparable to McDonalds snack wraps, also come as a side and are VERY good value as a side and pretty tasty too. The hushpuppies are decent as well. Their iced tea is awesome, and they offer Cheerwine. Now for the cons. (1) I might be in the minority here, but I actually dislike their milkshakes, no matter how cheap they might be: overly sweet, any chocolate-based ones taste like fake chocolate, and honestly they might taste awesome if they didn't have an insane amount of sugar. Expect the sugar crash of your life if you attempt to drink an entire milkshake in one sitting. There is an insane diversity of flavors, but the flavors sound better than they taste. (2) Soda tastes like they were contaminated with the oil/smells from all the preparation that happens in the same kitchen, or that they used really old ice. I might just have hypersensitive taste buds, but it really makes the soda taste funky. Update: They seem to have fixed the funky soda problem! read more

I'm from California originally and I love In - n -Out, and it's still my number one cheapy fast food. Cookout...I dunno there is too much going on. Okay first off the burger, meh, I ordered mine with everything on it, and it was dried out and sad. I guess I just like my burgers lathered in sauce. The hush puppies were good and so were the fries and the strawberry shake was probably the highlight of the meal. It just didn't wow my socks off. I did appreciate the price, but I'd have to do more research as to why it's so cheap...what is in this food to make my over sized one person meal only $5 total? I guess I'm just a snob, so get over it - PS in spite of this mediocre review I would totally eat here again HA! read more

Cook Out - Combo meal: Cheese Burger, Fries, Hush Puppies and Strawberry Shake - Burgers Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is my closest Cook Out, but it suffers a bit by the entrance. If traveling East on Hillsborough, you're in a turn lane that opposing traffic is also vying for; and if you come out from that entrance, forget making a left-hand turn on to H-bo. Sort of a padded pain in the butt. Aside from that though, expect the same great Cook Out formula = decent burgers and AWESOME milkshakes. There's a double drive to keep the many fans moving through pretty quickly. And you can even park and walk up your order to a 3rd window at this location. I've been a couple of times and I don't think they've ever messed up my food! read more

Recommend for: The late hours! The service! The hush puppies! The burger customization! Areas for improvement: The oiliness of the food! The chicken nuggets! The lack of diversity in shakes. This Cook Out is a drive-through only one (as far as I know), which I love because as far as drive-through goes, Cook Out has wonderful meals. The people who work there are always going above and beyond to serve food, too. If you've never been there before, the menu at Cook Out is diverse. They have at least 40 different types of shakes, and you can customize burgers to your heart's content. Plus, they serve hush puppies as one of the side options, and they taste absolutely delicious. The lack of 2 extra stars is not with this particular Cook Out, but the menu in general. There are a lot of chocolate- and banana-based shakes out of the ones they provide, and I'd personally prefer if there were more options along the lines of Vanilla, Oreo, Caramel, or some sherbet-type shakes that include other kinds of fruit. The chicken nuggets are also not that tasty, and the burgers are very, very oily. read more

Great spot. Nice people. The day I was there, they apparently were short of servers. I did the walk up window. Two people in front of me had already ordered. After my order, took a bit more than 20 mins to get our food. All 4 or our orders came out at the same time, but the cashier was very apologetic, so no big deal. Got in my car and drove off. Went down the road (approx a mile) to gas up but decided I would grab some of my onion rings before I got out of my car. The onion rings were Stone Cold...not warm...cold! The double burger was luke warm...but was good. I just cannot eat cold onion rings. Its totally against my religion. I would have taken them back but I was on a schedule and going back and waiting in line for another 20+ mins just would have made me upset. So...moral to this story: Check your onion rings before leaving the restaurant. read more

Cook Out is a drive through or walk up fast food restaurant, usually a wait at lunch and dinner time. Hamburgers, corn dogs, BBQ sandwhichs, & onion rings are just a few of hot entrees they serve. HUGE milkshake menu from strawberry, butter pecan to it's seasonal pumpkin spice or egg nog flavors. Great value, combos are inexpensive, food is always hot and delicious. Can be a wait as it's a popular fast food joint and in a convenient location in Durham. Staff is always friendly, fast service even in it's peak hours. No public restrooms as it is drive up restaurant. Open until 4:30a and 3:30 a on Sunday, perfect for late night run, double drive through & free, wheel chair accessible parking. read more

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Just went through drive through here. Ordered two milkshakes. Ended up throwing them away, as all of the employees had their masks pulled below their chins. Maybe 8 people inside that 6x6ft area. No chance they're taking proper covid precautions. Absolutely abysmal judgement. read more

It's soooo good & y'all should come to cookout , they got great customer service!!! , they were really nice and great food tooo!!!