What to Order – Menu & Pricing

Cook Out’s menu is built around customization and everyday value two qualities that resonate strongly in a capital city with a massive student population, a large state government workforce, and a healthcare sector that employs thousands of people on around the clock schedules. The Cook Out Tray is the foundation of the experience: a complete meal combining your choice of protein, two sides, and a large drink or milkshake for around $7.99. In Columbia, where restaurant prices in the Vista and Five Points entertainment districts can climb quickly, the Tray delivers a full and satisfying meal at a price point that works for USC students on meal plan budgets, state workers grabbing a quick lunch, and night shift healthcare workers who need something reliable after midnight.

The BBQ sandwich with slaw and Texas Pete is the most specifically praised item in Columbia Cook Out reviews a Two Notch Rd customer who visits every two months specifically calls it out as “consistently great,” always pairing it with two corn dogs and a sweet tea. The Walking Taco is another Columbia specific callout a Cook Out specialty made with Fritos chips topped with chili, cheese, and sour cream that appeared as an unexpected extra in one reviewer’s bag and generated enough curiosity to be mentioned by name. The burgers are fresh and char grilled over an open flame, and multiple Columbia reviewers note the pleasant surprise of getting a hot, freshly cooked meal even during late night hours. Beyond the core menu, the Harden St Five Points location has 32 photos on Yelp and is actively listed in the Five Points Columbia neighborhood directory reflecting its status as an established part of USC’s off campus food culture.

Sides & Additional Items

Cook Out’s sides menu offers genuine variety across all five Columbia locations. Corn dogs are one of the most popular specific side items in Columbia reviews the Two Notch Rd regular specifically orders two corn dogs as their two tray sides every visit alongside the BBQ sandwich, demonstrating exactly how the Tray format rewards the kind of personal menu customization that keeps customers coming back with their own preferred combinations. Hushpuppies are a perennial Southern favorite lightly fried golden cornmeal rounds that pair especially well with the BBQ sandwich or a loaded burger, and a distinctly authentic Southern side in a city with deep roots in Carolinas food culture. Cajun fries bring seasoned heat to the standard fry and are a popular upgrade among Columbia regulars.

The complete sides list at Columbia Cook Out locations includes regular fries, cajun fries, hushpuppies, coleslaw, corn dog, onion rings, and quesadillas. The Walking Taco while primarily a menu item rather than a side can function as a Tray protein option and adds a unique regional character to the Columbia Cook Out experience. The Bush River Rd location offers delivery, take out, and drive through, with a perfect Health Score of 100/100 from the Richland County health department the highest possible rating and a reflection of the consistent food safety standards at that location. All sides can be ordered individually, and sweet tea is available as a large drink option in every Cook Out Tray across all five Columbia locations.

Cook Out Milkshakes – Columbia’s Late Night Sweet Tradition

Cook Out milkshakes have built a devoted following across all five Columbia locations, and the Harden Street location in Five Points open until 5:00 AM on weekends serves as the epicenter of the late night milkshake culture for USC students and Columbia night lifers who need a post midnight dessert. The rotating selection of over 40 flavors goes far beyond standard fast food shake options, and Columbia customers return regularly for banana pudding, Oreo mint, strawberry cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake, caramel fudge, peach cobbler, pineapple, chocolate malt, cookie dough, and seasonal fruit flavors throughout the year. The milkshakes are thick and hand spun, which differentiates them from the thin, machine processed versions at competing chains along Columbia’s commercial corridors.

The best known feature of the Cook Out Tray format is that a milkshake can replace the large drink at no additional charge a detail that makes the $7.99 Tray feel like exceptional value when you factor in the quality of the shake. For USC students discovering Cook Out for the first time, the milkshake revelation that you can get a full meal and a premium thick shake for under $8 is frequently the moment that converts a first visit into a regular habit. The Five Points Harden St location, embedded in the heart of Columbia’s most active student entertainment district, handles more late night milkshake orders than perhaps any Cook Out in South Carolina given its 5:00 AM Friday and Saturday closing. Always ask the drive thru staff at any Columbia location for the current flavor list popular flavors sell out on busy nights.

Hours & Availability

Columbia’s Cook Out locations collectively offer some of the latest hours of any Cook Out market in the Southeast. The Harden St location in Five Points closes at 4:00 AM Monday through Thursday and at an extraordinary 5:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays confirmed by Yelp as of September 2024. This 5:00 AM closing is among the latest of any Cook Out restaurant in the country and reflects the reality of Five Points as USC’s primary entertainment district, where bars and venues keep students and residents active until 4:00 AM on weekend nights. The Garners Ferry Rd location closes at 3:00 AM on weeknights and 4:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays per Waze data. The Bush River Rd and Two Notch Rd locations follow similar late night schedules.

Prisma Health South Carolina’s largest not for profit health system, with Prisma Health Richland Hospital and Prisma Health Baptist as major Columbia anchors employs thousands of healthcare workers across overnight shifts throughout the metro. For nurses, physicians, and hospital support staff finishing at 2, 3, or 4 AM in Columbia, Cook Out’s multiple locations and extended hours make it one of the most reliably accessible full meal options in the city. The new Charleston Highway location in West Columbia, opened July 2025, gives that corridor its first Cook Out and expands the metro coverage to the Lexington County communities west of the Congaree River. A November 2025 Google reviewer visiting from Thanksgiving weekend specifically praised the Harden St location for pleasant service, reflecting the consistent staff quality that keeps Columbia customers loyal across all five locations.

All Columbia Cook Out locations open at 10:30 AM daily. Hours above are confirmed from Yelp (Harden St) and Waze (Garners Ferry Rd). Always verify each specific location’s current hours via Google Maps before a very late visit, as hours can occasionally shift. The Harden St Five Points location’s 5:00 AM Friday Saturday closing is confirmed from Yelp and represents the latest closing of any Cook Out location covered in this entire series.

Columbia Cook Out Locations

Use Google Maps above to find the Cook Out location nearest your home, campus, workplace, or travel route through Columbia. With 5 locations spread across the Columbia metro, most Richland and Lexington County residents are within 10–15 minutes of a Cook Out. Click “Get Directions” on any location card below for exact driving time from your current position.

Cook Out Locations by Area

Columbia’s five Cook Out locations are spread across the metro’s primary commercial corridors, covering the university area, northeast, west, southeast, and the growing West Columbia market effectively. Here is a breakdown of each location.

Harden Street (Five Points / USC Area): The location at 1101 Harden St is the closest Cook Out to USC’s main campus and sits in the heart of the Five Points entertainment district Columbia’s most active bar, restaurant, and nightlife neighborhood. Five Points borders the southern edge of USC’s campus and is the primary off campus social destination for Gamecock students. The Harden St Cook Out closes at 4:00 AM weeknights and 5:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays the latest of any location in this series reflecting the reality of Five Points as a district where activity genuinely continues until dawn on weekends. Listed in the official Five Points Columbia neighborhood directory. Phone: (866) 547-0011.

Two Notch Road (Northeast Columbia): The location at 10030 Two Notch Rd serves northeast Columbia and carries 1,657 Google reviews with a 3.9-star rating the most reviewed Cook Out location in Columbia. Two Notch Road is one of Columbia’s busiest commercial corridors, running northeast from downtown toward the Fort Jackson military reservation. This location serves the Spring Valley, Forest Acres, and Dentsville communities in northeast Richland County, and handles consistent traffic from Fort Jackson personnel and their families. The BBQ sandwich with slaw and Texas Pete regular who visits every two months specifically visits this location.

Bush River Road (West Columbia / Irmo Area): The location at 600 Bush River Rd carries a perfect Health Score of 100 out of 100 the highest possible rating and serves west Columbia and the Irmo, Dutch Fork, and Lake Murray communities. Bush River Road runs through one of Columbia’s most densely developed retail corridors and connects to I-26 and the growing Lexington County suburbs. Updated December 2025 on Yelp, this location offers delivery, take out, and drive through. Phone: (866) 547-0011.

Garners Ferry Road (Southeast Columbia): The location at 7440 Garners Ferry Rd serves southeast Columbia and the Hopkins, Eastover, and Ft. Jackson Boulevard communities. Garners Ferry Road runs southeast from downtown Columbia toward the Wateree River communities and Sumter County. This location closes at 3:00 AM on weeknights and 4:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays per Waze data, serving residents in the less served southeastern quadrant of Richland County.

Charleston Highway (West Columbia Opened July 2025): The newest Cook Out in the Columbia metro opened at 1413 Charleston Hwy in West Columbia on July 25, 2025 announced directly by Cook Out on X (Twitter) with the announcement generating 2,894 views and enthusiastic community response. Charleston Highway (US-321) is the primary commercial corridor through West Columbia, connecting the city to Cayce and the I-26 and I-77 interchange corridors south of the Congaree River. This location expands Cook Out’s coverage to the significant Lexington County residential population that previously had to cross into Columbia proper for access.

All 5 Cook Out Columbia Locations

Cook Out and Columbia’s Food Scene

Columbia is South Carolina’s capital city and home to the University of South Carolina a flagship university with over 35,000 enrolled students that shapes the city’s food culture, nightlife, and economic rhythms in fundamental ways. The Five Points neighborhood adjacent to USC’s campus is one of the most active college entertainment districts in the Southeast, lined with bars, restaurants, and music venues that keep the area alive until the early morning hours on Friday and Saturday nights. The Harden St Cook Out’s 5:00 AM closing is a direct response to that reality when the bars in Five Points close at 2:00 AM and the post bar crowd needs food, Cook Out is the most reliable full menu option with the capacity and speed to handle the volume.

Williams Brice Stadium home of the USC Gamecocks football team and one of the SEC’s most passionate fan bases holds over 77,000 fans and generates enormous food demand on fall game days. After home games that run into the evening, the Harden St and Garners Ferry Rd locations are natural post game stops for fans heading home through the southern and southeastern parts of the city. USC basketball at Colonial Life Arena in downtown Columbia creates similar late night food demand throughout the basketball season. Fort Jackson the U.S. Army’s largest training installation, located on Two Notch Road in northeast Columbia adds a significant military dimension to the Two Notch Rd Cook Out’s customer base, similar to what Fort Liberty creates in Fayetteville.

Columbia also serves as a major I-20 and I-26 junction city, making it a natural stopping point for travelers crossing the Southeast. I-20 runs east west through Columbia connecting Augusta, GA to Florence, SC, while I-26 runs northwest southeast connecting Asheville and Charlotte to Charleston. Cook Out’s five Columbia locations spread across the metro on roads that connect to both interstates capture significant traveler traffic from people passing through the Midlands on these major corridors, particularly during the summer beach season when I-26 between Charlotte and Charleston sees peak travel volumes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cook Out in Nearby South Carolina Cities

Cook Out has strong coverage across South Carolina with locations in Greenville, Spartanburg, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Florence, Rock Hill, and other cities throughout the state. Traveling northwest on I-26 toward Greenville and Spartanburg, Cook Out locations are accessible along the entire corridor. Traveling southeast toward Charleston a popular weekend destination for Columbia residents Cook Out locations are available along US-17 and I-26.

Additional Resources