Cookout Myrtle Beach SC

What to Order – Menu & Pricing

Cook Out’s menu is built around customization and value two qualities that resonate especially strongly in a beach resort city where visitors are already spending significant money on accommodations, entertainment, and activities. The Cook Out Tray is the centerpiece: a complete meal combining your choice of protein, two sides, and a large drink or milkshake for around $7.99. In Myrtle Beach, where the Kings Highway restaurant corridor is packed with chains and tourist facing spots charging $15–25 for comparable meals, the Tray delivers a full and satisfying meal at a price that helps vacation budgets stretch further whether you are a family of four feeding everyone before evening mini golf, a group of college students doing a spring break food run at 2 AM, or a hospitality worker grabbing something after a late shift at one of the Grand Strand’s many hotels.

The char grilled burgers are specifically described by Myrtle Beach reviewers as delivering “the smoky flavor of grilled dishes” that gives “a taste of Southern comfort that makes them want to return for more” a quality distinction that stands out on a restaurant strip where most fast food options rely on flat grills or fryers. The Cheerwine float is a specifically highlighted Myrtle Beach specialty Cheerwine, the iconic cherry flavored Carolina soft drink that originated in Salisbury, NC in 1917, mixed with Cook Out’s smooth vanilla soft serve, creating what one reviewer called “a great way to cool off on a hot day in Myrtle Beach.” The chicken nuggets crispy outside, juicy inside, available in multiple sizes are also called out as a must try alongside the spicy cheese fries, which add a bold alternative to the standard fry option. The full menu includes CookOut Myrtle Beach SC Style and Cheddar Style burgers, cajun chicken sandwiches, BBQ sandwiches, hot dogs, corn dogs, and quesadillas.

Sides & Additional Items

Cook Out’s sides menu at both Grand Strand locations goes well beyond what most fast food chains along Kings Highway offer. Hushpuppies are a natural fit at a coastal Carolina beach town the Lowcountry and Grand Strand food traditions are rich with hushpuppies served alongside seafood, fish camps, and coastal BBQ joints, and Cook Out’s version provides that same authentic Southern side at a fraction of what beachside seafood restaurants charge. Onion rings offer a satisfying alternative to fries, and the spicy cheese fries highlighted specifically in Myrtle Beach reviews add a creative twist to the standard side lineup. The chicken nuggets, available in different sizes, function as both a side option and a standalone snack and have been specifically praised by Myrtle Beach reviewers.

The complete sides list at both Myrtle Beach area Cook Out locations includes regular fries, cajun fries, spicy cheese fries, hushpuppies, coleslaw, corn dog, onion rings, and quesadillas. The N Kings Hwy location in Myrtle Beach has indoor dining, outdoor seating, and drive thru access a more complete service configuration than many Cook Out locations, fitting for a tourist heavy market where customers range from families wanting to sit down to beach visitors who want to grab food quickly and head back to their hotel. Vegetarian options are available including hushpuppies, onion rings, fries, and quesadillas noted specifically in Myrtle Beach source listings as options that cater to non meat eaters. All sides can be ordered individually.

Cook Out Milkshakes & the Cheerwine Float – Myrtle Beach’s Coolest Treat

Cook Out milkshakes are described as “top notch” by Myrtle Beach reviewers and the Cheerwine float is specifically singled out as a must try experience during a Myrtle Beach visit. The float made with Cheerwine’s distinctively sweet cherry carbonation and Cook Out’s vanilla soft serve has become a particularly beloved summer item in a city where visitors are looking for something refreshing and distinctly Southern that they can’t find back home. Cheerwine, which has been produced in North Carolina since 1917 and remains one of the most beloved regional soft drinks in the Carolinas, gives the float a genuinely local character that resonates with both Carolinians who grew up with it and out of state visitors discovering it for the first time during a beach vacation.

Beyond the Cheerwine float, the full rotating selection of over 40 milkshake flavors gives Myrtle Beach visitors consistent variety regardless of when they visit during the year. Summer months bring peach, watermelon, and tropical fruit flavors to the rotation that feel particularly appropriate for a beach setting. Year round options include banana pudding, Oreo mint, strawberry cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake, caramel fudge, peanut butter fudge, chocolate malt, and cookie dough. The milkshakes are thick and hand spun quality that stands out on a restaurant strip where most fast food shake options are thin and machine processed. The Cook Out Tray’s most appreciated feature is that a milkshake or Cheerwine float can replace the large drink at no additional charge. Standalone milkshakes are around $3.99. Always ask the drive thru staff for the current flavor list summer seasonal flavors sell out quickly during peak Myrtle Beach beach season from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Hours & Availability

The N Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach location opens at 10:30 AM and closes at 3:30 AM Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and at 4:30 AM on Fridays and Saturdays confirmed from Yelp (August 2024). This 4:30 AM Friday Saturday closing ties it with the Boone, NC location for the latest Friday Saturday closing among all Cookout Myrtle Beach SC restaurants covered in this series, and makes it one of the only food options in all of Myrtle Beach serving a complete menu until nearly dawn on weekend nights. In a city that draws tens of millions of beach visitors annually with a significant portion of those visitors keeping late night schedules on the boardwalk, at Barefoot Landing, and along the Kings Highway entertainment corridor 4:30 AM is not just a marketing point: it is a genuinely needed service.

The North Myrtle Beach location at 205 US-17 closes earlier at 2:00 AM Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and at 3:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays reflecting the quieter overnight character of the northern Grand Strand compared to the main Myrtle Beach strip. The Grand Strand’s enormous hospitality workforce hotel staff, restaurant workers, entertainment venue employees, and retail workers who collectively serve Myrtle Beach’s 20+ million annual visitors includes thousands of people finishing second and third shifts between midnight and 4 AM every night of the peak season. For those workers, Cook Out on Kings Highway is frequently the most accessible and most satisfying late night food option available in the entire beach corridor.

Both locations open at 10:30 AM daily. Hours above are confirmed from Yelp for both locations. Always verify via Google Maps before a very late visit. During Myrtle Beach’s peak summer season from Memorial Day through Labor Day, both locations experience significantly elevated traffic and drive thru wait times can increase on busy weekend nights when the Kings Highway entertainment corridor is at maximum activity.

Cookout Myrtle Beach SC Locations

Use Google Maps above to find the Cook Out location nearest your hotel, vacation rental, or destination along the Grand Strand. With 2 locations covering central Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, most Grand Strand visitors and residents are within 15–20 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

The two Grand Strand Cook Out locations serve the northern and central sections of the 60mile barrier island coastline, covering the primary tourist and residential corridors. Here is a breakdown of each location.

North Kings Highway (Central Myrtle Beach): The location at 1800 N Kings Hwy is positioned in the heart of central Myrtle Beach along Kings Highway the primary commercial artery running parallel to the ocean through the entire resort city. This stretch of Kings Highway is surrounded by hotels, restaurants, miniature golf courses, water parks, and entertainment venues that define the classic Myrtle Beach tourist experience. With 133 Yelp photos, indoor dining, outdoor seating, drive thru access, and a 4:30 AM Friday Saturday closing, this is the most complete and most active Cook Out on the Grand Strand. It is described as offering “a cozy dining area” for those who want to sit down, making it more versatile than a standard drive thru only setup. Phone: (866) 547-0011.

US-17 (North Myrtle Beach): The location at 205 US-17 in North Myrtle Beach serves the quieter northern section of the Grand Strand, including the Cherry Grove, Crescent Beach, and Ocean Drive communities that collectively make up North Myrtle Beach. US-17 is the primary highway through North Myrtle Beach, connecting the resort area to Little River and the North Carolina border to the north, and to the main Myrtle Beach corridor to the south. This location has 33 Yelp photos and closes at 2:00 AM on weeknights and 3:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays earlier than the Kings Hwy location but still among the later closing food options in North Myrtle Beach. It serves both resort visitors and the significant year round resident population of North Myrtle Beach. Phone: (866) 547-0011.

Both Cook Out Grand Strand Locations

Cook Out and Myrtle Beach’s Food Scene

Myrtle Beach is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the United States, drawing over 20 million visitors annually to what is known as the Grand Strand a 60mile stretch of barrier island coastline in Horry County that is home to hundreds of hotels, resorts, condo complexes, golf courses, entertainment venues, and restaurants. The Kings Highway commercial corridor is one of the densest concentrations of tourist facing businesses in the Southeast, with options ranging from luxury oceanfront resorts to family seafood buffets, from world class golf courses to go kart tracks, from the SkyWheel on the boardwalk to the enormous Broadway at the Beach entertainment complex.

In that context, Cook Out fills a role that is harder to find than it might seem: a genuinely affordable, high quality food option that doesn’t require a reservation, a dress code, or a $60+ dinner bill. For the millions of Myrtle Beach visitors who are families managing vacation budgets spending on hotel, gas, activities, and entertainment Cook Out’s $7.99 Tray format represents a practical budget win on a trip where most meals along the Kings Highway strip cost significantly more. For the spring break crowd that floods Myrtle Beach from February through April, Cook Out’s late hours and affordable prices make it a natural late night anchor that serves that demographic better than any sit down restaurant in the area can.

Myrtle Beach’s year round resident population approximately 35,000 people in the city itself and over 450,000 in the greater Horry County area also relies on Cook Out in ways distinct from the tourist trade. For Coastal Carolina University students based in Conway just west of Myrtle Beach, Cook Out on Kings Highway is an accessible off campus food option. For the large hospitality workforce that staffs Myrtle Beach’s hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues, Cook Out’s 4:30 AM closing makes it the most practical post shift meal option available in the entire city. And for Horry County residents living inland from the beach who come into Myrtle Beach for shopping and errands, Cook Out represents a consistent and affordable anchor meal on any trip into the resort zone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cook Out in Nearby South Carolina Cities

Cook Out has coverage throughout South Carolina and along the coastal US-17 corridor. Traveling west from Myrtle Beach on US-501 toward Conway connects to the Pee Dee region where additional Cook Out locations are accessible. Florence about 75 miles west on US-501 has Cook Out locations. Traveling north on US-17 toward Brunswick County, NC, Cook Out locations are accessible along the route.

Additional Resources