Cookout Burgers Menu

Cook Out Burgers Menu with Prices & Calories

Every burger currently available at Cookout Burgers Menu, listed with price estimates and calorie counts. Calories shown are for each item as typically served on a Regular base. Addons add to these totals.

Prices and calories are estimates based on publicly available menu data and vary by location. Style calories shown on a Regular base. Always confirm with your local Cook Out before ordering.

Why Cook Out Burgers Are Different

Most fast food chains cook their burgers on flat top griddles consistent, fast, and easy to control at scale. Cook Out uses an open flame gas grill instead. That produces grill marks, a slightly crispier edge, and a faint char note you simply can’t replicate on a griddle. The trade off is that it takes a little longer than a typical drive through, but the result is a burger that actually tastes grilled. The sizing system is also non standard Small, Regular, Big Double, and Huge don’t map neatly to what other chains call their sizes so the table below is worth a quick look before you order.

Cook Out Burger Sizes Comparison

Big Double vs. Regular – What’s the Actual Difference?

Both cost $3.39 and carry roughly the same calorie count, so the choice isn’t obvious. The Regular is one thicker 1/4 lb patty juicier in the center, better if you want the meat itself to be the focus. The Big Double uses two thinner patties that together weigh about the same. Two thinner patties mean more surface area on the grill, which translates to more char throughout. If you’re stacking a lot of toppings, the double patty structure holds them better. Same price, genuinely different eating experience.

Most Popular Cook Out Burgers

These four named styles define the CookOut burger menu. Each can be ordered on any burger size the style describes the toppings, not the patty.

Burger Styles – Ingredient Breakdown

A side by side of exactly what comes on each style. Use this to spot which one matches what you want without reading each description.

Cook Out Burger Calories – Lightest to Heaviest

If you’re planning a Tray around a calorie target, this ranking shows where each common build lands. Style calories are on a Regular base.

Calorie figures are estimates based on publicly available menu data. Actual calories vary by location and preparation.

How to Order a Cook Out Burger

Cookout Burgers Menu ordering system is flexible but not always obvious if you haven’t been before. Here’s how it works, step by step:

There’s no app or touch screen involved. You tell the cashier or drive through speaker your order. The crew handles custom requests at every location removing mustard, swapping slaw for cheese, or adding extra chili are all standard requests that get filled without any issue.

Burger Customization Options

Every burger style is a starting point. You can request any of the following at the window. Common modifications customers ask for:

Full AddOn List with Prices

Burger Tray Options

All four burger sizes can be the main in a Cook Out Tray the chain’s signature combo format. A Tray adds two sides from the full board and a drink to your burger. The same Tray price applies regardless of which sides you choose, including pricier options like White Cheddar Bites or the Walking Taco. You can also pick the same side twice. For milkshake and drink choices, see the Milkshakes page and Drinks page.

Best side pairings by burger style:

Best Cook Out Burger for Every Preference

Dietary Notes & Allergen Flags

Cook Out burgers contain gluten through the standard bun. The beef patty itself is plain beef, cooked on a shared grill. Common allergens vary by topping.

This is not a complete allergen reference. Shared grill surfaces may affect cross contact. Anyone managing a food allergy should check Cook Out’s official allergen documentation or ask in store. See also: Cook Out Allergens Menu.

Explore More Cook Out Menus

Putting together a full meal around your burger? These pages cover everything else on the Cook Out menu:

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Cook Out Burgers Stand Apart

The fast food industry runs almost entirely on flat top griddles. They’re faster, easier to calibrate, and produce consistent results at scale. Cook Out does it differently. Patties go on an actual gas fired grill, and that choice has real consequences for the flavor you end up with. The direct flame contact creates grill marks, a slightly crispier outer edge, and a faint char note that you can’t replicate on a flat surface. It’s a slower process, which is part of why Cook Out is sometimes cited as taking a little longer than other drive through chains, but the tradeoff is a burger that genuinely tastes grilled rather than steamed or fried.

The other thing worth knowing upfront is that Cook Out’s sizing system isn’t the standard small/medium/large setup most chains use. Their naming Small, Regular, Big Double, Huge describes both the patty count and the weight, and the Big Double occupies an unusual space where two thinner patties together weigh roughly the same as one Regular patty. Understanding the size chart before you order is the fastest way to avoid either under ordering or paying for more than you needed.

Cook Out Burger Sizes at a Glance

A quick reference for anyone deciding between sizes before adding toppings. Calories listed are for the plain patty on a bun, before any style toppings or addons.

Prices and calories are estimates based on publicly available menu data and vary by location. Always confirm with your local Cook Out before ordering.

Big Double vs. Regular: What’s Actually the Difference

This is probably the single most common point of confusion for anyone ordering at Cook Out for the first time. On paper, the Big Double and the Regular Burger cost the same and sit at roughly the same calorie count, so it feels like one of them should be the obvious pick. Here’s the actual difference: the Regular is a single 1/4 lb patty. The Big Double uses two thinner patties that together weigh about the same as that single Regular patty.

The practical result is different textures and ratios. Two thinner patties mean more char surface area relative to the total meat, so the Big Double tends to have a slightly crispier edge throughout. The Regular has a thicker, juicier center. If you’re stacking a lot of toppings, the Big Double holds them better because you’ve got two patty layers to anchor everything. If you prefer a cleaner, simpler burger where the meat itself is the focus, the Regular delivers that better. Neither is objectively better they just eat differently.

Complete Cook Out Burger Styles Menu

Cook Out organizes its burgers into named styles that bundle specific toppings together. You can order any style on any size and then modify freely from there. The style is the starting point, not a locked configuration.

Each Burger Style, Explained in Detail

Cookout Style is the house signature and the most ordered configuration at most locations. The combination of homemade chili and creamy coleslaw on a burger sounds unusual if you didn’t grow up in the Southeast, but it’s a deeply traditional Southern pairing the same logic behind a chili slaw dog. The chili adds richness and a savory depth, the slaw brings cool creaminess and crunch, and the yellow mustard ties it together with sharpness. This is the style to get if you’re ordering Cook Out for the first time and want to understand what the chain is actually about.

Out West Style is where Cook Out leans into the classic American BBQ burger format. Smoky BBQ sauce, crispy bacon, pickles, and onions it’s a familiar combination, but the char grilled patty underneath it makes a real difference compared to the same set of toppings on a flat top burger. The smokiness in the meat reinforces the smokiness in the sauce rather than competing with it. This style gets heavier on calories than the others because of the bacon and BBQ sauce stacking, which is worth keeping in mind if you’re managing your meal around a calorie target.

Steak Style takes a different direction. A1 sauce is the kind of condiment that usually lives on steakhouse tables, and it brings an earthy, tangy complexity to a burger that ketchup or mustard simply don’t produce. Paired with grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato, this is the most “composed” style on the menu it eats less like fast food and more like a proper burger from a sit down spot. The style addition is also the lowest calorie of the four at +100, which makes it a reasonable choice for anyone who wants toppings without the heavier stack.

Cheddar Style is exactly what it sounds like a burger built for cheese lovers. Melted cheddar, bacon, grilled onions, and mayo combine into something rich and indulgent. The style adds 240 calories on top of the base patty, the highest additional calorie count of any named style. If you’re going this route and want maximum flavor, the Huge Burger base makes the most sense because the thicker patties can hold their own against the weight of the toppings. On a Small, the toppings can overpower the meat.

Cook Out Burger Calories – Full Builds, Lightest to Heaviest

The table below shows estimated total calories for complete burger builds base patty calories plus the style topping additions. Useful if you’re building a Tray around a calorie budget.

Nutrition Snapshot – Fat, Sodium & Protein

Calorie counts don’t show the whole nutritional picture. The table below gives approximate fat, sodium, and protein values for the most commonly ordered builds. Sodium in particular varies significantly between styles because of the sauces and toppings involved.

These are estimates compiled from publicly available information and typical nutritional patterns. Sodium is where the biggest variation shows up across styles the Out West and Cheddar builds run meaningfully higher than the plain or Steak Style versions.

Best Cook Out Burger for Every Preference

If you already know what you’re after and just want a quick recommendation rather than scrolling through the full breakdown:

Full AddOn List – Prices & Calories

Every burger style is a starting point, not a final answer. Cook Out lets you add, remove, or swap toppings freely at the window. The table below covers everything available to add, along with calorie and price estimates. Most people order two to three add ons on top of a style, so it’s easy to build something personal without feeling like you’re just modifying a preset.

Three Custom Build Ideas Worth Trying

Ordering off the style presets entirely is the right move once you’ve tried the menu a few times. Here are three combinations that work well and don’t just copy a named style:

The Southern Stack: Big Double, Cookout Style, add a Cheese Slice and Fresh Jalapeño. The slaw and chili from the Cookout Style are already doing a lot of work, but the jalapeño adds a brightness that cuts through the richness, and the extra cheese turns it into something you won’t find on any named style.

The A1 Bacon Build: Regular Burger, Steak Style, add Bacon and a Cheese Slice. This keeps the calorie count manageable while giving you a burger with real complexity. The A1 and grilled onions from the Steak base, plus crispy bacon and melted cheese on top, produces something that genuinely eats above its price point.

The Loaded Huge: Huge Burger, Cheddar Style, add Homemade Chili and Homemade Slaw. Yes, this is essentially a Cheddar Style Cookout Style hybrid, and yes, it’s a lot of food but the Huge patty weight justifies every topping. This is peak Cook Out in a single order.

Best Side Pairings by Burger Style

A Cook Out Tray includes your burger, two sides, and a drink. Which sides you pick alongside each burger style genuinely changes how the meal eats. Some combinations reinforce the burger’s flavors, others provide contrast. The full side list is on the Sides menu page.

How the Burger Tray Meal Works

The Cook Out Tray is the chain’s signature meal format and the reason the menu feels different from most fast food operations. Instead of a preset combo, you pick one main (in this case a burger), choose any two sides from the full sides board, and select a drink which can be upgraded to a milkshake for a small upcharge. The total price stays fixed regardless of which sides you pick, including the pricier options like White Cheddar Bites or the Walking Taco. More on how the Tray pricing works is on the Tray price page.

Dietary Notes – Allergens, Gluten & Customization for Dietary Needs

Cook Out burgers contain gluten through the standard bun. The patty itself is beef only, cooked on a shared grill. Common allergens across the burger menu include wheat (bun), dairy (cheese slice, Cup of Cheese, mayo in Steak and Cheddar styles), and potential cross contact from shared cooking surfaces.

This is not a complete allergen reference. Shared grill surfaces and location specific sourcing can affect cross contact risk. Anyone managing a food allergy should check Cook Out’s official allergen documentation or ask in store before ordering. For the full allergens page, see Cookout Allergens Menu.

How Cook Out Burgers Hold Up for Takeout and Delivery

Char grilled burgers hold up reasonably well in transit compared to thin, flat top smashed patties, which tend to steam in a sealed container and lose texture quickly. The Cook Out patty retains some structural integrity for longer because it’s thicker and has a slightly crisped exterior from the grill. That said, 15 to 20 minutes in a closed bag is about the realistic window before the bun starts absorbing moisture from the toppings.

If you’re ordering through DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub, the Cookout Style and Steak Style hold together better than the Cheddar or Out West builds, mostly because the melted cheese and BBQ sauce absorb into the bun more during delivery time. Requesting sauces on the side when available is worth it for delivery orders, especially for the Out West Style where the BBQ sauce is the heaviest component.

Cook Out Burgers – A Brief Background

Cook Out opened its first location in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989, and the burger was the anchor product from day one. The char grilling format wasn’t a gimmick or a marketing angle it was simply how burgers were made at backyard cookouts in the South, and the chain leaned into that identity rather than standardizing toward the flat top efficiency model that most chains had already adopted. The Cookout Style topping combination chili, slaw, mustard, onions draws directly from the North Carolina hot dog and burger tradition, where chili slaw is a standard condiment pairing at roadside stands across the state.

As the chain expanded from North Carolina into Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and beyond, the burger menu stayed relatively consistent. The named styles were formalized, add ons were standardized, and the Tray format emerged as the dominant ordering vehicle but the patties kept coming off a grill rather than a griddle. That core decision is what continues to differentiate Cook Out burgers from the broader fast food category, even as the chain has grown into a regional operation with hundreds of locations.

Frequently Asked Questions