We asked for your go-to Cook Out combo orders. Here are the tasty results.
The News & Observer recently broke down how to order at Cook Out, the North Carolina-based fast food chain known for its wide array of milkshakes and the ultra-customizable — and sometimes confusing — Tray combo.
Between burgers, chicken strips, hot dogs, barbecue and other main course options, plus plenty more fried options as sides, the number of possible Tray orders is almost endless: 54,000 by one publication’s estimate.
With that many possibilities, we were curious about what our readers are ordering at the Cook Out drive-thru. So, as part of our original story, we asked them to submit their go-to Tray combinations.
In the responses, burgers appear to be the main attraction for most folks, but there were some interesting (and we assume tasty) outliers.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your next late night trip to Cook Out or you’re just curious about potential combinations, here are some of our readers’ orders.
Burger Tray orders at Cook Out
Burgers were by far the most common choice from readers, but their choices for sides and drinks showed some variation.
Here are the responses we received with burgers in the order.
▪ Big Double burger served cheddar style + chicken nuggets + beef quesadilla + a strawberry milkshake. For those who don’t know, Cook Out’s “Big Double” burger is trademarked, so if you order one, you know you’re getting something special. The doubled beef choice here (or is that tripled beef, if you count the Big Double as two?) by adding the beef quesadilla is bold, but we like the addition of the strawberry milkshake to round things out.
▪ Big Double burger served cheddar style + a corn dog + onion rings + a chocolate malt shake + Cook Out sauce. It appears we have another Big Double cheddar style fan, but this order includes the crucial addition of Cook Out sauce. We have to admit that we’re not entirely familiar with Cook Out sauce, but according to WeWantTheSauce.com, it’s a “creamy mayo, ketchup, mustard, Cajun seasoning blend.” We’re sure it pairs perfectly with the corn dog.
▪ Regular burger with mustard, mayo, ketchup and lettuce + fries with extra Cajun seasoning + onion rings + chocolate nut shake. The reader who submitted this order told us, “don’t bother with anything else,” so we’ll take their advice and leave this one with minimal commentary.
▪ Bacon cheeseburger + a chorizo quesadilla + corn dog + a Reese’s milkshake. This reader told us that the chorizo quesadilla is apparently “available at a few special locations,” and according to a tweet from Cook Out, it seems like it was introduced to the menu in 2020. We’ll have to do some research to see if it’s available in the Triangle, but we know it has to be good, because the reader said they’ve “been living abroad a few years and think of this meal every day!”
▪ Burger + chicken nuggets + fries + Huge Tea. If you’re not going to get a milkshake at Cook Out, a Huge Tea is a good option to wash down all that fried goodness. (We prefer Cheerwine ourselves, but we’ll withhold our judgment.)
▪ Regular burger with cheese, ketchup and mayo + double chicken quesadillas + a Huge Tea. Another Huge Tea fan, but this reader doubles up their quesadilla sides. We’re sure this combo tastes great.
▪ Big Double burger tray with mustard, ketchup and slaw + chicken nuggets + a quesadilla + tea. Usually you see people eat slaw and chili (plus onions) on a burger, but we like the commitment to solely slaw here.
▪ Big Double tray with cheese, bacon, lettuce and mayo + Cajun fries + white cheddar cheese bites + a Huge Tea. Two notes here: First, you folks really like your Big Double burgers. Second, in our opinion, the white cheddar cheese bites are an underrated but great side option.
▪ Big Double burger with bacon + with a bacon wrap + chicken wrap + sweet tea. This reader likes wraps and isn’t afraid to show it.
▪ Big Double burger with cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion and mayo + with Cajun fries + a chicken quesadilla + a Huge Tea (or sometimes an M&M and peanut butter milkshake). Did we mention you folks really like Big Double burgers? We like someone that stays prepared with a back-up order, and the M&M and peanut butter milkshake alternative here sounds tasty.
▪ Regular cheeseburger served plain + with a double order of onion rings + a lemonade. We appreciate the simplicity here. It likely makes for a smooth ordering experience at the drive-thru, which we’re sure the Cook Out employees and everyone behind you in line appreciates. Bonus points for mixing it up and choosing lemonade as your drink.
Other, non-burger orders at Cook Out
As much as most readers liked burgers as their Tray entree, there were some readers who submitted more unique orders, including for hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and more.
▪ Chili dogs + hush puppies + fries. This reader didn’t submit a drink with their order, but we like that they included hush puppies. And if you’re wondering, a Tray comes with two hot dogs if you order them as your main food item.
▪ Chicken sandwich served club style + regular fries + slaw + a vanilla milkshake. With 40 possible milkshake flavors, some of you might be judging this reader for ordering plain vanilla. But hear us out: A vanilla milkshake sets the tone for the rest of the menu. If some place can’t do those right, they shouldn’t try other flavors. We admit to having ordered vanilla shakes ourselves at Cook Out, and they don’t disappoint. Sometimes, simple is better.
▪ Grilled chicken sandwich + fries + onion rings + Cheerwine. Finally, someone ordered a Cheerwine. We’re sure it pairs great with this simple and classic meal combo.
▪ Barbecue sandwich (add pickles) + ranch chicken wrap + beef quesadilla + a Cheerwine. We’re not sure about the pickles on a barbecue sandwich, but if this Cheerwine-drinking reader says so, we’ll give it a try.
▪ Junior BLT with fries + a chicken ranch wrap (with no ranch) + a sweet tea (with extra ice). The first and only suggestion for a Junior Tray, this order took us on a roller coaster ride. A chicken ranch wrap without the condiment that’s right there in its name? Extra ice in the tea? This reader knows what they want and exactly how they want it.
Honorable mention order
We’re not quite sure what “Cheddar Friday” means, but one reader told us that’s their order.
Is it a burger served cheddar style? Maybe with an order or two of white cheddar cheese bites? And ordered only on Fridays?
We may never know, but we like the mystery.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 2:55 PM.
