Cook Out - Homewood, Alabama Visit Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026 (approximately 8:20 p.m.) I finally gave Cook Out a try while visiting the Birmingham/Homewood area. The service was relatively friendly, and our total for four meals and drinks came to $31.56, which is certainly inexpensive by today's standards. Here's what we ordered: * Big Double Burger - $4.39 (plus $1.00 for bacon, $0.55 for cheese, and $0.10 for tomato) * Small Burger - $3.39 * Three Strip Snack - $4.99 * 2 Dog Tray - $7.99 * Large drinks - $2.49 each The burgers were definitely the highlight. The patties had a nice chargrilled flavor that set them apart from a typical fast-food burger. My only complaint is that they're on the small side, even the double burger. The hot dogs were average at best. Nothing really stood out, and I wouldn't order them again. The biggest disappointment was the sides. The tray includes sides, but they are VERY small. My order of onion rings consisted of only five small onion rings, which was pretty underwhelming. The coleslaw actually tasted good, but again, the serving was tiny. To be fair, the prices do reflect what you get, so I wasn't expecting huge portions. If you're looking for an inexpensive meal, Cook Out delivers decent value. Overall, I'd probably come back for one of the chargrilled burgers, but I would definitely skip the hot dogs and keep my expectations in check when it comes to the sides. Three stars feels about right. read more

See all

I visited around 9:30 pm on a Sunday night & the drive thru line took f o r e v e r. Only 3 cars were in front of me once I ordered yet the line was at a near standstill for 15-20 minutes. I received my order at 10 pm and all of the food items were wrong I also received a cup of tap water despite the order board displaying "bottled water" as the water drink option. I parked and walked inside to get things sorted. The cashier at the counter was very attentive, apologetic and quickly righted things. She informed me that they had a lot of new employees and were still working things out. I appreciate her honesty and efficiency! Had it not been for her this would have easily been a 1-star review. It seems Cookout is the place for high schoolers to hang out on summer nights. Upon exiting the building there were several large groups of kids standing about & sitting at the outdoor tables. And the drive thru lines were both packed out by the time I got back to my car. Overall, I wished I had stopped somewhere else. read more

See all

Cook Out is one of my favorite spots when I want something quick, cheap, and actually satisfying, and their hotdogs are a big reason why. I love that you can get a full meal without spending much money, which is perfect for college students or anyone on a budget. The hotdogs are simple but really good, with soft buns and just the right amount of toppings. I usually get mine with chili and slaw, and it always hits the spot. What makes Cook Out even better is the tray deal, where you can get a hotdog, two sides, and a drink for a really good price. I usually add fries, quesadilla, and Dr. Pepper, which sounds random but somehow works perfectly together. The service is also super fast, even late at night when the line is long. It's one of those places you can count on after a long day or when you're hanging out with friends and don't want anything too fancy. The food isn't gourmet, but it's consistent, filling, and exactly what I expect from Cook Out. I would definitely recommend it if you're craving classic comfort food without spending a lot. read more

Food was on point! Cashier was helpful and fast! Food was good had a good time with my family, place is clean also

Missing my slaw and I asked for hush puppies and it wasn't even added to my order. Very disappointed.

Jamel Lee was absolutely fantastic. I showed up right before closing and he was more than happy to help me. Very nice and understanding. efinitely will be back! read more

Cook Out is kind of like a sister to Waffle House in the sense that it's best enjoyed after a night out; in fact, it seems that the later at night you have it, the better it tastes. When I go here, I always get a tray. This time it was a hot dog tray with a quesadilla and white cheddar bites. I appreciate the amount of food given (2 whole hot dogs!). The hot dogs are pretty basic, but good for the price. You can add on toppings (I went for just mustard). I went through the drive through and was out of there in about 5-10 minutes, which was nice. I will say that Cook Out doesn't seem as cheap as it used to be. My total was around $10, which is not a lot, but it used to be so much less. Though I suppose that's just a side effect of today's inflation rates. read more

In the drive-through, very polite. Very fast service. Fresh and hot. Inexpensive. Would love to try the shakes next time.

Pure trash. Nighttime drive thru is terrible the girl is rude full of hate. The fries had so much salt it's inedible. The level of trash is frankly impressive. This food isn't fit for a starving dog. Health department slacking read more

Food was good and reasonably priced. Had to go back to counter and get ketchup and stood there for roughly 5-7 minutes before someone asked what I needed, mind you the guy bringing food to counter never asked me. Every table we looked at sitting at was dirty and had old napkins and food residue on tables. We had to clean our own. We won't be back, I'm a firm believer in how you take care of business tables/service reflects how you take care of food. read more

I love this place! They know how to make a good North Carolina hamburger! Yes, you always put the slaw and chili on a burger and a hotdog! Also, this is the only place to get a wonderful cup of Cheerwine poured over some good old chewable ice. Dang, I've done gone and made myself hungry! I guess I'm headed to Cook Out again. read more

Visited Cook Out today for a peach milkshake. That's hard to beat. Creamy milkshake with chunks of peaches. Sometimes you have to press the end of your straw into the cup to "cut up" the chunk to fit in the straw. Be careful because you can poke a hole in your cup as I did today. The service was quick. The milkshake was fresh and the price was right. Like I said "hard to beat". read more

Very poor service and food, they have a very rude female dressed as a male working their night shift. She practically through my change out of the window and didn't want to give me my drink. The food was dry and burnt, and the experience was overall bad. Please don't go here late night, there are better options with less rude and willing to work staff. Prices are great, but customer service and food were awful read more

This wasn't my first Cook out experience. Actually this was my 2nd time at this particular location . I also had cook out for the first time several years ago while in Knoxville, TN. There's lots to choose from on their menu , which can complicate matters. I feel like their menu is all over the place. I ordered a chili dog (added onions) , a regular fry and a cherry chocolate milkshake. The chili dog didn't come with mustard!!!! Like what??? Why? The flavor was ok but the mustard was terribly missed. The fries were average and lacked salt. I enjoyed the shake the best. From a budget standpoint this is a good place to come if you need to feed a large family or big group. read more

See all

It a must when in the area, for the cost worth the food, 3 meals with a milk shake came to about $24. Cashier was friendly, toke a a smile to get her that way she must of had a bad customer before us, but was super friendly when her mood changed. It's inside is very basic with self serve drinks. Was told the hotdogs were great has well has the walking taco, I had spicy chicken which had a small kick and fried cheese and nuggets, nuggets was okay reminded of a Chinese buffet chicken nugget. The menu is little though to understand but after the first time you get the hang of how to order. Will return. Only issue was the bathroom stalls didn't have any toilet paper. read more

See all

This place is really worth the price point. This is my first time trying it out. The employees are super friendly and nice. I would recommend if you want a quick bite to eat. The food is amazing. It is really worth what you pay for. It is a good place to come with a group of friends/family. read more

What's behind the bold, red Cookout signs, and why is the double drive-thru always filled with cars? Inexpensive fast food that I didn't think was very good. My daughter says it's perfect for the broke college student. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I would go out of my way for. I had the Cajun Chicken Sandwich, two sides (onion rings and slaw), and a large sweet tea. Under 7 bucks is cheap! read more

Cook Out - Cajun Chicken Sandwich, and two sides - Fast Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

See all

So I'd never been to this place and I'd never heard of it but I was hungry, saw it and proceeded to the drive thru the other day to see what it was about. It's pretty simple. Burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, fries etc. Some milkshakes and things like that as well. The drive thru line was wrapped around the building but in spite of that it moved very quickly. So the crew seemed to be doing a good job of hustling the food out of the window. Good job there. I ordered a burger, some fries and some hush puppies...right...hush puppies. I don't get it either, but they weren't bad. The food was fresh and hot and the order was accurate. When I ate it, the thought that came to mind was, "This is acceptable food for the utilitarian purpose of eating food." It's not bad at all, but it's not really good food. Acceptable, and I'd go back again for sure. But not something that appeals to my foodie sensibilities. But not everything has to do that. Sometimes you need fast, hot, accurate utilitarian food for the purpose of not being hungry anymore. This place provides that and they do it for dirt cheap. I think my total was less than 7 bucks. You could eat here with the change in your cup holder. Nice people, fast and accurate service, acceptable food and unbeatable prices. Not bad at all. read more

Cook Out - a hamburger and french fries in a styrofoam container - Fast Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Cook out is a great place for a quick bite and not to expensive considering what it cost to eat out these days. Food service is quick and there shakes are yummy too! read more

For the price point, I should give it 5 stars....but combined with the food, can't quite do it lol. The service was friendly and food was ready really fast. We got grilled chicken sandwich, burgers, quesadilla, nuggets, chili cheese fries, onions rings, and red cherry shake. Quesadilla, chili cheese fries, and onions rings were all just average at best, I won't order them again personally. Can't find the chicken in the chicken quesadilla. The fries themselves were not hot. Also, they were soggy but dry at the same time (not sure how that's possible, ha!). The batter on the onion rings was too thick (so some people may like that, just not me) and there were only 4 in the order. Their grilled chicken sandwich, burgers, and shake are actually 5 stars though. The burger can use a little more seasoning but was fresh and I love that you can get freshly grilled onion with it. The milkshake was a hit, so thick we had to use a spoon in the beginning! Overall it's a great place to stop at for a quick meal. I will be back for the burgers for sure. read more

Cook Out - Grill chicken tray - Fast Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

See all

Around 3:00 this afternoon we tried to order at the drive thru, the woman couldn't hear us good and was very rude about it we go to drive off because how rude she was and as we're driving off she's in the window(where you walk up to order) and is flipping us birds. read more

First time here, and really not all that impressed. Maybe I had my hopes up as I came in here and discovered that the drive through was backed up significantly .... also, upon entry, there was a good line waiting to place orders. Well, the wait inside lasted longer than anticipated. As it turns out the person working the counter was going at it solo ... meaning he was taking peoples orders and calling out all orders when they were ready. He was plenty nice enough, but had one speed ---- if you guessed he would lose to the tortoise --- you guessed correctly! Plenty of menu choices and I like how they expand and give you custom add on options that contain multiple items. Kind of creative how they do it actually. Order in - burger with the cheddar package, side of onion rings and side of hush puppies. Food didn't take too long, you do have to go back to the counter when they call out your order. Portions are small ... in fact quite tiny. About a half dozen onion rings (not very big either) and 4 or 5 hush puppies. Flavor on both was good though so that was a plus. The burger, my recommendation, get that thing unwrapped ASAP! It was hotter than the sun and you could literally have cooked an egg on this thing. The burger itself, I was underwhelmed. It really didn't leave a positive impression. Partially because the bacon had a burnt flavor to it (but wasn't burnt) and the grilled onions literally took up more volume than the actual quarter pound patty. Good price point, and like I said the guy was nice. But for fast food, they should create a new category so that people have an idea that this isn't going to be quick process. Food report as a whole. Burger 2 star .... onion rings 3 star .... hush puppy ... 3 star .... peach shake, previously not mentioned 2 star. Now more about this shake. First, they have a massive list of flavors when it comes to shakes and they are pretty proud of what they have to offer (it would appear). So as far as the peach shake is concerned. Tasted more like vanilla than anything. But, my biggest issue, when you make a shake and have things flavoring the shake (in this case actual peach pieces) .... please, please, please don't give me the same tiny straw that you give me to drink my coke. Literally had to unplug this thing 25 - 30 times because pieces would get lodged in the bottom. So not the way to enjoy a shake. I'm glad I tried it, but will probably not be craving these guys anytime soon. read more

See all

Food: 3.5/5 Service: 5/5 Vibe: n/a Food: visited here when in town for a concert. I'm from the NOLA area and this reminds me of Bud's Broiler. The food is solid for the price. If you're really hungry get a double patty. Had the cheese curds, onion rings, and burger. I believe the combo was $6.99, excellent value for the meal. Me and my kids substituted our drinks for the shakes. You will not be disappointed in the shakes!!! They are worth the additional charge! Service: the guy taking the order at the drive thru was efficient and quick. Very nice and patient as this was my first time to Cook Out. Vibe: went to drive-thru, but inside looks like a fun spot to grab a burger. read more

the staff are rude and unprofessional. we sat in the hospital with our sick 3 year old for 6 hours and stopped to get food there after, we waited our turn in line patiently for 20+ minutes and when we pulled up she immediately said "what do you want" we asked her to give us a second and tried to read the menu, she proceeded to ask us 3 more times in a span of less than a minute what we wanted. We'd never been there and never even got a second to read the menu, after we told her we needed a second for the last time she told us "well you need to hurry and order there's others in line" We didn't even order we just pulled away. hopefully their food is better than their service is. Their menu doesn't make it easy to order either. read more

we waited 45+ minutes for our milkshake that ended up being the wrong one. that was ridiculous.

It was my first time at Cook Out. I should've read the reviews before I went. I was charged for a coke, bottled water and hot dog. I didn't order a bottled water. I didn't realize until I left when my total was higher than I expected. The only good thing about my hot dog was the bacon. But it didn't all go together. I might be back to give it a second chance but it's not likely. read more

Cook Out - Bacon cheddar dog - Fast Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I should've known better than to trust my 18 year old nephew, who raved about how cheap and great this place is. Ordered a burger tray with two sides. Burger was dry and could tell the quality of the meat was poor. The side fried items were meh. The milkshake was too thick to drink through a straw and tasted artificial. This is a place is strictly for the late night drinking crowd, when you are too hammered to taste anything and the tweens who don't have a discerning palette and on a very tight budget You do get a lot of options for a low price, but as with anything in life you get what you pay for. read more

I was excited to try Cookout, but overall I'm glad they finally opened up a location in Birmingham. We need places that stay open late. I believe they stay open till 3:00/4:00am. They are also super cheap with most menu items being about $1-3, and the combos about $5. I got a chicken quesadilla and fries. The fries were okay, but the chicken quesadilla was a little overcooked. The chicken was tough so I probably wouldn't order it again. I gave some of it to my friend's chihuahua, and she loved it and was begging for more. They have lots of menu items and milkshakes so I'll definitely be back to try more! read more

Cook Out - Chicken quesadilla and fries - Fast Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

first the food is good but it only good if you get what you want right. More than half of the times I have gone to cookout they forget something or they just do not have something on the menu. read more

bad made me cry -10/10 i ordered only fries and shake and i got my food aftwr everyoen tyat ordered after me and they didnt even put cajun seasoning on my fries like i asked read more

Very good and cheap. This our go to place if we are in the area. Definitely like eating at a cookout in a backyard.

I have been to this location of Cook Out many times and I always enjoy it. The food is always fresh and hot and the service is quick. I would like to see more sustainable packaging from here, as it is all styrofoam or plastic and I would also like to see an easier way to follow Covid restrictions if necessary. All in all, it was a great experience for a great price. I got a Cajun CHicken sandwich with cheddar cheese bites and I have to say it is a new favorite. I also got a Diet Coke and I have to say it is the best Diet Coke I've had to date. I love this place and will be returning. read more

I've been a fan of cookout for quite a while, from traveling to Norfolk and back. Glad we finally have one. This place is fast friendly and the prices are fantastic! Today I got the BBQ tray, BBQ sandwich and it comes with 2 sides and a drink and under 7 dollars . The BBQ comes with slaw, so let them know in case that's not your thing. The sauce is a vinegar based sauce witch I have come to love over the years. I got the hush puppies as one of my sides, very good. They remind me of the hush puppies at Smithfield's Chicken & BBQ, another restaurant we need to come to Birmingham. The crowds are dying down, so I would stop in and check them out if you haven't already. read more

Cook Out - BBQ sandwich with hush puppies & fries - Fast Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Where has this been my whole life? How do we have McDonalds on every corner but I've never been to one of these?? The cheese curds and hush puppies were phenomenal (and I consider myself a connoisseur of those particular items). The burger was like a homemade backyard barbecue burger (I added a dash of salt and it was delicious). The shake was really thick (great if you like dipping fries) and yummy. I really wish the location was closer to my usual stomping grounds because it was as cheap as cheap fast food but delicious and has some variety. Update- Just made my second visit and I'm sad to say I ordered 2 cheddar bites and only got one. Also a honey mustard chicken wrap that appears to only have bacon, a lettuce leaf, a white sauce... no chicken or honey mustard. read more

My husband went thru the drive and ordered 2 chicken finger dinners: one with onion rings and one with cheese curds. this was on Lakeshore Blvd in Birmingham. the lady even asked him to repeat the order. what they sent was one with onion rings and one with fries. The only thing that my granddaughter requested were the cheese curds. what a disappointment! Cashier listed was Ranique and not sure why she needed it repeated when she obviously did not know how to enter it. read more

I was so happy to eat here. As I took the 4th bite of my burger I realize there was somethig plastic in my mouth. I honestly thought it was a chicken bone or something like that. When i spit it out I was really disgusted. I ended up just eating my fries and onions rings. read more

Cook Out - Fast Food Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Horrible service. Ordered through the drive thru and they left off an onion ring. No biggie, mistakes happen. I go in to get the onion rings and sat in there for TWENTY minutes getting the run around about how they're cooking. Blah blah. Ended up leaving because the rest of the order was obviously cold by then. Got home, called the manager of the store, to find out that's who I was dealing with. She did nothing but say she didn't realize I didn't get them?!? I guess by me standing there for TWENTY minutes gave her the idea she gave them to me?! Horrible horrible customer service. read more

It's Cookout so our expectations aren't super high. We usually go through the drive thru. Hard working young people are doing the best they can--this is not about them. It's about the terrible "Christian rock" BLASTING inside of the restaurant. We ate inside the other day and I was sorry we did. I feel bad for the employees. At least turn that crap down. But it's offensive and I'd really prefer some Muzak to that. (The food was ok, although as per usual portions of the sides in a tray are pretty puny and we feel ripped off. 5 tiny cheese bites--some without actual cheese is hardly a serving. That's reflected in my two star rating also...) But the noise of that so-called music made me miserable. Please rethink that. Not everyone wants to hear that trash, and certainly not so LOUD. read more

This spot is typical fast food-- but it's super slow. It's super crowded at this location (I'm not shocked-- recently opened.) However, the food is meh. It's cheap, and worth the price. It's good for a hangover snack, but I haven't had the thought of getting or wanting an actual meal here. The food doesn't taste bad at all, but for the wait, and the service, it wasn't my favorite place. When I went, they kept skipping over me even though I was waiting in the car line, and going to the next person on the other side who had pulled up after me. That happened multiple times and it just got irritating. I would like to try them again in hopes to improve me review. read more

The worst and slowest service imaginable. How do you serve something that is burnt and cold at the same time? Two lanes for drive thru but apparently one isn't working. I saw three cars pull-up, wait... get frustrated wreck their cars driving over the lane divider to get out of line because no one was answering... 45min for hot dog and fries... I could have dug a hole in the ground extracted the coals from the earth and cooked those faster and it would at least be warm when I eat it read more