Wow. Wow, wow, wow! This place is amazing. I am unsurprised that the drive-thru line was so long at dinner time, because after eating here once I am happy to say that it is worth the wait. The food was fresh, hot and delicious but somehow also not greasy?!? My cheese bites were hot and gooey, the fries were soft and perfectly cooked, and the sweet tea is SPOT ON for this Southern girl. My only teensy critique (and this may come down to personal preference) was that the spicy crispy chicken didn't seem spicy at all. However, it was still delicious and I would 100% get it again. I can't wait to come back and try the other menu items!! read more

Caveat emptor; Buyer beware! Avoid this place at all costs! I don't even care if it's just for a late-night snack. First off, the service is NOT good, and when I mean not good, I mean down to the point of going silent when trying to explain something on the menu and cutting me off when I ordered. The decor is shoddy and poorly planned, with uncomfortable seats being a major problem. Now, aside from those already cringe-worthy woes, the worst aspect is definitely the food. My dad ordered onion rings w/ his meal; only 4 decided to come. BBQ sandwich was awful, boasting with sodium, and a little blue doodad came up in my sandwich. Hello!?! The health code will love giving this place crap! I hope my thesis is clear; Cookout is bad beyond belief!!! read more

Cook Out - Ummm...I could choke on that had I not noticed it!! - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

$4 and $5 trays with a lot of options!!!! Perfect for a quick lunch, for picky kids, for late nights and after parties. Oh and the milkshakes!!! We don't have these at home, and that might be a good thing for me! I'll be sure to pay a visit whenever I'm nearby! read more

Cook Out is a fun little place. The food is obviously very affordable and fast, and you can't beat the selection of milkshakes. I have had mistakes in orders several times at this location, but the staff always is helpful in getting the correct food to me. This is better than your average fast food restaurant, and is a great stop on the road for a quick meal. read more

I am basing this review on the milkshakes we purchased, not the food. We did not eat here just ordered milkshakes. The ice cream was not creamy and the milkshakes were frozen solid. You definitely could not use a straw for the milkshakes. I would rather have one from Ben & Jerrys or McDonalds or Arbys next door. read more

Cook Out - Oreo shake! - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

See all

Their chicken fingers remind me of one Friday in my high school cafeteria. Now, for some context, the hot food on Fridays was always fried and chicken-related, such as fried chicken meatballs, fried chicken on Thursday's leftover pizza, chicken in a pita roll and then deep fried. That particular Friday, it was chicken tenders, and people started lining up at 11:30. 11:30!! These were people who refused to show up to suspension hearings, so that should give you some idea of how seriously we took our chicken tenders. Anyway we all got in line at an ungodly early hour and yes, there was some shoving and jostling, but y'know. Whatever. I was going to get my chicken tender on. So the people who cut in line got their stupid tenders. Then the people who had let their friends cut got their tenders. Then the people who got there early and who waited patiently got theirs. Then the guy before me got the second to last tender. I must stress that you can never eat just one chicken tender. That violates some fundamental law of physics. You must have at least two to achieve self-actualization. So the universe showered metaphorical poo on me that day and all I got was one dinky little tender. It was the runt of the litter. Squashed on one side, burnt (but not in the delicious sexy way, in the gross cancer-causing way) on the other side, and extremely hard (coughthat'swhatshesaidcough). I had to gnaw on that sucker to rip a small piece off. Cook out's chicken fingers are exactly like the one I got that day. I ate all of them, along with fries and a chicken quesidilla, and I felt horrible after. If I'm ever in a chicken tender mood, I'm driving the extra five minutes to Raising Cane's. But yeah, if you want any other kind of drunk fast food (wings, burgers, hot dogs, milkshakes), Cookout's pretty nice. It's also where I had my first horndog, sorry, corndog ever, and for the rest of the night, all I could talk about was that corndog. read more

Positives: great service, drive thru moves quickly, and cheap prices - got 2 cheese burgers, fully loaded, with side of onion rings for just over $10. Negative: burger was uninspiring. Patty was falling apart and wasn't hot. I hate place like this that cook their patties half away ahead of time to shorten service time and then serve up a burger that is warm on the outside and room temperature on the inside. People will wait for a hot burger- a la Shake Shack, and almost every other major burger chain that only make burgers to order. read more

Hubby says they won't disappointed ! I will tell ya it looks juicy bbq and burgers and hotdogs . I'm had a burger with everything on it . Yummo seriously. Juicy and grilled onions too ! Cheesecake good and gluten free ! I asked for A1 and mayo . Nice staff too ! Were patient yup this is how you do a burger joint ! Price under 20 3 good size burgers one cheese fries and another large fry also pop and cheesecake .so a pretty good deal I had a steak burger. So yep you will like it !read Cody review describes it perfectly ! Good prices good food fast ! read more

Cook Out - The menu - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Had to try out this place on a visit. I tried the burger, which tasted very 'char-y', almost artificial. I got the side of onion rings, which came with three rings. Not even large ones, and they weren't good either. The fries were respectable though. I also had the cheese bites, which were good but again came with such a small amount of them. The quesadilla was the best part of the meal. read more

The menu was so chaotic if madeit made my brain hurt and I called a cab and ran away. Foods decent though.

I was introduced to Cookout in college, and always try to visit when I'm in the South. This particular Cookout is the nicest and largest Cookout I've ever been to. I'm used to visiting the Cookout's in NC that only have a walk-up window and 2+ drive-thru's. My go-to order is always the tray - you get so much food! I love the burgers, corn dogs, and chicken wraps. The milkshakes are incredible as well- mint Oreo is my all time fave! If you're looking for inexpensive, quick, yummy takeout- Cookout is the place to be. With regards to this particular Cookout, my fiancé and I came in around 10:30pm on a Friday evening after my train arrived to CVille over an hour late. The entire place was packed full of loud, screaming high schoolers who had moved around chairs and were all but running in circles. Not really the restaurant's fault, but I have to imagine that many kids running around put them very close at max occupancy for fire code safety. read more

I am not one to expect some magical experience at a drive thru fast food place but this place definitely was the worst cookout I have frequented. I came by when there was seemingly a small line but once I got up the the ordering section, was greeted with silence for 5 plus minutes. Not even a "one second" just dead silence. After finally someone came on the mic, they let me start ordering to only ask me to wait for another 5 minutes. A drive thru mid day Sunday with a 20 minute wait is ridiculous. Then when I came up the window, one of the employees was not masked, tried to give me two drinks when I ordered one, and was generally cold- perhaps she was new? My food did not smell very appetizing and in my tray only the two quesadillas were edible. The fries were stale, the cheerwine had no carbonation and was flat, and the ranch wrap didn't look like any ranch wrap I had ever ordered at Cookout before. So lame I spent so much time in the drive thru to throw out 3/4 of my meal. read more

Cook Out is my favorite fast food restaurant, and it isn't even close. You get a lot of food for a little money, and all of it is good. What really impressed me about this location, however, was the efficiency. It was crowded to the point where there was almost seating and a decent sized line was built up, but it only took 5 minutes for us to order and get our food. The location was also clean, even though the traffic in and out was constant. read more

Cook Out is awesome fast food!!! I wish they were in the Tampa area. A dozen hush puppies for a dollar is unheard of even in FL. The BBQ sandwich is so delicious! They have locations from GA to VA. read more

See all

I went here starving ready to be saved by the bright neon red sign. Upon arrival in the drive through line, I made a split decision, milkshake or Fanta. The following decision was the worst one of my life. I chose Fanta and when the styrofoam cup came into my hand, I could immediately tell something was wrong. After my first sip I opened the lid and looked into the drink. It looked perfectly normal so I took another sip. It tasted like water. This was the most watered down Fanta I've had so far in my life. It didn't even taste like Fanta at all, and I needed a Fanta at the moment. I'm even considering driving to the gas station and buying a REAL Fanta. Thanks read more

Cook Out - The Fanta - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Cookout is a fun spot for late night food with friends, but I definitely wouldn't classify it as a great restaurant. The reason why so many college students (myself included) love going to Cook Out is because of how cheap the menu items are. You definitely get what you pay for, as everything is low in quality, flavor, and nutritional value. That being said, everyone loves a good "treat yourself" moment of fried junk food and a milkshake, so if that is what you are in the mood for, Cook Out is a great spot! You also get what you pay for in terms of service, as the staff pays little attention to detail as they try to get through orders as quickly as possible. For example, my vegetarian friend asked specifically for no chicken in his cheese quesadilla (he even told them that he does not eat meat). We got our order to-go, and when he took a bite of his quesadilla at home, he realized they had ignored his request. I've seen things like this happen multiple times, so be very clear if you have specific requests for your orders! read more

The guy at the order window said I had a nice smile. Thought It was weird at first but then the more I looked at him the more I felt drawn to him. Maybe it was how French he looked in his uniform or the way his hair fell over his face, either way I know there was something there. When he called my name I his voice sounded like my dads, I knew this wasn't going to be goodbye. When he handed me the sauce our his hands touched mine and our eyes met. I asked for his number and we're going to Arby's on Tuesday for our first date!! I'm a dude by the way read more

So what is cook out ? It's a cheap burger place ! It's extremely thin burgers with scriptures on the bag ! Service was excellent! Hush puppies yes ! . read more

Cookout is a terrific value. It is right near the University of Virginia campus located on the side of the road. It is a little awkward trying to get into the lot. Their food is awesome for a quick snack. I love the Cookout Tray ($5 for an entree, two sides, and a drink!!) and always have to snag a corn dog. I like their quesadillas and wraps. I recently tried the Chicken Tenders for the first time and they were surprisingly quite good. But, the best part of Cookout is their exceptional milkshakes. There are a ton of flavors to choose from and the shakes are out of this world! Make sure to visit Cookout on your next trip to UVA...definitely worth it! read more

A very clean place. Everything was in order and the restrooms were well kept. The food came out fast and the delicious. I love the 40-different flavor floats. My coke float came out good. read more

Cookout is part of the college student's diet at this point. As someone who has tried everything on the menu (believe me, its really not that hard given the amount of time I spent at UVA and how often my Christian fellowship went) as well as all the milkshake flavors, I can honestly say that cookout is well worth the money you spend here. It's cheaper than McDonalds and the quality of food, although it can be disjointed at times, the price more than makes up for it. My personal favorite is the new items "cheddar rounds" essentially mini hash browns on steroids filled with cheese. Fantastic thing to snack on. My only qualms with the place is that the tray's onion ring order often can be lacking. Sadly they only give you about 4-5 onion rings which is much less than hushpuppies or fries. Also the oil should be changed more often as the onionish flavor from the hushpuppies begins to permeate through all the other fried foods that they serve. Oreo mint mixed with cappuccino is a fantastic mix as a milkshake as well as banana pudding added with either pineapple or peanut butter (whether you're feeling fruity or savory). In the future and as I move out of Charlottesville I find myself craving and missing this place more and more. Such is the way of a graduating college student. read more

Its the perfect food after getting high or just to snack on but i would definitely complain if my order was wrong cause most items on the menu are pretty easy to make read more

I have been eating keto for a while and decided that I was going to break my diet and enjoy life a little bit. Unfortunately, I choose cookout. This was my first time at the chain so I ordered the BBQ, and a shake. The shake was tasty-no complaints. But the pulled pork was the worst I've ever had. I was so unimpressed that I threw it out. So it wasn't just disappointing, it was a bad taste! I love fatty bbq meats. Love them! But I found cookout to be gross. Additionally, the service was lousy. Nothing too terrible, just the general preoccupied workers type thing. read more

Look, it wasn't just me. When asked to rate it among Riverside on East Main, Riverside Forest Lakes, Jak n' Jil and another joint, the girls (9 and 11) put Cook Out at the bottom of the list. Ok, but not great. Perhaps the milkshakes bring in the crowds. Or the Cheerwine. We failed to get either. My burger was left on the grill too long, like a burger at a BBQ that lingers there far too long and is best used to soak up beer in your stomach. Hush puppies and fries were unremarkable. The wee one got a BBQ sandwich. Meh. But I can see it's attraction as a late night rendezvous. And service was quick and efficient. And just a note; I may have inched up a star but when I had a Psalms (1:7 no less, nothing whatsoever to do with food or thanksgiving) quote and a God Bless America on my cup I lost the inclination. Maybe this is subtle bump for Christian business but I don't want any religion with my food. Kebab shops don't have Alahu Akbar on their cups or Koran verses on the walls (that I can read). Nor do the Indian spots shout out to Hindi. American cuisine doesn't mean we get a Bible lesson with the food. Just make the food as good for your fellow man as you can make it. read more

Cook Out knows what it wants to be - a low priced, late night, junk food mecca - and it does that to perfection. Having lived north of the Mason Dixon line my whole life, I wasn't even aware Cook Out existed until coming to Charlottesville. What an experience it was - obscenely low priced food that isn't that bad. It's not going to be a gourmet experience, it's fast food, but it's pretty good for fast food. Most items are $0.99 - $2.00, and include burgers, fries, BLT, hush puppies, onion rings, etc. including $2+ milkshakes that are actually pretty good. This location is also well maintained, with ample seating and an appropriately sized parking lot. It's not high-end, but it's cheap and good at what they do. I highly recommend if you want good cheap fast food or if it's 2AM and you can get your DD to take you here. read more

Cook Out is the quintessential country drive-in. You must get a milkshake - mine was Reese's, my girl's was watermelon - and they both were BOMB. Food was solid too - I had a double cheese with a whole buncha other stuff and some $1 cheese fries that hit the spot. This place has far more character and faster service than your run of the mill fast food joint. Wish they had one near me in DC. read more

Absolutely love Cook Out, there are so many good things to say about this place. Great, quick service, tons to choose from on the menu, easy drive thru and even an INSIDE DINNING ROOM (all Cook Out restaurants i have seen previously were drive thru only). Hush puppies, cajun fries, corn dogs, onion rings as sides to the chicken strip or burger trays. Great milkshakes, try Oreo-Mocha! read more

If I had a fast food craving, I would choose Cookout over mcdonalds/wendys/arbys, etc. For the price, it's a ridiculously good deal. I mean...where else would an entire corn dog count as a "side".... I would be lying if I said my favorite thing to get there wasn't an oreo-mint milkshake. On certain occasions, I'm pretty sure I'm capable of finishing an entire one. Open 24/7, milkshakes, quesadillas, o-rings...can't really give it anything other than 5 stars read more

Mint Oreo shake is insane! Much more like a Wendy's frosty with things blended in than a true milkshake. Delicious nonetheless.... also they are open late for those late night ice cream cravings. And the fellas working the counter are fast and friendly. read more

If you're looking for quality food, this is not your place; however, if you're a starving night owl who gets hungry around 2:00am, I must say this place is your best option! Food is very cheap, in many cases you'll find it even cheaper than McDonald! LOL I ordered their classic cheeseburger which comes with two sides, and my friends ordered the same. I must say the burger was a little too small, and I could easily consider having another one. We also ordered milkshake which was very thick more like an ice-cream! Overall, their affordable prices and unusual hours of operation makes it one of my favorite places in C'ville! read more

generally love this place.... but last night my husband and I were really grossed out to find this green thing (no idea what it was) in my husband's almost finished shake he got. I ate mine on the way home in the dark so I really hope I didn't have that in mine....super gross! read more

Best fast food place ever. Lightyears ahead of McDonalds, Burger King, etc. This place has great burgers, sandwiches, hotdogs, bbq, quesadillas, you name it! All the food is cheap and it comes out really fast. Their Cookout Tray is the best deal ever; $5 for a main dish, two sides, and a fountain drink (other drinks cost extra). Their hamburgers actually taste like they have meat in them and their fries are solid. Their "fancy shake" menu is also really extensive with the amount of flavors you can get, and you can mix and match any number of flavors you want! Just be careful not to overdo it otherwise your beastly concoction doesn't fit through the straw. The Cheerwine float is also a must-try as a drink/dessert. The tray is the best deal, but you can also get a variety of other items for a low price as well. The BBQ sandwich is not one of those sandwiches you'd think was made in assembly line or printed out of a 3d printer.. it's the real deal. One of the main reasons why I like Cook Out so much is because their fast food is ACTUAL food. Just decadent, greasy, Southern fast food that is the epitome of greatness. Popular drunk munchies spot for late-night treks, so don't be surprised if you see an army of college students with a BAC of their GPA in droves at Cook Out if you go late. Overall a great place to grab fast food, and I really wish they weren't just in the South. Us NoVA people ache for its expansion up here. read more

Well we were at Zaxbys and my daughter didn't want anything in the menu. So we walked across to Cookout. It was the happening place packed to the hilt everyone mingling. The staff was friendly and were taking orders quickly and sending them out quickly. Drink area clean dining room clean. A great example of a Cook Out. We were back at Zaxbys were our family were still waiting for order to come out. read more

I am giving Cook Out only 3 stars because of the level of service I have received. I want to make it clear that I truly enjoy the food but the service could be better. Here is the situation. When I order a cheeseburger, I usually always ask for everything on it, this includes coleslaw and chili, but no bacon. Asking for everything must really confuse individuals because the cashier then asks if I want tomatoes and I say that part of everything. Also, the individuals who make the burger get confused because majority of the time they do not add in the coleslaw and chili. My question is .... When I ask for everything on a burger what part of everything don't people understand? read more

It was Ok. If you are on a budget and/or a college student, this is the place for you. Not sure why people says they have large portions, they don't. This is a great place for families because your kids never eat everything. The portion are small enough that they will eat it all, and you don't feel like you lost a day's wage. Milkshale was OK, not the best I have had. read more

Family and I wanted a quick bite to eat while in Charlottesville, VA. Stopped into Cookout for some hot dogs and they were pretty good. Now, their milkshakes are even better. Lots of different flavors to choose from and on a hot day they are really satisfying! read more

Cook Out - Bacon Cheddar Dog - Burgers Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The drive through line is always backed up. They are understaffed and repeatedly get orders wrong. This cookout is horribly mismanaged and has been for a long time. Don't waste your time here. read more

My husband and I love to take our two small kids here. We can get so much tasty food for a cheap price. My four year old loves the Hot Dogs, my two year old loves the chicken. I've loved everything but the hush puppies. We get a milkshake to split. It can be fairly busy on the weekends so we prefer to go during the week. read more

Great Food : Classic American Cuisine! Fast : Much faster than you would expect considering order size! Excellent Service : Always friendly and knowledgeable! 3 Stars However; Not Clean : Been coming here for a year and it's always hard to find a clean table. Poor Environment : The radio station is always only set to religious stations that always reminds me I'm in a workplace hostile to my beliefs. read more

ive been to a cook before and have enjoyed their burgers(im going straight to hindu hell !) this time i got the bbq platter , which i thought was great. it came with fries , which i had cajun style, and hush puppies which were great as well. i also got a cheerwine float which i thought was yummy the food here is really cheap and thats really what i like most about it im sure ill be back to a cook out eventually if im ever in the mood read more