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Cook Out Locations in North Carolina
North Carolina is home to 144 Cook Out restaurants across 99 cities, more than every other state combined. Charlotte carries the most at 13, with Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham and Winston-Salem close behind. The chain started in Greensboro and never really left, so this is where the drive thru lines run longest and the late hours run latest. Every one runs a drive thru, a walk up window and delivery through the usual apps.
Cook Out opened its first restaurant in Greensboro in 1989 and North Carolina has stayed the heart of the chain ever since. The 144 locations here account for well over a third of every Cook Out in the country, spread across 99 cities from the mountains to the coast. The I-85 corridor between Charlotte and Durham carries the heaviest concentration, and the I-40 run through Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Raleigh picks up most of the rest.
College towns explain a lot of the placement. Restaurants sit near NC State in Raleigh, Duke and North Carolina Central in Durham, UNC Greensboro, and Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, which is why the 3 AM closing time matters more here than anywhere. Smaller cities like Hickory, Gastonia, Concord and Wilmington each carry their own, and a good number of Carolina towns have had one long enough that locals give directions by it.
The menu runs the same at every North Carolina restaurant. A tray with a main, two sides and a large drink starts at $2.99, a Plain Hamburger is $1.19 and a hot dog $0.99. The BBQ Sandwich at $2.69 carries chopped pork closer to the state’s own tradition than most fast food attempts, and all 36 milkshake flavors start at $2.79. Cheerwine, the cherry soda bottled in Salisbury since 1917, turns up here as a float at $1.39.
Hours are the other reason people pick Cook Out over what else is open. Nearly every North Carolina restaurant opens at 10:30 AM and serves the full menu until 3 AM, with Friday and Saturday running to 4 AM. There is no breakfast and no cut down late night board, so a tray ordered at 2 AM is the same tray ordered at noon. Each city page on this site carries the full seven day schedule for its own restaurants.
Group orders work better here than the format suggests. Because a tray is already a complete meal, ordering ten trays feeds ten people without anyone having to assemble anything, and the cost lands well under most catering quotes. Cook Out runs no formal catering program, so large orders are arranged with the restaurant directly. Phone numbers for all 144 North Carolina locations sit on their city pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Cook Out locations are in North Carolina?There are 144 Cook Out restaurants in North Carolina, spread across 99 cities. That is more than any other state by a wide margin, which fits a chain that started in Greensboro and grew outward from there.
Which North Carolina city has the most Cook Out restaurants?Charlotte, with 13. Greensboro follows with 7, then Raleigh with 6, and Durham and Winston-Salem with 5 each. Every one of those cities has its own page here listing each restaurant with its address and hours.
What time do North Carolina Cook Out locations close?Most close at 3 AM Sunday through Thursday and 4 AM on Friday and Saturday, and nearly all open at 10:30 AM. Individual restaurants vary, so check the specific location on its city page or the hours page.
Does Cook Out deliver in North Carolina?Most North Carolina locations sit on DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, and Cook Out runs its own app for pickup. Delivery menus price higher than the in store board. See the delivery page for how the platforms compare.
What should I order at a North Carolina Cook Out?The BBQ Sandwich at $2.69 is the local pick, and a Cheerwine Float at $1.39 uses a soda bottled in the state. For value, a tray from $2.99 beats ordering the same food separately. The full menu has every price.