Cookout Durham NC: Menu Prices, Hours & Locations

If you’re searching for Cookout Durham at 1 a.m. with your stomach growling and every other kitchen in town closed, this guide has what you need: real menu prices, the late-night hours that matter, where the locations sit, and how to order so you walk out full for under eight bucks.

Durham is a college town through and through, and Cookout Durham wears that badge proudly. Duke University anchors one side of the city, UNC-Chapel Hill sits a short drive down the road, and both campuses send the same crowd to Cook Out when the night runs late: students coming off a library session, hospital staff rolling off the night shift, and the post-game crowd when the Blue Devils play. You’ll see them all in the drive-thru line.

Quick note before we start: cookoutmenu.today is an unofficial fan guide. We’re not Cook Out, and this site isn’t affiliated with the company. Prices and hours below come from current menu research, and they can shift a little from store to store, so treat them as a solid guide. When in doubt, the menu board at your local Cook Out wins.

Cookout Durham Locations: Where to Find One

Several Cookout Durham locations are spread across the Bull City, including the spots that serve the Duke University area and the corridors students actually drive through. Durham isn’t a huge city, which works in your favor: wherever you are, a Cook Out is never far.

Instead of listing street addresses that go stale the moment a store remodels or a new one opens, here’s the practical move: the live map below shows Cook Out locations across Durham. Use it for finding the Cookout Durham nearest you right now, and you won’t end up driving to an address from a blog post written in 2019.

If you’re at UNC in Chapel Hill, here’s the honest situation: Durham’s Cook Out locations are some of the closest late-night options to campus. It’s a short drive up the road, and on a Friday or Saturday night plenty of Tar Heels make the trip. Yes, the rivalry exists. No, it does not extend to burger trays at 2 a.m.

One thing to know before you go: Cook Out is a drive-thru-first operation. Most locations are built around the drive-thru lane, so plan your run as a drive-thru stop rather than a sit-down dinner. The lots can get packed on weekend nights, and the line moves faster than it looks, so don’t let a queue wrapped around the building scare you off.

Juicy cheeseburger with melted cheese served with fries

Cookout Durham Hours: How Late They Stay Open

Here’s the part that matters most for the night owls. Cookout Durham hours follow the chain’s usual pattern: most locations stay open until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and push to 3 or even 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. In a college town, those weekend hours are the whole point.

Think about it. North Carolina bars stop serving at 2 a.m., the library closed hours ago, and the dorm kitchen has exactly one working burner. Cook Out is still open, still cooking, and still charging prices that feel like they teleported in from 2005. That combination is why the drive-thru line at 1:30 on a Saturday looks like a tailgate.

A few honest caveats. Hours vary by location, so the specific Cookout Durham spot nearest you might close a little earlier or later. Holiday hours can be different. If you’re rolling up at 2:30 on a Tuesday, it’s worth a quick check before you drive. But the general rule holds: if it’s before 2 a.m. on a weeknight, you’re almost certainly fine.

Here’s the honest Cookout Durham menu breakdown with the prices that matter. Cook Out keeps prices low across the board, and the famous tray (covered below) is the move, but here’s what everything costs on its own. All prices are current as of late 2026 and can vary slightly by location.

The Cookout Tray – about $7.69: one full-size entree, two sides, and a large drink. The legend itself.
The Jr. Tray – about $6.49: smaller entree portions for lighter appetites, same tray format.
Big Double Burger – $2.99 to $3.99 (330 Cal): two patties for the price of a regular burger. Nobody knows how the math works.
Regular 1/4 lb Burger – $2.99 to $3.99 (330 Cal): the classic single, char-grilled.
Chicken Sandwich – about $4.49 (around 450 Cal): grilled or crispy, with six styles from Original to Cajun.
Hot Dogs – plain about $1.99 (260 Cal), chili about $2.49 (330 Cal), chili cheese about $2.99 (400 Cal).
Pulled Pork BBQ – about $3.99 (370 Cal): North Carolina roots, served on a toasted bun.
Regular Milkshakes – $2.99 to $3.99: more than 40 Cook Out Creamery flavors, 510 to 900 calories of pure joy.
Fancy Milkshakes – $4.49 to $4.99: the cheesecake and candy-bar heavy hitters.
French Fries – about $1.99 (350 Cal).
Onion Rings – about $1.99 (130 Cal).
Hushpuppies – about $1.99 (300 Cal): the Southern staple, non-negotiable on a tray.
Homemade Coleslaw – about $1.49 (100 Cal): lighter, and it doubles as a burger topping.

And don’t skip the drinks. A huge fresh-brewed sweet tea runs about $1.99 (390 Cal), and a Cheerwine, the iconic North Carolina cherry soft drink, is about $1.99 (380 Cal) and basically mandatory at a NC-born chain.

Thick chocolate milkshake topped with whipped cream in a tall glass

The Cookout Tray: Durham’s Best Deal

Let’s do the math on the order that built the Cook Out legend. A tray gets you one full-size entree, two sides, and a large drink for about $7.69. Buy that same food separately and you’d pay noticeably more. My honest opinion: ordering anything else at Cook Out is leaving money on the table, especially on a student budget.

Your regular tray entree choices are: the Big Double Burger (330 Cal), the Regular 1/4 lb Burger (330 Cal), the Regular Chicken Breast (380 Cal), the Cajun Chicken Breast (380 Cal), the Spicy Chicken (450 Cal), the BBQ Char-Grilled Chicken (380 Cal), 3 Chicken Strips or a chicken sandwich (660 Cal), Barbecue Pulled Pork (370 Cal), 2 Hot Dogs (520 Cal), or 2 Quesadillas (440-520 Cal). Ten entrees, and the sides come from a list of eight: fries, onion rings, hushpuppies, coleslaw, homemade chili, chicken nuggets, white cheddar cheese bites, and a bacon wrap.

The pro move is the shake upgrade. Swap the large drink for a Regular Milkshake for about $1.00 more, or a Fancy Milkshake for $1.00 to $1.60 more. A full meal plus one of 40+ shakes for under nine bucks. In Durham, where a single sit-down burger can run you $16, that is not a small thing.

Want the deep dive? Our Cookout Tray guide breaks down every entree and side combination, and the Jr. Tray guide covers the lighter $6.49 version for smaller appetites.

Cookout Durham After Dark: The College-Town Guide

Cookout Durham after midnight is a scene, and I mean that in the best way. The drive-thru fills with Duke students fresh from the library, nurses and residents coming off shifts, and groups still buzzing from whatever game just ended. There’s a specific energy to a Cook Out at 1 a.m. that you don’t get at noon, and Durham might be the best place in the state to experience it.

Here’s how the ritual works. You roll up, you order the tray, you get a shake, and you eat in the parking lot or drive home with the bag steaming up your windshield. The food travels well, which is good, because most locations are drive-thru-first with limited seating. Plan accordingly.

Three pieces of advice from people who’ve done this run a hundred times. First, decide your shake flavor before you reach the speaker. The menu has 40+ flavors and the car behind you is not interested in your journey of self-discovery. Second, Friday and Saturday after midnight is peak chaos, especially after a Duke game. The line looks long but it moves. Third, the quesadilla tray entree is the sleeper pick that regulars swear by. Try it once and you’ll understand.

Casual restaurant dining room with booths glowing warm at night

Ordering at Cookout Durham Like a Regular

You don’t need to be a freshman to order like one, but the students have figured a few things out. Here’s what separates the regulars from the first-timers.

Learn the burger styles. This is where Cook Out separates itself from every other burger joint. Cookout Style piles on homemade chili, coleslaw, mustard, and diced onion for an extra $0.95 to $0.99 (130 Cal). Cheddar Style brings sharp cheddar, crispy bacon, grilled onion, and mayo for $0.99 more (240 Cal). Out West Style is BBQ sauce, crispy bacon, mayo, pickles, and onion for $0.75 to $0.99 (210 Cal). Steak Style adds A1 steak sauce, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and mayo for $0.59 to $0.69 (100 Cal). House Style is quesadilla sauce with shredded lettuce, tomato, and onion for $0.49 to $0.59 (65 Cal). Nacho Chili Style is nacho cheese sauce with homemade chili for $0.99 (100 Cal). First visit? Big Double, Cookout Style, on a tray. It’s the signature for a reason.

Pick your sides like you mean it. You get two, so make them count. Hushpuppies first, always. Second side is a mood call between the fries and the onion rings. The homemade chili (about $1.49, 170 Cal) is underrated as a side on its own.

Have a shake strategy. The crowd favorites are Peanut Butter Banana (864 Cal), Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (894 Cal), Oreo Mint (853 Cal), Strawberry Cheesecake (800-900 Cal), and Banana Pudding (781 Cal). In July and August, the seasonal Fresh Watermelon shake (645 Cal) shows up and disappears just as fast. Don’t sleep on it.

Delivery exists, but the drive-thru is the point. DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub deliver from select locations, and there’s no official Cook Out app for online ordering. But honestly? Half the fun of a late-night Cook Out run is the run itself. The food is best minutes off the grill.

Cookout Durham FAQs

What time does Cook Out in Durham close?

Most Cook Out locations stay open until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 3 or 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Hours vary by location, so check your specific spot before a very late run, especially around holidays.

How much is the Cookout Tray in Durham?

A Cookout Durham tray costs about $7.69 and includes one full-size entree, two sides, and a large drink. The Jr. Tray is about $6.49 with smaller entree portions. Upgrading the drink to a regular milkshake adds about $1.00, or $1.00 to $1.60 for a fancy shake. Prices can vary slightly by location.

Are there Cook Out locations near Duke University?

Yes. Several Cook Out locations around Durham serve the Duke area and the student corridors nearby. Use the live map above to find the closest one to campus. If you’re coming from UNC-Chapel Hill, Durham’s locations are a short drive up the road.

How many milkshake flavors does Cook Out have?

More than 40 Cook Out Creamery flavors. Regular shakes run $2.99 to $3.99 and fancy shakes run $4.49 to $4.99, with calories ranging from 510 to 900 depending on the flavor. The most popular are Peanut Butter Banana, Reese’s Cup, Oreo Mint, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Banana Pudding.

Can you swap the tray drink for a milkshake?

Yes, and you absolutely should. Upgrading the large drink to any Regular Milkshake adds about $1.00 to the tray, and a Fancy Milkshake adds $1.00 to $1.60. It’s the best dollar you’ll spend all night.

Does Cook Out in Durham deliver?

Delivery is available through DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub at select locations. Cook Out doesn’t have its own official app, so third-party delivery is your option if you can’t make the drive-thru run. Availability depends on your specific location.

That’s the full Cookout Durham rundown: the prices, the hours, the locations, and what to order. If you’re exploring the rest of the Triangle, our Cookout Raleigh guide covers the capital city, and Cookout Greensboro takes you to the city where the whole chain started back in 1989. Heading further out? We’ve got Charlotte, Atlanta, and Nashville too. Or start from the homepage for the complete Cook Out menu.