Thrifty’s Burger Review – Cook Out

A bunch of my friends have been raving about the new drive-thru burger spot in Richmond.  Because of all the excitement, I knew I had to add Cook Out to my bargain burger list.  Cook Out (1415 East Ridge Rd) is a chain that started in North Carolina and has grown to over 60 locations.  The new restaurant in Richmond is the first Cook Out to open in Virginia.  Even though this isn’t a traditional restaurant, getting a burger here is an experience.

Cook Out is a double drive-thru establishment with no indoor or outdoor dining areas.  One would think that cars could cruise through and get a burger in a matter of minutes.  If you have driven down East Ridge Road in the last few weeks, you would know that this is not the case.  At all hours of the day there is a line of cars waiting in the turning lane and being directed by Cook Out staff members.  They are doing everything they can as to not completely block traffic in both directions, but people are going crazy for their burgers.  When we pulled up, we were the 6^th car in the median, but we were determined to experience what the fuss was all about.

While waiting in the middle of the road, we had plenty of time to ponder what we wanted to order.  And there was a lot to ponder.  Cook Out’s burgers come in four sizes, small, regular, large and HUGE, ranging from $1.19-$2.79.  Burgers are served in four styles, Cook Out Style (homemade chili and slaw, mustard and onions), Steak Style (A1 sauce, gilled onions, lettuce, tomato and mayo), Out West Style (BBQ sauce, bacon, mayo, pickles and onions) and Cheddar Style (BBQ sauce, bacon, mayo, pickles and onions). If that wasn’t enough to consider, Cook Out also has a lot more than burgers on the menu.  They have Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken Tenders, Chopped Pork Barbeque, Hot Dogs and side items like hushpuppies, onion rings, and corn dogs.  And finally, you have to consider which of the 39 flavors of “fancy milkshakes” you are going to order.

So after plenty of time in the drive-thru line we pulled up on the right side of pick up window.  This would have been a challenge if we didn’t have someone sitting in the passenger seat, but fortunately, we were making it a date night.  Once at the window we went for it and ordered the Burger Tray that included a burger with cheese, lettuce and tomato and two sides, fries and onion rings and another burger Cheddar style.  To drink, a Fancy Vanilla Shake.

We pulled the car into the church parking lot next to Cook Out and dug in.  The burgers tasted like a burger you would have on a grill in the backyard in the summer.  They were well cooked and loaded with toppings.  The onion rings were our favorite, hand battered and freshly fried.  The fries were good, but not memorable.  The fancy shake was more like a cup full of ice cream, so I wished I had asked for a spoon.  Honestly, after the burgers and sides we were too full for a milkshake.  The best thing about our trip to Cook Out, was the price.  We both had burgers and sides and split a milkshake for under $10.  Our total ticket ended up being $9.43!

The final word on Cook Out is that they are offering good burgers for a great price, but I would recommend waiting until the excitement dies down, unless you have time to wait in the drive-thru line.  Photo credit.