Cook Out vs Bojangles: Which Carolina Favorite Should You Pick?

This site is an unofficial fan guide and is not affiliated with Cook Out or Bojangles. Prices, hours and menus vary by location, so check your local store. For the full Cook Out line-up, open our Cook Out menu.

Cook Out vs Bojangles at a glance

Two Carolina origin stories

Cook Out opened its first drive-thru on Randleman Road in Greensboro in 1989. The company says its meat is ground and pattied every day and delivered to stores daily, which is where its "Always Fresh, Never Frozen" motto comes from. Our Cook Out history covers how it grew across the South.

Bojangles opened in Charlotte on July 6, 1977. Founders Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas paired Cajun-spiced fried chicken with Fulk's scratch-made biscuits, and the chain began franchising a year later. The Bojangles about page lists milestones such as Bo-Berry Biscuits and Seasoned Fries in 1987 and chicken Supremes in 1989.

The signature meal

Cook Out's signature is the Cook Out Tray: one main, two sides and a drink in a single order. You can pick a burger, barbecue, chicken strips, a quesadilla, a wrap or a hot dog as the main, then add sides such as fries, hushpuppies, onion rings, cheese bites or chicken nuggets. Our best Cook Out Tray combinations post ranks the most popular builds.

Bojangles' signature is chicken and biscuits. The classic order is a bone-in chicken box with a biscuit and a side, or a Cajun Filet Biscuit, a seasoned chicken breast on a biscuit. Fans often add Bo-Rounds (potato rounds), Dirty Rice or Cajun Pintos, with Legendary Iced Tea to drink.

Chicken compared

This is the area where Bojangles is strongest. Its fried chicken is the core of the menu, marinated and coated with a Cajun-style seasoning, and offered as bone-in pieces, Supremes (tenders) and filets on biscuits or sandwiches.

Cook Out treats chicken as one of many mains. You can order chicken strips, a crispy or grilled chicken sandwich, Cajun chicken, a spicy chicken sandwich or a chicken wrap. Our Cook Out chicken sandwich ranking compares them, and the chicken strip club is a fan favorite.

Verdict: if chicken is the whole point of the meal, Bojangles is the specialist. If one person wants chicken and another wants a burger, Cook Out keeps everyone happy.

Burgers and other mains

Here the roles reverse. Bojangles does not focus on burgers. Cook Out's chargrilled burgers come in many styles, such as Cook Out Style with mustard, chili, slaw and onions, or Cheddar Style. Our Cook Out burger styles explained breaks them down.

Cook Out also serves North Carolina-style barbecue, hot dogs, quesadillas, wraps and the walking taco. If you want variety, Cook Out wins easily.

Breakfast

Breakfast is a big part of Bojangles' identity. Its biscuits are made from scratch in each restaurant, and breakfast biscuits such as Cajun Filet, sausage, egg and cheese, and the sweet Bo-Berry Biscuit are the reason many fans visit. Many Bojangles locations serve biscuits all day.

Cook Out serves breakfast at some locations, usually with a short menu. Our Cook Out breakfast guide lists what to expect and which stores offer it. For a full morning meal, Bojangles is the safer bet.

Sides

Both chains take sides seriously, but in different ways.

• Cook Out sides: fries, Cajun fries, onion rings, hushpuppies, chicken nuggets, cheese bites, slaw, chili, bacon wraps and more. Many are included in the Tray price, which is where Cook Out's value shines.
• Bojangles sides: Seasoned Fries, Bo-Rounds, Dirty Rice, Cajun Pintos, mac and cheese, coleslaw, green beans and mashed potatoes with gravy (availability varies by store).

If you like Southern home-style sides, Bojangles has the edge. If you like snacky sides like cheese bites and hushpuppies, Cook Out is more fun.

Drinks and desserts

Cook Out is famous for its milkshakes: more than 40 flavors, from classics like vanilla and chocolate to banana pudding, peach cobbler and Cheerwine. Our Cook Out milkshake ranking picks the best. Cook Out also sells Cheerwine, the cherry soda from Salisbury, North Carolina; see what is Cheerwine.

Bojangles is known for Legendary Iced Tea, a sweet tea that fans buy by the gallon. Its dessert menu is smaller, with the Bo-Berry Biscuit doubling as a sweet treat and seasonal pies at some stores.

Verdict: shake lovers go to Cook Out; sweet tea fans go to Bojangles.

Value

Both chains are known for low prices, but Cook Out's Tray is hard to beat because the sides and drink come bundled with the main. One order covers a full meal.

Bojangles offers value through combos and family meals, with boxes that feed several people. For a family chicken dinner, a Bojangles box is often the simplest choice. For one person who wants the most food for the money, Cook Out usually wins. Prices vary by store, so compare your local menus. Our Cook Out menu with prices explains how pricing works.

Lighter choices and dietary needs

Neither chain is a health-food stop, but both have lighter picks. At Cook Out, a grilled chicken sandwich or a single hamburger with slaw as a side keeps a meal lighter than a fried tray, and our healthiest Cook Out options guide lists more. At Bojangles, a grilled chicken option where offered, green beans and a smaller tea are the lighter swaps.

For allergies, ask each store for its current allergen information before ordering, because recipes and fryers vary. Our Cook Out allergen menu explains what Cook Out publishes. Gluten-free diners should note that biscuits and breaded chicken contain wheat at both chains.

Hours and late-night eating

Cook Out is a late-night favorite. Many stores stay open until the early morning, especially on weekends. Our Cook Out hours page shows typical closing times.

Bojangles usually opens early for breakfast and closes earlier in the evening. If you are hungry after 10 p.m., Cook Out is more likely to be open. If you want breakfast at 6 a.m., Bojangles is more likely to be serving.

Which should you choose?

• Choose Cook Out for burgers, variety, a full Tray meal for one, milkshakes, and late-night drive-thru runs.
• Choose Bojangles for bone-in fried chicken, scratch biscuits, breakfast, Southern sides, sweet tea and family chicken boxes.
• Can't decide? Start the day at Bojangles with a Cajun Filet Biscuit and end it at Cook Out with a Tray and a shake. Plenty of Carolinians do exactly that, and it is a fun way to compare the two for yourself.

Ordering tips for each chain

At Cook Out, order by number or say the main, the style and your two sides, then add a shake. Our how to order at Cook Out guide explains the speaker routine. Ask for Cajun seasoning on your fries if you want a little heat.

At Bojangles, know whether you want "white" or "dark" meat in a box, ask for a fresh biscuit, and try a half-and-half tea if full sweet tea is too sweet. Family meals are the best value for groups.