Cook Out vs Popeyes: Which Chain Should You Pick?
Published October 27, 2026
Quick Answer: Cook Out vs Popeyes is a choice between variety and a chicken specialist. Popeyes is all about spicy, crunchy Louisiana-style fried chicken, its famous chicken sandwich and Cajun sides like red beans and rice and biscuits. Cook Out covers much more ground, with chargrilled burgers, barbecue, chicken strips, wraps and more than 40 milkshake flavors, usually bundled into a cheap Cook Out Tray and served late into the night. If you want bone-in fried chicken, pick Popeyes. If your group wants different things, a milkshake or a late-night meal, pick Cook Out.
This site is an unofficial fan guide and is not affiliated with Cook Out or Popeyes. 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 Popeyes at a glance
| Cook Out | Popeyes | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1989, Greensboro, North Carolina | 1972, Arabi, Louisiana |
| Known for | Cook Out Trays, chargrilled burgers, 40+ shakes | spicy fried chicken, chicken sandwich, biscuits |
| Reach | mainly the Southeast | nationwide and international |
| Late night | often open until the early morning | usually closes by late evening |
| Menu size | broad: burgers, barbecue, chicken, wraps, hot dogs | focused on chicken and seafood |
| Flavor style | Southern cookout and barbecue | Louisiana and Cajun |
Origin stories
Cook Out opened its first drive-thru in Greensboro in 1989 and built its reputation on fresh, never-frozen burgers and low prices. It is still privately run and focused on the Southeast. Read the full story in our Cook Out history.
Popeyes is older and much bigger. Al Copeland opened a restaurant called "Chicken on the Run" in Arabi, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans, on June 12, 1972. When the mild recipe did not catch on, he switched to a spicy New Orleans-style recipe and renamed the business Popeyes. The chain grew across the US and abroad, and in 2017 it was bought by Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of Burger King and Tim Hortons, for about $1.8 billion. At the end of 2024 it had more than 3,100 US restaurants.
The signature meal
At Popeyes, the classic order is bone-in Signature Chicken, mild or spicy, with a buttermilk biscuit and a Cajun side such as red beans and rice or mashed potatoes with Cajun gravy. The other headliner is the chicken sandwich, which caused a famous rush when it launched nationally on August 12, 2019.
At Cook Out, the signature is the Cook Out Tray: one main, two sides and a drink. The main can be a burger, barbecue, chicken strips, a wrap, a quesadilla or a hot dog. Our best Cook Out Tray combinations shows how to build a great one.
Chicken compared
Chicken is Popeyes' whole identity, and it wins this category on depth. You get bone-in pieces in mild or spicy, tenders, wings in several flavors and the chicken sandwich, classic or spicy. The batter is famously crunchy and the spicy version has real heat.
Cook Out offers chicken strips, a chicken strip club, crispy, grilled and spicy chicken sandwiches, Cajun chicken and chicken wraps. It does not sell bone-in fried chicken. Many fans love the Cook Out chicken strip club, and our chicken sandwich ranking compares every option.
| Cook Out | Popeyes | |
|---|---|---|
| Bone-in fried chicken | no | yes, mild or spicy |
| Tenders or strips | yes, in trays and wraps | yes |
| Wings | no | yes, several flavors |
| Chicken sandwich | several styles, including spicy and grilled | classic and spicy |
| Grilled chicken | yes | limited |
| Best for | chicken as part of a mixed order | a dedicated fried chicken meal |
The chicken sandwich showdown
The Popeyes chicken sandwich is a thick fried filet on a toasted brioche bun with pickles and mayo or spicy mayo. It is big, crunchy and juicy, and it is the reason many people visit.
Cook Out takes a different approach. You can get a crispy chicken sandwich, a spicy one, a grilled breast or a Cajun one, and then dress it in a Cook Out style such as Cheddar Style or Club Style. Our spicy chicken sandwich page and the Cajun-style breast are good places to start.
Verdict: for a single, classic fried chicken sandwich, Popeyes is the benchmark. For choice, toppings and a grilled option, Cook Out offers more.
Sides: Cajun classics vs cookout favorites
- Popeyes sides: Cajun fries, red beans and rice, mashed potatoes with Cajun gravy, Cajun rice, coleslaw, homestyle mac and cheese and buttermilk biscuits.
- Cook Out sides: fries, Cajun fries, onion rings, hushpuppies, chicken nuggets, cheese bites, slaw, chili, bacon wraps and more.
Both chains sell Cajun fries, so it is fun to try them side by side. Popeyes wins on Louisiana-style sides like red beans and rice, while Cook Out gives you two sides in every Tray and a much longer list to choose from. See all Cook Out sides.
Sauces
Popeyes offers free dipping sauces with chicken, including Mardi Gras Mustard, Blackened Ranch, Sweet Heat, Bayou Buffalo, BoldBQ and Buttermilk Ranch. Cook Out's sauces come built into its burger and sandwich styles, from Cook Out Style (mustard, chili, slaw and onions) to Cheddar Style and Barbecue Style, plus dips for strips. Our Cook Out sauce pairings guide shows which sauce suits each main.
Burgers and other mains
Popeyes does not sell burgers. If anyone in your group wants a burger, a hot dog, barbecue or a quesadilla, Cook Out is the obvious pick. Its chargrilled burgers come in many styles, explained in our Cook Out burger styles post, and the walking taco is a fun extra.
Drinks and desserts
Cook Out's milkshakes are the big draw: more than 40 flavors, including banana pudding, peach cobbler, Oreo and Cheerwine, plus seasonal flavors like eggnog in December. See our Cook Out milkshake ranking and the new Cook Out eggnog milkshake guide.
Popeyes offers sweet tea, lemonade, soft drinks and a short dessert menu, usually a fried cinnamon apple pie. If a shake is part of the plan, Cook Out wins easily.
Value
Cook Out is one of the cheapest full meals in fast food because the Tray bundles a main, two sides and a drink. Popeyes combos include chicken, a side, a biscuit and a drink, and its family meals and bucket deals are good value for a group that only wants chicken. Prices vary by location, so compare locally; our Cook Out menu with prices guide explains how Cook Out pricing works.
Hours and late-night eating
Cook Out is known for staying open late, often into the early morning. Check our Cook Out hours page for typical times. Most Popeyes restaurants close in the late evening, though some stay open later. For a midnight run, Cook Out is more likely to be open.
Holidays and big gatherings
Popeyes has offered a Cajun-style turkey for Thanksgiving in past years, and its family-size chicken meals are popular for holiday crowds. Cook Out works well when everyone wants something different, and some locations offer catering. Before a holiday trip, check our Cook Out holiday hours.
Where you can find each chain
Popeyes is everywhere: you will find it across the US and in many other countries, often near highways and in shopping centers. Cook Out is a regional chain, strongest in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and nearby states. Our Cook Out new locations post tracks recent openings, and the locations page lists cities we cover. If you live outside the Southeast, Popeyes is the one you can count on finding.
A first-timer's order at each
First time at Popeyes: a spicy bone-in chicken combo with red beans and rice, a biscuit and sweet tea. If you prefer a sandwich, get the spicy chicken sandwich with Cajun fries.
First time at Cook Out: a Cook Out Tray with a Big Double burger Cook Out Style, hushpuppies and cheese bites as the two sides, and a banana pudding or peach cobbler milkshake.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Popeyes for bone-in fried chicken, the chicken sandwich, biscuits and Cajun sides.
- Choose Cook Out for burgers, barbecue, variety, milkshakes, budget Tray meals and late-night drive-thru runs.
- Feeding a group? Popeyes family meals suit a chicken-only crowd, while Cook Out handles mixed orders better.
Ordering tips
At Popeyes, say whether you want mild or spicy chicken, ask for your favorite dipping sauce and try the biscuit warm. At Cook Out, order the main, the style and two sides, then add a shake. New to the menu? Read how to order at Cook Out.