Cook Out vs Sonic: Which Drive-Thru Fits Your Order?

This site is an unofficial fan guide and is not affiliated with Cook Out or Sonic. Prices, hours and promotions vary by store, so treat any figure here, or anywhere online, as a starting point and check the board at your location. For the full Cook Out line-up, open our Cook Out menu.

Cook Out vs Sonic at a glance

History: a 1953 root beer stand vs a 1989 Carolina drive-thru

Sonic began in 1953, when Troy Smith took over a root beer stand called the Top Hat in Shawnee, Oklahoma. After seeing a drive-in with speaker ordering, he added intercoms at parking spaces and carhops to bring the food out, and sales took off. The Top Hat name was already trademarked, so in 1959 the chain became Sonic, a name that fitted its slogan, "Service with the Speed of Sound". Inspire Brands, the owner of Arby's and Buffalo Wild Wings, bought Sonic in 2018.

Cook Out is 36 years younger. Morris Reaves opened the first restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989, and the company is still private and family-run. Read the full story in our Cook Out history guide.

How you order: drive-thru window vs drive-in stall

This is the biggest practical difference.

At Cook Out, you order at the speaker in one of two drive-thru lanes, or at a walk-up window, and pay at the window. Many stores have little or no indoor seating. The lanes move fast even when the line looks long.

At Sonic, you can pull into a stall, order from the menu board and speaker beside your car, and wait for a carhop to bring the food. Some carhops still wear roller skates. Most Sonic locations also have a drive-thru lane and a few outdoor tables, and many have a patio.

If you want to eat in your car without moving, Sonic is built for it. If you want to grab food and keep driving, Cook Out's double lanes are hard to beat.

Burgers and mains

Cook Out chargrills its burgers and sells them in sizes up to a half-pound "Huge", then lets you pick a style, such as Cook Out Style with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. It also sells North Carolina-style chopped barbecue, chicken sandwiches and strips, hot dogs, wraps and quesadillas. Our burger styles guide explains each style.

Sonic's mains are griddle burgers, such as the Sonic Cheeseburger, plus chicken sandwiches and tenders, hot dogs and coneys, including the Chili Cheese Coney, and a breakfast range. Sides include tots, fries and onion rings.

In one line: Cook Out offers more combinations at a lower price, while Sonic offers classic drive-in food with more side and snack options.

Drinks: Sonic's strongest card

Drinks are where Sonic stands out. Its menu is built around fountain drinks with add-in flavors, slushes, limeades and iced teas, so you can turn a cola into a cherry vanilla cola or order a slush with candy pieces. For many Sonic fans, the drink menu is the main reason to go.

Sonic also runs a daily Happy Hour, usually 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with half-price drinks and slushes at participating locations. Times and terms vary by franchise and can change, so check the Sonic app or your local store.

Cook Out's drink list is shorter but has two regional favorites: fresh-brewed sweet tea in sizes up to a 32-ounce Huge, and Cheerwine, the North Carolina cherry soda. Read what Cheerwine is if you have never tried it.

Milkshakes and desserts

Cook Out is the shake specialist. Its nutrition guide lists more than 40 flavors, from vanilla and Hershey's chocolate to banana pudding, peach cobbler and cherry cheesecake, and they are thick enough to need a spoon. See our Cook Out milkshake ranking for the flavors fans order first.

Sonic sells Master Shakes in classic flavors and Sonic Blasts, soft-serve mixed with candy or cookie pieces, plus sundaes and limited-time treats. The range is broad, but it is built around mix-ins rather than dozens of shake flavors.

If shakes are the reason for the trip, pick Cook Out. If you want a slush or a frozen treat with candy in it, pick Sonic.

Breakfast and hours

Sonic serves breakfast all day: burritos, breakfast toasters, sandwiches and more appear on its "Breakfast All Day" menu. That makes it the clear choice for eggs at 3 p.m.

Cook Out has no separate breakfast menu. Most stores open in the late morning and serve the regular menu from opening. Our Cook Out breakfast guide explains what you can order early.

At night, the picture flips. Cook Out is known for late hours, with many stores open well after midnight. Sonic hours vary by location, so do not assume a late close. Check our Cook Out hours page and the store you plan to visit before a late run.

Value: how to compare fairly

Both chains price by location, so compare like for like:

1. Compare the meal, not the item. A Cook Out Tray includes a main, two sides and a drink. Compare it with a Sonic combo, not a single burger.
2. Use the deals. Sonic's Happy Hour and app offers change the price of drinks a lot. Cook Out's value is built into the tray every day.
3. Check portion sizes. A Huge Cook Out burger is a half-pound patty; compare with the burger size on the Sonic board.
4. Add tax. Sales tax varies by state and city.

Our Cook Out prices page explains how we collect prices, and our Cook Out vs Five Guys vs Wendy's comparison shows the method in action.

Ordering for a group or family

For a carload of people, the two chains suit different plans. At Cook Out, a stack of trays is the simplest group order: everyone picks a main and two sides, and the total stays predictable. Sonic suits groups that want to sit together in one stall and order in rounds, adding drinks or desserts as they go. Sonic also sells kids' meals, called Wacky Packs, while at Cook Out a Small burger or a snack-size item suits younger children. With a big order at either chain, read it back at the speaker before you pay.

Where you can find each chain

Sonic is far bigger, with drive-ins across most of the United States and its heaviest concentration in the South and the Plains, especially Texas and Oklahoma. Cook Out is concentrated in the Southeast, especially North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, with growth in Florida and nearby states. Where both are close, you can try them in one evening. Use our Cook Out locations list to find the nearest store.

Tips if you are new to either chain

First time at Cook Out:

• Read the tray section first. Most regulars order a tray.
• Pick your burger or chicken style before you reach the speaker.
• Add a shake; it is the reason many people come.

First time at Sonic:

• Park in a stall if you want to eat in the car; use the drive-thru if you are in a hurry.
• Try a custom drink with an add-in flavor.
• Visit during Happy Hour if your store takes part.

Which should you choose?

Pick Cook Out if you want a full meal with two sides for a low price, thick milkshakes in dozens of flavors, barbecue or hot dogs with your burger, or a late-night drive-thru.

Pick Sonic if you want breakfast at any hour, a custom drink or slush, to eat in your car with carhop service, or a drive-in close to you outside the Southeast.

For more head-to-heads, read Cook Out vs Whataburger and Cook Out vs Waffle House.