Cook Out vs Whataburger: Which Southern Burger Chain Fits Your Order?

This site is an unofficial fan guide and is not affiliated with Cook Out or Whataburger. Prices and hours vary by store, so treat any number you see here, or anywhere else online, as a starting point and check the board at your location.

Cook Out vs Whataburger at a glance

Sources: Cook Out details from our Cook Out history guide; Whataburger details from the Whataburger press kit and company history.

History: a 1950 Texas burger stand vs a 1989 Carolina drive-thru

Whataburger opened on 8 August 1950 on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas. According to the company's own history, founder Harmon Dobson wanted a burger so big it took two hands to hold, and so good that customers would say "What a burger!" The chain is still headquartered in Texas, now in San Antonio.

Cook Out is almost four decades younger. Morris Reaves opened the first restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989, and the chain is still a private, family-run company. It grew as a drive-thru first, with double lanes and walk-up windows, which is why many stores still have little or no indoor seating.

That difference in age and origin shows up everywhere else: Whataburger feels like a classic Texas burger restaurant with a dining room, while Cook Out feels like a fast Carolina cookout served through a window.

Burgers: chargrilled trays vs the big five-inch bun

Cook Out chargrills its burgers and sells them in sizes from a small patty to a "Huge" half-pound, then lets you choose a "style": Cook Out Style, Out West, Cheddar, Steak and more. The style system is the heart of the menu, and our burger styles explained guide breaks each one down.

Whataburger builds every burger to order on a five-inch toasted bun. The company says it uses 100 percent pure, never-frozen beef, and it encourages customizing with extras such as grilled jalapeños, extra cheese or extra pickles. Its condiments, especially Fancy Ketchup, have their own following.

The difference in one line: Cook Out is about combinations and toppings styles at a low price; Whataburger is about one big, fully customized burger.

Breakfast and hours: the clearest difference

If you want eggs and biscuits, the answer is simple. Whataburger has a breakfast menu, served overnight and into the morning, and many locations are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Cook Out does not have a separate breakfast menu. Most stores open around late morning and serve the regular menu from opening. Our Cook Out breakfast guide explains the "morning tray" and why it is not a breakfast daypart. Cook Out makes up for it at the other end of the day: it is known for late-night hours, with typical closing times well after midnight. Check the Cook Out hours page and your own store before a late run.

The tray vs the combo

Cook Out's best-known value is the Cook Out Tray: one main item, two sides and a drink. Sides include fries, hush puppies, onion rings, cheese bites and more. Our tray combos page and the tray builder show how far the format stretches.

Whataburger uses a more traditional combo: a burger or sandwich with fries and a drink, in different sizes. It is simple and familiar, but it has less room for mixing and matching than a Cook Out tray.

If you like choosing, Cook Out wins. If you want a single big burger and fries without decisions, Whataburger is easier.

Milkshakes: dozens of flavors vs classic shakes

Milkshakes are where Cook Out stands apart. Its official nutrition sheet lists more than 40 shake flavors, from vanilla and Hershey's chocolate to banana pudding, peach cobbler and cherry cheesecake. They are thick enough that many people use a spoon. See our Cook Out milkshake ranking for the flavors fans order first.

Whataburger also sells shakes, with classic flavors and limited-time options, but the list is much shorter. If shakes are the main reason for the trip, Cook Out is the clear pick.

Chicken, barbecue and other mains

Both chains sell chicken sandwiches and strips. Cook Out adds North Carolina-style chopped pork barbecue, hot dogs in several styles, wraps and quesadillas. Whataburger's menu leans on burgers, chicken and breakfast sandwiches, plus regional favorites.

For the full Cook Out line-up, see our Cook Out burgers and Cook Out chicken pages and the Cook Out chicken sandwich ranking. If you are ordering chicken at Cook Out for the first time, the char-grilled options are a good contrast with the fried chicken most burger chains sell.

Value: how to compare prices fairly

Both chains price by location, so a fair comparison needs the same day, the same town and a like-for-like order. A few rules help:

1. Compare the meal, not the burger. A Cook Out tray includes two sides and a drink. Compare it with a Whataburger combo, not a single sandwich.
2. Check portion size. A Huge Cook Out burger is a half-pound patty; a standard Whataburger is a single large patty on a five-inch bun.
3. Add tax. Sales tax varies by state and city.
4. Look at the menu board, not an old screenshot. Online price lists go out of date quickly.

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.

Where you can find each chain

The two chains overlap only in parts of the South. Cook Out is concentrated in the Southeast, especially North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, with growth in Florida. Whataburger began in Texas and has grown across the South and Southwest, with more than 1,200 restaurants in 17 states.

If you live where both are close, you can try them on the same night. Otherwise, your choice may come down to which one you can reach. 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 of the board first. Most regulars order a tray rather than a single item.
• Choose your burger or chicken "style" before you reach the speaker; the style names are short but specific.
• Ask for a shake with the tray. It is the reason many people make the trip.
• Expect the drive-thru line to move quickly even when it looks long, because many stores run two lanes.

First time at Whataburger:

• Decide what you want added or left off. Every burger is made to order, so changes are normal.
• Try the house condiments at the table or in the bag.
• If you are there late at night, check whether the breakfast menu has started; it may already be available.
• Expect a short wait for food cooked to order rather than food held under a lamp.

Either way, check the menu board on the day. Both chains run limited-time items, and regional menus can differ.

Which should you choose?

Pick Cook Out if you want:

• a full meal with two sides for a low price,
• a huge choice of thick milkshakes,
• barbecue or hot dogs alongside burgers,
• a late-night drive-thru stop.

Pick Whataburger if you want:

• breakfast, or food at any hour,
• one large, fully customized burger,
• a sit-down dining room,
• a store in Texas or the Southwest.

Prefer a drive-in with carhops? Read Cook Out vs Sonic.

For a late-night diner comparison, read Cook Out vs Waffle House.