Cook Out Morganton NC — Location, Address & Hours (2026)

How Many Cook Out Locations Are in Morganton, NC?

Morganton has 1 open Cook Out as of October 2026, according to Cook Out’s store locator: 1000 Burkemont Ave, Morganton, NC 28655 (listed on the locator as Burkemont Rd). It is the only Cook Out in Burke County and sits about 2 miles south of downtown.

The store is on Burkemont Avenue, which carries US-64 south of downtown and meets I-40 at exit 103. Western Piedmont Community College’s main campus is at 1001 Burkemont Ave, so the Cook Out is effectively the campus’s neighbor and the closest late-night meal for WPCC students and anyone getting off I-40 at Morganton.

Outside Morganton, the next-closest Cook Outs are Lenoir (about 15 miles north), two stores in Hickory (about 19 and 21 miles east), Marion (about 20 miles west) and Conover (about 27 miles east). There is no Cook Out on the current locator in Valdese, Drexel, Glen Alpine or Connelly Springs.

• Only Morganton store: 1000 Burkemont Ave, ZIP 28655.
• From I-40: exit 103 (US-64 / Burkemont Ave).
• New stores: none listed as coming soon within 30 miles of Morganton.

Where Is the Cook Out in Morganton?

The Morganton Cook Out is at 1000 Burkemont Ave, and the five nearest stores in the foothills are listed below it. Addresses come from Cook Out’s store locator (October 2026), and each card has a Google Maps directions button. Distances are approximate straight-line miles from downtown Morganton.

Which Cook Out Is Closest to My Part of Burke County?

For Morganton and most of Burke County, the closest Cook Out is 1000 Burkemont Ave at I-40 exit 103. People in the far north of the county may be closer to Lenoir, and people in the far west may be closer to Marion.

Distances are approximate and based on store coordinates from Cook Out’s locator. Traffic around the exit 103 interchange is heaviest at WPCC class changes and the evening commute.

Is There a Cook Out Off I-40 in Morganton?

Yes. The Morganton Cook Out at 1000 Burkemont Ave is at I-40 exit 103 (US-64 / Burkemont Ave), the same exit Western Piedmont Community College uses for its main campus. It is a quick on-and-off stop for drivers on I-40 between Hickory and Asheville.

Morganton sits on the I-40 corridor where the Piedmont starts climbing into the Blue Ridge. To the east, I-40 runs through Valdese, Hickory and Statesville toward Winston-Salem and the Triad. To the west, it passes Marion and Old Fort before climbing the Old Fort grade toward Black Mountain and Asheville.

Coming from each direction

• I-40 westbound (from Hickory, Statesville, Charlotte via US-321): take exit 103 and turn onto Burkemont Ave. Before Morganton, the nearest I-40-area stores are in Conover and Hickory.
• I-40 eastbound (from Asheville, Black Mountain, Marion): Marion’s store on US-70 is the last one before Morganton. Continue to exit 103.
• NC-18 southbound (from Lenoir): NC-18 runs into Morganton from the north. Lenoir’s Blowing Rock Blvd store is the alternative on that end.
• US-64 northbound (from Rutherfordton and Lake Lure): US-64 becomes Burkemont Ave as it reaches I-40, so you pass right by the store.
• NC-181 (from Linville and the Blue Ridge Parkway): NC-181 comes down the mountain into north Morganton; cross town to Burkemont Ave.

For travelers heading west into the mountains, Marion’s store is the last one listed before the Old Fort grade, and Morganton is the last one east of Marion. See the Asheville guide for the stores on the other side of the Old Fort grade.

What Is the Cook Out Story in Morganton?

Morganton has one Cook Out, and it serves all of Burke County from a single, well-placed site at the I-40 interchange. No other store is listed in the county, and none is listed as coming soon.

Morganton is the seat of Burke County, on the Catawba River at the edge of the Blue Ridge foothills. It is home to the North Carolina School for the Deaf, Broughton Hospital, the Morganton campus of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and Western Piedmont Community College. Nearby Valdese was founded in 1893 by Waldensian settlers from the Cottian Alps of northwest Italy. The county’s mix of students, hospital and state-facility staff, manufacturing shifts and I-40 travelers gives the Burkemont Ave drive-thru steady business late into the night.

Is There a Cook Out Near Western Piedmont Community College?

Yes. The Cook Out at 1000 Burkemont Ave is next to Western Piedmont Community College’s main campus at 1001 Burkemont Ave, at I-40 exit 103. It is the closest Cook Out to every major campus and hospital in Morganton.

Outdoor visitors use the store too. Lake James State Park, South Mountains State Park and the Table Rock and Linville Gorge areas are all within roughly a half hour to an hour of Morganton, and a Cook Out tray and milkshake at exit 103 is an easy end to a day of hiking or boating.

What Time Does Cook Out Close in Morganton?

Most Cook Outs are drive-thru and walk-up only, with no indoor dining room. In winter, if snow or ice closes I-40 through the mountains to the west, hours at foothills stores can change too, so call ahead in bad weather. For the full schedule and holiday notes, see the Cook Out hours guide.

What Does Cook Out Cost in Morganton?

Popular tray entrees include the Big Double burger, the char-grilled chicken sandwich, chicken strips, BBQ (chopped pork), hot dogs and the Cajun chicken wrap. Sides include fries, onion rings, hush puppies, chili, slaw, Cajun wraps, quesadillas and corn dogs. Prices vary slightly by store, so the menu board is the final word.

See the Cook Out tray guide, the milkshake menu, the burger menu and the full Cook Out menu with prices.

How Does Cook Out Compare With Other Late-Night Food in Morganton?

In Morganton, Cook Out wins on price and late hours; downtown restaurants and local grills win for sit-down meals. Most locals use Cook Out as the cheap, late, drive-thru option rather than a replacement for a night out.

If you are passing through on I-40, Cook Out is the fastest way to get a full meal without leaving the exit 103 area. If you have time, downtown Morganton is only a couple of miles north for a sit-down meal.

Where Are Other Cook Out Guides Near Morganton?

The nearest city guides are Lenoir to the north, Hickory to the east and Asheville to the west, with Boone, Statesville and Shelby a bit farther out. Each covers every store in that area with directions.

Also nearby: the Shelby guide to the south. Use the Cook Out locations finder to map every store on your route.

Cook Out Morganton FAQs

Answers to the questions people ask most.