Cook Out Salisbury NC — Menu, Prices, Hours & the 801 E Innes St Location (2026)

Is There a Cook Out in Salisbury, NC?

Yes. Salisbury has one Cook Out, at 801 E Innes St, Salisbury, NC 28144, according to Cook Out’s store locator (October 2026). It sits on East Innes Street between downtown Salisbury and I-85 exit 76, so it works for locals and for drivers getting off the interstate.

• Salisbury – E Innes St: 801 E Innes St, Salisbury, NC 28144, on the main road between the downtown square and I-85.
• Typical hours: 10:30 AM to about 3 AM Sunday–Thursday and about 4 AM Friday–Saturday; hours vary by store.
• Next-closest stores: 1700 Cotton Grove Rd in Lexington (about 14 miles) and 901 S Cannon Blvd in Kannapolis (about 15 miles).
• Coming soon: Cook Out’s locator lists no coming-soon stores within 30 miles of Salisbury as of October 2026.

Because there is only one store in town, it serves a wide area. Spencer and East Spencer to the north, Granite Quarry and Rockwell to the southeast, and much of central Rowan County all tend to end up at East Innes Street. People in China Grove and Landis are on the line between Salisbury and the Kannapolis store, and drivers from Cleveland and western Rowan County sometimes find Mocksville or Statesville just as easy.

Salisbury is also the hometown of Cheerwine, the cherry-flavored soft drink L.D. Peeler created here in 1917. Cook Out pours it at the drive-thru and blends it into its Cheerwine float, so ordering one in Salisbury has a bit of local meaning.

Where Is the Cook Out in Salisbury, NC?

Checking another town? Use our Cook Out restaurant locator to search every state.

The Salisbury store is listed first, followed by the seven nearest Cook Outs within about 25 miles. Addresses come from Cook Out’s own store locator (October 2026). Each card has a Google Maps directions button. Distances are approximate straight-line miles from the Salisbury store, so real drives run longer.

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

For almost all of Salisbury, Spencer, East Spencer, Granite Quarry and Rockwell, the East Innes Street store is the closest Cook Out. South Rowan leans toward Kannapolis, and the northeast edge of the county is close to Lexington.

Practical tip: if you are on I-85 and the line at East Innes Street is long, the next two stores are both roughly 15–20 minutes away on the interstate, Lexington to the north and Kannapolis to the south, so you can usually pick whichever is in your direction of travel.

What Is the Connection Between Cook Out and Salisbury?

Cook Out began in 1989 in Greensboro, about 50 miles up I-85, and Salisbury is the town where Cheerwine was created in 1917, the soft drink Cook Out is known for serving in floats. We have not found a reliable published opening date for the East Innes Street store, so this guide does not give one.

Salisbury is the seat of Rowan County and one of the older towns in the Piedmont, with a historic downtown built around the intersection of Main and Innes streets. The city has also hosted a Cheerwine Festival downtown, a sign of how much the drink means locally.

For Cook Out fans that local tie is a nice detail. A Cheerwine float, made with Cheerwine and vanilla ice cream, is a standard drive-thru order, and many regulars simply get a Cheerwine as the drink on a tray. If you are visiting from outside the Carolinas, ordering one in Cheerwine’s home town is an easy way to try it.

For every store in the state, from the mountains to the coast, see the Cook Out North Carolina guide.

How Do I Get to Cook Out Salisbury From I-85?

Take I-85 exit 76 for Innes Street and head toward downtown; the Cook Out at 801 E Innes St is on that stretch, under a mile from the interstate. It is the easiest Cook Out stop on I-85 between Lexington and Kannapolis.

Directions from each direction

• Southbound on I-85 from Greensboro or Lexington: take exit 76 and turn toward downtown on Innes Street. The store is on the way into town.
• Northbound on I-85 from Charlotte or Concord: take exit 76 and turn toward downtown on Innes Street, the same route Catawba College gives visitors.
• From Catawba College or the west side: follow Innes Street east through the downtown square and keep going; the store is on East Innes before you reach I-85.
• From Spencer: head south into Salisbury and cut over to Innes Street, or hop on I-85 south for one exit.

Driving note: Innes Street is the main east-west road through Salisbury and gets busy at lunchtime and the late-afternoon rush. Late at night the drive from the interstate takes only a couple of minutes.

Is There a Cook Out Near Catawba College, Livingstone College or Novant Health Rowan?

Yes. The East Innes Street store is the closest Cook Out to Catawba College, Livingstone College and Novant Health Rowan Medical Center, all within a few miles across town. Its late hours make it a regular stop for students, night-shift workers and I-85 drivers.

For students at Catawba and Livingstone without a car, it is worth knowing that the store is not within easy walking distance of either campus, so plan on a ride. For visitors staying in the hotels near exit 76, it is one of the closest late-night meals available.

What Time Does Cook Out Close in Salisbury?

Most Cook Out stores open at 10:30 AM and close around 3 AM Sunday through Thursday and around 4 AM on Friday and Saturday, and the Salisbury store generally follows that pattern. Hours vary by store and can change on holidays, so check the store’s Google Maps listing before a late drive.

These are chain-wide typical hours, not a posted schedule for the East Innes Street store. Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holidays often bring shorter hours or a closure, and staffing can occasionally close a window early.

For holiday patterns and drive-thru-only nights, see our guide to when Cook Out closes on weekends and holidays.

Late-night tip: with only one store in Salisbury, there is no second Rowan County Cook Out to fall back on. If East Innes Street is closed early or the line is long, Lexington and Kannapolis are the nearest options, each roughly 15 miles away on I-85.

What’s on the Cook Out Salisbury Menu, and How Much Does It Cost?

The best value at the Salisbury Cook Out is the Cookout Tray, typically about $7.39–$7.99 for an entree, two sides and a drink. A Jr. Tray typically starts around $5.29 and milkshakes run about $3.99, though exact prices vary by store and can change.

These are typical chain-wide prices, not a posted menu board for this store. Prices vary by location and change over time, so treat them as a guide.

Calories for popular picks

Calorie figures below come from Cook Out’s published nutrition sheet. They are per item, so add your entree, sides and drink together for a tray total.

Ordering tips for Salisbury: the drive-thru moves fastest if you order by tray, for example “a Big Double tray, Cook Out Style, with hush puppies and onion rings, Cheerwine to drink.” Shakes take longer, so order them with the meal rather than adding them at the window. For a carload of Catawba or Livingstone students, several trays usually cost less than combo meals at the other chains on Innes Street.

For full details see the Cookout Tray menu, the milkshake menu and the Cook Out calories guide.

How Does Cook Out Compare to Other Food in Salisbury?

Cook Out’s edge in Salisbury is a full tray for under $8 and a drive-thru open until about 3 or 4 AM, long after downtown restaurants and most chains on Innes Street have closed. Salisbury’s downtown diners, barbecue spots and sit-down restaurants are a different kind of meal with earlier hours.

Rowan County sits between two strong Carolina food traditions: Lexington-style barbecue just up I-85 in Davidson County, and the Charlotte-area restaurant scene to the south. Salisbury itself has longtime downtown lunch counters, hot dog spots and family restaurants. Cook Out competes on price, menu range and late hours rather than atmosphere.

If you want a sit-down dinner downtown, Salisbury has plenty of choices. But for a burger, a barbecue sandwich, hush puppies and a Cheerwine float at 1 AM, East Innes Street is the place in Rowan County.

Where Are the Other Cook Out Guides Near Salisbury?

The closest Cook Out guides to Salisbury are Kannapolis and Concord to the south on I-85, Mooresville to the west and Albemarle to the southeast. Statesville, northwest on I-40 and I-77, also has its own guide.

On an I-85 road trip? Salisbury’s exit 76 sits roughly halfway between Charlotte and Greensboro, with Kannapolis and Lexington as the next Cook Out stops on either side.

Cook Out Salisbury FAQs

Answers to the questions people ask most.