Cook Out Burger Styles — Toppings & Calories for Every Style (2026)

What Burger Styles Does Cook Out Have?

Cook Out’s nutrition sheet lists five burger styles: Everything, Cook Out Style, Out West Style, Steak Style and Cheddar Style. You can also order any burger plain, and every style works on every burger size.

A style is simply a fixed set of toppings with a name. Instead of listing toppings one by one at the drive-thru speaker, you say “Regular, Cook Out Style” and the grill knows to add chili, slaw, mustard and onions. That system has been part of Cook Out since the chain grew out of Greensboro, North Carolina, where Morris Reaves opened the first store in 1989. Today Cook Out runs about 370 restaurants in 11 states from its headquarters in Thomasville, North Carolina, and the same style names show up on store menus across the chain.

• Everything: adds 91 calories; the toppings are not itemized on the nutrition sheet.
• Steak Style: A1 sauce, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and mayo; adds 91 calories.
• Cook Out Style: homemade chili, slaw, mustard and onions; adds 123 calories.
• Out West Style: BBQ sauce, bacon, mayo, pickles and onions; adds 202 calories.
• Cheddar Style: cheddar cheese, bacon, grilled onions and mayo; adds 233 calories.

You may see claims online of a dozen or more Cook Out burger styles. We could not verify any burger style beyond these five on Cook Out’s nutrition sheet or on the store menu listings we checked. Cook Out’s chicken sandwiches and hot dogs have their own styles, covered further down, and you can always build a burger with individual toppings.

What Comes on Each Cook Out Burger Style?

Cook Out Style is chili, slaw, mustard and onions; Out West is BBQ sauce, bacon, mayo, pickles and onions; Steak is A1, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and mayo; Cheddar is cheddar, bacon, grilled onions and mayo. Everything is listed on the nutrition sheet as its own add-on, but its toppings are not spelled out there.

Topping lists come from Cook Out store menu listings on Allmenus and SinglePlatform, which describe the styles in the same words. One SinglePlatform store listing swaps the descriptions of Cook Out Style and Cheddar Style, an obvious typo given that the other listings, and the bacon and cheese in Cheddar Style’s nutrition numbers, agree with the table above.

A closer look at each style

• Cook Out Style is the chain’s signature. Chili and slaw together make it the messiest style, and at 126.8 g it is also the heaviest add-on by weight, yet it adds only 123 calories because slaw and chili are less calorie-dense than bacon and cheese.
• Out West Style is the barbecue option. BBQ sauce and bacon give it a smoky-sweet profile, pickles and onions add crunch, and mayo rounds it out.
• Steak Style is the only style with lettuce and tomato on the listings we checked, which makes it the freshest-tasting option. A1 sauce gives it a steakhouse tang.
• Cheddar Style turns any burger into a bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions. It adds the most calories and sodium of the five.
• Everything is a 56.6 g add-on with 91 calories and 301 mg of sodium. Because no menu listing we checked itemizes it, ask the window what your store puts on an Everything burger.

What Is a Cook Out Style Burger?

A Cook Out Style burger is any Cook Out burger topped with homemade chili, slaw, mustard and onions. It is Cook Out’s version of the Carolina-style topping combination that Southern hot dog and burger stands have served for generations.

In the Carolinas, “Carolina style” describes a hot dog or hamburger topped with chili, slaw and onions, with mustard sometimes added or swapped in. Cook Out uses all four. On a Regular 1/4 lb burger, Cook Out Style brings the total to 451 calories (328 + 123), with 25 g of protein and 858 mg of sodium.

Tips for ordering Cook Out Style

• Eat it right away. Slaw and chili soften the bun quickly, so Cook Out Style is the worst style for long delivery trips.
• Ask for slaw on the side if you are driving a while; add it when you eat.
• No mustard? Just say “Cook Out Style, no mustard.” Removing a topping is normally fine.
• Match it on a hot dog. The Cook Out Style hot dog uses the same four toppings and adds the same 123 calories (260 plain, 383 dressed).

The style also shows up on the chain’s most famous burger; the Big Double guide covers the Big Double Cook Out Style tray in detail.

How Many Calories Does Each Cook Out Burger Style Add?

Everything and Steak Style each add 91 calories, Cook Out Style adds 123, Out West adds 202 and Cheddar adds 233, according to Cook Out’s nutrition sheet. These are toppings-only figures that you add to the plain burger.

Every number above is from Cook Out’s published nutrition sheet. Some patterns are worth knowing:

• Calorie gap: Cheddar adds 142 more calories than Everything or Steak (233 − 91 = 142).
• Sodium: Steak Style adds the least (141 mg); Cheddar adds the most (729 mg), more than double the Small burger’s own 309 mg.
• Fat: Cook Out Style adds the least fat (5 g); Cheddar adds 20 g and Out West 18 g.
• Protein: Out West and Cheddar each add 8 g, thanks to bacon (and cheese in Cheddar). The other styles add 1 to 3 g.
• Weight vs calories: Cook Out Style is the heaviest add-on (126.8 g) but only the third-highest in calories; Out West is lighter by weight (69.6 g) yet adds 202 calories.

For full nutrition on every Cook Out item, see the Cook Out nutrition guide or the Cook Out calories list.

How Many Calories Is Each Cook Out Burger Size in Each Style?

Dressed Cook Out burgers range from 336 calories (Small, Everything or Steak) to 749 calories (Huge, Cheddar Style). The table adds each style’s official add-on to each plain burger.

Plain burger figures are Cook Out’s own: Small 1/8 lb 245, Regular 1/4 lb 328, Big Double 311 and Huge 1/2 lb 516 calories. The Big Double prints fewer calories than the Regular on Cook Out’s sheet even though it weighs more (184.5 g vs 125 g); we use the official numbers as published. Some older store listings also show a Large 1/3 lb burger, but it does not appear on the current nutrition sheet.

Protein and sodium for every combination

Each cell shows protein / sodium, with sodium as a share of the 2,300 mg Daily Value.

The Big Double’s sodium is printed as 126 mg on the nutrition sheet, which looks like a typo next to the Small’s 309 mg; we use 334 mg, matching our Big Double guide. The heaviest combination, a Huge Cheddar Style, reaches 1,139 mg, about half a day’s sodium before sides or a drink.

What Are Cook Out’s Chicken Sandwich Styles?

Cook Out’s char-grilled chicken breast sandwich comes plain or in Original, Barbeque, Cajun, Club and Cheddar styles, and the spicy chicken sandwich also comes in a Cheese Style. Unlike the burger styles, Cook Out’s nutrition sheet lists the chicken styles as complete sandwiches.

Calories are from Cook Out’s nutrition sheet. Original and Barbeque toppings are from Cook Out store menu listings (“lettuce, tomato, mayo and honey mustard” and “BBQ sauce, fresh sliced pickles and mayo”). The official rows for Cajun and Club repeat or omit some nutrients, so we show only their calories; ask your store what goes on them.

• Lightest dressed chicken: Barbeque Style at 376 calories, one calorie less than the plain sandwich on Cook Out’s sheet, which reflects rounding in the official figures.
• Original Style adds just 16 calories.
• Club and Cheddar add the most: 188 and 157 calories over the plain breast.
• Cheddar on chicken vs on a burger: the chicken Cheddar sandwich is 157 calories over plain, while the burger Cheddar add-on is 233, so don’t assume one style adds the same amount on every entree.

More on the breaded options is in our Cook Out chicken strips guide and nuggets guide.

Do Cook Out Hot Dogs Come in Styles Too?

Yes. Cook Out hot dogs come plain or as Cook Out Style, Mexi, Mustard Relish and Bacon Cheddar, from 260 calories plain to 523 for Bacon Cheddar. The Cook Out Style hot dog uses the same chili, slaw, mustard and onions as the burger style.

Calories are from Cook Out’s nutrition sheet; Mexi and Bacon Cheddar toppings are from a Cook Out store menu listing. Cook Out Style adds exactly 123 calories to a hot dog (383 − 260), the same as the burger add-on, which shows the toppings are portioned the same way on both. Full details, including the corn dog and the no-hot-dog Cheese Dog, are in the Cook Out hot dogs guide.

How Do You Order a Burger Style at Cook Out?

Say the size first and the style second, for example “Regular, Out West Style,” then add any changes such as “no mayo.” On a tray, the order is tray, entree with style, two sides and a drink.

Customizing a style

• Remove toppings: “Steak Style, no tomato” is a normal request.
• Combine styles: some customers ask to mix toppings from two styles, such as adding cheese to Out West. Whether that costs extra is up to your store.
• Sauce on the side: useful for BBQ sauce, A1 or mayo if you are traveling.
• Check the bag. Late at night, double-check that the style you asked for is the one you got.

Most Cook Out stores open at about 10:30 AM and stay open until around 3 AM Sunday through Thursday and 4 AM on Friday and Saturday; hours vary, so see the Cook Out hours guide. For every burger size and price, see the Cook Out burger menu, and for off-menu combinations people talk about, the Cook Out secret menu.

Which Cook Out Burger Style Should You Pick?

Pick Cook Out Style for the signature Carolina flavor, Steak Style for the lightest dressed burger, and Out West or Cheddar for the most protein. The table uses a Regular 1/4 lb burger for every comparison.

Totals add each style’s official add-on to the Regular burger’s 328 calories, 22 g protein, 14 g fat and 340 mg sodium: Steak 328 + 91 = 419 calories and 340 + 141 = 481 mg sodium; Cook Out Style 14 + 5 = 19 g fat; Out West 22 + 8 = 30 g protein and 328 + 202 = 530 calories; Cheddar 328 + 233 = 561 calories, 14 + 20 = 34 g fat and 340 + 729 = 1,069 mg sodium.

Pairing a style with sides

• Cook Out Style already includes slaw, so pick a crunchy side like onion rings or fries.
• Out West pairs well with hushpuppies for a full barbecue-plate feel.
• Steak Style with nuggets and onion rings keeps a tray moderate.
• Cheddar is rich; balance it with an unsweet tea or diet drink.

Run the totals for your own tray in the Cook Out calorie calculator, and browse every side in the sides menu.

Where Can You Find More Cook Out Burger Guides?

Start with the Big Double guide and the burger menu, then use the calorie calculator to build a tray. These pages pick up where this one leaves off.

To find a store near you, use the Cook Out locations finder. If you are ordering for kids, our allergen guide lists what is known about dairy, wheat and other allergens on the menu.

Cook Out Burger Styles FAQs

Answers to the questions people ask most.