Cook Out Cookeville TN — Menu, Prices, Hours & S Jefferson Ave Location (2026)

Is There a Cook Out in Cookeville, TN?

Yes. Cookeville has 1 open Cook Out as of October 2026, according to Cook Out’s store locator: 869 S Jefferson Ave, Cookeville, TN 38501, on the South Jefferson Avenue (TN 136) corridor about 0.6 mile north of I-40 exit 287. It is the only Cook Out in Putnam County, and there is no other store within about 44 miles: the next-closest is 107 Legends Dr in Lebanon, about 44 miles west in a straight line and roughly 50 miles by I-40.

The store sits on the commercial stretch of South Jefferson between the interstate and downtown, the same corridor as the exit 287 hotels, a Cracker Barrel and a Waffle House by the ramps and a Walmart Supercenter a little farther north. Downtown Cookeville and Tennessee Tech are both north of the store, and Cookeville Regional Medical Center is about 2 miles up the road.

• Address: 869 S Jefferson Ave, Cookeville, TN 38501.
• Typical hours: 10:30 AM to about 3 AM Sunday–Thursday and about 4 AM Friday–Saturday; hours vary by store.
• Tray price: typically about $7.39–$7.99 for an entree, two sides and a drink.
• Next-closest store: Lebanon, 107 Legends Dr, about 44 miles west; after that, Murfreesboro (about 52 miles) and Kingston (about 58 miles east).
• Coming soon: no coming-soon store within 30 miles of Cookeville in Cook Out’s locator as of October 2026.

Searching for a Cook Out in Algood, Baxter, Sparta, Livingston, Crossville, Smithville or Gainesboro? None of those towns has its own store in the locator, so South Jefferson Avenue is the stop for the whole Upper Cumberland. For I-40 travelers, it is the only Cook Out between Lebanon and Kingston, a stretch of more than 100 interstate miles.

Where Is the Cook Out in Cookeville, TN?

Need a store somewhere else? Search every location with our Cook Out store locator.

Cookeville’s store is listed first, followed by the nearest stores outside the city: Lebanon to the west on I-40, Kingston to the east on I-40, and the two Murfreesboro stores to the southwest. 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 Cookeville store, so real drives run longer.

How Far Is the Cookeville Cook Out From My Part of the Upper Cumberland?

For everyone in Putnam County and the surrounding Upper Cumberland towns, South Jefferson Avenue is the closest Cook Out by a wide margin; only people already near Lebanon or Kingston have a closer option. The table shows typical routes.

Because Cookeville’s store is the only one for a large rural region, it draws customers from well outside the city limits, especially on weekend nights and during Tennessee Tech’s school year. If you are driving in from Sparta, Livingston or Crossville, it makes sense to check the store’s Google Maps listing before making the trip.

Why Is Cookeville’s Cook Out So Far From the Others?

Cookeville sits on the Highland Rim, near the edge of the Cumberland Plateau, about midway between Nashville and Knoxville, and Cook Out’s Tennessee stores cluster in those metro areas and the Tri-Cities and Chattanooga, leaving the Upper Cumberland with a single store. As of October 2026, Cook Out’s locator lists 40 open Tennessee stores and none other within about 44 miles of Cookeville.

We have not found a reliable published opening date for the Cookeville store, so this guide does not give one. What matters for locals is the geography: Cookeville is the Putnam County seat, a college town and the regional hub for shopping and health care, so a single Cook Out at its busiest interstate exit makes sense. For the full statewide map, see our Tennessee Cook Out guide.

Which I-40 Exit Is the Cookeville Cook Out At?

Take I-40 exit 287 (TN 136, South Jefferson Avenue) and head north; the store at 869 S Jefferson Ave is about 0.6 mile from the exit. Cookeville has several interstate exits, and exit 287 is the one that lands you on the right road.

Coming from each direction

• From Nashville or Lebanon on I-40 east: take exit 287 and head north on South Jefferson Avenue.
• From Knoxville or Crossville on I-40 west: take exit 287 and head north on South Jefferson Avenue; the store is about 0.6 mile up.
• From Tennessee Tech: head south through town to Jefferson Avenue and continue toward I-40; the store is on the stretch just before the interstate.
• From Sparta or Livingston on TN 111: join I-40 at exit 288 and go one exit west to 287, or cut across town to South Jefferson.
• From Algood on US 70N: follow US 70N into downtown, where it meets TN 136, and turn south on Jefferson.

Road-trip tip: exit 287 also has a Cracker Barrel, a Waffle House, a Shell station and several hotels within about a third of a mile, so it is an easy one-stop exit for fuel and food on the way across Tennessee.

Is the Cookeville Cook Out Near Tennessee Tech?

Yes. Tennessee Tech’s campus is about 2.5 miles north of the store, a short drive through town, which makes South Jefferson Avenue the go-to late-night run for Golden Eagles students. Cookeville Regional Medical Center is also on the north side of town, about 2 miles from the store.

Students without a car should note that Cook Out is built around the drive-thru and walk-up window rather than an indoor dining room, so plan on a ride or delivery. A carload of trays is often the cheapest way to feed a study group after a late night in the library.

What Time Does Cook Out Close in Cookeville?

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 South Jefferson Avenue 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 Cookeville 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 what time Cook Out closes.

Late-night tip: Cookeville has no backup. If the window closes early, the next Cook Out is about 50 miles away by interstate, so a quick check of the listing before you leave Sparta, Livingston or Crossville can save a long, hungry drive.

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

The Cookeville menu is Cook Out’s standard lineup of char-grilled burgers, chicken, barbecue, hot dogs, wraps, sides and 40-plus milkshakes, and the best value 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. Exact prices vary by store and change over time, so treat these as typical figures rather than a posted price list.

Calories for popular picks

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

Ordering tips for South Jefferson Avenue: the line moves fastest when you order by tray, for example “a Big Double tray, Cook Out Style, with hush puppies and onion rings, sweet tea to drink.” Shakes are made to order, so ask for them with the meal instead of adding them at the window. Feeding a dorm floor or a team bus coming off I-40? Several trays usually cost less than combo meals at the other chains around exit 287.

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

How Does Cook Out Compare to Cookeville’s Other Late-Night Options?

Cook Out’s edge in Cookeville is a full tray with two sides for under $8 and a drive-thru that usually runs until 3 or 4 AM; Waffle House is the other true all-night option at exit 287, and Cracker Barrel wins on a sit-down country breakfast.

The South Jefferson corridor around exit 287 is full of national chains, and most of them close well before Cook Out does. Cook Out stands out on variety, with burgers, chopped pork barbecue, chicken, hot dogs and quesadillas on one menu, and on dessert, with more than 40 milkshake flavors. Middle Tennessee is also hot chicken and meat-and-three country, and local diners and barbecue joints in town are better for a long sit-down lunch.

For a Big Double, hush puppies and a Cheerwine float at 1 AM after a Tech game or a long drive across the plateau, South Jefferson Avenue is the place.

Where Are the Other Cook Out Guides Near Cookeville?

The closest Cook Out guide is Lebanon, about 44 miles west on I-40, followed by Murfreesboro and Nashville to the west and Knoxville to the east.

Crossing Tennessee on I-40? Westbound, Cookeville and Lebanon are your last two Cook Outs before Nashville; eastbound, Cookeville and Kingston come before the Knoxville stores. Kingston does not have its own guide yet; its address is in the directory above.

Cook Out Cookeville FAQs

Answers to the questions people ask most.