Cook Out Johnson City TN — Menu, Prices, Hours & State of Franklin Rd Location (2026)

Is There a Cook Out in Johnson City, TN?

Yes. Johnson City has 1 open Cook Out as of October 2026, according to Cook Out’s store locator: 1206 W State of Franklin Rd, Johnson City, TN 37604. It sits on West State of Franklin Road across from the East Tennessee State University campus, on the same block as the Carnegie Hotel at 1216 W State of Franklin Rd, which ETSU itself describes as across from campus.

It is the only Cook Out inside Johnson City, but the city is unusually well covered for a one-store town. Jonesborough’s store is about 5 miles west and Elizabethton’s about 8 miles east, with Kingsport, Bristol and Greeneville all within roughly 25 miles.

• Address: 1206 W State of Franklin Rd, Johnson City, TN 37604, across from ETSU.
• 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 stores: Jonesborough (150 N Lincoln Ave, about 5 miles) and Elizabethton (509 W Elk Ave, about 8 miles).
• Coming soon: Cook Out’s locator shows no coming-soon store within 30 miles of Johnson City as of October 2026.

Searching for a Cook Out in Gray, Boones Creek, Piney Flats, Erwin, Unicoi or Mountain Home? None of those places has its own store in the locator. Mountain Home, Unicoi and Erwin drivers usually head to State of Franklin Road; Gray and Boones Creek sit between Johnson City and Kingsport, so either store can be closest depending on the trip.

Where Is the Cook Out in Johnson City, TN?

Looking for a store in another town? Every location is on our Cook Out locations map.

Johnson City’s store is listed first, followed by the nearest Tri-Cities stores outside the city, from Jonesborough at about 5 miles to Greeneville at about 23 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 central Johnson City, so actual drives run longer.

Which Cook Out Is Closest to My Part of Johnson City?

For most of Johnson City, including ETSU, downtown and the medical district, 1206 W State of Franklin Rd is the closest Cook Out; the west end toward Jonesborough and the east side toward Elizabethton may be closer to those stores. The table shows typical choices.

Because the store faces a university campus, the busiest windows are often lunch between classes and late evening on weekends and game nights. If the line on State of Franklin Road is long, Jonesborough’s store is only about 5 miles west.

When Did Cook Out Open in Johnson City?

Johnson City is where Cook Out entered Tennessee: a Middle Tennessee news report notes that the company opened its first Tennessee store in Johnson City in 2010. We could not confirm from published sources whether that first store is the same building as today’s West State of Franklin Road location, so we describe it simply as Cook Out’s first Tennessee city.

From its Tri-Cities start, Cook Out has spread across Tennessee to Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and beyond. For the full statewide picture, see our Cook Out Tennessee guide.

How Do I Get to the Johnson City Cook Out From I-26?

From I-26, take exit 23 (SR 91, the Main Street/Market Street pair) into downtown and continue about 1.5 miles southwest to West State of Franklin Road. Drivers coming from Erwin or Asheville can also use exit 24 for University Parkway (US 321/SR 67), the route ETSU recommends for reaching State of Franklin Road and the campus.

Coming from each direction

• From Kingsport on I-26 east: follow I-26 past the I-81 interchange and Gray into Johnson City, then use exit 23 for downtown. Kingsport has its own store on East Stone Drive, about 19 miles north.
• From Asheville or Erwin on I-26 west: leave at exit 24 for University Parkway and follow it to State of Franklin Road on the ETSU side of town. See our Asheville guide for North Carolina stores across the state line.
• From Knoxville on I-81 north: switch to I-26 east toward Johnson City, roughly 100 miles from Knoxville in total; our Knoxville guide covers the stores at that end.
• From Elizabethton: head west on US 321/SR 67, which becomes University Parkway past I-26 exit 24, or simply use the Elizabethton store on West Elk Avenue.
• From Jonesborough or Greeneville: US 11E runs into Johnson City from the west; Jonesborough’s own store is on the way.

A local detail: State of Franklin Road is signed as State Route 381, and it is named for the short-lived State of Franklin of the 1780s, the would-be fourteenth state organized in what is now Northeast Tennessee.

Is the Johnson City Cook Out Near ETSU, the Medical Center or the VA?

Yes. The store faces the East Tennessee State University campus across West State of Franklin Road, and Johnson City Medical Center and the Mountain Home VA campus are a short drive along the same corridor. With late hours, it serves students, nurses, residents and veterans’ hospital staff coming off late shifts.

Students without a car should know that Cook Out is built around the drive-thru and walk-up window rather than an indoor dining room. The good news for ETSU is that the store is close enough to walk from parts of campus, though crossing State of Franklin Road should be done at a signal.

What Time Does Cook Out Close in Johnson City?

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 Johnson City store generally follows that pattern. Hours vary by store and can change on holidays and during university breaks, so check the store’s Google Maps listing before a late drive.

These are chain-wide typical hours, not a posted schedule for the State of Franklin Road 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 how schedules differ by state, see Cook Out’s opening and closing times.

Late-night tip: if the Johnson City window has already closed, Jonesborough and Elizabethton are the nearest backups, but they usually keep similar hours, so check them before you drive.

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

The best value on State of Franklin Road 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.

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 Johnson City: 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, sweet tea to drink”). Shakes take longer to make, so order them with the meal rather than adding them at the window. Feeding a dorm floor or a study group? Several trays usually cost less than combo meals at the other chains around campus, and a Jr. Tray is a cheap option between classes.

For full details see the Cookout Tray menu, the milkshake menu, the burger menu and the drinks menu.

How Does Cook Out Compare to Pal’s and Johnson City’s Other Late-Night Options?

Cook Out’s edge in Johnson City is a full tray with two sides for under $8 and a drive-thru open until about 3 or 4 AM; Pal’s Sudden Service, the Tri-Cities’ own drive-thru chain, wins on hometown loyalty and speed.

Pal’s was founded in nearby Kingsport by Fred “Pal” Barger in 1956 and is still headquartered there. In 2001 it became the first restaurant company to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and its drive-thrus are a fixture across Johnson City and the rest of the Tri-Cities. Downtown Johnson City adds sit-down options on Main Street, from German food at Freiberg’s to pubs and taco shops. Cook Out competes with a broader drive-thru menu, milkshakes in more than 40 flavors and later hours than almost anyone in town.

Many ETSU students settle into a simple routine: Pal’s or a downtown spot during the day, Cook Out for a late tray and a banana pudding shake after studying, a game or a night out.

Where Are the Other Cook Out Guides Near Johnson City?

The closest Cook Out guide is Bristol, about 20 to 27 miles northeast, followed by the statewide Tennessee guide, Asheville about 60 miles southeast on I-26 and Knoxville about 100 miles southwest.

On a road trip? Coming north on I-26 from Asheville, Johnson City is the first Tennessee Cook Out after the state line, with Kingsport the last stop before I-26 ends at Stone Drive. Heading toward Knoxville on I-81, Greeneville’s store on US 11E is a short detour off the interstate corridor.

Cook Out Johnson City FAQs

Answers to the questions people ask most.