Cook Out Kids Menu: Is There One? Jr. Tray & Best Kid Picks (2026)

Does Cook Out Have a Kids Menu?

No. Cook Out’s official menu does not list a kids menu, kids meals, kid-size combos or toys. The smaller meal it does show is the Jr. Tray, a scaled-down version of the Cookout Tray, and kids order from the same regular menu as everyone else.

That surprises some families, because most national burger chains sell a branded kids meal with a toy. Cook Out has never built its business that way. Since Morris Reaves opened the first Cook Out in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989, the chain has kept a short, cheap menu built around char-grilled burgers, hot dogs, chicken, barbecue, trays and milkshakes. Today Cook Out runs about 370 stores in 11 states from its headquarters in Thomasville, North Carolina, and the menu looks much the same at nearly all of them.

The good news is that the regular menu already has plenty of small, inexpensive items that work for children:

• Small hamburger (1/8 lb): 245 calories, 14 g protein.
• Corn dog: 220 calories, the lightest of the main kid picks.
• Hot dog: 260 calories plain.
• Chicken nuggets: 240 calories for a full order, 144 for the tray-side portion.
• Cheese quesadilla: 355 calories, also offered as a tray side.
• Jr. Tray: from about $5.29 at typical stores, with sides and a drink included.

Every calorie figure on this page comes from Cook Out’s published nutrition sheet unless it is clearly marked as approximate. If anyone tells you Cook Out has a kids meal with a set price, a toy or a special kids cup, check your store’s menu board first: none of those appear on Cook Out’s official menu.

What Is the Cook Out Jr. Tray and What Comes With It?

The Jr. Tray is Cook Out’s smaller tray: a lighter entree with two sides and a drink, typically starting around $5.29. It is the closest thing Cook Out has to a kids meal, but it is not marketed as one and adults order it too.

Cook Out’s official menu shows the Jr. Tray as its own choice, with a “Choose 1 for Jr. Tray” panel, but the menu image does not spell out a full list of qualifying entrees in text. The most detailed public listing we found is one store’s online menu on SinglePlatform (Cook Out at 869 S Jefferson Ave in Cookeville, Tennessee), which shows two Jr. Tray entrees:

That listing describes the Jr. Tray the same way as the full tray: “Served with two sides or double up on main dishes! Comes with a beverage!” Its drink choices include a large Coke, a huge tea, a bottled Dasani water, Cheerwine and a Coke float. The 240-calorie small burger on that listing is a rounded figure; Cook Out’s nutrition sheet puts the plain small hamburger at 245 calories.

What we can and cannot confirm

• Confirmed: Cook Out’s menu shows a Jr. Tray; the Jr. Tray comes with two sides (or a doubled entree) and a drink at the store whose listing we checked.
• Typical price: from about $5.29; the Cookeville listing shows $6.49, so prices clearly vary by store.
• Not confirmed chain-wide: exactly which entrees qualify. Some stores may offer other small entrees on a Jr. Tray; ask your store which ones count.

In practice, a Jr. Tray is a smaller tray; ask your store what entrees qualify. For how the full Cookout Tray works entree by entree, see the Cook Out tray menu.

What Can Kids Eat at Cook Out?

Kids at Cook Out eat from the regular menu, and the best picks are the small hamburger, the hot dog, the corn dog, chicken nuggets and the cheese quesadilla. All five have official nutrition numbers, and four of them come in under 265 calories.

All values are from Cook Out’s nutrition sheet and are for the item as listed, without condiments, dipping sauce or a burger style. A burger style adds toppings and calories; for example, Cook Out Style adds 123 calories and Cheddar Style adds 233, so a plain small hamburger is the kid-friendly default. See the Cook Out burger menu for every size and style.

Notes on each pick

• Small hamburger: the 1/8 lb burger has the most protein of the small entrees at 14 g and the lowest sodium at 309 mg. Order it plain or with just ketchup for picky eaters.
• Corn dog: 220 calories and 5 g of protein. Cook Out lists the corn dog as a tray side option too, so it can ride along with a burger on one tray. One store listing offers French’s mustard or Heinz ketchup with it.
• Hot dog: 260 calories and 600 mg of sodium plain. Hot dog styles add chili, slaw and more; our Cook Out hot dogs guide has every style.
• Chicken nuggets: a full order is 240 calories with 16 g of protein; the tray-side portion is 144 calories with 10 g. Sauce is not included in either number. More in our Cook Out chicken nuggets guide.
• Cheese quesadilla: 355 calories and 13 g of protein, a good meatless pick that is also offered as a tray side. Details in the Cook Out quesadilla guide.
• Cheese Dog: despite the name, Cook Out describes it as a bun with cheese and no hot dog. At 146 calories and 3 g of protein it is a snack, not a meal.

What Are the Best Kid-Size Tray Builds at Cook Out?

The lightest kid-size tray here is a small hamburger with a nuggets side and an onion rings side at 517 calories of food; swapping the nuggets for a corn dog side makes it 593. Every total below is food only; add the drink from the next section.

Each total adds Cook Out’s official figures for the entree and the two tray sides shown. The Strips build uses an approximate 440 calories for two chicken strips: that is two-thirds of the official three-strip order (660 calories, 36 g protein, 2,130 mg sodium), and it matches the 440 calories printed on the Cookeville store’s Jr. Tray listing. Sodium percentages use the 2,300 mg Daily Value for adults; children’s sodium limits are lower, so the percentages understate the share of a child’s day.

What the numbers say

• Best overall balance: the Classic build (517 calories, 27 g protein, 961 mg sodium).
• Most protein: Hungry kid and Strips tie at 37 g, but the Strips build carries 2,072 mg of sodium, nearly all of an adult’s daily limit.
• Most sugar and carbs: the Sweet tooth build, because hushpuppies (11 g sugar) and the corn dog (7 g) add up.
• Two sides can be a meal on their own: a corn dog side and a nuggets side alone come to 364 calories (220 + 144), which is plenty for many younger children.

Want to try other combinations? The Cook Out calorie calculator lets you pick any entree, two sides and a drink and see the full total before you order. For side-by-side numbers on every side, see the Cook Out sides menu.

Which Cook Out Drinks Work Best for Kids?

Bottled water, unsweet tea and the 12 oz small fountain drinks are the lightest kid choices; a small Hi-C Fruit Punch is 119 calories and a small sweet tea is 177. The drink can easily add more sugar than the food, so it is worth choosing on purpose.

Figures are from Cook Out’s nutrition sheet for 12 oz small and 24 oz large fountain drinks. Two points matter for kids:

• Tray drinks may be bigger than you expect. The Cookeville store’s tray listing offers a large Coke or a huge tea with the tray. A large Hi-C Fruit Punch is 238 calories and 66 g of sugar, double the small. If your child does not need that much, ask for bottled water or a smaller cup.
• Watch the caffeine. Sweet tea, unsweet tea, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Cheerwine and Dr Pepper normally contain caffeine; Sprite, Hi-C and Powerade generally do not. Check with your store if you are unsure.
• Sweet tea is the heaviest small drink. Cook Out’s sheet lists 177 calories and 55 g of sugar for a 12 oz small.

The full list, with every size and price notes, is in the Cook Out drinks menu guide.

Are Cook Out Milkshakes Too Big for Kids?

For most kids, yes: Cook Out’s nutrition sheet lists milkshakes in one size of roughly 930 g, and even plain vanilla is 555 calories with 83 g of sugar. Sharing one shake between two or three children is the simplest fix.

Milkshakes cost about $3.99 at typical stores and come in 40-plus flavors, which is a big part of why kids love Cook Out. Split figures are simple division of Cook Out’s official whole-shake numbers; ask for extra cups or spoons at the window. Fruit flavors like strawberry (610) are not much lighter than chocolate (620); candy flavors such as Snickers (720) and Oreo (802) are heavier, and peanut butter and cheesecake flavors run about 845 calories and up.

• Lightest classic flavor on the sheet: vanilla at 555 calories (the fresh banana shake is slightly lower at 538).
• Peanut and tree-nut flavors: peanut butter, Reese’s Cup, Snickers, walnut, banana nut and chocolate nut shakes contain nuts. See the allergy section below.
• Small shake? The nutrition sheet shows one milkshake size. If your store offers anything smaller, it will be on the menu board.

Every flavor is covered in the Cook Out milkshake menu, and other sweets are in the Cook Out desserts menu.

How Do You Right-Size a Cook Out Order for Young Kids?

Order one Jr. Tray or a single small item for each young child, share the sides, and split milkshakes. Because Cook Out has no kids meal, you control the portion by choosing smaller items rather than a smaller combo.

Cook Out’s trays are generous: two sides plus an entree and a drink is a lot of food for a preschooler. Some practical ways families handle it:

1. Order à la carte for little ones. A plain small hamburger (245 calories) or a corn dog (220) with a few of a sibling’s fries or onion rings is often enough.
2. Use one tray for two small kids. A Jr. Tray with a small hamburger and a nuggets side can be split: one child takes the burger, the other the nuggets, and they share the second side.
3. Pick sides by size. The tray-side nuggets (49 g, 144 calories) and onion rings (69 g, 128 calories) are the lightest fried sides. The hushpuppies side is 300 calories, and a regular order of fries is 347.
4. Ask for toppings on the side. Styles and condiments add calories and mess. A plain burger or hot dog with ketchup or mustard on the side is easier for small hands.
5. Bring the leftovers home. Burgers, hot dogs and quesadillas reheat better than fried sides.

Older kids and teens

Older kids and teenagers often want a regular Cookout Tray (about $7.39 to $7.99 at typical stores). A regular 1/4 lb hamburger is 328 calories plain with 22 g of protein, and the Big Double is a popular step up. For a lighter teen tray, char-grilled chicken and the onion rings side keep the total moderate.

Nothing here is medical advice. If your child has specific nutrition needs, follow the guidance of your pediatrician or a registered dietitian.

Is Cook Out Safe for Kids With Food Allergies?

Be cautious: Cook Out does not publish an allergen chart, and its nutrition sheet lists calories and nutrients but not allergens. If your child has a food allergy, ask the store manager about ingredients and cross-contact before ordering.

Without an official allergen statement, nobody outside Cook Out can confirm which items are free of a given allergen. What can be said from the menu itself:

• Milk: every milkshake, the cheese quesadilla, the Cheese Dog and anything with cheese contains dairy.
• Wheat: burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches come on buns; corn dogs, nuggets, onion rings and hushpuppies are battered or breaded, and quesadillas use flour tortillas.
• Peanuts and tree nuts: several milkshake flavors contain peanut butter, peanuts or nuts (peanut butter, Reese’s Cup, Snickers, walnut, banana nut, chocolate nut). Shared shake equipment is a common cross-contact risk at any shake counter.
• Egg: mayo-based toppings and many batters usually contain egg; ask for no mayo and confirm the breading.
• Shared fryers and grills: ask whether fried items share oil and whether the grill is shared.

Our Cook Out allergen guide collects what is known item by item, and the vegan menu guide covers meat-free and dairy-free options. For severe allergies, the safest choice is to ask at the store every visit, because recipes and suppliers can change.

How Much Does It Cost to Feed a Family at Cook Out?

At typical prices, a family of four can eat at Cook Out for roughly $25 to $30 before tax with two Cookout Trays and two Jr. Trays. That math uses about $7.39 to $7.99 per Cookout Tray and about $5.29 per Jr. Tray; your store’s prices may be higher.

Totals are simple sums of typical prices: 2 × $7.39 = $14.78 and 2 × $7.99 = $15.98; 2 × $5.29 = $10.58; $14.78 + $10.58 = $25.36 and $15.98 + $10.58 = $26.56; adding $3.99 gives $29.35 and $30.55. The Cookeville listing’s $6.49 Jr. Tray shows that some stores charge more, so check the menu board.

• Payment: Cook Out stores generally take cash and cards.
• Ordering: most stores are drive-thru and walk-up with no indoor dining room, so plan to eat in the car or at an outdoor table where one exists.
• Hours: most stores open around 10:30 AM and stay open late, usually until about 3 AM Sunday to Thursday and 4 AM Friday and Saturday; hours vary by store. See the Cook Out hours guide.
• Gift cards: a popular treat for kids and teens; see the Cook Out gift cards guide.

Where Can You Find More Cook Out Menu Guides for Families?

Start with the tray menu and calorie calculator, then use the item guides for whatever your kids like best. These pages go deeper on the items mentioned above.

To find the nearest store, use the Cook Out locations finder. Curious about off-menu combinations older kids talk about? Read the Cook Out secret menu guide, and for fries specifically, the Cook Out fries guide.

Cook Out Kids Menu FAQs

Answers to the questions people ask most.