Cook Out Tarboro NC — River Oaks Dr Location, Menu, Prices & Hours (2026)

Is There a Cook Out in Tarboro, NC?

Yes. Tarboro has 1 open Cook Out as of October 2026, according to Cook Out’s store locator: 104 River Oaks Dr, Tarboro, NC 27886, in the River Oaks Shopping Center on the southwest side of town. It sits just north of the Verizon store and across the parking lot from the Walmart Supercenter at 110 River Oaks Dr, close to the US 64 interchange where US 258 and Western Boulevard (US 64 Alternate) meet the freeway at exit 485.

It is the only Cook Out in Edgecombe County. The next-closest store is 1020 N. Wesleyan Blvd in Rocky Mount, about 16 miles west, and Greenville’s two stores are about 22 to 24 miles south. For anyone in Tarboro, Princeville, Pinetops, Speed, Conetoe or Macclesfield, River Oaks Drive is the nearest drive-thru window.

• Address: 104 River Oaks Dr, Tarboro, NC 27886.
• 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.
• Format: Cook Out’s twin drive-thru, with service windows on both sides of the building.
• Next-closest stores: Rocky Mount (~16 mi), Greenville Memorial Dr (~22 mi), Greenville E. 10th St (~24 mi), Nashville and Winterville (~25 mi each).

Searching for “cookout tarboro nc” from out of town? If you are traveling US 64 between Raleigh and the Outer Banks, the Tarboro store is one of the easiest Cook Out stops on the whole route, a short hop off the freeway at exit 485.

Where Is the Cook Out in Tarboro, and What Are the Nearest Other Stores?

Need a store in another city? Search every location with our Cook Out locations finder.

Tarboro’s store is listed first, followed by the five nearest Cook Outs within about 25 miles: Rocky Mount, two in Greenville, Nashville and Winterville. 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 Tarboro, so real drives run a little longer.

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

For nearly all of Tarboro and Edgecombe County, the River Oaks Drive store is the closest Cook Out; only the western edge of the county around Rocky Mount and Battleboro is closer to the Wesleyan Boulevard store. The table shows typical choices and routes.

Because River Oaks Drive is the only store in Edgecombe County, it draws drivers from small towns all around Tarboro, especially on weekend nights. If you are coming in from Pinetops, Speed or Bethel late at night, check the store’s Google Maps listing before you make the trip.

When Did Cook Out Come to Tarboro?

We have not found a reliable published opening date for the Tarboro store, so this guide does not give one; what local reporting does confirm is that Cook Out built the restaurant on River Oaks Drive, north of the Verizon store and across the parking lot from Walmart.

Tarboro fits Cook Out’s pattern of serving eastern North Carolina’s county seats. The town was chartered in 1760, sits in a bend of the Tar River and is the seat of Edgecombe County, with about 10,700 residents in the 2020 census. Its 45-block historic district and the Town Common, one of the oldest legislated town commons in the country, draw visitors downtown, while the River Oaks retail area by the freeway is where most chain restaurants cluster. For the full statewide picture, see our Cook Out North Carolina guide.

How Do I Get to Cook Out Tarboro From US 64, US 258 or NC 33?

From US 64, take exit 485 (US 258 / US 64 Alternate, Western Boulevard) on Tarboro’s south side and follow the signs to the Walmart shopping center on River Oaks Drive; the Cook Out is across the lot from Walmart. Exit 485 is where US 258, NC 111 and NC 122 join the freeway, so drivers on any of those routes reach the store without going through downtown.

Coming from each direction

• From Raleigh, Rocky Mount or I-95: take US 64 east about 22 miles from I-95 into Edgecombe County, pass exit 484 and leave at exit 485.
• From Williamston or the Outer Banks: take US 64 west, cross the Tar River past Princeville and exit at 485.
• From Greenville: NC 33 runs north from Memorial Drive past Belvoir to US 64 at exit 487 by Princeville; take US 64 west two exits to 485.
• From Pinetops or Farmville: US 258 north follows the Tar River into Tarboro and reaches US 64 at exit 485.
• From Scotland Neck or Speed: US 258 (or NC 122 from Speed) runs south beside the river into Princeville, then joins US 64 west across the river to exit 485.

Road-trip tip: on US 64 between Raleigh and the coast, Tarboro and Rocky Mount are about 16 miles apart, so you can choose either stop. Eastbound past Tarboro, the next Cook Out is in Williamston, about 27 miles away.

Is the Tarboro Cook Out Near Edgecombe Community College or the Hospital?

Edgecombe Community College’s Tarboro campus at 2009 W. Wilson St is one US 64 exit away (exit 484 versus the store’s exit 485), and ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital at 111 Hospital Drive is a short drive across town. Both put the River Oaks Drive window within easy reach for students and night-shift staff.

Cook Out is built around the drive-thru and walk-up window rather than an indoor dining room, so plan on a car or delivery. With a window that usually stays open until 3 or 4 AM, it is one of the few hot-food options for hospital staff coming off a late shift or students heading home after evening classes.

What Time Does Cook Out Close in Tarboro?

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 River Oaks Drive 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 Tarboro 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, and for other after-midnight ideas read our late-night food guide.

Late-night tip: if the Tarboro window closes early, the backup is Rocky Mount, about 16 miles west on US 64, which usually keeps similar hours. Check before you leave Pinetops, Speed or Bethel.

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

The Tarboro 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 River Oaks Drive: 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 family after a Walmart run or a team after a game at Tarboro High? Several trays usually cost less than combo meals at other chains.

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

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

Cook Out’s edge in Tarboro is a full tray with two sides for under $8 and a drive-thru that usually runs until 3 or 4 AM, long after most of Western Boulevard’s other restaurants have closed.

Edgecombe County sits in the heart of eastern North Carolina barbecue country, where whole-hog pork with a vinegar-and-pepper sauce is the local tradition, and family restaurants downtown and around the county are the place for a sit-down plate. Cook Out covers a different need: a fast, cheap meal with a chopped pork barbecue sandwich, a burger, chicken and a shake all on one menu, available late at night.

For a Big Double, hush puppies and a banana pudding shake at 1 AM after a late shift at the hospital or a drive back from Greenville, River Oaks Drive is the place. Curious how Cook Out stacks up against the biggest burger chain? Read our Cook Out vs McDonald’s comparison.

Where Are the Other Cook Out Guides Near Tarboro?

The closest Cook Out guides are Rocky Mount, about 16 miles west on US 64, and Greenville, which also covers Winterville, about 22 to 25 miles south; Wilson and Kinston are a little farther.

Other stores just past the 25-mile mark include 1549 Washington St in Williamston (about 27 miles east on US 64) and 1006 Carolina Ave in Washington (about 36 miles southeast). Cook Out’s locator also lists a coming-soon store at 1206 N Arendell Ave in Zebulon, about 44 miles west, coming soon per Cook Out’s locator as of October 2026.

Cook Out Tarboro FAQs

Answers to the questions people ask most.