Cook Out Secret Menu: Custom Orders & Fan Favorites

The truth about the Cook Out secret menu

Let us be straight with you: Cook Out has never published an official secret menu. Unlike some chains that quietly acknowledge off-menu items, Cook Out's menu is the board — and the board is already enormous, with dozens of burgers, barbecue plates, quesadillas, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and more than 40 milkshake flavors. There is no hidden panel of named secret items waiting for a password.

So why does everyone search for a "Cook Out secret menu"? Because the real secret is customization. Cook Out's kitchen is famously flexible: burgers can be built "Cook Out style" or your way, toppings and sauces can be added or removed, shake flavors can be mixed, and tray sides can be doubled up at many locations. Fans have turned that flexibility into an unofficial canon of custom orders — and that is what this page covers. Everything below is a fan-created customization, not an official menu item, and availability depends on the crew and how busy the location is. Prices below are reported ranges from 2026 boards; your restaurant sets its own numbers, so confirm at the speaker.

If you came here expecting a hidden list of named items like a burger chain's "animal style," reset your expectations: at Cook Out, the secret menu is a method, not a menu. Learn the method and you can build combinations most regulars have never tried.

Popular fan-made custom orders

These are the customizations Cook Out fans order most often. None are official items — describe what you want in plain words and the crew will usually build it.

Burger customizations

The burger board is the easiest place to start. Popular builds include a double burger with extra cheese and grilled onions, a bacon cheeseburger "Cook Out style" (chili, slaw, mustard and onions — the house style), and adding a fried egg or extra patty to any burger. Because patties are char-grilled to order, most topping swaps are free or carry a small upcharge; paid add-ons like bacon or extra cheese are typically under a dollar each, though the exact amount varies by location.

Quesadilla and wrap twists

Fans order grilled chicken quesadillas with added bacon or jalapeños, and wraps with swapped proteins — for example, a crispy chicken wrap built with grilled chicken instead. The quesadilla base is simple (cheese, chicken or beef with lettuce, tomato and quesadilla sauce), so additions are straightforward for the kitchen.

Hot dog and barbecue tweaks

Hot dogs "Cook Out style" come loaded with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. Regulars also order extra slaw or extra chili on barbecue plates and sandwiches, and hushpuppies added as a side swap where the board allows it. The chopped-pork barbecue sandwich is a favorite base for extra-topping experiments.

What to avoid

Do not invent a secret name and expect the crew to know it ("give me the Hulk Shake"). Cook Out crews are fast but literal — describe the build, not a nickname. And do not ask for ingredients the restaurant does not carry; the customization universe is limited to what is already on the board.

Milkshake mix-ins: the real secret menu

If Cook Out has one true "secret menu," it is the milkshake station. With 40+ shake flavors on the board — from banana pudding and peach cobbler to cappuccino and mint chocolate chip — the number of two-flavor combinations runs into the hundreds, and the crew will blend any two you name. A standard fancy shake runs about $3.99 at most locations (prices vary locally), and mixing flavors does not change the price.

Fan-favorite combinations that come up again and again in reviews and social posts include banana pudding + vanilla, peanut butter fudge + banana, Oreo + mint, strawberry + cheesecake, chocolate malt + peanut butter and eggnog + vanilla (when eggnog is in season — December only). Seasonal flavors like watermelon and peach (summer) and eggnog (December) can be mixed with year-round bases for limited-time combos.

Ordering is simple: name both flavors at the speaker ("a large shake, half banana pudding and half Oreo"). During rush hours, keep it to two flavors — complex three-way blends slow the line and the result is unpredictable. For the full flavor list with seasonal availability, see our Cook Out milkshake guide.

Tray hacks and value customizations

The Cook Out Tray — one main, two sides and a drink, with the Regular Tray reported around $6.29–$7.99 and the Jr. around $5.29–$6.39 depending on location — is already the best value on the board. Fans squeeze more out of it with a few legal moves:

• Double up a side: many boards let you take two of the same side (double fries, double hushpuppies). Ask — some locations allow it free, others add a small charge.
• Upgrade the drink to a shake: swapping the included drink for a milkshake usually costs extra (about $1.50 reported at several locations, but your restaurant sets the amount). It is still cheaper than a shake on its own.
• Pick calorie-dense sides: if value-per-dollar is the goal, sides like fries, onion rings and hushpuppies give you the most food for the tray price.
• Go Jr. when you are not starving: the Jr. Tray's smaller main with the same two sides and drink is plenty for lighter appetites and saves a dollar or more.

These are not secret items — they are smart uses of the standard tray structure. The nutrition page has calorie ranges if you want to compare builds.

How to order custom items without the hassle

Cook Out's drive-thru and walk-up lines move fast, especially late at night. Custom orders go smoothly if you follow a few rules:

1. Describe, do not nickname. Say "double burger with grilled onions and extra cheese," not a made-up name.
2. Order in sequence. Main first, then modifications, then sides and drink — the way the crew enters it.
3. Keep it to two or three changes. Big rebuilds during the midnight rush will not make you popular.
4. Ask the price of add-ons. Bacon, extra cheese and premium swaps can carry upcharges that vary by location.
5. Check the board first. Boards differ by restaurant — a side or topping at one location may not exist at another. Our locations guide covers how hours and menus vary.

Bottom line: Cook Out's "secret menu" is really a customization culture. There is no hidden list — but if you know how to ask, the kitchen can build combinations that are not printed anywhere. Start with a shake mix-in (zero risk), then work up to burger builds once you know your location's crew.