Cook Out vs Culver's: Menu Prices Compared (2026)

Updated August 15, 2026 4 items matched

The short answer

Cook Out is the cheaper of the two. Of the 4 directly comparable items we could match across both menus, Cook Out is cheaper on 4 of them, by an average of $1.68 per item.

Typical menu price: Cook Out $4.79 · Culver's $8.29

Matched Items, Side by Side

The same item on both menus, priced against each other. Where names differ, we matched the closest equivalent — Cook Out's wording first.

Item	Cook Out	Culver's	Difference
Grilled Chicken Sandwich	$5.29	$8.49	$3.20 cheaper at Cook Out
Onion Rings	$2.79	$4.79	$2.00 cheaper at Cook Out
Fountain Drink (regular)	$2.29	$2.79	$0.50 cheaper at Cook Out
Coleslaw	$1.99	$2.99	$1.00 cheaper at Cook Out

Make Cook Out and Culver's at Home

Whichever of the two wins on price, cooking the favorites at home beats both. These are the sauces, mixes and kitchen tools that get closest to the real thing.

Burger Press Uniform smash-style patties in seconds. Check price on Amazon Cast Iron Griddle The crust fast-food flat-tops are known for. Check price on Amazon Copycat Restaurant Recipes Cookbooks that recreate chain-restaurant favorites. Check price on Amazon

Cook Out vs Culver's at a Glance

	Cook Out	Culver's
Typical menu price	$4.79	$8.29
Average menu price	$5.16	$8.19
Cheapest item	Coleslaw — $1.99	Fountain Drink (regular) — $2.79
Most expensive item	Double Burger Plate — $9.99	North Atlantic Cod Dinner (3 pc) — $16.99
Items priced	43	42
Menu sections	6	6
Price range	$	$$
Founded	1989	1984
Headquarters	Thomasville, North Carolina	Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin
Locations	About 300 restaurants across the Southeast	More than 970 restaurants, concentrated in the Midwest

Which One Should You Order From?

Cook Out has the lower typical menu price of the two — $4.79 against $8.29 — but a typical price only tells you where the middle of the menu sits. At the value end, Cook Out gets you in cheaper at $1.99.

Cook Out is strongest on Cook Out Tray, Big Double Burger, Cajun Chicken Sandwich; Culver's on ButterBurger Deluxe, Butterburger Cheese Double, Cheese Curds. Neither chain's app prices match the counter, and both discount heavily through their loyalty programmes, so the deals below usually matter more than the few cents between the two menus.

Deals Worth Knowing at Both

Cook Out

The Cook Out Tray at $7.49 to $8.79 includes an entree, two sides and a drink — the cheapest complete combo of any national or regional chain.
Upgrading the tray drink to a milkshake for $2.99 costs less than buying the shake separately at $4.29.
Cook Out stays open until 3:00 or 4:00 AM, which makes it one of the only late-night sit-down-quality options in much of the Southeast.

Culver's

Kids meals include a scoop of frozen custard at no extra charge — an unusual inclusion that adds about $3.79 of value.
Buy custard by the pint or quart to go: a quart at $11.99 is roughly half the per-ounce cost of individual scoops.
Culver's e-club sends a free-item coupon on signup and again on your birthday.

About these prices: menu prices are set by individual franchise owners and change without notice. The figures on this page are researched estimates for 2026 and are provided for reference only. Confirm the current price with the restaurant before ordering. Menu Price Book is not affiliated with this chain.

Cook Out vs Culver's — FAQ

Is Cook Out cheaper than Culver's in 2026?

Cook Out is cheaper on most matched items — 4 of 4. Across the whole menu Cook Out is the lower-priced of the two, at $4.79 for a typical item against $8.29 at Culver's.

What is the price difference between Cook Out and Culver's?

On matched items the average difference is $1.68, or about 37% overall. Cook Out averages $5.16 across 40 priced items; Culver's averages $8.19 across 42.

Which has the cheaper entry price, Cook Out or Culver's?

Cook Out starts at $1.99 (Coleslaw) and Culver's at $2.79 (Fountain Drink (regular)).

Are these prices the same at every location?

No. Both chains let franchise owners set prices, so figures move by a dollar or more between markets and run highest at airport, stadium and highway locations. Treat these as the typical U.S. price, not a quote.