Cook Out — Restaurant in Columbia

It felt like we, along with many other unsuspecting customers, were deliberately taken advantage of by Cook Out and SC Towing. They seemed to have set up a system designed to trap people into getting towed rather than genuinely keeping their lot clear.

We parked at Cook Out while attending the St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Five Points. There were no visible signs indicating that parking was restricted—at least, not ones we could reasonably see. The only sign in the back parking lot was completely obscured by a truck and trailer that had been parked there before we arrived and remained even after we left. With all the spaces taken, we found one open spot and parked, not realizing the trap we had just walked into.

As we pulled in, we noticed another truck being towed, surrounded by SC Towing employees. They said nothing to us—not a single warning that this was private parking or that we were at risk of being towed. They simply watched us park and walk away.

We left for about an hour, intending to grab food from Cook Out when we returned, only to find our car gone. That’s when we finally saw another sign facing outward in the back of the lot—not visible from where we parked—and called SC Towing. As we tried to recover our vehicle, we watched this scheme unfold firsthand. SC Towing employees sat in the parking lot, watching people park, saying nothing, and immediately calling for a tow truck. It was a coordinated effort, and they made no effort to give even a simple courtesy warning.

When we confronted the Cook Out manager, he was condescending, smug, and dismissive. After we walked around the trailer that had been blocking the sign, he sarcastically told us to “read the sign” as if we had any chance of seeing it beforehand. That same truck and trailer, which was blocking at least six parking spaces along with the sign, was never towed. If they truly cared about keeping their lot open, wouldn’t they have removed that vehicle first? Wouldn’t they have just asked people not to park there instead of allowing car after car to be towed?

Instead, the manager spent more time in the lot ensuring cars were towed than actually managing his restaurant. He appeared to be enjoying the process, almost as if he was getting a kickback from SC Towing. We saw him socializing with the tow truck drivers as they gleefully hauled away more vehicles. Meanwhile, SC Towing charged a ridiculous $350 per car, demanding cash-only payments and storing vehicles in an unsecured lot two blocks away in a random neighborhood.

While they may have been legally covered, their actions were nothing short of predatory. Between Cook Out’s lack of transparency and SC Towing’s unethical practices, it was clear this was nothing more than a coordinated cash grab. I’ll never eat at this Cook Out again, and I would strongly advise against using SC Towing. Businesses that operate this way don’t deserve...

I normally dislike fast food. For what a nutritive disaster costs at most fast food chains, I can dine on a reasonably healthful meal elsewhere. However, while I'd hardly put it in the "health food" category, Cook Out at least seems to try to use fresher ingredients than most fast food chains, and given the prices, you won't have dual dietary and financial guilt afterward. This store is at or above average compared to other Cook Out stores. Their burgers are good, their shakes excellent, and they have a large variety of other selections, at astounding prices. (It has been interesting to see long-established chains trying to respond to this challenge.) If you are a first time visitor to a Cook Out, don't get lost in the huge menu. Look at the separate "Cook Out Tray" section. Here, you can pick one entree, two sides (most of which would qualify as an entree elsewhere), and a generous drink, which includes choices like a giant tea or float for no extra cost. At around $5, this is a great value. Obviously, I'm enthusiastic about this new-ish chain. So why not five stars? Some sides (like onion rings) are skimpy portions. Order accuracy has been an issue at times, though this store seems to be getting better. The menu would benefit from the veggies one might find at a real home cookout like green beans, squash casserole, gumbo or fried okra, etc. With just a few tweaks, they could dominate the...

After waiting a half hour in the drive thru, I decided to get out of line and order at the outside window. It took them another 45 minutes to get me my food. So, after waiting over an hour to get food, and my order being wrong (twice), a fight broke out among a group of college students and blood got in my food. When I asked them if they would replace my food, they said no. When I asked for a manager, I was called a b*h and no. Then after arguing with multiple employees, one of the police officers on duty went to get the manager for me. Then the manager refused to remake my food because it wasn't their fault. When I asked the manager for the name and number of her boss, I was told that was none of my business. At this point, i knew I wasn't going to be eating there. I handed all my food back to the manager and asked for my money back. She said that she couldn't refund me because it was after 4am and they were closed for the night. She the locked the window and walked away. I was now with out food and the money I had paid for it. I have never seen such poor treatment of customers in a restaurant in my life, and I work in several. If I could give this place no stars I would. I won't ever...