Cook Out — Restaurant in Fort Oglethorpe

This place had awesome food when it first opened, nice sizes for the price. Since then the food sizes has steadily shrunk and the quality of some foods has definitely lowered as well. The big double burger for example used to have burgers at least the size of the buns, they were thin but size of buns or even bigger....now you are really lucky if you can find them at all, you will get more mustard than burger on a cook out style big double now (basically no chilli and barely a hint of slaw pieces....definitely not even 1 full teaspoon of chilli or slaw on it). The Big Double should be renamed the Tiny Double Small burger, they are each so small they have over 1 inch of bun space around them and yes still super thin as well (like 1/8 to 1/4 of inch thick); they are literally smaller than a hockey puck and even stacked together they are less thick than a hockey puck. I have never seen such a drastic change in burger sizes in any other burger place, or confusion by staff as to what you get as a burger for what is ordered. You have to order the huge burger to get even 1 thick now smaller than bun burger, even though the staff claim you are supposed to get 2 hockey puck sized burgers on it...the burger builder in the back thinks for a huge you only get 1 hockey puck. It looks like for higher prices they take a regular 1/4 lb burger and cut it into 4 pieces to make 2 double burgers at this location. And don't bother asking for chilli or slaw on anything, you will be straining your eyes trying to find it on your order later...can't even taste them or burger over the taste of buns and cheap huge globs of condiments. The sizes of fries or onion rings have also went downhill and uphill, so its random as to the amount you will get no matter the size you order. Last but not least the milkshakes....yes they have lost quality as well, not as thick and ice creamy as it once was, and now any flavors added in also very sparingly till a cappuccino looks and tastes like a vanilla, and milkshakes with cherries now you lucky to find a few tiny bits of cherry at all, a banana pudding is more crushed bits of vanilla wafer than any banana, so mixed in wafer till not sure if they were trying to make a new dough. Milkshakes used to be so cold and thick u could turn them upside down, not anymore unless you want it all fallen out. I'm not looking for the standard corporate reply message with my review here, I am just being real for others to be able to expect these confused and tiny portioned items for their orders. Big double is a joke, its smaller than a kids meal burger at any other...

We got there close to noon and there were two families in line in front of us (plus the drive thru)... About 6 people (plus the drive thru).

I ordered a cheese quesadilla (the ONLY veg ENTREE option), hush puppies, and a peach shake (they are supposed to be famous for their shakes). Hubby ordered the "BBQ Tray", which included a pork BBQ sandwich with cole slaw on it, and 2 sides. He accidentally asked for a double order of onion rings, but we love onion rings, so we weren't disappointed. It came with a soda, but he doesn't drink soda anymore, so he got water.

It took forever for our meal to arrive, and many other people came into the restaurant while we waited and got their food before us. 😥 When they finally called our number, only part of the order was ready and hubby had to wait for my shake. When he got everything to the table and sat down I said, "Where are my hush puppies?"

He went back and told them they forgot something ELSE and we waited again. Meanwhile, we started in on our food and... OMG what amazing tasting food it was! I wished I'd gotten 2 quesadillas! The shake was so thick I had to let it sit and melt a little before I could get anything through the straw and it was oh, so flavorful with bits of real peaches (not frozen, clogging my straw every now and then).

We split the rings & puppies. The rings weren't crispy, but they were very tasty. Once the puppies arrived (at least it was before I finished my quesadilla) we dove into those and they were quite yummy, and I must admit... They were very hot when we got them. 😂

Hubby said his BBQ sandwich was very good, but the blop of cole slaw on it was more like an Oopsie than a purposeful scoop. Tasted good, though. All in all, we recommend it and will return if we are in the area again. The service could improve, but it just seemed like they were overwhelmed by the drive thru.

Hey Management! This is how you run a drive thru... Fill an inside order, fill a drive thru order, fill an inside order, fill a drive thru order... NOT fill all the drive thru orders and make the people inside wait "because they're not going anywhere bc they already paid and they're inside waiting and the drive thru are in their cars and could drive off at any time". It doesn't work that way. A PO'd customer is a...

Ok. So i posted a review 3 weeks ago giving 3 stars from my very first visit to Cookout.

Corporate replied asking for me to contact them in which i did and they sent me 2 coupons for 2 free trays.

To be fair; I decided to give the same location a second chance so i took my coupons and went to the cookout in Ft. Oglethorpe 1 more time hoping that maybe the first time was just a "off" day for them. Boy was i wrong.

So, upon getting there i realized they didnt open until 11 so i was 20 minutes early. Glad to patiently wait. No one else was there in the drive through so i was first in line to order. There was 2 cars parked at a window to my left of me at the restaurant though. (Maybe another pickup window for callins?)

So i sat at the ordering menu while i watched the cashier open and serve the two cars that were sitting there and then also a 3rd car that showed up as well. In between the cars i can clearly see the cashier look at me, so she knows im there. I politely say in a slightly raised voice so she can hear me at the window "Hello?" Twice with no response back. Then after the 3rd car left i finally get the cashier over the microphone ask me what i want to order. I said "I was wondering when someone was going to acknowledge me." And she says "sorry my microphone was off."

Ok, so she seemd a bit irritated to be there not only by her tone as i ordered (i was asking questions about the food, since this was only the second time ever being here) but also by her body language as i sat at the window waiting on my food. She then swiftly handed me my drinks and then my food and quickly shut the window as she was saying have a good day.

The food was sloppily made. The burgers were supposed to be all the way yet they were not. The meat was dry. The buns had hard spots on them like they had been heated and then sat out. The fries looked done but were soggy and limp. The burger was bland like they didnt season it at all. The only thing that was halfway decent about the tray was the fried cheese. We didnt even eat it all but instead threw it away.

I dont recommend this place at all. Youll get better food and service at McDonalds or anywhere else for...