Cook Out — Restaurant in Knoxville

I love Cookout. Just not this location. Drive downtown or go to Cedar Bluff. Both locations are better than this one.

It is unreliable, sometimes the service is great, sometimes it's just awful, same with the food, and you never know which you are going to get. Sometimes you get settled lettuce, soggy tomatoes and a stale bun, other times the food is perfect.

Also, I work 3rd shift, and I've never had a problem going to this location at 2:30am when they are open till 3am, untill recently. Now they have a "sell-off period" as their cashier put it. During this time they have a couple limited items, some burgers and hotdogs and a few other things, nothing is fresh, all of which were beef or pork and none of which I can eat. They basically are closing before they are actually closed so they can leave earlier. I couldn't even get some chicken nuggets. There's no sign warning of this, and to make it worse there is no way to leave their drive thru without waiting for the people in front of you. Don't be open till 3am if you aren't going to serve your menu, or at least most of the menu.

Also, they don't tell you when they are going to up charge for a change. Example. Sorry it's a long story.... They have a promo chocolate chip cookie dough shake. It's $1 instead of the normal shake price. The first few times I ordered it, it was literally just ice cream and chocolate chip cookie dough pieces. Then, they started making it different by also having small pieces of chocolate in it, and I find those very off-putting. I thought they just messed up that time, so I ordered it normal the next time, still the same. So, after that, I ordered it without the chocolate pieces, just the ice cream and cookie dough. No problem. Still a dollar. Next time I order it like this, they charge me full shake price, didn't warn me, when I ask at the window they say any changes to it and it's full price. So removing an item makes it full price. 😂..... I explain that isn't what they had done before, and the cashier walks off and comes back and says the manager says if they find out who rang it up that way they would fire them, and they do nothing to fix this for me. So I leave appalled at their horrible customer service and without food. If they hadn't been so rude, I would have brushed it off and paid the up charge but at that point I just didn't want any food from them.

I hate to leave such a negative review because some of their cashiers are awesome, but the negatives and leaving without food on my 3rd shift lunch break because they have all the sudden decided to stop actually making most of their food in the last hour, are...

Id give the food a better rating because of consistency but not this time. The "food", Its pretty much the same no matter what day and everyday. Its convenient at late hours because it's one of two late night places open around here. Where i have an issue is the window drivethru person, Saturday night/Sunday morning. I placed my order and by the time I got to the window within a minute, my food was already bagged. I asked for no slaw and I got slaw on my burger. Really? Slaw on a burger? . I got no dipping sauce with the chicken tenders, despite it being a necessity. Its not that difficulty honey. Try and use some focus not just here but every aspect of your existsnce. The food was cold and not to specs. Id have given the food a four if it were fresh and if the order were correct. I rate it higher usually because of the consistency. The service isnt consistent however. I've not seen the heavy woman with glasses before and hope to not encounter her again. She is unpleasant and doesnt GAD. During the order process, she was pushy. Asking "will that be it?" after each item I'd add and she had the demeanor of a person asked to work double shift and was on her 14th hour. If that is the case, I can certainly overlook some of the carefree attitude. Why not have service with a positive outlook and get to a first name basis with some of your regular folks? It's not hard to be pleasant and can make the shift go by quicker or perhaps move to a position where you dont have to interact with the customers? Im here to review the experience and perhaps crossed with suggestions to the drive-thru person, but come on. Do you have to bring my experience down to where you are. I was disappointed in my order because my overall experience was less than and that should be avoided since I do have options. The goal should be give every guest the best possible experience so they return. Not give crap service so you have to look for a job because the store shut down. You...

Always been a fan of Cook Out, and always loved this location until today. Went through the drive through, ordered 2 milkshakes. Was waiting to ask for a receipt, and the young lady never gave me a chance to ask, as soon as I asked, she was closing the window in my face. Finally she came back, and asked if we needed something, I asked if I could have my receipt please. She finally came back, and handed it to me with out saying a word, but had a look of sheer hate on her face. Got across the parking lot and realized it was the wrong receipt, it had another customer's name, and last numbers of their credit card. Parked and went to give it back, given the other customers' info. The same lady opened the window after ignoring us for some time. Explained the receipt situation and she starts yelling that we don't take trash back in through the window. Asked for our own receipt and was told we can't give you one, after asking why a couple of times we were told, because we don't give receipts to people who order 2 milkshakes. The young lady then became argumentative, and the manager finally arrived, then the young girl said I never told you that you could not have a receipt, I said that it has to come from the manager. Explained to the manger that is not what was stated, then she began yelling that we did not have to be rude. Numerous times the manager and another young man told her to go away and to go to the back. We also said you need to go away, we are done talking to you. The young man finally placed his hand on her, pulling her away, as she was still yelling we did not need to be rude. The receipt was not that big of a deal, but the young lady running the window working today on 07/27/2021 was extremely rude, disrespectful, and generally angry and needed to go take a break. I love Cook Out, but you really need to get a grip on your employees and...