Living near a Cookout is like living near the greatest place on earth. The wonderful Cookout. This place is the end all be all. You have helped us all through so much. We can’t thank you enough, Morris Reaves, for founding this amazing place. Here are some specific Cookout-related things I am thankful for.

1. Thank you for never letting us starve.

When you’re hungry, the first words you say are, “Wanna go to cookout”. Which might I add are the best words to ever hear. You may not even be hungry but when you pass a Cookout, you have to at least stop and get a quesadilla.

2. Thank you for helping us through hard times.

Got your heart broken? Feel like crap? Who doesn’t want a Cookout tray with a milkshake? Those things are like painkillers. You cry with your best friends when your heart is broken over an Oreo-Mint milkshake and all of a sudden you feel much better about everything.

3. Thank you for feeding my teammates.

Where do you go after a sporting event when you are starving? Cookout. Even if you lost, you at least know the food will be good. The entire team can sit and be so loud and not even care. You might even see the other team there as well (sportsmanship is kicking in I hope). Cookout fills you up to no end and makes you that much happier about winning or losing.

4. Thank you for making trays cheap.

Three whole things in one tray. It’s like heaven in a styrofoam box. There are so many options, but nothing ever satisfies a craving more than three different food items in one box. Let’s not forget that all these three things are less than $6. You help my cravings and my bank account.

5. Thank you for late nights.

What do high school and college kids love more than parties? Cookout being open until 3am. We would be hungover, still studying, or just hungry. But you never let us down during our time of need. We appreciate that we can come and settle our cravings without a sign telling us that you are closed.

6. Thank you for the Christian music.

Coming into a Cookout is not only satisfying for the stomach, it’s good for the soul. Every Cookout I have been to has the best Christian music playing. I feel like I can eat some great fried food and get my heart right with Jesus. It always makes me happy hearing “Oceans” while eating a chicken ranch wrap.

7. Thank you for never disappointing.

Some fast food restaurants you can always guarantee something being messed up or wrong. But for some reason, not Cookout. You can always guarantee that everything will be perfect and not messed up. That’s why I will always go to Cookout over any other fast food joint.