Will Massey
4/30/12
Today, CookOut opened. It was a sad sight around campus as individuals who had just finished the ritualistic 5:00pm moan’s meal flooded into their cars. They flew single file down 15 and attacked the store with a force which brought to mind tales of barbaric invasion from Homer’s Illiad. The lines were long, but CookOut persisted, rolling food out at speeds unmatched in Farmville. I decided to go with the platter, which includes one main item, (pork BBQ, chicken BBQ, or a hamburger) two side items, and a drink. I picked pork BBQ, fries, chicken quesadilla, and had to upgrade to the chocolate shake:
4/30/12
Today, CookOut opened. It was a sad sight around campus as individuals who had just finished the ritualistic 5:00pm moan’s meal flooded into their cars. They flew single file down 15 and attacked the store with a force which brought to mind tales of barbaric invasion from Homer’s Illiad. The lines were long, but CookOut persisted, rolling food out at speeds unmatched in Farmville. I decided to go with the platter, which includes one main item, (pork BBQ, chicken BBQ, or a hamburger) two side items, and a drink. I picked pork BBQ, fries, chicken quesadilla, and had to upgrade to the chocolate shake:
The pork BBQ is best described as a playful fusion of Bill’s BBQ that is found all around Richmond and the North Carolina legend, Smithfield’s. Ryan had a burger that looked delightful as well. The real strategy at Cookout is picking your sides. There are many different approaches due to the wide range of sides including: hush puppies, fries, onion rings, chili, slaw, chicken nuggets, chicken quesadilla, and a corn dog. I would consider myself in the semi-conservative camp, meaning I go with one traditional side item (fries, hush puppies, slaws, and onion rings) and one non traditional side like a quesadilla or chicken nuggets. Of course doubling up is always an option and encouraged.
Not only was the opening a success in the quality of food, superior service, and swiftness of preparation, but it also marked a new landmark for CookOut. This is the first CookOut, I have heard of, that allows for indoor seating:
Most of the time the patrons are left to their shameful face stuffing at outside benches or in parking spaces. It truly has been a magical year of palatal expansion in Farmville. We have seen the opening of new chains from Bojangles and Cookout to Sweet Frog and KJ Hibachi. I think Farmville may have hit its carrying capacity for new chains this year. Next year, I believe Farmville will move from a period of incredible expansion into a food diversity recession, where the older chains struggle to compete with their new rivals.
