This Franchise Chatter guide on the Culver’s menu was written by Sherman Morrison.
The Culver’s story begins with George Culver, the son of a cheese-maker and grandson of a Wisconsin farmer. He spent the early part of his career inspecting dairy farms while his wife, Ruth, was at home raising their three children.
It was in 1961 when George and Ruth bought their first restaurant. Neither had any formal training, but George’s natural cooking talent and Ruth’s gracious hospitality made for a winning combination that they repeated for many years in various restaurants and supper clubs.
Growing up in this environment, the children learned the value of cooking great food to order for customers. Then in 1984, their son Craig and his wife Lea had an idea for a new restaurant that everyone in the family thought would be a hit – his mother’s knack for making great hamburgers along with his favorite childhood snack of frozen custard.
Craig and Lea, along with George and Ruth, opened the first location that year in the family’s hometown of Sauk City, Wisconsin by converting an old A&W root beer stand into Culver’s Frozen Custard and ButterBurgers. The chain now has more than 500 locations in 22 states.
Craig did spend four years working for McDonald’s after graduating from college in the early 1970s, which obviously gave him a lot of insights about running a restaurant, although perhaps mostly how not to go about doing it.
So how does the basic Signature Combination of ButterBurgers and Fresh Frozen Custard stack up? Let’s find out!
Because Culver’s menu prices can vary significantly by location, this review is going to focus only on the quality of the food. Culver’s also has an extensive menu that includes all sorts of interesting dishes, from seafood to chicken to fried cheese curds, but to keep this review manageable, the focus here will be on their two main menu groups: ButterBurgers and Fresh Frozen Custard.
ButterBurgers
What makes a butter burger true to its name is that the bun is toasted and lightly buttered. Some people have the misconception that the patty is marinated in butter or fried in butter or that the whole thing is completely slathered in the stuff, which is not true. The bun, by the way, is a 4-incher, so this is not a huge burger (like at Whataburger).
You should also know that butter burgers are a Wisconsin creation (and obsession). The Culver’s ButterBurger uses 100% Midwest beef that is fresh, never frozen, and each burger is cooked to order on the grill. They admit this means it takes a little longer than the fastest of fast-food places, but they also think it’s worth the wait.
Here’s the basic ButterBurger line-up at Culvers:
- ButterBurger “The Original.” Single patty with nothing on it, though you can add onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce and condiments.
- ButterBurger Cheese. This is the basic butter burger with the addition of American cheese. It’s a two-patty affair with three slices of cheese – one on top of each patty and one underneath the bottom patty.
- Cheddar ButterBurger. Another two-patty burger, this time with three slices of Cheddar cheese. There’s another version of this burger with the addition of bacon, which is always a good thing to add to a burger.
- Mushroom and Swiss. This two-patty burger comes with white button mushrooms sautéed in butter, salt, pepper, parsley, a touch of garlic and three slices of Swiss cheese. The mushrooms will be found underneath each patty.
- The Culver’s Deluxe. This one consists of two patties, three slices of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet red onions and mayo. You can also get a version of the Deluxe with bacon.
- Wisconsin Swiss Melt. This sandwich has two beef patties topped with Swiss cheese and tangy red onions under each patty, served up on lightly toasted and buttered rye bread.
- Sourdough Melt. Two beef patties topped with aged Wisconsin cheddar cheese, grilled red onions pressed into the patties, served on lightly buttered, toasted sourdough bread.
Culver’s thinks the original ButterBurger is so good you don’t even need any toppings. And they’re right, almost. I just can’t eat a burger without some cheese on it. At Culver’s you can order up American, Cheddar, or Swiss, all of which are sourced from Wisconsin dairy farms.
The patties are thinner than what you’ll get at a Five Guys Burgers and Fries, but they’re still thicker than anything you’ll get at the big fast-food chains. They’re also hand-formed, which you can tell because they come out in odd shapes as opposed to the homogenous, perfectly round patties you find in the big three (clown, king, and pigtailed girl).
In a way, a Culver’s burger is what you feel like you’re supposed to get at Wendy’s (“old-fashioned hamburgers”) but never do.
The beef patties are also nicely seasoned and well-seared, which gives them a nice crumbly texture like you’d get with burgers you make yourself from grilling at an outdoor picnic.
In the final analysis, these are great burgers, better than most fast-food joints, but not as good as the higher-end better-burger chains.
Fresh Frozen Custard
Frozen custard is an interesting dish that many people don’t quite understand. The frozen treat made its debut in Coney Island back in 1919, but it was its presence at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair that popularized it and helped it put down deep roots in the Midwest, with Wisconsin being the frozen custard capital of the world.
What makes frozen custard different from ice cream is that it has egg yolks in it, which give it a creamier, richer texture than ice cream.
Frozen custard also has much less air in it than ice cream. Many soft-serve ice creams wind up being 50% air, so frozen custard has a much denser, smoother feel to it.
Frozen custard is also traditionally made fresh wherever it’s being sold. Culvers is no exception here. The chain makes its frozen custard fresh in batches throughout each day, which is why you’re limited to just three flavors – vanilla, chocolate and the unique “flavor of the day” that varies by location.
Most people who try the Culver’s Signature Combo tend to come out more impressed with the custard than the burger.
Here’s the array of offerings in Culver’s Fresh Frozen Custard menu:
- Cones and Dishes. Your vehicle of choice when it comes to the Fresh Frozen Custard can be a cake cone, waffle cone, chocolate-dipped waffle cone or a plastic dish.
- Sundaes. The base for each sundae is the chain’s vanilla frozen custard with the following variations: Turtle Sundae (roasted Southern pecans plus hot fudge and savory caramel drizzled over vanilla frozen custard, topped with a maraschino cherry); Carmel Cashew Sundae (buttery caramel drizzled over vanilla frozen custard with whole roasted cashews and topped with a maraschino cherry); Fudge Pecan Sundae (vanilla frozen custard smothered in Culver’s own gooey hot fudge—a combination of rich dark and milk chocolate—topped with lightly salted, whole-roasted Southern pecans and a maraschino cherry); Banana Split (three scoops of vanilla frozen custard between a fresh, split banana, topped with fresh strawberry topping, hot caramel, hot fudge, whole salted pecans, three dollops of dairy fresh whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry).
- Handcrafted Beverages. These are milkshakes made with the chain’s Fresh Frozen Custard. You can get chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, strawberry (all four of which can also be malted), mint and mint chip (with chocolate flakes). You can also get a root beer float made with vanilla frozen custard and Culver’s own brand of root beer.
- Concrete Mixers. These are super-thick milkshakes (you’ll eat these with a spoon) to which you can add two different mix-ins from a wide range of choices including traditional choices (Hot Fudge, Hot Caramel, Butterscotch, Mint, Brownie, Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter, Marshmallow Creme, Candy Sprinkles, Whipped Cream, Chocolate Syrup), fruit (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Cherries, Bananas, Peaches, Blackberries); nuts (Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews, Pecans) or various chunks of candy (Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Reese’s Pieces, Nestle Crunch, Snickers, Oreo, Cookie Dough, Butterfinger, Heath, Andes, M&Ms). Sizes include mini, short, medium and tall.
It’s safe to say that once you’ve tried Culver’s Fresh Frozen Custard, in whatever form you try it, you’ll be hard-pressed to settle for soft-serve ice cream ever again. There’s simply no comparison. In fact, I think you’ll find it rivals many high-end hard ice creams as well.
With the vast array of choices in sundaes, shakes and concrete mixers, you completely forget that you still only have just three choices of flavors to begin with. When you look at what you can throw into a Concrete Mixer, the possible combinations seem virtually endless.
Culver’s makes its chocolate frozen custard with its own Dutch-blend cocoa recipe, which results in a strong chocolate flavor that surpasses a mere cocoa taste.
The vanilla custard is pretty close to perfect. You can smell the vanilla flavor, and it’s neither too strong nor too weak on the palate. Sweetness is also at just the right level, neither too much nor too little.
You do need to work your way through a serving of frozen custard fairly quickly. It’s made at a warmer temperature than ice cream, which means it will turn to soup in short order. However, eating it at reasonable pace, it retains its density from spoon to mouth, as opposed to many ice creams that completely fall flat once they’re in your mouth.
While the Concrete Mixers are similar to the concept of a Dairy Queen Blizzard, there’s really no comparison. Frozen custard is simply a better frozen treat than ice cream will ever be. Of course, it helps that Culver’s is making theirs fresh each day from milk shipped in from wholesome Wisconsin family dairy farms.
Pat of what makes Culver’s appealing, especially to the older crowd, is its small-town, nostalgic feel. The interiors are classic blue and white tiles, much like you might have found in ice cream parlors in a bygone age. There’s a sense of real hospitality here and a homey vibe that is sorely lacking in most chains.
This is also reflected in their menu offerings, which includes such “comfort food” classics as real mashed potatoes (the gravy, however, is rather bland and too salty), green beans, fresh fried chicken, crinkle-cut fries, onion rings, beef pot roast, and no fewer than 18 homemade soups and chili.
Because they cook each burger to order, it’s not going to be lightning-fast service. After ordering, you’ll get a plastic number tent to put on your table and they will bring your food out to you, delivered with a warm smile that just makes you want to say, “Aw, shucks.” You actually feel like you’re at a burger joint back in the 1950s or 1960s.
If you order via drive-through, they’ll hang a plastic number card on your door handle and send you to a parking spot to wait for your food.
The menu prices are likely to be a bit higher than the big fast-food chains, but the quality of the food and service more than make up for it.
I think the final take on Culver’s is that its ButterBurgers are both interesting and of a good enough quality to warrant occasional patronage, but it’s really the frozen custard and warm Midwestern hospitality that bring people back again and again. If you’ve never been to one, make sure you keep an eye out for them in your travels and stop in for a real treat.
The chicken taste bad, steroid chicken meat.
Sorry you felt that way I my opinion culvers chicken tenders are the best I’ve ever had and I am not just saying this because I work there they were my favorite since before i was 8 maybe you had a bad batch? It might just taste different to other people
Eaten at Culvers 2x. Both times, not impressed. I’m from the south and a homecooked meal is on our table every nite. Your “homemade” mashes potatoes have NO taste n r lumpy. Your green beans r the most tasteless things I’ve ever had. Can to plate? I can’t justify a 9.00 meal for tasteless sides that I have to “Doctor Up” in order to eat.
Yeah, the green beans are definitely northern style. However, soon they will be replaced with broccoli, so no more southerners will complain about “undercooked” green beans ever again. btw I work at a Culver’s in the south.
Culver’s Needs The Good Green Beans Back!!.. And Get Rid Of That Other Green Crap!!.. *Thanks!!..*
Culver’s does not serve mashed potatoes and green beans.
They sure do! My wife and I have had green beans and mashed potatoes at Culvers forever.
Rockwall Texas Culvers is the best
Their frozen custard will make you forget about soft-serve ice cream? Get outta here. Soft serve > frozen custard…way better.
I disagree. Not only is frozen custard much smoother, it is much less sweet than any soft serve ? I’ve ever had, particularly the vanilla (I believe some of the flavored varieties may be created by adding sweetened flavoring, as with soft serve). Still, compared to custard, soft serve is amateurish, IMO.
Raw egg yolk….yuck!!
And In and Out is superior….no contest
In-n-out YUCK! Burgers are not nearly as good as culvers! In fact culvers burgers were rated higher than in-nout! Custard super fresh creamy! Much better!
In n out is wildly overrated. The fries are garbage.
I can’t pretend to give an accurate opinion on every chain. But every Culvers I have been to blows away every other fast food joint. Their service is impeccable. And the food is always high quality. Mcds, DQ, and Wendy’s have turned into dives being ran by children. Culvers has a lot of teen girls working there. But you can tell they are in line due to a serious adult properly managing the place..Good management is EVERYTHING. A bad manager spells disaster every time. And that is why the other places have gone to poop.
I’m glad to hear you enjoy Culver’s I work at a culvers in Wisconsin and I decided to see what people think of us. So thank you for saying such nice things
I agree with best shakes at Culver’s. But burgers use to be best but now with searing them they push out all the juice and makes it a dry burger, so I don’t buy them anymore but love the shakes and custard that is why I still go to Culver’s.
Their burgers are tasteless and i hate it when i get a greasy nasty basket of crap. They never season them with salt and pepper like they’re supposed to. I’d rather eat at an arby’s or a Wendy’s. Btw i used to work at a culver’s in Wisconsin. Nothing special.
The team members are always very young, very sweet, and fast…I know you’re not supposed to, but I force tips on them and their delight keeps me returning…..oh and the burgers, but my fav is actually the chopped steak, love it!
I agree Joe except they have changed the buns/bread. It’s awful!!!
I agree !
Good insight.
Their burgers are not that good. They are thin and not juicy whatsoever. Also, their cheese curds are god awful. They have a thick crunchy coating (this is not what Wisconsin cheese curds are about, they are barely coated thin!) and never fully melted when served. And don’t get me going on that most of them are geriatric centers…….
Maybe you should find another Culver’s because mine’s the fuckin shit.
And yeah that’s a good thing lol
Culver’s is nothing special. Used to work at one in Wisconsin. Go to one every once in a while. Always get a greasy basket of crap. Custard sucks too. Leaves a film in your mouth and if not done right it’s grainy.
Very sorry to hear this it must be an error with the cooks at your culvers I can assure you not all Culver’s are like this I work in a Wisconsin Culver’s and every day people tell me how good our food is
I also work at Culver’s in Minnesota and sometimes, people do complain about getting dry, thin burgers. This is because the griller either presses them to thin, or lopsided. If they are lopsided, when flipped, one side will cook perfectly but the other is raw. Since they can’t serve raw burgers to customers, they are forced to either throw away the burger, which is wasteful, or cooking the thicker side until it is near done. This makes the thinner side thin, bland, and dry. Sometimes, in order to get the burger patty cooking, the griller will press the patty even more when they are flipped, This drains the juices in the burger making it very dry. It is highly discouraged to double press burgers but sometimes the griller does it anyway.
The burgers use to be best but now with searing them they push out all the juice and makes it a dry burger, so I don’t buy them anymore but love the shakes and custard that is why I still go to Culver’s.
I totally agree about the cheese curds, but the burgers are always top-notch. Even when they are premaid, unlike their claim, they are better than any other premaid burger from other fast-food places.
went to culvers for the first time. the deluxe burger I think they called it….was ok. bun and mayo was nice, burger patties were blah at best. little salt and pepper helped.
Chocolate malt was disgusting IMO, It tasted like a mixture of corn syrup, chocolate malt and maybe some powdered dairy product and more corn syrup. incredibly sweet and sticky and does not resemble a chocolate malt in any way what so ever. actually threw it in the garbage.
Ordered the small fries and they were just crinkle fries like you would get at the grocery store…all 11 french fries!! NO KIDDING there were 11 unsalted boring french fries.
Workers were nice, polite and our food was promptly delivered. The place was also clean.
So 2 burgers and 1 small order of fries….$12.
Here is a hint… for 20 cents you can get double the fries! Seriously! Just order a medium fry instead of a small one. Boom! 22 fries instead of 11. Also, I do not know why they were unsalted. We typically salt our fries quite well. However, sometimes the people in the back forget.
Ok….I’ve woken in the night REQUIRING Culver’s fries….have to wait til lunch of course, but the fries are SRSLY the BEST…yummmmmmm
I agree…. love their fries and order them extra crispy. So good.
I work at a Culvers in Illinois. Our Chocolate malt is made with our fresh and never frozen vanilla custard, sweet chocolate syrup, and malt powder. We like to keep it simple and delicious!
Culver’s is overrated…..overcooked….and overpriced.
Far better places to eat. Don’t waste your money!
Not all Culver’s are like this and I’m sorry this is what you have experienced when visiting maybe try a different Culver’s next time
After all the bad reviews i think i will stick with Fuddruckers. Best burger in town.
I have always found Culver’s food to be very good and they have one of the best fish sandwich’s of all the fast food places. Onion rings are great along with the French fries. It beats McDonalds, and I will not be seen at Hardies or Burger King.
Does Culver’s have lettuce burgers?
Some do yes.
We have veggie burgers at our location
WAY TOO SALTY!!! Avoid their food unless you want SALT to be the primary flavor of your food! Custard is good however.
You can always order your food without salt or seasoning, every culvers I’ve been to has been accommodating of any and all special requests. Extra crispy fries, no seasoning on burgers, everything on the side, condiments on top bun instead of bottom. They are more than willing to make it however you want it. 🙂
If you would like less or no salt on your food you can specify no salt and we have a special button for that
We have found Culvers in Ft. Myers FL recently and really like everything we have had, grilled chicken sandwich, fish & tenderloin, had the hamburger but that was our least favorite. I’m led to believe the meat they use is not from abused animals, they imply that and hope they aren’t misleading because that’s important to us.
I can assure you Culver’s does not mislead in any way I work at a Wisconsin Culver’s and I have seen where our products are sourced I guess it’s mostly about a persons taste
You eat a hamburger but your concerned about animal abuse? Interesting.
Ethical practices make a big difference in the life of the animal.
I eat the hell out of animals. If you don’t want to, don’t eat them. Who cares?!
That butter stuff they put on the bun will turn rancid in an hour or so but they still use it full of bacteria by then. If you have a sensitive stomach guaranteed your stomach gets upset. Yucky awful and sos that custard stuff , it tastes like soft serve overly rich and has artificial ingredients. If I’m going to eat something fattening it will have to be better than this. That butter stuff probably costs them at least 1 of 10 customers. WHY?????
You can ask for no butter on the bun next time and the custard I guess depends on taste
People love it. I guess you should make your own food at home.
Why does Culvers toast their buns? I always ask them not to. Yes I agree about not asking for butter as well.
My wife and I ate at a Culver’s on a road trip. We got fish dinners since we don’t eat mammals. The dinners were tasteless, terrible, and expensive for what was delivered. A regular restaurant would have been a much better choice. The facility was dirty despite having a floor walker. Couldn’t leave fast enough. Never been back.
Mammals are soooooo delicious!!!!!
I think people complain too much about everything. There are people on here complaining that they don’t want butter on their buns. This company built it’s reputation on, what for it! The “Butter Burger!” So why go there to eat? They don’t want this, they don’t want that! Wah.. wah… wahhh. Then don’t eat out or research your restaurants closer before one goes to them. It’s not that deep. People whine about everything these days. Just sayin…
I had the sourdough melt – double. It was delicious. The meat was well done. The fries was hot. The butterscotch shake tasted like just plain vanilla ice cream. Don’t know if it was Angus meat.. it did not agree with my stomach. A bit high priced for a fast food, but that seem to be the going for prices at the fast food places.
I grew up all over the South, but landed in the Midwest…and have found that most of the food here is aggressively bland, but somehow everyone is still proud of it. New friends raved about Culver’s,so I tried it, expecting greatness. It was pure trash. Seriously, ya’ll – take a vacation down South. Find yourself a Whataburger. Order the chophouse cheddar with onion rings and ask for “hot ketchup” to dip them in. Eat it all and then tell me Culver’s is better. You can’t – you’ll crave WB forever. If you still prefer Culver’s afterward, see a doctor – your tongue is dead.
(NOTE: “hot ketchup” does not refer to temperature. It’s spiced. With spices. You know, those small jars of dust of varying colors that ya’ll are afraid of? That stuff.)
After reading reviews of the chain, I thought I should give it a try. A new store has opened near so off we went. Nice building, employees friendly and helpful and the seating areas were very good. Sorry I cannot say the same about the food. Phoned in, the chopped beef was the quality of a $1 frozen dinner. Sorry, cannot give this a good review and doubt I will ever give them a second chance. Too bad.
The “chopped steak” is a joke. We literally smash two burger patties together and pour gravy on it. The mashed potatoes are a joke too; they are made in a corporate food processing center; we microwave them.
So if you order a chopped steak dinner with broccoli and mashed potatoes, you’re wasting money.
I’d opt for a grilled cheese with Swiss, chicken tenders, bacon, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. If the person on grill knows what they’re doing, you’ll get a delicious sandwich, but I’ve seen some undermelt the cheese or undercook the onions. As for sides, the pretzel bites don’t get botched so easily and are really quick to make, and the cheese sauce that comes with them is delicious.
The burgers we got at Culvers in Arden NC were a joke. Like something you’d see on “Sat Nite Live.” The pattie was like something that had been liquidized, poured into a greased pan, and left there until it “ran” and curled. About 1/16 of an inch thick. Only tomato was a sliver of the end piece. Lettuce that would fill a teaspoon. Had we taken guests we’d have been mortified.
i work at one of the 5 culver’s in georgia and honestly it’s one of the better ones i’ve been to. some of the stuff is bleh but a lot of people frequently approach me and tell me to tell the chefs in the back how amazing the food is. love it
None of our burgers were correct, and were dry as a bone; the ‘cement’ mixers were a joke (I got maybe 3 tiny pieces of an Oreo, the rest was plain vanilla); the cheese curds were overcooked and tasteless… the ONLY thing I was able to eat for dinner, were the pretzel bites… and that’s only because I ordered extra cheese, otherwise they were very cold, and hard. Such a shame. I won’t go back.
Word is a Culver’s franchise is opening in my part of Florida in just a couple of weeks. I haven’t been in the same town as a Culver’s in several years; I’m really looking forward to having one here.
We live in WI, and enjoy Culver’s. I like the fish and husband always orders Wisconsin Burger, fried Onions ,cheese, on toast,delish! Nice to know we can ask for no salt. The burger with fried onions, adding veggies is still a bargain!