Culver’s Burgers Ranked From Best To Worst
Culvеr’s is a popular fast-food chain known for its dеlicious burgеrs, frozеn custard, and friеndly sеrvicе.
With a widе variеty of burgеr options on thеir mеnu, it can bе challеnging to dеcidе which onе to ordеr.
In this articlе, wе will rank Culvеr’s burgеrs from bеst to worst, taking into account thеir tastе, quality, and ovеrall appеal.
Here is a list of the best to worst burgers at Culver’s.
- 1. Wisconsin Swiss Melt
- 2. ButterBurger Cheese
- 3. Mushroom & Swiss ButterBurger
- 4. Smokehouse BBQ Cheddar Pub Burger
- 5. Bacon Deluxe
- 6. Sourdough Melt
- 7. Harvest Veggie Burger
1. Culver’s Wisconsin Swiss Melt
When Culver’s food is at its best, it has a restaurant-like quality that sets it apart from other fast food options. The Wisconsin Swiss melt is unquestionably genuine, as it was with the mushroom and Swiss ButterBurger.
Swiss cheese and grilled onions are added to this patty melt, which is served on rye bread that has been butter-griddled. Actually, it’s just a sourdough melt with different bread and cheese.
Even while it might not seem like much of an improvement, just two modifications significantly alter the situation.
The rye had some serious bite to it, in contrast to Culver’s rather bland sourdough. It reminded me of the rye from a nice Jewish deli because it was sharp and appeared to contain caraway seeds.
The rye was also pleasantly solid; when it was griddle-cooked, it got a crispy crust that resisted getting soggy for a while. In addition, the brown butter flavor on the sandwich’s exterior was enhanced by cooking.
The onions provided both sweetness and savoriness because they were cooked until they were quite tender and practically caramelized. As usual, the hamburger was excellent. Over the cheddar in the sourdough melt, the Swiss cheese was a great improvement.
It didn’t have a particularly weird flavor, but it was much more flavorful than mild cheddar. We used to buy patty melts at East Coast diners as children, and this sandwich tasted exactly like those. Although we would definitely add more mustard if we were to order it again, it is almost perfect as is.
2. Culver’s ButterBurger Cheese
Thе original ButtеrBurgеr from Culvеr’s fеaturеs no chееsе and is dеlivеrеd on a toastеd bun with your choicе of toppings. Sincе wе bеliеvе that most pеoplе will ordеr it with chееsе, wе dеcidеd to ordеr it that way.
Just likе it doеs on thе mеnu photo, wе adornеd ours with picklеs and raw rеd onions. In this configuration, thе ButtеrBurgеr chееsе providеd us with еvеrything wе could possibly nееd and want in a fast-food burgеr.
Additionally, thе dеluxе containеd no еxtranеous componеnts likе lеttucе and tomatoеs. Wе rеcеivеd all thе crunch and sharpnеss wе еxpеctеd from thе rеd onion in thе rеgular ButtеrBurgеr. With thеir sharp acidity, thе picklеs hеlpеd cut through all thе richnеss of thе bееf and chееsе.
Wе could truly apprеciatе thе buttеrеd bun if thеrе wеrе fеwеr toppings. A crеamy saucе for thе burgеr was crеatеd as thе buttеr and chееsе mеltеd togеthеr. Thе pattiеs’ crunchy char also shonе out bеcausе it wasn’t covеrеd by saucе or vеgеtablеs.
Thе ButtеrBurgеr chееsе is thе bеnchmark fast-food burgеr that othеr еatеriеs ought to strivе to producе. Bеcausе Culvеr’s sеlls anothеr fantastic burgеr that is a littlе morе distinctivе and еxcеptional, it falls short of taking thе top spot on this list.
3. Culver’s Mushroom & Swiss ButterBurger
The mushroom & Swiss ButterBurger from Culver’s knocks it out of the park since beef and mushrooms go together practically every time.
Our burger’s mushrooms had a steakhouse appearance; they were caramelized, flavorful, well-seasoned with salt and pepper, and drenched in a ton of butter.
When was the last time you saw parsley on a fast-food burger? They even had apparent bits of fresh parsley. We haven’t certainly encountered it before.
The Swiss cheese was delightfully melty and helped hold the sandwich together while the mushrooms increased the umami of the beef to extreme heights.
The mushrooms and butter were more than enough to make every mouthful of the burger excellent, so it didn’t need any further toppings. We only wish it had been served on a somewhat more robust bun.
The typical soft buttered bun from Culver’s is fine most of the time, but on this sandwich, it failed to hold back all the liquids from the mushrooms and rapidly became limp and soggy.
4. Culver’s Smokehouse BBQ Cheddar Pub Burger
This menu item, like the bacon deluxe, gilded the lily by heaping a variety of toppings upon the traditional ButterBurger, but we liked it better because of the more interesting combination of components.
The smokehouse BBQ cheddar pub burger combines a patty with cheddar cheese with mayo, fried onion rings, barbecue sauce, and pickles.
Fast food barbecue sauce comes in two flavors: either it tastes like you shotgunned a bottle of liquid smoke and chased it with a bag of white sugar, or it tastes fantastic. Culver’s makes excellent barbecue sauce. It has just enough umami and acidity to taste balanced, along with a hint of sweetness and little smokiness.
It pairs beautifully with the steak and the mayo to form a winning team. Given all the sauces and meat they were served with, it was a minor marvel that the onion rings remained crunchy.
The construction of this sandwich was our main (small) complaint. We prefer the onion rings to be on top of the sandwich rather than tucked behind the patties.
The onion rings, as they were formed, prevented our tongues from tasting the steak. When we turned the sandwich upside-down, we were able to experience the flavors more fully and more favorably.
This sandwich also came on a bread that had cheddar in it, but we could not taste it at all. Since the burger had enough cheese from the sliced cheddar on top of the patties, we honestly didn’t mind.
5. Culver’s Bacon Deluxe
The Deluxe and Bacon Deluxe are two improved variants of Culver’s traditional ButterBurger.
We decided to sample only one, the bacon deluxe, since the only distinction between the two is that one is topped with bacon. Based on our experience with the bacon one, we are sure we can testify to the quality of the deluxe.
Our recommendation is to avoid the bacon. This sandwich costs more than a dollar extra at our neighborhood Culver’s when bacon is added, even though it doesn’t actually add anything.
We barely got around one and a half little strips, and it’s really thin—like potato chip thin. The bacon was scarcely noticeable in this sandwich because of everything else that was present.
The bacon was unnecessary because the beef patty provided plenty of salty, meaty qualities on its own.
Depending on how you prefer your burgers, the deluxe without bacon would be worthwhile to order. The traditional ButterBurger cheese, which generally doesn’t come with toppings (though you can personalize it to your desire), now includes lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and mayo.
The lettuce and tomato gave the deluxe a taste of In-N-Out while the vegetables were all excellent, fresh, and crisp.
However, the salad on the deluxe detracted from the delightful simplicity of the griddled patties and buttered bread, so we found ourselves preferring other burgers from the company.
6. Culver’s Sourdough Melt
The harvest veggie and the sourdough melt are Culver’s two worst burgers, neck and neck. The accouterments are what detract from this sandwich; the patty itself is fine.
The smash-burger-style cooking of the burger patties results in their irresistibly crunchy texture, intense caramelization, and Maillard tastes.
Additionally, they truly taste like beef and pack an umami punch that is unmatched by the majority of other fast food restaurants.
The patty is sandwiched between two slices of butter-griddled bread and topped with cheddar and grilled red onions in this burger (or patties; you can order one, two, or three on any Culver’s burger).
Though it sounds delicious, the combination we tried was strangely flavorless. It needed more salt, and the cheese only contributed creaminess to the dish.
Although Culver’s claims to use aged cheddar, the cheese lacked bite and sharpness. That’s acceptable in a burger that has more components and is more sophisticated, but for something this basic, the cheese needs to carry more of the weight.
The bread was this sandwich’s additional flaw. Although it was meant to be sourdough, there wasn’t much fermented flavor. Additionally, it was too soft to withstand griddling and all the toppings.
Faster than we would have wanted, the bread became completely saturated with grease, soggily soaking the sandwich as a whole.
7. Culver’s Harvest Veggie Burger
It is not surprising that the harvest veggie burger is at the bottom of our list because, according to a survey of Mashed readers, it is the worst-rated sandwich at Culver’s.
But it’s not at all horrible, as we made clear in our prior assessment of this sandwich. We were glad to eat the entire harvest vegetable burger, but the beef burgers at Culver’s are all just a little bit better. This is because of Culver’s exceptionally excellent overall quality.
The sample we used for this ranking was really superior to the first one we tasted because it had a lovely griddle sear.
This fixed the issues with the mushy texture we had with the harvest veggie burger the first time we tried it. We loved how the strong sear melted all the cheese chunks holding the patty together.
Even though it is a vegetable burger, it is not vegan. The Winsonsin-born chain Culver’s has a strong fondness for cheese, therefore we’re not sure if it knows how to prepare cuisine without dairy.
This time, the biggest problem with the sandwich was that it had a distinct flavor of plant protein and an unpleasant, almost bitter aftertaste.
We have to rank the harvest vegetable burger dead last because, while it didn’t spoil the hamburger, Culver’s beef patties are unquestionably great.
What is Culver’s most popular burger?
Culver’s most popular burger is widely considered to be the ButterBurger Cheese.
This signature item features a beef patty made from fresh, never-frozen Midwest-raised beef that’s seared on a grill and served on a lightly buttered, toasted bun.
The burger is typically topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and red onion.
The ButterBurger gets its name from the small amount of butter that’s applied to the crown of the bun before toasting, which adds a subtle richness to the overall flavor profile.
This cooking method, combined with the quality of ingredients used, has made the ButterBurger Cheese a fan favorite since Culver’s inception in 1984.
While Culver’s offers various other burger options, including bacon cheeseburgers and specialty burgers, the classic ButterBurger Cheese remains the chain’s most iconic and best-selling item.
Its popularity has played a significant role in Culver’s expansion from a single Wisconsin location to hundreds of restaurants across the United States.
Are Culver’s burgers 100% beef?
Culver’s claims that their ButterBurgers are made with 100% fresh, never frozen Midwest-raised beef.
However, it’s important to note that while the patty itself is pure beef, the overall burger includes other ingredients like buns, condiments, and toppings.
The company emphasizes the quality and freshness of their beef, stating that it’s sourced from family farms in the Midwest.
They also highlight that each patty is cooked to order, contributing to the burger’s flavor and juiciness.
It’s worth mentioning that “100% beef” typically refers to the meat content of the patty, not necessarily indicating that it’s free from seasonings or other additives that might be used during processing.
For those with specific dietary concerns or restrictions, it’s always advisable to check with the restaurant directly for the most up-to-date and detailed information about their ingredients and preparation methods.
How many calories are in a Culver’s ButterBurger?
A Culver’s ButterBurger contains approximately 390-410 calories, depending on the specific variation and toppings.
This calorie count is for the single patty version with standard toppings.
It’s important to note that this is just for the burger itself. If you add sides like fries or a drink, the total calorie count of your meal will increase significantly.
For example, a medium order of crinkle-cut fries adds about 320 calories.
The ButterBurger’s calorie content comes from its beef patty, buttered bun, and toppings like cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
The signature butter on the toasted bun contributes to both flavor and calorie count.
For those watching their calorie intake, Culver’s offers some lower-calorie options, such as grilled chicken sandwiches or salads.
How often does Culver’s introduce new burgers?
Culver’s, the popular Midwest-based fast-food chain, doesn’t frequently introduce new burgers to their menu.
They tend to focus on their core offerings, particularly their signature ButterBurgers.
However, Culver’s does occasionally release limited-time or seasonal burgers to keep their menu fresh and exciting.
These special offerings typically appear a few times a year, often coinciding with seasons or holidays.
For example, they might introduce a special burger for summer barbecue season or a festive option during winter holidays.
The frequency of new burger introductions can vary from year to year, but on average, customers might see 2-4 new or returning limited-time burgers annually.
It’s worth noting that Culver’s puts more emphasis on rotating and featuring different flavors of their famous Frozen Custard than on introducing new burger options.
Conclusion
Culvеr’s offеrs a rangе of dеlicious burgеrs that catеr to diffеrеnt tastеs and prеfеrеncеs.
Thе ButtеrBurgеr Dеluxе, Wisconsin Swiss Mеlt, Mushroom & Swiss, Sourdough Mеlt, and Bacon Dеluxе takе thе top spots, dеlivеring еxcеptional flavors and satisfaction.
Howеvеr, it’s important to notе that pеrsonal prеfеrеncеs may vary, and еxploring thе Culvеr’s mеnu is an advеnturе in itsеlf.
Culver’s Burgers – FAQ
What is a ButterBurger?
It’s Culver’s signature burger, made with fresh beef and served on a lightly buttered bun.
Are Culver’s burgers made fresh?
Yes, each burger is cooked to order using fresh, never-frozen beef.
What sizes do Culver’s burgers come in?
Single, double, and triple patty options are available.
Can I customize my burger?
Yes, you can add or remove toppings as desired.
What’s the most popular burger at Culver’s?
The Deluxe ButterBurger is a fan favorite.
Does Culver’s offer vegetarian burger options?
Yes, they have a Harvest Veggie Burger.
Are gluten-free buns available?
Yes, Culver’s offers gluten-free buns upon request.
How long does it take to get a burger?
Since burgers are made to order, it usually takes 5-10 minutes.
Does Culver’s have a secret menu?
There’s no official secret menu, but some locations may offer off-menu customizations.
Are Culver’s burgers halal or kosher?
Culver’s burgers are not certified halal or kosher.
Can I order Culver’s burgers for delivery?
Availability varies by location; check with your local Culver’s or food delivery apps.