Culver’s ButterBurger with Cheese

culvers-butterburger-ad

(Double ButterBurger)

Culver's Butterburger with Cheese

(Single ButterBurger)

Looks: I could only find an official picture of the double Butterburger, but even accounting for that difference, the real deal doesn’t quite stack up. The bun isn’t as fluffy, the toppings (under the patty) aren’t as evenly placed, and the meat doesn’t extend beyond the edge of the bread. 3.5 out of 5

Taste: Who cares how it looks? The Culver’s ButterBurger is the single best fast-food hamburger in America. I’ve had McDonald’s, Burger King, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., Wendy’s, A&W, In-N-Out, Lion’s Tap, and many others, and none of them top Culver’s. The bread has just the right amount of chewiness, and the cheese melts into the burger, almost infusing its flavor into the beef. Putting the lettuce/tomato/etc. beneath the patty and sealing them in with the cheese prevents them from sliding out while you eat, and each bite of the beef patty makes you see a little bit of heaven. I’m not afraid to say that when the burger was gone, I cried a little bit. 5 out of 5

26 Comments

  1. David says:

    I just found out there are Culver’s in the Dallas Fort Worth area. I’m headed there tomorrow to give it a try!

  2. C. Lied says:

    I can appreciate your critique of the butterburger’s aesthetic, however, as a butterburger fanatic, I might want to point out two things: 1. a single will look less “fluffy” than a double or single due to the fact that it comes wrapped in the paper upon which you display it. In contrast, a double or triple comes in one of those little blue and white boats so the bun isn’t as smashed. 2. you don’t want the meat to extend beyond the edges! I guess I can understand why they would want to make it look like that for marketing purposes, but if your burger does extend beyond the edges of the bun, usually the means it was pressed too thin by the person on grill making it more likely that you’ll get crispy edges!

    That’s all– I, too, agree that it is “single best fast-food hamburger in America”– I’ve been eating them since I was a kid! Unfortunately, since leaving the Midwest for Florida, my delcious Culver’s calendar only me makes me miss it all the more.

  3. KM says:

    When I saw it was Culvers, I tensed up a little bit. Surely the author wouldn’t slag a butterburger! But when you said “Who cares how it looks?” I knew we were all right, and I let out a big sigh of relief.

    Of course, now I’m starving for one, so that’s no good.

  4. Name says:

    I am a California “In ‘n Out” kinda guy. But, I was in Minnnesota and had a Culver’s burger. Let me say, I will be back! Great taste for a burger!

  5. wynk says:

    And I gotta say, every burger I’ve had from our Culver’s has been BEAUTIFUL. Even to-go burgers are never smashed, and everything in the burger placed beautifully and symmetrically (which is VERY important, especially for pickles, to get the maximum number of optimum bites).

  6. DW says:

    WHATABURGER FTW!

  7. Name says:

    I worked at a Culver’s all thourgh high school. I do have to admit, there food is great, beause it’s all freshly made when you order it. There burgers are amazing!!!

  8. Micah says:

    I’ve never heard of Culvers until reading this, so I googled it and the one closest to me is in Murray, KY. I live in Clarksville so it’s about 50 miles away.

  9. FoodIRL says:

    Right you are, I’m livin’ in it up in Chanhassen, MN, 25 minutes southwest of Minneapolis.

  10. Chris says:

    Culvers? Lions Tap? Must be a native of the Twin Cities!

  11. Georgia Girl says:

    5 Guys cooks their french fries in PEANUT oil!!! Really bad for you and your arteries.

  12. punkthink says:

    mmmmmmmmm… Agreed! I cry a little bit inside myself every time mine is gone. There isn’t a better fast food burger out there. I usually go for the triple. It tastes so good I just don’t care.

  13. Name says:

    You are comparing a double meat burger to a single…the double would hold its’ form better

  14. Name says:

    If you’re ever out near Portland, OR, stop by Burgerville.
    Best fast food burgers in the country, hands down, Culver’s is a close second in taste, but can’t compete with the presentation, which is excellent.

  15. Patrick says:

    Ever try 5 Guys Burger and Fries? They make great burgers. Zagat recommended, and the BEST french fries around. Funniest thing is the menu. No frills is an understatement.

  16. Patrick says:

    I’ve never had mine look like the second pic. Culver’s is consistently the best fast food burger I’ve ever had

  17. Thassodar says:

    But you haven’t had Whataburger! It LOOKS good and tastes just as good. Too bad it’s a bit pricey.

  18. FoodIRL says:

    If you’re ever in Minnesota, I’ll buy you a double ButterBurger with Cheese. Just call before you drop in. 🙂

  19. Dann says:

    I eat at Culver’s at least once a week and I normally order the Cheeseburger Snack Pack (burger, smal fries, and small soft drink) and I have Never had a burger served to me looking like the one pictured above (the 2nd pic)!

    My butterburger always looks fresh and just-made and it always looks great, not like something that was found alongside a dumpster.

  20. No Culvers in New York says:

    Culverize Me!

  21. Lowell Stevens says:

    You should come to the Culver’s in Murray, Kentucky. I work there, and the records show it’s one of the best stores in the system. Also, ordering a basket, rather than a single wrapped, would have improved the looks considerably.

  22. Anonymous says:

    Nothing wrong with peanut oil…it’s a monounsaturated fat…and makes for tasty fries! 😉

  23. Anonymous says:

    I’m sorry, you guys are delusional. Culvers burgers are terrible. Thin, greasy and taste like they were frozen 6 months ago. ‘Who cares how it looks’ is right, but unfortunately they taste even worse than they look in the second picture. Worst of all, they charge you a dollar or two more for pretty much every item on the menu, when you could go elsewhere and get better food for a better price.
    High prices and low quality food make Culvers one of the worst places you could choose to eat.

  24. Anonymous says:

    5 Guys is forgettable. I had their burger once, and it tasted like any burger you can get at a chain restaurant. Fries taste like Portillo’s or Russell’s (Chicago places).

  25. Anonymous says:

    I think you just might have 5 Guys mixed up with something else. Perhaps you should remove your head from your colon PRIOR to attempting to eat the burger.

  26. Pedro says:

    It’s hard to argue that Culver’s is the absolute best, but I’d put it in my top four drive-thru’s”
    – Culver’s
    – In-n-Out
    – Whataburger (a little junky, but good)
    – Steak-N-Shake (yes, a little junky too, but good)

    I can’t think of another that does drive-thru that has the redeeming qualities that these guys do – maybe it’s because they’re regional? More quality control than McDonald’s. I imagine Culver’s and In-n-Out are probably top two for quality, but that’s subjective.

    I guess Wendy’s will do in a pinch. That’s all I got.

Leave a Reply to Dann