We all know Wisconsin is well-known for its cheese, beer, and, of course, the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, who play at the legendary Lambeau Field. However, the Upper Midwestern state has gifted the country another beloved gem in the form of Culver’s restaurants. Born in Sauk City, Wis., Culver’s has been serving up fast-food grub since 1984. It started as a humble joint, but thanks to a commitment to quality, freshness, and hometown hospitality, it’s become an institution with nearly 1,000 locations covering 26 states.
If you’re familiar at all with the Culver’s brand, you know that it churns up a mean frozen custard and that its cheese curds and chili are a few other menu highlights. But, the chain’s real moneymaker is undeniably its ButterBurgers. These signature sandwiches are made with fresh, never-frozen beef that is griddled smash-style—the same method employed by other high-quality burger chains like Shake Shack and Five Guys. Meanwhile, the butter part of the equation has everything to do with the bun, which comes with an extra dose of buttery goodness at its crown.
It only makes sense for this thoughtfully designed burger to come in more iterations than one, and currently, there are seven ButterBurger options plastered on the Culver’s menu board. I recently gave them all a try to find out which is the buttery best.
Here’s how each one ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the overall best.
ButterBurger
Nutrition:
Single w/the Works (Per 1 Serving)
Calories: 410
Fat: 17 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 810 mg
Carbs: 43 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 20 g
The ButterBurger is what made Culver’s famous. Each one, including this bare-bones iteration, is made with smashed patties and then loaded onto a butter-blasted bun. One of the best things about this classic selection is that you can choose your own adventure in terms of toppings. Culver’s has nine different garnishes to choose from, including veggies and condiments. I elected to go with “the works” since that is what’s shown adorning the burger on the website. This option includes pickles, mustard, ketchup, and raw onions. Remember: the standard ButterBurger is served sans cheese. A single version of the sandwich (doubles and triples are also available) cost me $4.19–the cheapest burger on the menu.
The look: Almost comically flat with just the one razor-thin patty carrying the burger on its back. My local restaurant also forgot the onions—the fourth and final piece of the four-part “works” makeup—making the toppings appear even more scarce between the beef and bun.
The taste: If you’re going with a no-cheese ButterBurger, I would suggest a double dose of meat. Without it, this option comes off as drab and mediocre, especially without a slice of melty American. Finished off with this specific combination of ketchup, mustard, and pickles (given the lack of onions), it’s also reminiscent of an inferior McDonald’s hamburger. At the end of the day, though, it’s not necessarily a bad burger. I could still tell the smashed meat and bread offered quality. It just needs some extra zhuzh.
Wisconsin Swiss Melt
Nutrition:
Single (Per 1 Serving):
Calories: 470
Fat: 24 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 540 mg
Carbs: 39 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 27 g
In addition to bun-swathed burgers, Culver’s also serves up patties melt-style. Two of these handhelds appear on the menu board, one of which is the Midwest-inspired Wisconsin Swiss Melt. It comes with a standard patty, Swiss cheese, and grilled onions, all on lightly toasted and buttered rye bread—a sensible choice considering Wisconsin is a top producer of rye in the U.S. Just like the ButterBurgers, it’s seared fresh right after you order and a single rings up at $5.29.
The look: Like a well-crisped grilled cheese (or “toastie” for all the U.K. residents out there) on an obviously grain-filled bread. The Swiss provides a satisfying cheese pull and the slimy cooked onions can be seen butted up against the beef patty.
The taste: I see the vision here and I really wanted to like it. However, the flavor all around is muted as the rye bread takes over the entire experience. It’s hard to enjoy the juiciness of the burger and onion combo in between overdoses of earthy grains. With a better balance of bread-to-beef, this could be a palatable pick, but it’s not a standout as is.
ButterBurger Cheese
Nutrition:
Single w/the Works (Per 1 Serving)
Calories: 480
Fat: 23 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 940 mg
Carbs: 44 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 10 g)
Protein: 23 g
The ButterBurger Cheese is exactly what it sounds like: the previous ButterBurger yet elevated with a slice of American cheese per patty. I made the choice yet again to embellish it with “the works” quadruple-threat of pickles, raw red onion, ketchup, and mustard. With the cheese, the single Butterburger costs 30 cents more for a total of $4.49.
The look: A minimal-effort cheeseburger. The cheese actually appears under the finely constructed beef patty (a Culver’s specialty) along with mini dollops of mustard and ketchup, two pickle chips, and a small sampling of uncooked red onion.
The taste: A step above the cheeseless ButterBurger, but it still comes off as dry with insufficient sauces and fixins. I’m starting to think “the works” is simply not the correct topping choice, as it has yet to hit the spot. The pickles are the only addition that brightened up the burger in my eyes. At its core, the sandwich is still solid though, so I have to give credit where credit is due. It’s hard to go wrong with a well-seasoned, cheesy, and evenly charred patty piled on top of a soft, buttery bun.
The Culver’s Deluxe
Nutrition:
Single (Per 1 Serving)
Calories: 580
Fat: 34 g (Saturated Fat: 13 g)
Sodium: 820 mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 23 g
Culver’s describes its Deluxe selection as the “ButterBurger at its best.” It sounds rather fancy but it’s fundamentally just a ButterBurger Cheese. The real difference and magic of the sandwich lies in its list of curated toppings. The Deluxe traditionally comes with real Wisconsin cheese, lettuce, tomato slices, pickles, red onion rings, and the chain’s signature mayonnaise. Of course, you can always modify this lineup to your own preference. However, I trusted Culver’s expertise and asked for a $4.89 single order as it comes.
The look: A more adult-looking burger with its colorful veggies and fluffy bun. From a front or side view, it appears that the American cheese is missing but it is in fact present, just concealed underneath the meat.
The taste: It’s amazing what a difference a more A-list grouping of garnishes can make. The crisp lettuce and juicy tomato add an element of freshness that works well in congruence with the seasoned and greasy savoriness of the beef. Every ingredient flows into the next seamlessly and everything is held together by the creaminess of both the gooey cheese and smooth yet tangy mayonnaise. It’s a reliable everyday kind of burger that I could definitely see myself ordering time and time again alongside a helping of crinkle-cut fries and a custard-based milkshake to wash it down.
Mushroom & Swiss
Nutrition:
Single (Per 1 Serving)
Calories: 530
Fat: 28 g (Saturated Fat: 12 g)
Sodium: 650 mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 27 g
Aside from its patty melts, Culver’s really only has one specialty-type burger on its menu board and that would be the Mushroom & Swiss. It starts out with a standard patty and bun pairing but the pièce de résistance is a helping of white button mushrooms which have been sautéed in butter, salt, pepper, parsley, and a bit of garlic. Swiss is obviously the cheese of choice here—also made in Wisconsin—and the creation rings up at $4.99 for a single.
The look: Upon opening up this sandwich, I was impressed by how many mushrooms were piled on. I’ve had mushroom burgers before where only three to four of the slimy slices were included, so hats off to Culver’s for really coming through in this area. I also can’t help but mention the glisten which I immediately noticed not only on the mushrooms but on the burger as well–a positive sign to be sure.
The taste: I know mushrooms are quite polarizing, but if you’re in favor of the fungi, this Culver’s burger is a must-try. Garlic and umami notes seep into every crevice of the handheld, thanks to the tender mushrooms that have been sautéed to perfection. Smooth tangs of butter are also plentiful and the entire thing manages to be juicy to the max, yet the surrounding bun never becomes terribly soggy. The Swiss cheese is a good complimentary choice, albeit not overly influential. It doesn’t matter though because the rest offers more than enough flavor without it.
Sourdough Melt
Nutrition:
Single (Per 1 Serving)
Calories: 490
Fat: 25 g (Saturated Fat: 12 g)
Sodium: 600 mg
Carbs: 42 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 26 g
The second melt on the menu is the Sourdough Melt. Unsurprisingly, it comes on sourdough bread, which is buttered and toasted similar to the chain’s buns. But, it still follows a classic patty melt makeup with a fresh-made beef burger, Wisconsin-aged cheddar cheese, and plenty of grilled onions. Just the single sandwich costs $5.29, and I hoped it would delight the taste buds a bit more than the rye disappointment from earlier.
The look: Incredibly tasty! I’m not going to lie: I was immediately awe-struck by its golden-brown crust and pure volume of ingredients stuffed in between the bread. The sheeny onions, seared beef, and cheddar cheese all come oozing out from the center—very promising indeed.
The taste: The construction and idea behind this sandwich remind me of the menu hack grilled cheese cheeseburger from Five Guys—and Culver’s creation stands at a similar level of deliciousness. The sourdough is more of a mild version with less of a pronounced tang making for a steady base that’s also crisped in butter. Then, the caramelization and richness of the onions give the juicy beef an added boost of flavor. Between the light crunch of the bread and the creamy cheese, it also offers the perfect range of textures. I think the addition of just one more ingredient would really help this selection to shine. Perhaps a few pickle slices? Or, even a dash of mayonnaise or aioli? But, even as is, it still makes for a delightful meal and a nice change of pace from your standard burger.
The Culver’s Bacon Deluxe
Nutrition:
Single (Per 1 Serving)
Calories: 670
Fat: 40 g (Saturated Fat: 15 g)
Sodium: 1,200 mg
Carbs: 42 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 32 g
Last but certainly not least, we have the Culver’s Bacon Deluxe—the only burger on the chain’s menu that includes bacon or even just two types of meat for that matter. Two slices of thick-cut bacon accompany the smash patty and the selected toppings are identical to that of the standard Deluxe. These include Wisconsin cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onion, and Culver’s signature mayonnaise. Apparently, the cost of bacon comes at a premium since this option costs $1.50 more than its non-bacon companion at $6.39.
The look: Messy yet mouthwatering. The two pieces of grilled bacon are ever-so prominent hanging over even the patty which already extends beyond the bread. Beneath, the veggies are a bit squashed but I could still make out the tomato, lettuce, and even the pickles, all coated in near-liquified orange cheese.
The taste: Pure burger poetry. With such a flattened-out patty, there’s almost as much bacon as beef—a ratio that I was certainly not mad about, mostly because this was some of the best fast-food bacon I have ever had. It actually tastes like real bacon and like it was cooked with care until it was crispy and gently charred. With this double whammy of meat, the sandwich achieves a perfect level of greasy butteriness that is offset by key ingredients like the briny pickles and ripe tomatoes. It’s just a staple American-style delicacy and truly the ButterBurger in its peak form.
