Every Culver's Burger, Ranked

Of all the fast food restaurants out there, Culver's is an absolute staple when it comes to consistently delicious burgers, custards, and cheese curds. Though Culver's may be known as a more regional, Wisconsin-specific chain, it actually has locations in 26 states, so even Southerners and Southwesterners can get in on the ButterBurger goodness. And, while Culver's offers a slew of unique menu items (including those cheese curds and a slew of custard-based desserts), it is indeed best known for its smash burger-like, signature ButterBurger.

Since ButterBurgers (and burgers in general) are so paramount to the Culver's experience, I've put the entire menu's worth of burgers to the taste test, ranking them from worst to best. Included in this ranking are ButterBurgers (with and without cheese), deluxe burgers, patty melts, and even a veggie burger — so it's safe to say that we cover a broad spectrum of burger preferences, all in search of that one that's worth getting at Culver's each and every time. My criteria for ranking the burgers came down to how good the burger tasted, what toppings were included and how well they worked, and if there were any special elements that made one stand out from the rest.

Though you could sort of consider any burger from Culver's to be a ButterBurger, this particular burger is the true ButterBurger — no deluxe toppings, no bacon, and not even cheese. When ordering a ButterBurger from Culver's, you get the option of a single, double, or triple patty. For consistency's sake, I got a single for all of the burgers, this ButterBurger included. And, when ordering the ButterBurgers specifically, you can either get them plain or with "the works" — pickles, ketchup, mustard, and raw onion. I went with the default works option, since otherwise this burger would quite literally just be one patty in between some buns.

This plain Jane burger certainly has a place on Culver's menu, perhaps for those picky eaters or those who (gasp!) prefer their burgers without cheese. For me, however, this burger was just a bit disappointing — it didn't taste bad, but it didn't have any elements that made it stand out. The works didn't do a whole lot to add any freshness to the burger, and even ketchup and mustard couldn't save this thing from being a little too dry. One can naturally only expect so much from a burger with very minimal toppings, but nonetheless, the humble, plain ButterBurger has landed in the last place slot. 

The ButterBurger with cheese is, unsurprisingly, exactly like the ButterBurger, but with a melty slice of American cheese on top. The same rules applied here as they did with the plain ButterBurger — single patty, the works, but with cheese. And, as one might expect, this burger tasted pretty similar to the plain one but with that added cheesy element, so naturally it's going to rank a bit higher.

As someone who prefers a burger with cheese, I pretty much knew going in that the ButterBurger with cheese would slightly outdo the plain ButterBurger. Though the burger itself still wasn't my favorite, as it was quite plain, it had all the fixings of a decent burger. There was the patty itself, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and red onion (the onion was a little more pronounced on this one than on the plain ButterBurger), and then the cheese, which added that rich goodness that any good burger needs, in my opinion, at least. This burger was solid, but there are simply better options at Culver's.

Who knew that Culver's had melts on its menu? This was certainly news to me, but indeed, tucked away in the burger section of the menu are two melts, including this sourdough one. (Since the melts feature the same beef patties that the burgers do, we determined it was only fair to include them on this ranking, even if they aren't traditional burgers.) Ordered as-is, the sourdough melt comes with a beef patty (doubled or tripled if you'd like), grilled onions, and cheddar cheese, all piled on — you guessed it — toasted sourdough bread.

Unfortunately for me, my Culver's location forgot to add the cheddar cheese when making my melt. So, without that, I was just working with the burger, grilled onions, and buttery sourdough bread. And, for what it's worth, it was still a winning combination, though I can guarantee that it would have been even better with cheese. The burger paired well with the toasted sourdough, and the grilled onions helped give it that traditional patty melt feel. I tried not to knock this one too much for the lack of cheese, because even had there been cheese, I don't think my ranking would have stood much different. The sandwich was tasty, but again, there are better things to order on Culver's menu.

Controversial as it may be, I'm not in the party of those who think that bacon makes everything better. Does bacon make some things better? Absolutely. Does it make some burgers even better? Sure, I'd even go as far as to argue that much, but do I think that Culver's bacon deluxe is a burger improved by those salty strips? Not so much.

Now, don't get me wrong — this bacon burger tasted perfectly fine, but it seemed like the bacon was a little out of place here. Since this is a deluxe burger, the toppings that it comes with by default are heftier, including tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise, pickles, and raw onion, along with American cheese and a single burger patty. With those ingredients alone, this burger had the fixings to be a pretty delicious one. But then there was the bacon, thick strips that were overly chewy and a touch too salty. The result was a burger that was simply overpowered by bacon, and hey, I have to acknowledge that there are plenty of bacon lovers out there who would prefer that. For me, I wanted a burger that had more balance, so this one was just okay in my book.

While my Culver's location may have forgotten the cheese on my sourdough melt, they certainly remembered to include it on the chain's other melt offering, the Wisconsin Swiss Melt. And boy was this thing loaded with melty Swiss cheese, along with the burger patty itself and grilled onions, all layered in between slices of buttery toasted rye bread. 

There's something about this particular ingredient combination that worked, making for a tasty sandwich that proved itself to be the superior option of Culver's two available patty melts. Swiss cheese is something of an underrated burger cheese, and it added just the right amount of subtle tanginess to contrast against the richness of the buttery bread and beef patty. The onions added a little sweetness and just the right note of pungency, and overall, this was a really solid melt. My only minor complaint is that this was a bit of an oily sandwich (buttery bread will do that), but I can't fault it too hard for that since greasiness is expected with patty melts and burgers in general, for that matter.

Though I love good beef burger, there's no denying that veggie burgers have a place in this world. Even meat eaters can enjoy a veggie burger from time to time, and if you're going to opt for one from a fast food restaurant, then Culver's is a decent option. Its veggie burger patty includes corn, chickpeas, peppers, and cheese, while the sandwich itself is topped off with mayo, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion. 

Sometimes veggie patties run the risk of tasting like nondescript mush, but Culver's veggie patty didn't fall into such an unfortunate fate. The texture of the patty was pretty solid, obviously a little softer than your average patty since it's comprised mostly of chickpeas and veggies, but one that held its own on this sandwich. The toppings worked well with the savory, veggie-forward flavor of the patty itself, making for a tasty sandwich that I have basically no complaints about. Would I choose this one over a classic beef burger from Culver's? Not necessarily, but I can still appreciate a plant-based option and acknowledge a good veggie burger when I taste one.

Swiss cheese makes an appearance once again, but this time on Culver's mushroom and Swiss burger. This burger is one of the simpler options at Culver's, featuring the beef patty, Swiss cheese, and sauteed mushrooms. Despite being so simple, this burger was delicious, and if you're anything like me, then you didn't realize this hidden gem was even an option on Culver's menu.

There's no denying that this burger is about as rich as it gets, but when you're in the mood for something like that, you can't go wrong with the mushroom and Swiss. The buttery, garlicky mushrooms were the perfect accompaniment alongside the Swiss cheese, and both paired so well with the patty itself. Though nothing about this burger is particularly unusual for burger standards, it struck me as unique compared to your standard burger that comes with toppings like ketchup, lettuce, or tomato. This thing was ultra-savory and oddly comforting, and though there was one burger that slightly edged it out on this list, the mushroom and Swiss is not a Culver's burger option to be slept on.

Was there any way that the Culver's Deluxe burger wouldn't end up in the top spot on this list? Of course, the ranking ultimately came down to the taste test, but unsurprisingly, the Culver's Deluxe delivered on every front. The burger toppings on this include a slice of American cheese, pickles, mayo, onion, lettuce, and tomato. As Culver's itself says, "It's our ButterBurger at its best," and that's certainly the most apt way to put it.

The reason that this burger works so well is because it pulls enough frills without veering away from what makes a good burger a good burger. The toppings are just enough — you've got the fresh lettuce, tomato, pickles, and crisp onion, then there's the mayonnaise that adds the perfect hit of richness. The American cheese also contributes the right savory, rich touch, and together, this is about as good as a fast food burger can get. Though Culver's does offer some unique menu items, there's no denying that this tried-and-true classic is what really shines the most on its menu.

Since all of the Culver's burgers (and melts) in this ranking feature similar makeups and ingredients, ranking them largely came down to how well the toppings worked (or a lack of toppings). For example, the plain ButterBurger came in last place, but that doesn't mean it's a bad burger. Rather, a cheese-less burger with minimal toppings can only shine so much next to a burger like the Culver's Deluxe, one that came with cheese and the perfect balance of fresh toppings.

Naturally, the flavor of each burger was an important deciding factor in the ranking. Most of them tasted pretty similar, but a good example of flavor discrepancy came with the two melts. The sourdough melt (albeit the one missing cheese) paled in comparison to the Wisconsin Swiss melt, which came on rye bread and featured Swiss cheese, making it a little more complex (and in my opinion tasty) all-around.