Culver's Vs Steak 'N Shake: Which Chain Makes The Better Burgers?

Culver's and Steak 'n Shake are two sides of the same buttered bun. As far as fast food chains go, the two have plenty in common. Both chains take pride in having Midwestern roots (Culver's from Wisconsin and Steak 'n Shake from Illinois), and lean into that old-school diner-like appeal. Both cook the burger patties using a proper, hot-off-the-griddle smash technique, and yes, butter the buns. Plus, we can't forget about the chains' shared dual focus of serving up frozen treats alongside burgers — Culver's with its custard and Steak 'n Shake with its milkshakes.

It's clear both share some of the same greasy DNA. But today, we're here to focus on the differences between Culver's and Steak 'n Shake's burgers. And more specifically, to answer the question: which chain flips a better burger?

On paper, both burger makeups sound pretty good. Steak 'n Shake shares that it uses 100% fresh, never frozen Angus beef in its patties. Culver's also goes the never frozen route, and uses a blend of sirloin, chuck, and plate cuts. Of course, promises only go so far. So, to truly compare quality, I tried out four similar burgers from each restaurant. I matched toppings and condiments as closely as possible to give each a fair shot. Then, after judging factors like the supporting ingredients, the buns, and most importantly, the flavor of the meat itself, I declared a winner of this Midwest burger battle.

Let's kick things off with a couple of classics. On the Culver's side, that equates to the ButterBurger Cheese. You can probably guess that this selection takes the chain's family specialty, ButterBurger, and elevates it with Wisconsin-made American cheese. You can get a single, double, or triple patty stack, but I ordered a double in order to match the Steak 'n Shake Original Double N' Cheese, which is coming up next.

This burger doesn't come equipped with any pre-picked toppings, leaving just the meat, cheese, and buttery bun. So I opted to deck it out with The Works. At Culver's, this means throwing on pickles, ketchup, mustard, and raw red onion. All things considered, it shaped up to be a quality all-around burger. It's a good size, even with the flattened out patties, and the beef has a great savory flavor with just the right amount of grease. The melty cheese definitely helps its case (I've learned that the chain's standard ButterBurger sans cheese falls a bit flat), and I like the garnish medley. In true Culver's fashion, all the toppings hide underneath the meat on top of the bottom bun. But just because you can't always see them doesn't mean you miss out on their flavor. You get consistent tastes of red onion, pickles, and condiments. My only complaint is that the mustard trumps the ketchup in most bites. With everything tied together by a lightly toasted yet extra soft, puffed-up bun, this is definitely a fast food burger that's hard to beat.

Over at Steak 'n Shake, The Original Double 'N Cheese takes center stage. It includes two smash-style steakburgers (often thought to be more premium patties compared to standard hamburgers) and a slice of American cheese on a bun. Don't mistake it for a separate item on the menu, the Double Steakburger Double Cheese, which comes with two slices of American rather than one. All toppings at the chain are done DIY, so I loaded mine up with the same works combo of pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard that was piled onto my Culver's ButterBurger.

These steak patties are even more compressed and crispy than the ones found at Culver's. I could also tell right away that the meat didn't taste quite as fresh or high-grade. It's not bad, just closer to something like McDonald's or Burger King's basic hamburger patties rather than the Big Mac or Whopper patties. The bun is also smaller, making for a more petite sandwich overall. Not to mention, the bread also starts to fall apart under the weight of the meat and toppings. Speaking of which, I was happy to see two long pickle slivers, and I had no qualms with the ketchup, mustard, or cheese. What I could have done without was the exceptionally potent raw onions. Steak 'n Shake uses white instead of red onions, which realistically should give off a weaker aroma and taste, but they sure don't here.

All things considered, The Original Double 'N Cheese just didn't have as much pop as Culver's double cheesy ButterBurger. It's a decent burger, but it's nothing to write home about.

I believe you can tell a lot about a fast food chain based on its bacon. A tasty, well-done bacon means that a restaurant is putting in the time to make its food fresh. So, let's see how Culver's fares in this department. Typically, on its all-year-round menu, Culver's offers just one bacon cheeseburger: The Culver's Bacon Deluxe. Right now, in the fall of 2025, it's also promoting a Roasted Garlic & Bacon Pub Burger (which we'll get to later), but that's only available for a limited time. The Culver's Bacon Deluxe consists of one, two, or three beef patties (I chose one), two strips of bacon, Wisconsin cheese, and a host of deluxe toppings. These toppings include lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onion, and the chain's signature mayo.

Once again, the meat is succulent and pleasant, although more buried in this scaled-down single. Some bites even felt more like a BLT than a burger, just stacked with a few auxiliary toppings. As for the bacon itself, it's on the higher end of fast food bacons. I won't say it's the best of the best. I've actually had better at Sonic if you can believe it. However, it's thick-cut, a bit smoky, and a bit fatty. The only thing it's really missing is a more pronounced crispiness.

This is another solid burger by Culver's. If I had a note beyond crisping up the bacon, though, it would be to opt for a double with this one. One smashed patty just doesn't seem to cut it.

I'm sad to say that Steak 'n Shake lags behind in the bacon race. At the chain, it came layered on top of the Bacon 'n Cheese Steakburger. In addition to the bacon, the burger also features a single steakburger and American cheese. Then, I once again added an identical list of toppings as the Culver's lookalike. As a refresher, this included lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onion, and mayonnaise.

Whereas Culver's dresses its ButterBurger in two full-sized and thick slices of bacon, Steak 'n Shake settles on three scraggly, half-sized pieces. To make matters worse, they are limp and weirdly dry –- a strange sensation that actually reminded me of microwaved turkey bacon. The flavor of the pieces is decent, but it doesn't even come close to making up for any of the above.

Even with the bacon aside, the Bacon 'n Cheese shapes up to be an average burger at best. The flaky bun and fixings overpower the single cheese-smothered patty. The tomato, onion, and pickle slices end up carrying the sandwich in terms of flavor, while the lettuce lies wilted between the bacon and the bun. The entire thing feels disjointed, and I would recommend an extra patty here as well to beef it up a bit. I would say to toss on some supplementary bacon slices too, although I'm not sure that would help the burger's case.

Culver's released its brand-new Roasted Garlic & Bacon Pub Burger in October 2025. The chain has released several other pub-style burgers in the past, like its Pepper Grinder Pub Burger and Smokehouse BBQ Cheddar Pub Burger. But this one is special because it's served on a pretzel bun. Perhaps Culver's drew inspiration from Chick-fil-A's own pretzel bun sandwiches released in August as part of its fall menu.

The burger is also defined by its fresh beef patty, Wisconsin cheddar cheese, bacon slices, and a dollop of garlic mayonnaise. Lettuce, tomato, and pickles are also slipped in for good measure. I'll get to all this later, but first I have to address the garlic herb pretzel bun. I could eat this by itself. Even though the garlic notes are muted, it's wonderfully chewy, and the herbs (primarily oregano) give it an elevated artisan taste. It seems like something you would find in a breadbasket at an upscale Italian restaurant.

After this, I'm sorry to say the rest of the burger is a bit of a letdown. The beef and bacon are fine — the bacon is even a bit crispier here than it was in the Culver's Bacon Deluxe. But seeing as the slice never fully melted, I didn't prefer the swap of American cheese for cheddar. In addition, the garlic mayonnaise didn't taste garlicky at all. So underneath the bun, it's really just a slightly less appealing version of the Bacon Deluxe.

On its own garlic-centric burger, Steak 'n Shake certainly wasn't stingy with the garlic. It is important to note, though, that this burger's build is decidedly different from the one found at Culver's. There's no fancy pretzel bun and no bacon. Instead, it takes a classic steakburger topped with American cheese and pairs it with a garlic spread, then sprinkles the toasted bun with garlic salt as well. I also added in lettuce, tomato, and pickles (again, to match Culver's creation).

You can tell right away that this burger stands out next to Steak 'n Shake's more basic steakburgers, and it has everything to do with the bun. This thing is thick and fluffy, but more impressive than that is its flavor. It's buttery with a garlicky salt that tastes just like the breadsticks at Olive Garden. Another bun that could stand on its own. The spread is equally toothsome, like a garlicky ranch. With these two ingredients dominating your taste buds, it's hard to notice some of the other flaws I spotted on the chain's earlier burgers. The patty is still somewhat parched, and it's lacking in the quality department. However, you hardly notice it underneath the weight of the bun and the pungency of the sauce. Plus, the veggies (particularly the lettuce) decided to be extra perky and fresh on this one. Doesn't it just look like a picture-perfect burger?

ButterBurgers take on an entirely new look in Culver's melts. The chain offers both a Wisconsin Swiss Melt and a Sourdough Melt, and I ordered up the latter since it parallels a sandwich found on Steak 'n Shake's menu. It still technically counts as a ButterBurger because its sourdough bun is lightly buttered and toasted. The melt also features double patties (I ordered double, but single and triple are also available), Wisconsin cheddar cheese, and grilled onions. I didn't do any doctoring up here and just asked for it as is.

There's no denying this melt is meaty. It has just as many patties as the earlier Double ButterBurger, yet it feels beefier when set against thin-sliced sourdough bread rather than an inflated bun. I'm certainly not mad about a more dominant patty presence. The issue I have with the sandwich is that it runs dry overall. The cheddar cheese did melt here, unlike on the pub burger (it's not called a "melt" for nothing). And the slimy grilled onions gave it a nice flavor boost. But it still needs a condiment like mayonnaise or an aioli to give it a little more moisture.

That said, I will give a shoutout to this bread. It's toasty yet also soft, so it stands up well to its contents and, at the same time, doesn't scrape your mouth with rigid edges. Plus, the light sourdough tang is a great match for a cheesy burger.

Steak 'n Shake is the founder of the Frisco Melt. The chain has even mentioned before that the melt is its second most popular burger in the U.S.  So I was excited to see what it's all about.

It's actually the only melt on the restaurant's menu (unless you count a grilled cheese as a melt). It consists of buttery and grilled sourdough bread topped with two steakburgers, a slice of American cheese, a slice of Swiss cheese, and the chain's original Frisco sauce. I held tight to tradition by keeping it to just those core ingredients, and I was glad I did.

This is a true diner-style melt. Extra buttery and greasy, it's not very diet-friendly. The bread also falls apart from sogginess. But it's all part of its charm. The ratio of steakburger to sourdough is spot on. I also like the fact that it employs two different cheeses. You get that mild creaminess from the American and also a more complex, savory flavor from the Swiss. Then comes a generous slathering of Frisco sauce — the sandwich's defining ingredient. With a bright orange hue and a sweet and creamy flavor, it reminds me of French dressing. But it's also thicker with more of a relish tang and a touch of spice. It's a very unique sauce, but whatever it's doing, it's working. It brought this melt to life, and I wish it were featured on more of the chain's classic steakburgers.

I wasn't dissatisfied with any burger I tried from either Culver's or Steak 'n Shake. There's palatability and genuine attention to detail coming from both sides. You can tell that the chains have put thought into the process and I always appreciate a fast food restaurant that still adheres to a cooked-to-order policy — even when that does slow down the drive-thru line.

However, when it comes down to the question of who flips the best burger, I have to give the chef's hat to Culver's. Essentially, it came down to beef quality and consistency. Culver's ButterBurgers deliver the same standout experience time and time again. Something about that combo of sirloin, chuck, and plate cuts makes for patties that are juicy and extra savory with a freshness that trumps the steakburgers found at Steak 'n Shake. The buttery buns found at the Wisconsin-based joint are also plump perfection. In other categories, though, the two chains are neck in neck. Both have mastered the art of the smash-style patty, and the toppings also feel evenly matched, leaving little space between the two.

That being said, don't count Steak 'n Shake out just yet. Some of its specialties, or more obscure sandwiches, really hit the spot, like the Frisco Melt and Garlic Steakburger. Plus, who could resist a hand-dipped milkshake? So even though Culver's wins the burger battle, Steak 'n Shake remains a worthy opponent and a nostalgic classic.