'Makes Me Regret Leaving The Midwest': Culver's Fan-Favorite Burger Is Back With A New Twist

One of the most beloved burgers in fast food is returning to Culver's this week, and with a new flavor, the hype might be greater than ever. If you think that's hyperbole for a fast food sandwich, you haven't heard of the CurderBurger. It's one of the strangest food stories in recent history. Back in 2021, the Wisconsin-based burger chain, partly famous for its fried cheese curds, posted an April Fools' Day joke to social media showing a massive cheese curd burger. Customers loved the idea so much that Culver's turned the joke into reality by releasing a burger topped with a huge curd disc later that year. It has since become a recurring menu item, usually released in October around National Cheese Curd Day (yes, everything has a day now). And this year, in a new twist, Culver's is releasing the first flavored version: the Smoked Cheddar CurderBurger.

The original release of the CurderBurger was so popular that Culver's reportedly sold 136,000 in its single day of release, with 20% of the chain's locations setting single day sales records, so the new drop is likely to go fast. Thankfully, the burger will be around a little longer this year, available from September 28 through October 11, while supplies last. The Smoked Cheddar CurderBurger is exactly what it sounds like: Culver's classic Deluxe Butterburger, which has lettuce, onions, tomato, pickles, and mayo, topped with a smoked cheddar cheese curd patty. The new burger costs around $8.50, though prices may vary by location. As one excited fan commented on an Instagram review of the burger, "Makes me regret leaving the Midwest."

If the Smoked Cheddar CurderBurger wasn't enough of a strained curd pun for you, Culver's has more, as the burger's release is part of its wider celebration of Wisconsin heritage called Curdtoberfest. First celebrated last year, Curdtoberfest goes beyond the CurderBurger to also include a National Cheese Curd Day celebration, a sweepstakes, and another limited-time cheese curd flavor. While not topping a burger, this year's flavor will be another returning fan favorite, Culver's Jalapeño Cheese Curds, which are made with cheddar and bits of jalapeño. They'll launch after the CurderBurger on October 12 and run through November 29.

Then on National Cheese Curd Day, October 15, Culver's Rewards members will be able to score $3 cheese curds from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. The Culver's Curdtoberfest sweepstakes can be entered online through October 31, with prizes ranging from free medium cheese curds to a grand prize trip to Munich, Germany, including accommodations and spending money. That may seem like a lot fanfare for the humble cheese curd, but this is Culver's we're dealing with, and Wisconsin really loves its cheese curds.