7 Ways Culver's Outshines Steak 'N Shake

Those with an appetite for a fast food fix know that we live in a golden age of opportunity, where drive-thru, dine-in, and delivery options abound. So how do you decide where to go? Well, when it comes to picking between Culver's and Steak 'n Shake, there are some fairly obvious ways the Wisconsin-based home of the Butterburger outshines its Illinois-founded competition.

In this article, we'll be discussing some objective ways Culver's outperforms Steak 'n Shake. More specifically, we're looking at how the purveyor of various frozen custard flavors does more to satisfy and engage customers. You'll see the Culver's menu is packed beyond your typical fast food chain to include sandwich mainstays and sides aplenty, while nary a mainstream diet preference is left unaddressed. Culver's also knows how to shine when it comes to details like nutrition facts and the time between your dessert's preparation and your satisfaction. Whether it's reward roundups or greater access to salads and seafood options, here's how Culver's outshines Steak 'n Shake.

Previously, we set out to answer the question: when it comes to Culver's or Steak 'n Shake, which chain makes the better burgers? Each chain has patty positives regarding portion size, thickness, and the ratio of juiciness to crispness. But after a series of side by side comparisons involving classics, bacon upgrades, and cheesy melts, Culver's quality and consistency earned our crown. As it turns out, the Wisconsin-based chain also ticks off more wins where it concerns nutrition facts.

Now, being health-conscious may not be top of mind for everyone visiting an establishment known for cheeseburgers and custard shakes. But for those who like to track their macros, you'll see that Culver's demonstrates better marks in many nutritional categories. Pitting a Single Steakburger against a Butterburger Single — each with only ketchup, onion, and pickle on top — the Steak 'n Shake handheld has 400 calories to Culver's 410. Beyond that, though, the Butterburger has less fat at 17 grams to 20 grams, less sodium at 770 milligrams to 820 milligrams, and more protein at 20 grams to 18 grams.

As with any retail business, a key factor for success in the fast food industry is location. Giants like Burger King and Wendy's dot the landscape, while there were more than 41,000 McDonald's locations open around the world as of 2023. Now, Culver's may not have as many locations as some of its bigger competitors, but it nearly triples Steak 'n Shake when it comes to the number of restaurants.

Since Craig and Lea Culver opened the first location in 1984 in their hometown of Sauk City, Wisconsin, the family business has gone on to reach 27 different states, according to Scrape Hero, including Alaska. All told, there are more than 1,100 Culver's dotting the nation, with many of them found in the Midwest and Southeast. While Steak 'n Shake covers similar geographic regions, Scrape Hero indicates that the chain that started 50 years prior counts fewer than 400 locations in 23 states as of August 2026.

Burgers may be top dog at a lot of fast food restaurants, but that doesn't mean you never want a break from that routine for your quick meal fix. Now, it's true that folks with picky kiddos can rely on both Culver's and Steak 'n Shake for alternatives, like a hot dog or grilled cheese. But when it comes to those with bigger appetites, only Culver's maintains an expansive sandwich menu.

For starters, Culver's offers three iterations of its chicken sandwich, with grilled, crispy, and spicy crispy versions available. Inquiring minds will find that the source of the poultry, Springer Mountain Farms, maintains it was the first brand to be American Humane Certified with a flock free of antibiotics. In addition to the chicken, Culver's has a melt-in-your-mouth beef pot roast sandwich on a kaiser bun, a rich grilled reuben melt built with corned beef on rye, a veggie burger with a patty made from chickpeas, corn, peppers, and cheese, and a cod sandwich (more on that later). There's also its most overlooked item worth trying at least once: the pork loin sandwich.

A staple of the Midwest, especially throughout Indiana and Illinois, Culver's center-cut pork loin is hand-breaded, fried, and served on a kaiser bun. Though you can order it plain or customized to your liking, its often served with the works — mustard, ketchup, pickles, and red onion — which helps counter what some describe as an otherwise dry sandwich.

In the fast food industry, especially where it concerns burger joints, seafood is often limited to exclusive offers during Lent for those who abstain from meat. There are notable exceptions, but Culver's one-ups Steak 'n Shake (and others) with an array of year-round fish options. This includes the North Atlantic cod sandwich that's at once moist and crispy.

As a sandwich, the breaded and fried flaky cod is paired with shredded Wisconsin cheddar, shredded lettuce, and tartar sauce. While you can get this on a hoagie roll alone or as a meal, you can also choose to get the fish as a two- or three-piece platter. In that case, you can get a choice of two sides, like crinkle cut fries and coleslaw, along with a dinner roll, lemon slice, butter, tartar sauce, and cocktail sauce. This is definitely a meal where you get your money's worth (my wife and I have been known to share a three-piece). And when Lent rolls around, so, too, does Culver's Walleye iterations of each.

Additionally, the chain offers a similar spread with its butterfly jumbo shrimp — which can be a basket or standalone item — available with either six or 10 pieces. Meanwhile, Steak 'n Shake previously promoted a limited-time fish sandwich that appears to have hit the cutting room floor with alongside other offers.

If you're a fan of Steak 'n Shake, you likely have memories of an expansive menu where the chain was more than mostly burgers. Unfortunately, like many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, a corporate decision was handed down in 2020 requiring franchises to nix items. Along with chicken sandwiches, this included some side dishes like salads, but Culver's made no such decision.

Now, Culver's has some overlap when it comes to sides from Steak 'n Shake, including chili, fries, chili fries, and onion rings. That being said, it also offers coleslaw, while going beyond with choices like cheese curds, fried pickles, mashed potatoes with gravy, pretzel bites, and even butterfly jumbo shrimp.

A side salad is also an option at Culver's, or you can choose to make leafy greens your meal. In that case, you've got three different salads from which to pick. Whether you select the Chicken Cashew Salad, the Cranberry Bacon Bleu Salad, or the Garden Fresco Salad, the included protein is a suggestion. If you don't want grilled chicken, you can choose a breaded version. Alternatively, you can have two of the burger patties diced up to top your salads.

Whether you're hungry or not, another main draw to both Culver's and Steak 'n Shake are the chains' dessert menus. As the name suggests, Steak 'n Shake keeps its milkshakes front and center. Of the nearly 20 to choose from, you'll find many mainstays high on our ranked list of Steak 'n Shake milkshakes. But while both are among fast food chains that serve real ice cream, Culver's actually outdoes Steak 'n Shake, particularly when it comes to in-house preparation.

At Culver's, flavors like root beer, mint, raspberry, or peanut butter are added to the frozen custard base for a malt or a shake. But the custard at Culver's is also prepared in small batches at each location on a daily basis, while it's unclear whether Steak 'n Shake makes its ice cream at individual restaurants.

Additionally, Culver's sources its dairy from family farms and, in some cases, the collaborations have endured for decades. The dessert menu also features concretes — like custard mixed with candy pieces, fruit, or syrup — floats, and sundaes. Those are in addition to straightforward orders of the custard itself to enjoy at the restaurant or as a packed to-go pint.

Along with apps, many businesses have embraced programs that incentivize loyal customers stay loyal and make more purchases. Both Steak 'n Shake and Culver's are counted among the fast food chains with reward programs. While there are similarities and differences for both, one key contrast — and where Culver's bests Steak 'n Shake — comes with how each one calculates earned points.

As explained on the frequently asked questions page of its website, Culver's reward program members accrue one point for every $0.10 spent on menu items. Not only that, if your total lands with a final digit anywhere between 1-9, it'll get rounded up to the next nearest dime and count toward your point total. So, if your bill is $3.22, it'll be treated as $3.30 for the purpose of points, and award you 33 points. The same can't be said for Steak 'n Shake, where points are earned as one for every $1 spent, with no mention in the FAQ of rounding up. For either chain, points last up to one year after they're earned before they expire.