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Juicy hamburgers, crispy side dishes, and creamy custard are a match in American fast-food heaven, which is why Culver's had no trouble becoming a nationwide chain. What started as a humble burger joint in Sauk City, Wisconsin, grew to a brand with over 900 locations across America. Fans love Culver's for the ButterBurgers and house-made custard. The ingredients are high-quality, and the brand stays exciting by offering a custard flavor of the day.
In addition to its high-quality ingredients, Culver's extensive menu sets it apart from other fast-food competitors. Since the burgers and custard steal the spotlight, many folks may not even realize that there are so many fun menu options to choose from.
If you want to spice up your next Culver's order, it's worth exploring the menu. Read on to uncover more than a dozen of the most underrated Culver's menu items that both customers and employees swear you'll love.
Tomato Florentine Soup
It's an unfortunate fact that lots of fast-food and fast-casual soups are under-appreciated. Olive Garden has done a lot of marketing for its soups, salad, and breadsticks. Fans rush online to figure out why Olive Garden soup tastes so good.
If you enjoy a nice soup now and then, you can find several wonderful options at Culver's. One employee on Reddit stated that they were baffled by the fact that not many people order the Tomato Florentine Soup. They shared that the whole team gobbles up the soup themselves whenever the store orders more, which is very infrequently, to their dismay.
What's so special about this soup? It's a fabulous vegetarian and low-calorie option. It includes shell pasta, zucchini, carrots, celery, and spinach in an herbaceous tomato broth. Soup may not be as tempting as French fries, but you'd be surprised by how nicely it pairs with a ButterBurger or any other sandwich on the menu. Plus, it's extra comforting once the temperature starts to dip in the fall.
Beef Pot Roast sandwich
There's nothing more soothing than preparing a pot roast at home and smelling the delicious aromas all day while it cooks. While it's possible to make an amazing pot roast easily in a slow cooker, sometimes we just need to grab a bite while we're out. If you're in the mood for something that tastes a bit more wholesome than a traditional fast-food burger, Culver's also sells a Beef Pot Roast sandwich and dinner option. Culver's even calls its Beef Pot roast an undiscovered favorite, so you know it's worth trying.
Culver's takes its pot roast seriously, even though it's not ordered nearly as much as its burgers. The chuck roast braises for several hours with a savory spice blend. Once tender, it's hand-shredded and piled high on a fluffy bun. If you order the dinner option, you can get two classic sides and beef stock gravy.
One woman who shared her review of the Beef Pot Roast sandwich on Facebook said you can never go wrong with this order. To take things to the next level, she recommends asking for sautéed onions on top and some horseradish sauce on the side for a kick. She says the sandwich may seem too simple because it's just the beef on a bun, but the meat is treated with such care that you'll fall in love with the flavor.
Chopped Steak Dinner
Technically, the Chopped Steak Dinner isn't officially on the nationwide Culver's menu. However, there have been enough posts on social media touting this secret menu item that Culver's employees know exactly what you're asking for. One Facebook user shared that their local Culver's lists it on the menu under the Pot Roast Dinner, so it's possible the dish could earn a spot on the official menu if enough people request it.
Chopped steak has been a beloved diner staple in America for many decades. If you've never had this dish before, it's a ground beef patty that's seared, drowned in a delicious gravy, and topped with mushrooms and sometimes onions. When you order the Chopped Steak Dinner at Culver's, it's like ordering any other Dinner, which comes with two sides of your choice and a toasty roll. For a dish as rich as this, mashed potatoes are a brilliant pairing, but you can order whatever you'd like.
Chopped steak may not become your all-time favorite meal from Culver's, but it's always fun to taste a piece of food history. Culver's is a great place to be adventurous because you can rest assured that the ground beef is top-notch.
Onion Rings
One Reddit user confidently claimed that Culver's onion rings are better than those at any other fast-food joint. As it turns out, we have to agree. Culver's scored first place in Mashed's ranking of fast-food onion rings.
Culver's Onion Rings are thick and juicy. Plus, the employees drop them into the fryer right after you order, then sprinkle them with salt while they're hot. You'll never have to worry about biting into a sad, soggy onion ring at Culver's. According to a few employees on Reddit, the Onion Rings arrive at each restaurant frozen, so they're not hand-battered each day. It's easy to overlook this detail, though, since frozen foods ensure consistency across the country.
Culver's Onion Rings are scrumptious enough to eat on their own, but sauce lovers will be delighted to know that they can choose from 13 different varieties for dipping. You can never go wrong with pairing the Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese sauce with any menu item. However, Culver's Signature sauce is great for bringing some tang to each bite, while the Creamy Jalapeño sauce gives the onion rings an addictive kick. Needless to say, you can have a blast trying various sauce pairings.
Grilled Reuben Melt
There's so much to appreciate about a classic Reuben sandwich. The bread is much heartier than other types of sandwiches, the saurkraut is nice and zippy, and the flavorful corned beef becomes even dreamier when tucked under a gooey blanket of Swiss cheese and Thousand Island sauce. If this description is riling you up, you can get your Reuben sandwich fix at Culver's.
Several Redditors agreed that Culver's Grilled Reuben Melt is one of the most slept-on menu items. One Reuben connoisseur says that Culver's is a go-to spot, which says a lot about more upscale establishments that also sell the sandwich. Of course, Culver's low prices are hard to beat. The classic Reuben is beautiful as-is, but one user suggested adding pickles and mustard to make the tanginess even sharper.
Despite serving fast food, Culver's doesn't cut any corners. The rye bread is always perfectly toasted and buttery, and the corned beef gets a long brine and slow-cooking treatment for tenderness. It's also easy to make the sandwich your own with toppings like jalapeños, bacon, mushrooms, raw or grilled onions, and more.
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
French fries are perfect when fresh out of the fryer and seasoned. They're crunchy on the outside and irresistibly fluffy on the inside. It's no wonder that so many people don't even hesitate when choosing fries as their side dish. As nice as Culver's Crinkle Cut Fries are, you're missing out if you don't order the Mashed Potatoes & Gravy sometimes.
The best mashed potatoes are the simplest, and this Culver's menu item is everything you could hope for in a basic recipe. The potatoes are creamy, even without the addition of butter. The chain does offer butter on the side, though, for those who feel like mashed potatoes are incomplete without it. Culver's treatment truly lets the potato shine. The gravy is a glorious flavor bomb that will make you want to shovel the whole bowl into your mouth as quickly as possible. The home-style gravy is made with a chicken stock base and plenty of savory seasonings. This dish will never be as glamorous as its fried counterpart, but there are plenty of folks who would love adding this item to their Culver's meals.
Mushroom & Swiss ButterBurger
For a fast-food restaurant known for its burgers and custard, it's hard to believe the brand currently has only seven permanent ButterBurgers on the menu, plus one limited-time offering. Most folks likely gravitate toward the ButterBurger Deluxe, which comes with all the standard fixings. For a little extra decadence, there's also The Culver's Bacon Deluxe, which adds bacon into the mix. One menu item that doesn't get as much love as it should is the Mushroom & Swiss ButterBurger.
Mushrooms can be a weird topping for many. If they're not prepared well, the texture and water content can ruin a burger. However, Culver's works magic with its mushrooms by sautéing them in butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. One Redditor was practically drooling over the garlic flavor, and another said that they add mushrooms to every burger they order now because they're that good.
Another user chimed in to ask whether the mushrooms are fresh or canned, since canned mushrooms can be funky. An employee replied that the mushrooms always arrive at their restaurant fresh. As long as you're not a passionate mushroom hater, these fun, garlic-butter vessels could revamp your burger experience.
Stuffed Green Pepper Soup
In the same Reddit thread where one Culver's employee raved about the Tomato Florentine Soup, a fan chimed in that their personal favorite is the Stuffed Green Pepper Soup. The name of the soup may sound like another vegetarian dish, but it actually includes ground beef. Culver's recipe includes ground beef, green peppers, rice, chopped tomatoes, and a tomato broth. Essentially, you can enjoy the flavors of a hearty stuffed peppers recipe in a convenient soup form.
A medium cup is only 170 calories, while going up to a large cup only adds 70 extra calories. Since the recipe is simple and uses nutritious ingredients, it's a mindful menu item that you can feel good about ordering whenever you need a pick-me-up. Keep in mind that the calorie count also includes some saltine crackers, which you can omit if you prefer.
If you fall in love with the Tomato Florentine Soup or the Stuffed Green Pepper Soup, you can get excited about the seven other soup recipes Culver's offers. All of them seem quite nourishing and cover a wide range of flavors, so you'll never get bored.
Corn Dogs
Who doesn't love a good corn dog? Some folks only order them during specific outings, such as fairs, but this snack can hit the spot any day of the week. For those who aren't already in the know, Culver's sells Corn Dogs that some Reddit users absolutely adore.
Funnily enough, the Corn Dogs are listed under the sandwich section of Culver's online menu. This can be a debate for another time, but many people would object to calling a corn dog a sandwich. In the description, Culver's explains that its corn dogs are double-dipped in a honey batter and fried until golden. Ultimately, corn dogs are just an extremely simple dish, yet they check a lot of taste and texture boxes.
When it comes to the Sonic vs Culver's corn dog showdown, it was extremely difficult to tell the two apart because they were both spectacular. The only major difference is that Sonic uses beef franks, while Culver's uses pork, which makes them only slightly less favorable. Overall, if you enjoy grabbing a corn dog at Sonic, you'll also be pleased with Culver's corn dog offering. You'll also score some ketchup and mustard packets, because no corn dog would feel complete without those condiments.
Pretzel Bites
Most people think of bar food when they hear "pretzel bites," but this delightful snack should be more widely available. Culver's takes advantage of its Wisconsin roots by whipping up a fabulous Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Sauce. Dipping fries into ketchup is one thing, but dunking a thick pretzel into a rich cheese sauce is even more joyful.
The Pretzel Bites are the perfect size to pop a whole one into your mouth, but you can also bite them in half if you'd like to savor the experience and create more surface area for extra cheese. One Redditor shared an amazing hack: if you ask the employees for sides of peanut butter and hot fudge, they're happy to hook you up. Doing this is an amazing option for folks who love sweet-and-savory dishes. The salty, crunchy exterior of the Pretzel Bites can make all kinds of dips shine. The chewy interior also forces folks to slow down their meals for maximum enjoyment.
It's worth noting that the Pretzel Bites may be around the same price or more expensive than the beloved Wisconsin Cheese Curds. Lots of Redditors firmly believe the Pretzel Bites are superior, but you'll have to try to decide.
Harvest Veggie Burger
We can all benefit from adding more veggies into our diets, and a veggie burger is a fun way to accomplish that. When it comes to a fast-food meatless burger ranking, most folks tend to appreciate burgers that feature wholesome veggies rather than plant-based meat substitutes, like Impossible and Beyond. Anyone who's tried a veggie burger can attest to the fact that grains, beans, and vegetables can come together to form a hearty and satisfying patty. Culver's developed its own veggie burger recipe that includes fire-roasted chickpeas, peppers, corn, and Wisconsin cheese. The addition of cheese means that it's not suitable for vegans and those with dairy sensitivity, but it's still a yummy option that helps folks cut back on their meat consumption.
One employee on Reddit shared their experience taking orders and said they've never heard anyone order a Harvest Veggie Burger. A fan replied that they weren't even aware that this was on Culver's menu. It's clear that the beef burgers take up Culver's marketing efforts. However, other fans in the know have noted that Culver's is the only place they order veggie burgers from and that they really enjoy the recipe.
Chocolate Concrete Mixer with Bananas and Andes Mints
Going to Culver's without ordering some custard for dessert feels like a crime. In fact, you can even skip dinner and fill up on a heavenly custard creation. Culver's treats its fellow sweet tooths to milkshakes, malts, sundaes, floats, hand-packed pints, create-your-own bowls, and Concrete Mixers. Concrete Mixers are Culver's take on Dairy Queen's Blizzards. You should definitely read up on the best Culver's frozen custard flavors so you can plan your next treat.
Culver's lets its fanbase have fun with customizations. Plenty of Redditors have shared that folks should go beyond the standard two mix-ins when ordering and just go wild. With 27 mix-ins to choose from and using either chocolate or vanilla custard as the base, the options are seemingly endless.
One Redditor's favorite weird combo is chocolate custard with bananas and Andes Mints. Chocolate and mint are a beloved pairing, but inviting bananas to the party brings some extra sweetness and creaminess. Another interesting duo suggested on Reddit is raspberry and Heath English Toffee Bar Pieces. An employee who's had the luxury of sampling all kinds of pairings swears by peanut butter and mint. They urged a customer to give it a try, and they were delighted to spot that customer return the following week ordering that Concrete Mixer again. No matter how odd some of these combos sound, you truly can't knock them until you try them.
North Atlantic Cod Dinner
The idea of ordering fish from a fast-food restaurant can send a shiver down many people's spines. Even McDonald's founder thought the Filet-O-Fish was a bad idea because fish can be quite stinky. However, fast-food seafood has developed a hardcore fanbase over the years. Believe it or not, Culver's North Atlantic Cod Dinner is elite, according to those who've tried it. One Redditor who grew up surrounded by fishing communities wanted to shout from the rooftops that Culver's outperformed every chain and local seafood restaurant. They also fully acknowledged how absurd they must sound.
Yet other Redditors were quick to back up their claim by drooling over how flaky the fish is. The batter is perfectly crunchy, and the tartar sauce provides that perfect, complementary tang. One person thinks that Culver's tartar sauce is too sweet for their liking, but this is subjective. The dish is even served with a lemon wedge to brighten the fried fish. Those who appreciate a more portable meal should know that Culver's also sells a delicious North Atlantic Cod Sandwich.
Pork Loin Sandwich
When most people aren't in the mood for a burger, their other go-to fast-food order is a fried chicken sandwich. It's true that Culver's sells some mean fried chicken sandwiches. However, this means that Culver's other fried sandwiches are left on the sidelines. The next time you're craving something salty and crunchy, why not try the Pork Loin Sandwich? Culver's advertises the meat as premium, center-cut pork loin that employees hand-bread.
Meat lovers may want minimal toppings so the pork can remain the star of the show. Culver's recommends ordering The Works, which includes ketchup, mustard, pickles, and raw onions, but many other toppings are available. For a more luxurious pork sandwich, one Redditor suggested ordering yours with barbecue sauce, grilled onions, and a side of cheese sauce for dipping. Another user who read this was practically racing to their car to try this order. This dish is definitely a fun way to switch up your fast-food ordering habits.
Methodology
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To figure out which Culver's menu items are the most underrated, I explored discussions on r/Culvers and r/unpopularopinion to see what both customers and Culver's employees had to say on the matter. Employees shared valuable insights on items that they've never seen ordered, while customers discussed items that they believe the average diner would overlook due to food trends.
I also took a look at Facebook and YouTube photos and videos where people shared their honest opinions on underrated menu items they tried, then weighed what commenters shared in response.