Being someone who does not enjoy burgers that much (I know, I’m the worst), I didn’t have high expectations going into Culver's. However when I entered, I was greeted with warm smiles and a royal blue interior that set this restaurant apart from other chains I’ve seen. The customer service was great, and the food was even better. There were many things that made this restaurant stand out to me.
There's a couple specialty items on its menu. My favorite was its cheese curds, which you can substitute the fries for. In my humble opinion, nothing is better than fried cheese, and boy does Culver’s do it right. They are comparable to mini mozzarella sticks, but rather in bite-size pieces. The cheese is melty and flavored, and the crust is crispy to perfection. There is a higher, almost restaurant quality to this menu item.
Another popular item is its renowned custard. For those of you who love thick milkshakes, that’s what this sort of tastes like. Culver's provides options to mix into it such as Oreo's, cookie dough pieces, syrups, raspberries, pecans, etc. The custard is made fresh throughout the day to keep it creamy and rich. They even have root beer floats and root beer/Diet Coke as fountain drink options.
I thoroughly enjoyed my burger despite my previously mentioned distaste for burgers in general. The meat was well-seasoned and fresh, and the grill pressed style made it taste like a higher quality Steak N’ Shake burger. Culver's is also known for being “butter burgers,” meaning the bun is soaked in a buttery glaze, which I personally liked and thought added flavor. For those on a healthier diet, the menu also has chicken sandwiches, hearty soups, and salads. On the real though, the specialty items are worth the cheat day.
Culver’s only recently opened and has already received praise from many local Gainesville residents, as well as from food blogger Ken Eats Gainesville. On his Instagram, Ken states,
“This will be the only fast food chain post you'll see me make, but the fried cheese curds at Culver's will make you throw mozzarella sticks in the dumpster where they belong.”
Culver’s is currently one of the top fast food chains in Wisconsin, according to an article by Thrillist. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Culver’s began to climb the ladder in other states as well. They have spread from Wisconsin to 24 of the 50 states, and perhaps in the near future, could open up in even more.
Regardless, with the availability of this amazing restaurant in Gainesville, I definitely recommend checking it out sometime.