Culver's ~ regional chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Feb 2024 (N. Academy) 

First visit: Feb 2010 (Flower Mound, TX)

HQ: Prairie du Sac, WI (NW of Madison)

Locations: So after fixing the issue last year, they've gone back to that most irritating practice of you can only see your current location to "assist with your order". Has it ever occurred to these folks that people may not want to order online? Well there's 5 in Colorado Springs (no change). Alright, according to ScrapeHero (new to me, I like this site!), they have 973 total (+86) with Wisconsin still in the lead at 149 (+4). They're in 26 states (same). OK, that website gives you the high level data for free, the rest you would have to pay for. According to Google Maps, Flower Mound remains the closest to NE Tarrant.

---2/4/24 update

53 weeks later and we're back at Wisconsin's finest burger chain. As I reflect on the updates below, I was wishing Culver's was in the Freddy's space on Interquest. We already have a Freddy's in Monument, and I'm up that way often. This way I could have Culver's for an occasional work lunch. 

On this visit, Mrs. RJG emphatically stated that this is now her favorite fast food burger! So there you have it. Also, for the first time in our nearly 27 years of marriage, she said "I wish I got a double." Whoa, that's a new perspective. I did have the double Butter Burger with cheese and added a mini concrete. I wanted chocolate with espresso. I received vanilla with espresso. Oh well. Mrs. RJG got the single Butter Burger with cheese, fries, and a mini concrete. Hers was a chocolate and vanilla swirl, which was better than mine. I had some of her fries and they were great. She also likes those the best of any fast food franchise. I say it every year, but I really should frequent Culver's more. And they've held the line on the pricing. My double burger here is half the price of Whataburger's. And I think I liked it better too, to be honest...

---1/28/23 update

And we're back again, almost exactly one year later. Haven't been here since our last review. No particular reason other than this Culver's is a bit far for a "quick lunch" while working at home. And then when I'm out and about, I usually want to try places that require a longer drive. So Culver's falls through the cracks. On this day, Mrs. RJG had her car in the shop across the street, so it was the perfect excuse to go. Neither of us exhibited any kind of imagination whatsoever, and had Butter Burgers, fries, and a concrete. And just as the two below reviews indicate, it was delicious. No signs of slippage here, like so many other places managed to do in 2022. I wish we had one closer, but it would be suicide for them given that we already have In-N-Out, Whataburger, and Freddy's with Shake Shack coming soon. I think Monument could use one though. 

Time for a chain update: Oh good, they now have details so you can actually research them. Their home base of Wisconsin (Sauk Prairie, near Madison if curious) has the most locations at 145 with Illinois nipping at their heels with 133. If I didn't screw it up, my fast math has them at 887 locations total. They're in 26 states within most areas of the country except the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and West Coast. They have 22 in Colorado (up 2 from last year) with one coming soon and the same 5 here in the Springs. Texas has 14 (up 1) with the same 4 in DFW. Flower Mound remains the closest to our former NE Tarrant territory.

--- 2/5/22 update

Tried the Wisconsin Cheese Melt this time, per my note below. Very good - toasty bread, hamburger patty, gooey cheese. Also had a concrete, of course I did. This location seems to be well run. Clean and bright.

--- original 3/2/21 review

Culver's is a chain that existed in the DFW area when we lived there, but never in NE Tarrant. In fact, as I write this, they only have 4 locations in the entire Metroplex. So there was only one time I made the venture to Flower Mound to try it. Definitely enjoyed the experience, but didn't get any notes down for the RJG. Now we have one much closer and we've been a few times.

In a nutshell, Culver's is very similar to RJG favorite Freddy's. Butter Burgers are the primary offering, referencing the brioche styled bun. Cooked well-done thin patties are on offer, perfect for stacking high. The fries are different, as Culvers go for the crinkle cut versus shoestring. Mrs. RJG prefers Culver's to Freddy's because of this distinction. When it comes to concretes, Culver's offers up 2 mix-ins verse 1 for Freddy's, and is just as delicious. Speaking of value, Culver's is the first restaurant I know of to actually discount the final price if you ask to remove something. For example, I ordered their signature Deluxe burger, but without the tomato. Off came 20 cents. Now that's a best practice! It doesn't appear Culver's tries to compete with In-N-Out, like Freddy's or Carl's Jr does (i.e. no California burgers). Looking at their menu, I really need to get the Wisconsin Swiss Melt next time. This particular location is super clean and spacious too. Good fast food choice here.

2/6/10; 12/16/18; 3/2/21 (new entry); 2/5/22; 1/28/23; 2/4/24

Flower Mound, Texas; Colorado Springs; Fountain, Colorado