Culver's: The Midwest's Answer to In-n-Out

Just recently, I learned about - and experienced - Culver's. For the unenlightened, Culver's is a regional fast food restaurant with its highest density of locations in its home state of Wisconsin. I have spoken wistfully of In-n-Out, the West Coast fast food chain to which I bid adieu last year, but after reading about Culver's on its website, www.culveres.com, the place seemed like a potential replacement. Just the other day, my dining companions and I decided to detour from our errands through the western Detroit suburbs and pay Culver's a visit.

We pulled in to the unassuming eatery - just look for the cobalt blue tiled roof and cursive script - and quickly made our way to the ordering counter. Then we backed up, as the multitude of options on the menu was overwhelming. Being that it was mid-afternoon and we knew we'd be back in that corner of town soon, we treated our visit as a survey trip. The daily specials board indicated that chipotle cheese curds were "buy one, get one free," so that was a natural choice. To round out the tasting menu, we ordered one ButterBurger "Original" and a plastic knife to divide it three ways. We took our seats in the clean, blue-and-white dining room, and our cashier brought out our tray of hot food.

The fried cheese curds were what piqued our interest, initially. Really, do any of the national chains offer these on the menu? The curds had a perfect fried crunch on the outside without being overly greasy - not that that made them healthy. The melted cheddar interior has a slight and pleasing chew. Most surprising? The peppery spice, though not definitively chipotle in flavor, was, indeed quite spicy for a Midwestern restaurant. Each curd had its own unique shape, which led my companions and I to infer that there was some level of homemade authenticity in this food, as opposed to the eerily uniform McNuggets one might find at McDonalds's. Likewise, my bite of burger was delicious. As with the curds, the burger patty had a comfortingly irregular shape. Just knowing that Culver's uses locally raised beef and locally grown cheese made this meal more enjoyable.

Culver's offers a variety of its trademark ButterBurgers, along with a Shaved Prime Rib Sandwich, Walleye Filet Sandwich (welcome to the Midwest!) and Beef Pot Roast sandwich, among others. If cheese curds aren't your thing, there are fries, salads, soups, a handful of nutritional items and frozen custard, something I hope to investigate on my next visit. Prices are reasonable, with value menus, including ButterBurger, fries and a drink, for around $4.

If you live in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota , there's a pretty good chance you'll find a Culver's within a tank's worth of gas. If your state doesn't yet have a Culver's, make the drive.