Review: Culver's Family Restaurants, Competitive Prices, Outstanding Value

After a Saturday afternoon outing we were looking for a late lunch to finish the day. There are two Culver's restaurants in our area, and as luck would have it we were just a few blocks from the one located on Hwy 2 headed out of Superior WI.

We've eaten there once before, but have always looked at their offering as being something a little special. A clear notch above the other large chain fast food establishments.

Of course the first time around we noticed the price difference as indeed you will spend slightly more for most of the entries listed on their menu. On this trip we made a conscious effort to see why we felt the price difference was of little concern when measured against the quality of the establishment.

We placed our order, mine being a Mushroom & Swiss Double Burger basket and my partner's being the Chicken Tender basket. Here's something you won't find at most chain burger joints, they gave us a small plastic tag to place on our table as they serve your food directly to you. No need to stand around waiting for the order to be filled.

We got comfortable in our booth, enjoying the warmth coming from the fireplace in the center of the room. Just another nice touch considering we're up to our butts in snow this time of year.

In just a couple minutes our food was delivered piping hot and delicious. Another small touch that makes a difference, the plastic cups provided for ketchup were almost twice the size of what the competitor's offer. A simple little thing, but it makes dipping your fries a whole lot easier.

One of my favorite burgers is the Mushroom & Swiss. I've ordered it from many different sources, both drive through fast food and sit down dining. The unique part of Culver's Mushroom & Swiss is the charbroiled flavor that is more intense because the burger is two separate patties. Another plus is the second layer of Swiss cheese. The fact that the bun was absolutely soft and fresh made the this one of the best burgers I've ever had.

The Chicken Tender basket was suppose to contain 4 chicken tenders. My partner's contained 5 pieces, each perfectly cooked, juicy, and crusted with a tasty breading. Again the barbeque sauce that was included came in a much larger sized container making dipping all that much easier. Even with the extra piece of chicken there was plenty of sauce to finish the meal.

Often French Fries are thin, over cooked, and not tasting much like the potato they came from. Not so with Culver's. Their's are crispy on the outside, but large enough that the center is all potato and creamy smooth once you bite into them. For sure they were fresh out of the fryer as they were hot enough to require a little cooling before eating.

One of Culver's identifying foods is their frozen custard. Not your usual soft serve ice cream, frozen custard is more flavorful and creamy. We'll have to save our appraisal of their custard for another time as after finishing our meal there was no room left for dessert.

Our meal priced out at $14.33 including tax and soft drinks. Ok, yes it was a dollar or two more than the same items would cost elsewhere. One thing to remember, you get what you pay for. Culver's is top quality food offered in a comfortable setting with first class service. We will be back, often.