Restaurants Fast Food
ByAmber Winston/
There are some people who like Culver's and some who live for it. If you're one of those ride-or-die Culver's fans who just can't get enough, you're in the right place. Culver's is known for having juicy and delicious ButterBurgers and creamy frozen custard. But this well-known burger joint offers so much more. On top of the restaurant chain's already thriving essential menu, there are tons of hacks that serve up weird yet wildly satisfying eats you'll be itching to reorder the moment you take the first bite.
We've combined Culver's employee recommendations with customers' suggestions and even our own experiences to blow the lid off some of the exciting ways you can order your next Culver's meal. We're covering sandwiches, sides, drinks, and more. We've even got a few custard-y hacks up our sleeve that we're pretty certain you're going to want to know. So, without further ado, let's dive into the flavorful details!
Getting anything fried made extra crispy
Did you know that you can get your fries made extra crispy at Culver's? It's true. Not only that, but Culver's alsoallows you to get practically anything fried to a particularly crunchy crisp if you ask for it — from chicken sammies to onion rings and more.
This hack is genius as it takes an already good thing and sends it over the edge. Of course, you'll have more grease and calories to worry about, but hey, no one is saying this is a health-conscious hack. According to Reddit posts we've seen, some people go as far as to have their fries fried at least three times over, with some claiming to enjoy them dunked in oil even more times than that.
We'll let you decide how many times to get your fries dunked, but just remember that too much of a good thing can eventually go sour. Also, keep in mind that it takes extra time for your Culver's cooks to accomplish these special requests, and since everything is made fresh, be sure to bring your patience with you.
Get creative with your floats
If you love a good root beer float, then this hack is for you. Though root beer has always traditionally been used in association with soda floats, there are no hard rules to say that's the only soda you can use to make magic happen. At Culver's, there are ample opportunities to take a standard float to new heights, with plenty of customizations to make your scandalous fizzy drinks a delicious reality.
To execute this hack, simply ask for a float with your choice of carbonated beverage as a base. Sample a Coke float, a Dr Pepper float, or even a Sierra Mist float, if you'd like. And the fun doesn't stop there. You can also handpick the custard nestled inside for a truly tantalizing taste adventure. Word on the street is that Culver's peach-flavored ice cream (probably Georgia Peach, though our insiders have not specified) tastes delightfully delectable when plummeted in an ice-cold cup of Sierra Mist.
You heard it here! Get your custom-made soda and ice cream beverage using whatever flavor combinations float your boat.
Get any sammie on sourdough bread
We tried this hack recently, and wow, this is definitely a way to level up your next meal. If you don't know by now, Culver's lets you order any sandwich you want on sourdough bread. And while to some taste buds this might not seem to be a reason for cheer, other more seasoned palates know better.
Here's the scoop. Culver's sourdough bread is absolutely delightful. Anyone who's already sampled the chain's sourdough melt already knows what's up. Plus, turning this scrumptious bread into the backbone of your sammie doesn't just elevate the meal; it propels your sandwich into dimensions you didn't even know existed.
According to Reddit users, ordering the crispy chicken on sourdough is amazing, while we can attest that something as simple as a mushroom and Swiss on this bread bursts with flavor. One thing we do want to mention is that while your grill cook will absolutely dish up one of these bad boys for you, you may not want to ask for these sorts of customizations during the restaurant's busiest times. Doing so can cause service to flow even slower, but we'll leave it up to you to use your best judgment.
Upgrade Culver's flavor of the day with mix-ins
If you haven't read a tip that excites you yet, try this one on for size. If you're a staunch Culver's fan, you likely already know about the company's whole flavor of the dayschtick. If you don't, allow us to inform you. The restaurant giant features a special flavor of custard that changes every morning. Scrumptious custard flavors like Lemon Berry Layer Cake, Really Reese's, and Turtle all only scratch the surface on the variety of creative bites that Culver's offers. Imagine our surprise when we found out you can do up the already delicious flavor of the day even more; simply ask for one or two mix-ins to get added to your custard base, and you've got a dessert worthy of making a special trip.
Yup! You can actually get extra mix-ins added to your flavor of the day custard. And while we haven't tried this hack yet, we can only imagine all the wonderful creations you could come up with, given Culver's extensive mix-in menu. Just know that this could get messy, depending on which mix-ins you choose and what flavor of the day custard you're attempting to upgrade. Some of them already contain plenty of mix-ins. But hey, you do you — we aren't judging.
Buy a pint of your favorite flavor of the day custard one day later
Remember those tantalizing flavor of the day custard options we raved about? There's an abundance of stellar choices. What sweetens the deal is that Culver's, in a grand gesture of generosity, lets customers buya little pint of heaven to take home with them without breaking the bank.
For reference, a standard scoop of the flavor of the day custard in our area costs between $3 and $4. And that, friends, is only for a single scoop. What's amazing is that if you wait until the day after your favorite flavor is released, you can actually buy a whole pint of the stuff for only $4 to $5.
Cool, huh? You can also do the same with vanilla and chocolate flavors. Note that supplies may vary from location to location, as some Culver's may not have much (or any) custard left over to pint up for you the following day. Even so, some locations, like the ones we've frequented, have loads of flavors stowed away, so it definitely won't be consistent across the board. But for the price point, it's surely worth the mention.
Get a chocolate shake that's actually made with chocolate custard
We had to nail down the facts so this one would make sense, but we think we've finally got the deets you need to make this chocolatey creation a reality. Culver's sells an undoubtedly delicious classic chocolate milkshake that comes pre-made in all its chocolatey glory. Great! What you may not know, however, is that this standard chocolate shake actually uses a blend of both vanilla custard and chocolate syrup to achieve its chocolate flavor.
Catching our drift? To amp up the chocolate factor to dangerously decadent levels, simply request the friendly Culver's crew to replace the vanilla custard with chocolate custard. Oh, and don't let 'em forget the chocolate sauce. According to some, this is often referred to as an old fashioned chocolate shake, although Culver's employees may or may not know what you're talking about if you choose to use this term when ordering.
Friends, if you're a fan of deep chocolate flavors like we are, run — don't walk — to your nearest Culver's and try this hack now. There's no reason to experience FOMO when you've got a hack this genius at your fingertips.
Make a Culverized poutine
If you're unfamiliar with the infamous Canadian-based treat known as poutine(a slang word from Quebec thought to mean "mess"), you're in for a treat. Though it might not be up everyone's alley, poutine has a sort of cult following. Fans of this unique bite will be happy to know that it can be easily recreated at Culver's; you just need to be a bit, well, creative, to pull it off.
For those of you who aren't aware, poutine is traditionally made with fries, gravy, and cheese curds. Thankfully, Culver's has all these ingredients at the ready. To order a poutine at Culver's, you'll need to start with a bed of fries. From there, ask for cheese curds and gravy. Those who have tried Culverized poutine say there are a variety of ways to actually order this, with one customer claiming it's best to simply order a side of fries, a side of gravy, and a side of cheese curds before mixing it all together in a separate bowl. An alternate way, though not as authentic, is to order fries, a side of gravy, and a side of shredded cheddar cheese. No matter which way you order it, fans of the dish will be happy they did. Culver's has what you need to make it easy.
Get creative with the pretzel bites
We could see this one getting a little complicated, so please, be kind to your local Culver's crew. But there are quite a few ways you can customize your pretzel bites if you want to sample something outside the norm. Traditionally, Culver's pretzel bites come with creamy cheese to dip them in. And while we think this is all good and well, there are other things you can do to upgrade the flavor. For example, try swapping out the cheese dip for caramel sauce for a delightfully sweet treat. Alternatively, you could ask that your pretzels get sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar for a dessert-like spin on an already chewy, tasty treat.
If you plan to use these hacks for a sweet snack, make sure you specify that you don't want salt on your pretzels (unless you do!). You'll also want to make sure the cinnamon and sugar gets sprinkled on as soon as the pretzel bites are out of the fryer. From what we hear, 3 to 4 packets of sugar along with the cinnamon is the sweet spot. Give it a shot, and don't forget your side of caramel sauce!
Try the chili cheese curds hack
This one's easy, albeit still quite delicious. Those of you who love Culver's chili and its cheese curds can smack the two together to come up with an awesomely tasty duo that shouldn't be too difficult to create. Thoughcheese curds are not recommended if you're watching your sodium intake, you can get chili cheese curds by simply ordering up cheese curds as you normally would and requesting your servers slap some chili on top.Done and done!
Of course, if you're a control freak and want to dish up the amount of chili you want on your curds yourself, then by all means, order your chili and curds separately. Either way, fans of this hack claim it's an order worth trying. Another way to order these is to order a chili cheese fry (if available at your location) and then upgrade the fries to cheese curds. You can also add shredded cheese on top, but because of the cheese from the curds, this additional level of cheesiness is totally optional.
Order a makeshift CurderBurger
We don't know whether you've had the pleasure of sampling aCurderBurger, but there's another way to enjoy the flavor of cheese curds atop your Culver's burger even if the specialty item is no longer available at a Culver's near you.
In case you don't know, the CurderBurger initially started as an April Fool's joke put on by the company before fans went gaga over it, leading the ButterBurger chain to offer the creation on the menu fora limited time for the past three years. It consisted of a burger patty graced with a thick, singular cheese curd encompassing the surface of the patty. Whether the CurderBurger will still be circulating by the time you read this is beyond us, but after doing a bit of research, we've discovered you can easily make this oddity of a burger yourself.
To pull it off, you'll simply want to order a cheeseburger and have the Culver's staff place your cheese curds on top of the beef patty. To make it easier to eat, you'll want the curds placed directly on top of the slice of cheese on your burger, as that will help hold your curds in place. And that's it! A makeshift CurderBurger for your enjoyment. Love us yet?
Upgrade your teas, lemonades, and coffees
Move over, Burger King. Apparently, Culver's is a place where you can truly have it your way.
Up to this point, we've discussed several ways to customize your meal, from sammies in sourdough to makeshift poutine. But did you know that you can just as easily customize your beverages? Because Culver's has so many delicious mix-ins, syrups, dips, custards, and sodas, it makes sense that you could come up with something fun and creative in the beverage department. And while we can't take the time to break down all the ways you could possibly customize your next sip, we can at least leave you with a few tasty ideas.
Are you a tea lover? Order one as you normally would, but ask for a scoop of strawberries to be added, along with your choice of strawberry or wild berry syrup. The same can be done with lemonade. Heck, add one of these syrups to a soda (we're thinking strawberry syrup in Sierra Mist), but just know it may come off as too sweet, depending on how heavy-handed the staff is. Other ideas include adding shake mix, coffee, and hot caramel to a concrete cup for a makeshift iced coffee or combining two shots of espresso with a small Coke to make a delicious coca-java (yes, we just made that up) style drink. Yep, the world is your oyster here, but know that prices for all these additions will vary.
Try the kid's meal hack
Got a smaller appetite? Here's a little trick that can help you get more bang for your buck.
It's simple, really. All you need to do is order a kid's meal with a drink. Make the drink a root beer and cash in your voucher for a free scoop of vanilla custard. Put the vanilla custard in the root beer and — bam! You've got yourself a small feast complete with a root beer float, all for the price of a standard kid's meal. For even more decadence, try asking the staff to make your fries extra crispy, and add a side dish or two to round the meal out if you must.
Oh, and don't forget, you've got more options when ordering a kid's meal than your standard burger. Choose from corn dogs, chicken tenders with your choice of dipping sauce, Buffalo chicken tenders, or grilled cheese. It's all fair game, and when your pockets are tight and your appetite is light, why not?
Methodology
Culver's hacks that could change the way you order forever were determined by careful menu analysis along with the advice and opinions of those who work at Culver's and those who often frequent Culver's. Members of the Mashed staff have also had a chance to try out a few of these hacks, confirming that they are indeed rather life-changing.
Remember that not all Culver's locations may honor these requests, and some ingredients mentioned within the post are subject to change. When in doubt, don't be afraid to ask the staff before plunging forward with your mouth-watering, creatively complex order at Culver's. But from what we've heard, these hacks are poised to get you nothing but one of the most delicious fast food meals created your way. Enjoy!
