The best fast food burger I never heard of

So i was looking at an article online that rated 8 of the most popular fast food burgers. Of course the usual suspects were included and their analysis I thought was on target. Burger King and McDonalds of course were just ok and Wendys a bit better. I agree. They also really liked the Sonic burger. This surprised me as I thought of them as a good place to get shakes but was unimpressed with their hot dog hence I hadn’t gone back now I will. I do like Steak n Shake a lot but they are not in Ct. They also are not super fast but darn tasty. The big surprise for me was Culvers, their number one pick. I had never heard of them and assumed there were none in my state. I checked their website and sure enough they have 2 in my state, One is over and hour away , but the 2nd location is about 15 minutes from my home. I am now very curious and will try it. My question for the board is have any others tried and what are your thoughts, and are there any other unmentioned chains you like ? I don’t eat fast food too often but a quick fix is fun every once in a while if good quality.

The first Culver burger I had was excellent. The second, not so much. Maybe not enough butter. I don’t know what to attribute the difference to. The burgers are handformed and the meat is fresh.

Culvers was far better in the 90s when they first started. That said, they’re still above most every other fast food burger for a chain of their size, at least in the Midwest.

Is Kopp’s still good? I remember going there when I lived in Milwaukee.

Kopp’s hasn’t changed at all, jumbo burgers exactly the same and the fries are still fresh (albeit just as over-salted and a bit soggy). I grab food from them every 1-2 years as an extremely guilty pleasure.

Fyi, in case you were wondering, Solly’s hasn’t changed at all.

Milwaukee always had good burgers and great pizza.

We have a Culvers. Tried twice. It is better than chains for sure but pales in comparison to the big hitters. My references of In n Out and 5 Guys blow them out of the water. Repeatedly.

Culver’s is bottom tier for me. Bland

Culver’s is ok IMO. Their limited time specialty burgers can be pretty good. I like the current pretzel bun burger. You can get fried cheese curds instead of fries (extra $). I love them but I hate myself after eating them.

I think their fish sandwich is the most underrated thing on their menu.

+1 for Steak n Shake . . . burger with “Happy Hour” shake one of our late lunch pleasures when in FL

I will try Culvers and will echo that 5 guys burgers AND fries both are excellent.

Unless 5 Guys started implementing drive-thru, not a good comparison to Culvers.

We have Steak & Shake, Culvers and 5 Guys (among the other usual suspects) in town. I feel like Steak & Shake’s quality has gone down-at least in our area. 5 Guys is likely the best in town but Culvers is just behind them. That is among chains, we have some pretty good independents but that is beside the point.

JD

I agree about Steak & Shake. They used to be really good when I was younger but now I’m not impressed. I think they tried to drop prices and quality dropped as well. Still not bad, but definitely not something I’d seek out. I feel they are similar to Culver’s. The burger is at Culvers is decent, but the fries are terrible.

We have some local places that I put at the top, Hi-Pointe Drive In is my favorite and a few others are also excellent as well, then probably Shake Shack for the chains (again, not that impressed by the fries), followed by Five Guys. We don’t have In and Out. For the most part if I want to get a burger out I’ll go to Hi Pointe; excellent burgers and other sandwiches, great shakes, good beer selection. Falls just a bit behind Shake Shack for price, so not cheap. That said, if convenience isn’t an issue, I’m almost always happier with a burger that I’ve made at home.

I haven’t had any drive through burger as good as In n Out or Habit.

Unfortunately there is nothing fast about In N Out. We have a Habit Burger in Santa Rosa and another in Rohnert Park but I have never been. Maybe I should try?
None of those others mentioned exist in our part of the world.

Culver’s is the gold standard fast food burger. Portillo’s is right there too.

I will only sa this about in n out burger. They are missing the clown otherwise it’s a great clone of McD’s.

I think Portillo’s burger is way better than Culver’s. I also think In N Out is way better than McDonalds. In N Out has a very unique flavor — especially animal style that I really dig.

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This might be the worst HOT TAKE™ ever.

Forgot about Portillo’s. Agree.

JD