Reddit's Favorite Fast Food Burger Only Exists In 26 States

When you are looking for help deciding which dining spots to try, there is plentiful input right at your fingertips from sources like Reddit, Yelp, and TripAdvisor, where thousands of people have given feedback based on their own personal experiences. Food Republic dug into the comment threads to see which fast food burgers are the best, according to Reddit. In ranking the best hamburger, users on Reddit cited a clear favorite: Culver's.

Culver's is a burger chain that first opened its doors in 1984 in a small town called Sauk City, Wisconsin. In the ensuing decades, the restaurant has expanded to include more than 1,000 franchises, but it only exists in about half of the United States (26 of them, to be exact, as of April 2025). Reddit users mention traveling long distances to visit a Culver's, because it's just that good. Commenters raved about the chain's excellent service, clean facilities, and — above all — top-quality food.

The dining spot is particularly known for its ButterBurgers. Those hot burgers Reddit users love so fiercely feature fresh, never frozen beef, pressed and seared into juicy perfection. Additions like real Wisconsin cheese and various fresh toppings are nestled between the eater's choice of a lightly toasted bun, sourdough bread, rye bread, or a gluten-free bun (all kissed with fresh Wisconsin creamery butter). Other burger creations include the Bacon Deluxe, Mushroom & Swiss, Sourdough Melt, and Wisconsin Swiss Melt. For those who don't have a Culver's close by, all the love from impassioned Reddit users might be convincing enough to warrant a rather long trip to try one for yourself.

Burgers aren't the only reason fans flock to Culver's — the chain's famous custard is also a favorite menu item. Freshly made in-house, it can be spun into an unforgettable fast food milkshake, blended into a malt or Concrete Mixer, mixed into a soda float, customized into a sundae, or packed into a take-home pint. A host of toppings lets you custom tailor the frozen treat of your dreams!

The chain is also noted for some unique side dish offerings that are atypical of fast food burger joint fare, like Wisconsin cheese curds, pretzel bites, chili, steamed broccoli, and mashed potatoes with gravy. The onion rings also received top marks from cyber critics. Reddit commenters further praised the availability of the Culver's brand caffeine-free root beer in the soda fountain, which they said is a rarity and much appreciated for those who can't have caffeine.

Other Culver's menu options that got high praise from Reddit users include the chain's fish sandwiches and other seafood offerings. The menu showcases Butterfly Jumbo Shrimp, North Atlantic Cod items, and occasional limited-time fish dishes. In April 2025, the chain even had limited-time Northwoods Walleye Sandwich and Dinner options on offer. Fresh salads, chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, and other non-burger sandwich creations like the Grilled Reuben Melt, Beef Pot Roast sandwich, Pork Loin sandwich, Harvest Veggie Burger, and Grilled Cheese round out the plentiful offerings. As one Reddit user put it: "10/10 every time I've gone. It feels like a restaurant married a fast food place and kept all the best parts[,] then tossed out the bad."