Here's Who Supplies The Beef For Culver's Burgers

Culver's is a Midwestern burger and custard chain with a serious fandom, thanks to its use of quality ingredients. The custard is made with milk sourced from local dairy farmers. The cheese curds hail exclusively from Wisconsin dairy farms. For ButterBurgers, named for the buttery buns they're served on, Culver's uses fresh, never-frozen beef supplied by American farmers.

Founder Craig Culver spent decades cultivating bonds with local beef producers. Most of Culver's beef comes from three suppliers (however, it's not known the exact names of them), which pack the meat in cryovac wrap to ensure a 14-day shelf life. The beef is distributed nationwide multiple times a week, quickly enough to capitalize on freshness. Most is Midwestern-raised, but it's always American. As of 2017, beef was the most-sold item by volume across Culver's stores; former Chief Operating Officer Jeff Bonner claimed Culver's cooked 20 million pounds the year prior (via Leader Telegram). Compared to competitors, Culver's is a fast food chain that uses high-quality burger beef; each patty is a marbled blend of sirloin, chuck, and plate cuts.

Culver's says its suppliers "follow the FDA's directives for humanely raised and harvested beef, as well as the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) guidelines for humane handling and processing of all commercial beef" (via Iowa Beef Center). Culver's also cooks its beef to order, so you'll receive fresh food every time. A special cooking method makes Culver's burgers even tastier: The patties are smashed onto the griddle, creating thin, craggy, wide burgers with crispy edges and juicy interiors.

Culver's prioritizes quality over profitability. While the chain's current suppliers are unknown, the meat is still sourced from mostly Midwestern farms. Regardless, it's always cooked fresh, as freezing it causes moisture loss. Culver's also used only steer meat — no dairy cows — as of 2005, but it's unclear if that's still true.

One Culver's fact that remains? It's dedicated to bolstering the farming industry. It's even part of Decade of Ag, a movement by American farmers and ranchers that cultivates a sustainable, prosperous agricultural system. Beef quality is crucial to the burgers' flavor. "Culver's blend of primal cuts is super important ... Even more critical is the grind, which imparts the bite and texture ... Only four suppliers in the entire country are approved to make Culver's beef," one Reddit user alleges. "[I] fully stand by the food at the locations I worked ... They were strict about made-to-order and never let stuff sit," a former employee says.

It's unclear if Culver's competitors use the same suppliers, but many rely on Midwestern meat. Wendy's gets beef from Midwestern and Southern cattle producers. Five Guys largely orders from Schweid & Sons, which uses mostly Midwestern beef. Shake Shack gets its burger blend from Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, which sources most of its beef from the Midwest. Steak 'n Shake started in Illinois, has many Midwestern locations, and uses exclusively pasture-raised, grass-fed cattle, so it's possible its sources are similar to Culver's.