We Tried 6 Fast Food Root Beer Floats — This One Outperformed All The Others

Whether you're in it for the ice cream, the soda, or the nostalgia, nothing hits like a root beer float. Fans of the old-school drink likely know that several chains (Red Robin, Freddy's, and Sonic, among others) offer the sweet-and-spicy sipper. But which is worth the buy? To find the tastiest, Mashed contributor Steven Luna tried six to determine a ranking of fast food root beer floats — and Culver's came out on top.

Culver's got the crown for both quality and affordability. "Having one of the lower-priced floats on the list was a definite boon for the burger joint," Luna writes. "Culver's float offered the most dialed-in balance of any of the restaurant root beer floats I tried. It probably helps that the chain uses a signature formula for its root beer, which bests the popular root beer brands by coming in slightly spicy to add some fun sizzle to the creaminess of the custard."

If you're familiar with Culver's, a Midwestern burger-and-custard joint, these results likely don't surprise you. The burger chain is known for its high-quality frozen custard, which is made with farm-fresh, often local dairy and simple ingredients, like milk, cream, and sugar. As for the root beer, the Culver's item was personally crafted by a co-founder, so it's been a signature part of the menu since the chain's inception. And considering Culver's root beer is literally one of a kind, it's no wonder this throwback treat is among the most popular Culver's menu items.

Culver's gets its root beer from a local supplier. After much tinkering, it nailed the recipe and started tapping barrels of root beer in stores. Customers adore the soda: The chain sells 315,205 gallons of it annually (via Taste of Home). The custard is made with farm-fresh dairy and eggs to create a richer-than-ice-cream consistency, and it's slow-churned daily in small batches.

Diners swear by the custard, root beer, and the float that combines them. "​​This is why I go to Culver's. Food is a tad expensive ... but the root beer float gets a pass because it's sooooo good," a Reddit user shares. "I get a root beer float with my ButterBurger every time," another writes. "It is sweet, but not crazy sweet. It's a very nice vanilla flavor. And the root beer has a little bit of bite ... 10 out of 10. It is excellent," declares YouTube reviewer DaveTVMN.

The root beer float is a must-have for Culver's newbies, but consider making a simple request that'll upgrade any Culver's float by substituting unexpected alternatives for the root beer and vanilla custard. For custard, vanilla and chocolate are always available, plus the rotating Flavor of the Day that often features mix-ins and sauces. As for changing up the soda, options include Coke, Cherry Coke, and Dr Pepper, among others.