5 Ordering Tips To Get The Best Culver's Concrete Mixer

Concrete Mixers are firmly cemented as one of Culver's most popular menu items, and for good reason. The combination of ultra-creamy chocolate or vanilla frozen custard blended with any of the burger chain's dozens of fruit, nut, and candy mix-ins is beloved for its thick, concrete-like texture and customizable nature. The cherry on top? Unlike its soft serve-based competition — looking at you, McDonald's McFlurry and Dairy Queen Blizzard – Culver's Concrete Mixers are made with real-deal frozen custard (by the way, here are the real differences between soft serve and frozen custard).

It's hard to go wrong with a Concrete Mixer, but it's definitely possible to go even more right. Fans of the beldnable treat have come up with plenty of sweet ordering hacks and upgrades over the years. One of the top tips is to select mix-ins based on qualities like, size, temperature, or texture. Another idea to keep in mind is that placing your order at certain times of day may increase your chances of snagging fresher custard. Moreover, you could opt for the frozen dessert flavor of the day, request extra toppings, and even incorporate bacon.

One of the great joys of ordering a Culver's Concrete Mixer is that you can choose from a large selection of toppings and combine them however you like. So if you're into peanut butter and mint, we're not here to yuck your yum. However, it's important to keep in mind that certain mix-ins will impact the texture in different ways. For example, an excess of liquid toppings, particularly warm ones like hot fudge and hot caramel, can result in a consistency that's more akin to paint than concrete. As such, some Culver's employees on Reddit recommend choosing a maximum of one liquid mix-in to avoid ending up with a soupy mess.

Also, if you want to get the most bang for your buck, you may want to skip large, chunky toppings. In a Reddit thread discussing popular mix-ins, one user said, "I would recommend you avoid cookie dough and brownies because the pieces are so big that they end up being really sparse." The generosity (or stinginess) of mix-in portions may vary widely based on location and is nearly impossible to predict. However, smaller mix-ins such as chocolate chips would generally be easier to distribute throughout the Concrete Mixer.

Culver's makes its custard in small batches throughout the day, so it is always relatively fresh. But due to the rotation schedule, it could still be a couple of hours old by the time you place your order. Some fans have found that the longer the custard sits, the greater the risk that the texture will be less-than-optimal. With that in mind, there are a few tricks that can help you get the freshest serving possible. First, you can strategically time your visit. Going right at opening is the only way to practically guarantee that your custard will be fresh from the hopper (and is also a fabulous excuse to eat dessert for breakfast). However, visiting during or directly after a busy lunch or dinner rush can also improve the odds.

Opting for a vanilla base might also boost your chances of getting a fresh Concrete Mixer. Culver's hasn't officially revealed which of these staple flavors is more popular. However a Facebook post by a purported employee suggested that the chain goes through much more vanilla than chocolate. As such, that custard flavor will probably need to be replaced more often throughout the day and is therefore likely to be fresher.

Culver's Concrete Mixers include two free mix-ins (except the mini, which comes with one), but you can add up to 10 additional toppings through the online ordering system, and at least some locations will allow you to add as many as you like when ordering in person. Those extra ingredients do come with a small upcharge (around $0.50 each, though it may vary by location). But one or two additional mix-ins are well worth the dough because they multiply flavor combination possibilities and can easily take your Concrete Mixer to the next level.

For example, Culver's recommends combining peaches, caramel, and pecans for peach cobbler vibes. Similarly, you could request strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cheesecake to create a triple berry cheesecake delight. You could also simply double (or even triple) up on your favorite ice cream topping — Reddit users recommend ordering a Concrete Mixer with double Reese's cups or Snickers for an ultra-indulgent treat.

In addition to classic chocolate and vanilla, every Culver's location offers a rotating flavor of the day, which you can select as your Concrete Mixer base. This option is a little under-the-radar because there's not currently a way to do it through the online ordering system. However, Culver's employees may be more than happy to do it for an in-person order.

Choosing the flavor of the day as your base is a smart move for several reasons. For one thing, it allows you to enjoy a Concrete Mixer without missing out on Culver's best frozen custard varieties. Additionally, you're basically getting free toppings, as the flavor of the day almost always contains various mix-ins. If you're of the mind that more is more when it comes to frozen dessert toppings, this is a no-brainer. It also allows you to create combinations that wouldn't normally be possible, as many flavor of the day options include ingredients that aren't typically available as mix-ins.

Yes, you read that right. Bacon isn't an official Culver's Concrete Mixer topping, but it's most certainly on the menu (when the chain revamped its bacon selection in 2024, it was one of the biggest changes to ever hit Culver's). It's a well-established fact that many desserts are better with bacon. As such, it's no surprise that ingenious humans have added crumbled bacon to Concrete Mixers, with apparently positive results. Multiple customers have shared their bacon-studded custard treats on the internet. Culver's even subtly endorsed the sweet-and-savory combination by highlighting a fan's social media post about it.

The best way to pull off this idea is to ask for a side of bacon, crumble it up, and stir it into the frozen treat. As for the rest of your mix-ins, the pork would pair wonderfully with salted caramel. Alternatively, you could combine it with peanut butter and banana à la Elvis Presley's favorite sandwich.