The Difference Between Culver's And Wendy's Beef Patties

To say there is fierce competition in the fast food market might be an understatement. Every chain needs to stand out from the pack, staking a claim on at least one thing that makes it stand taller than all the rest. Among fast food burger restaurants, this one thing usually comes down to the burgers, of course. Wendy's crafts its burger patties in a now-famous square rather than the conventional round shape, leaving no question about where the burgers came from. Culver's uses traditional round meat patties, relying instead on butter, a longstanding American Dairyland secret ingredient, to make its burgers stand out.

Both Culver's and Wendy's use the highest quality beef in their burgers, and each sits among the top 10 burger chains in the United States when ranked by sales. Aside from patty shape and level of butteriness, what else sets these two fan-favorite burgers apart? Here's what makes Culver's and Wendy's beef patties different.

Wisconsin is America's Dairyland and the birthplace of the beloved fast food chain Culver's. With an almost cult-like following, Culver's claim to fame in the burger market is their tender and juicy ButterBurger. A traditional Wisconsin butter burger is a beef patty cooked in butter and occasionally also topped with a pat of butter for that extra buttery essence. Culver's takes this home-state favorite flavor and tweaks it to make it its own by only buttering the bun before toasting it, not the meat itself. This touch of butter is one of the things that makes Culver's ButterBurgers so delicious.

When it comes to the meat itself, Culver's uses a blend of ground sirloin, chuck, and plate to make its made-to-order burgers. The meat is kept fresh and never frozen, as freezing meat can lead to loss of moisture and flavor. Once the patty hits the grill, it is pressed, searing it to lock in moisture. Among burger fans, there is little arguing that Culver's grills the hands-down best chain restaurant smash burger out there.

You may have heard the saying attributed to founder Dave Thomas, "At Wendy's, we never cut corners." It's a nice Dad-style joke referencing the chain's famous square burger patties. It turns out there is a specific reason that Wendy's burgers are square. Proud of his freshly made burgers, Thomas wanted to make the high-quality, juicy patty visible to customers, and the corners of the grilled meat hanging over the side of the round bun do just that. A less romantic and more practical explanation is that the square shape makes it easier to fit more patties at a time onto the grill.

Like its rival Culver's, Wendy's makes its all-beef burgers to order and never uses frozen meat or fillers. For the past eight years, 100% of Wendy's beef has come from sources certified by Beef Quality Assurance, a farmer and rancher training program with a focus on best herd management and environmental practices. Wendy's is currently working on phasing out the routine use of antibiotics in the cattle used to make its beef.