What began as an April Fool’s Day joke has turned into Culver’s most in-demand item: the Curderburger.
The beloved fast food chain added a cheese curd “crown” to its Deluxe burger, resulting in an internet sensation that everyone, including the Cardinal, has to try.
The item returned to Culver’s menus on Oct. 12 and is available through the end of the month or until supplies last.
Notably, there are no Culver’s locations within walking distance of campus, despite many students’ desire to see a franchise start on State Street.
Because the Cardinal is committed to bringing you the best reviews, we assembled a dream team and paid a visit to the Mineral Point location on Oct. 13.
Our reviews of the Curderburger are as follows:
As a practicing vegetarian, I got the Curderburger without a meat patty. I was worried the burger would be scanty without the patty, but it turned out to be much, much more than I could have imagined.
The curd-patty was a great replacement for the meat patty. Its crunchy texture and awesome flavors blended well with the rest of the burger. Every bite was a burst of cheesy flavor — first the soft bun, then the crunch of the curd, then a rush of cheesy goodness.
I only have two complaints — the pickles overwhelmed the cheese, and it could have used a slice of cheddar cheese. I recommend getting your burger without pickles, as the pickle juice drowned out the flavor of the cheese curd whenever they were within the same bite. Conversely, I also recommend adding a piece of cheddar to the burger. The extra cheddar-y flavor would only add to the overall experience of the Curderburger.
I give the Curderburger an 8/10. It’s a must-have for vegetarians and murderers alike.
- Drake White-Bergey
The Curderburger contains between its buns the juxtaposition of excellence and mundanity; it is ingenious to the degree it feels uninspired… delightful yet somehow dull.
In essence, the Curderburger takes a breaded and fried piece of cheese and puts it on one of their burgers in the place of the typical slice of cheese. To maintain my sanity, I will refrain from imagining how anyone could mess that up, yet quite frankly I am disappointed in humanity for not conceiving this sooner.
The Curderburger's elegant simplicity is double-edged. It’s fun. It’s a good sandwich. It delivers on being a curd on a burger; but at the same time, that’s all it is. The gimmick belongs perfectly within Culver’s branding as the burger franchise from Wisconsin, yet the sandwich itself isn’t phenomenal to the degree that demands a limited release. While the Curderburger would likely be an iconic staple of the regular menu if given the chance, I would guess Culver’s is using the pressure of limited time to compensate for what they recognize as not outlandishly special. Any more than a couple weeks with the Curderburger on the menu and you realize it’s just a burger with a fried block of cheese on it.
Yet simultaneously, where else can you get a burger with a fried block of cheese on it?
I highly recommend going out of your way to try the Curderburger while it lasts if you think you’ll have fun doing so. Again, it’s a good sandwich that I enjoyed. Yet, I do not feel compelled to have another during this Curderburger season, nor will I feel compelled to go out of my way for another during future Curderburger seasons if they continue as an annual occurrence.
Final rating: PG
- Jeffrey Brown
I have to admit I am not a cheeseburger girl — strictly hamburgers for me. Yet, I have been anticipating trying this burger since last year; I was so sad when I couldn’t get one. The customer service was amazing — great job to the Mineral Point location, keep doing what you’re doing. The environment was killing it, too. I loved seeing a packed lunch crowd.
The first bite was everything I could’ve asked for and more. The ratios were perfect. I was afraid I was going to get sick of it after two bites, but I honestly loved it. I, like Hope, also thought the burger was going to fall apart. Nevertheless, she persisted and stayed quite intact throughout the eating process. Tyler’s got a little messy — not really sure what happened there, but I digress.
I do have to take off a point, however, for the fact that I probably just lost a week of my life after eating that much grease and cheese. Not the fault of Culver’s, but definitely glad this is not a permanent menu item for the sake of the general population’s health.
Final Rating: 9/10
- Annabella Rosciglione
I was heartbroken last year when I visited four Culver’s locations just to find that each one was sold out of the Curderburger. This time around, the FOMO had faded a little bit. I was suddenly nervous that adding a giant cheese curd would ruin my go-to Culver’s order. From the first bite, I was pleasantly surprised that the burger was not overwhelming.
I do have several opinions on the cheese “crown.” All the cheese seeped out in the first few bites, leaving nothing but the breading for most of the sandwich experience. The cheese seemed sharper than Culver’s normal cheese curds — which is fine — but it did overshadow the other flavors in the burger. I almost wish there was an additional slice of cheese to balance it out.
I will give extra props to Culver’s for the structural integrity of the burger; my main fear was that the entire product would fall apart. Granted, I did leave off the pickles and onions. Overall, I thought it was a decent sandwich. I would order it again, but this time I won’t be eagerly awaiting the Curderburger’s return.
Final rating: 8/10
- Hope Karnopp
I walked up to the Culver’s counter unsure of what to expect from the Curderburger. After all, it’s just a burger with an oversized cheese curd on it — and the visual appeal isn’t the greatest.
But when I took my first bite into the cheesy, savory goodness, my Wisconsin patriotism was restored. The gooey cheese, crispy breading and juicy beef patty added delightful texture to every bite. I have to admit — the burger exceeded my expectations.
I do think the oversized cheese curd could have been more proportional in size to the rest of the burger. The cheese spread out and spilled onto my tray, leaving me craving more cheese during the last few bites and leaving a small mess in the process. Overall, though, the burger was structurally sound and didn’t collapse under the massive slab of curd.
I will order the Curderburger again if I manage to make my way back to Culver’s, since the company hasn’t invested in an obvious gold mine location on State Street. Ultimately, the burger lived up to the hype — even if it could’ve used some beer cheese.
Final rating: 8/10
- Tyler Katzenberger
Hope Karnopp is the news manager and dabbles in music reviews at The Daily Cardinal. She previously hosted the Cardinal Call for WORT-FM and edited state news.
Features editor
Tyler Katzenberger is the managing editor at The Daily Cardinal. As a former state news editor, he covered numerous protests and wrote state politics, healthcare, business and in-depth stories. Follow him on Twitter at @TylerKatzen.
Jeffrey Brown is a former Arts Editor for the Daily Cardinal. He writes for The Beet occasionally and does some drawing and photography too. He is a senior majoring in Sociology. Do not feed him after midnight.
Drake White-Bergey is the editor-in-chief and photo editor emeritus of The Daily Cardinal. As a photojournalist, his coverage focuses on politics and protests. Drake is a fourth-year student studying History and Journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. You can follow him on Instagram at @whitebergey.photography and on Twitter at @DWhiteBergey.
