We may be living in a golden age of higher-end burger chains fighting for franchise supremacy. But while fast food restaurants like Five Guys and Shake Shack bring their own strengths to try to claim the hamburger crown, it’s Culver’s that excels at the baseline tenet of perfect seasoning. According to Tasting Table’s list of 8 ways Culver’s outshines Five Guys and Shake Shack, Culver’s does not rely on any fancy spice blend in its burger; merely salt and pepper let the beef shine.
Five Guys doesn’t salt its burgers at all, which to some makes them taste dull and flat. Five Guys claims its beef is flavorful enough without it. And while Shake Shack uses salt and pepper just like Culver’s, the creamy, tangy “Shack Sauce” painted onto its buns can mask the flavor of the beef underneath. Culver’s opts out of a special sauce on its burgers, sticking to a well-seasoned burger’s traditional companions — ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onions.
The strengths of Culver’s’ competitors
Just because Culver’s might win top-of-class when it comes to seasoning, don’t count out Five Guys or Shake Shack just yet. Plenty of diners love the Shack Sauce. In a conversation at r/burgers on Reddit, one commenter said, “I am in Wisconsin, so Culver’s country, and I would gladly take a Shake Shack burger over Culver’s,” adding, “That Shake Shack sauce is the difference maker.” Crazy suggestion, but what if the Shack Sauce devotees brought a Culver’s burger home, then made the best of both worlds with a copycat sauce from Tasting Table’s recipe for homemade Shake Shack-style burgers?
Five Guys fans stay loyal to their favored chain because of the customization options that can’t be found at the other burger joints. The free peanuts while you wait for your order keep them coming too. But others question if Five Guys’ signature overstuffed fries are way overhyped. If you’re tired of all three fast food restaurants, perhaps take a tour of 21 American burger chains ranked, worst to best.
