The Difference Between Burger King And Culver's Beef

Burgers are omnipresent in American society. Most fast food chains have a burger option for hungry customers to enjoy, but not all burgers are created the same — and some are much better than others. While the condiments, bun, veggies, and cheese (or lack thereof) are part of what lends each of these burgers their distinct taste and texture, some of it comes down to the beef that a chain uses and how it's prepared.

While all of these burgers come from a cow, there are a lot of decisions that get made along the way that can make the resulting burgers taste quite different. So what exactly are the differences between the beef at Burger King and the beef at Culver's? Basically, it comes down to differences in the cuts of beef they use, the way they prepare it, and the size of the patty. Let's break down their beef a little more, shall we?

Burger King uses 100% beef for its burgers, utilizing a variety of cuts like shoulder, chuck, and round. The patties arrive at the chain location frozen (often from meat distribution giant JBS), and they are then placed into the broiler using a proprietary process that exposes them to real flames. They cook for about three minutes and are not generally made to order, unless you ask for them hot off the broiler. Each patty weighs in at about ¼ pound (precooked).

While McDonald's uses a blend of salt and pepper, and Wendy's uses only salt, Burger King keeps it even simpler. Believe it or not, the chain doesn't season its beef at all.

By the way, if you're wondering how Burger King's recent menu changes affect this, they don't. While Burger King updated its signature burger, the Whopper, it only made adjustments to the bun and the condiments; the core patty stayed exactly the same.

How does Culver's make its signature ButterBurgers? You might think there's butter involved in the cooking process, but that's not the case — the butter that gives them their name only goes on the bun. Culver's starts with fresh, never frozen beef, and employs a particular mixture of three marbled cuts: chuck, plate, and sirloin. ButterBurgers are seasoned with a simple blend of pepper and salt; the ratio, according to some former employees, is about five parts salt to one part pepper. The grill masters (as they're known at Culver's) form the patties, press and sear them on the grill, and then add the salt and pepper mixture before flipping them.

Culver's patties weigh about 2 ¾ ounces precooked and are smash burger-style, meaning they're quite thin and grill up quickly. They are also cooked to order, so you're getting the freshest burger possible.