Monday, December 7, 2015

Culver's - Double Butterburger with Cheese (4 stars)

 
2161 Paul Jones Way
Lexington, KY  40509
Phone:  (859) 263-7777




Locations across many states, mostly in the Midwest


Time of Visit:  November 28, 2015 at 1:00 pm


My Order:  Double Butterburger with cheese
                    Onion Rings
                    Culver’s Signature Root Beer







On my way home from southern Illinois, I again passed through Lexington, so I stopped to have something from Culver’s, another chain store that we don’t have in Maryland.  Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience.


Burger Rating = 3.7 (****)Oven-roasted tomatoes, savory roasted garlic aioli and fresh arugula tossed in citrus olive oil dressing on a toasted ciabatta bun. $12.99
Mind your manners around this Black Angus patty glazed with brown sugar and topped with candied bacon, honey BBQ sauce, sharp Cheddar and caramelized onions on a toasted ciabatta bun. $13.99 Mind your manners around this Black Angus patty glazed with brown sugar and topped with candied bacon, honey BBQ sauce, sharp Cheddar and caramelized onions on a toasted ciabatta bun. $13.99 Mind your manners around this Black Angus patty glazed with brown sugar and topped with candied bacon, honey BBQ sauce, sharp Cheddar and caramelized onions on a toasted ciabatta bun. $13.99 Oven-roasted tomatoes, savory roasted garlic aioli and fresh arugula tossed in citrus olive oil dressing on a toasted ciabatta bun. $12.99D.G.B.™ Burger

Presentation, Overall Rating 3


The store has a fast casual format, so one can’t expect the presentation to be too fancy.  It did come out freshly prepared and the burger looked good.  Still, the overall presentation was a bit lacking.  They put my entire order (except the drink cup, which I received when I ordered) all in a basket, which was fine, but then the basket sat on one side of the tray, giving the presentation a very lop-sided feel.  It was apparent they had thrown the burger together fairly quickly.  A very average, non-special presentation, so I can’t give any higher than a 3.


Meat, Overall Rating 4


Like many Midwestern chains, Culver’s uses the smashed patty style of cooking burgers, my favorite.  The patties were cooked well, looked appetizing, were well seasoned, and had an adequate amount of juice.  They had a real good flavor and I enjoyed eating them.  However, there was a bit too much gristle in them to give them a perfect rating, so I will give a 4.


Bun, Overall Rating 4


The bun had a nice, shiny brown crust.  It was toasted very nicely and had a great flavor from a light spread of butter.  Finally, it held up really well all through my meal.  My only critique is it was probably better sized for a single patty, with two patties being a little too much meat for the bun.  It was good though, so I’ll give it a 4.


Toppings, Overall Rating 4.3


American Cheese:  Finally, a place that realizes if one slice of cheese is the right amount for one patty, when you add a patty, you need another slice of cheese.  This cheese was well melted and tasted great.  I have no complaints whatsoever on the cheese and will say they did it right, a 5.
Mustard:  They had good yellow mustard in the right amount, but it wasn’t spread around properly, so all the mustard was one side of the burger.  If it had been spread around more, it would have been perfect, but as is, only a 4.
Onions:  Nice rings of white onion, with a good flavor, there was the right amount for the burger.  However, they also were not spread across the burger properly, so another 4.
Pickles:  These were pretty standard dill pickles slices, like you would get at any grocery store.  But, they had a good flavor and added to the burger.  But again, they were piled on one side of the burger, so another 4.


Balance/Taste, Overall Rating 3


Overall, this was a pretty good burger, but it had its faults.  First of all, the burger seemed just a little too greasy, not overly juicy, greasy.  There was a good contrast of flavors and textures and the burger held up well until the end.  If only the toppings had been spread across the burger better, it would have been a more consistent experience.  Finally, there was no special sourcing of ingredients, so no bonus points there.  I’ll have to give a final total of 3.




Other Notes:


Location and Access


This store is located in a shopping center/mall on the east side of Lexington.  The complex is easy to find, but you have to look for this store, as it is set back from the main road.  There is plenty of parking.


Facilities


The store looks nice inside and out, both clean and well designed.  There were plenty of tables but no outside seating.


Staff and Service


The service is pretty good.  After ordering and taking my seat, the food was brought out pretty quickly.


Sides

Onion Rings:  These were pretty good onion rings, with a crispy batter-dipped coating.  I’m not a fan of overly thick cut rings and these were just the right size.
Culver’s Signature Root Beer:  I don’t drink much soda, but decided I needed to try this.  It is their signature root beer after all.  It was a good root beer, but I couldn’t see anything extra special about it.


Value


Altogether, this meal cost me a little over $9.  That’s not bad, but I could have had the same meal at Steak n’ Shake for a few dollars less.



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