Culver's Vs Five Guys: Which Burger Chain Has Better Value?

Culver's and Five Guys are two of the most popular burger chains in the U.S.: double-pattied fast food giants with establishments peppered across the country — and the world, at least as Five Guys is concerned. They are especially known for their indulgent burgers, which put an emphasis on fresh beef quality, as well as their unmistakable fries and shakes. But when it comes to value, Culver's clearly edges its competitor, especially for anyone who doesn't want to see their bill barrel past $20 — although that does not mean Five Guys doesn't have its advantages.

Culver's starts off at a considerably lower price than Five Guys, with a single-patty ButterBurger Cheese Value Basket with medium fries and a medium drink totalling just over $9 — although prices vary by restaurant. This is less than half what you'd be getting at Five Guys, where a burger, fries, and a drink come to around a whopping $20, largely because the chain does not charge them in a bundle, making you pay for every item individually.

While the price gap is hard to ignore, this does not necessarily mean that Culver's beats Five Guys in everything. The latter turns its meals into nothing short of a beefalicious construction project, with more meat, a landslide of French fries, and enough free toppings to outweigh the patties themselves. Ultimately, Five Guys pours much of its price into customization and substantial portions, while Culver's concentrates on a traditional fast food combo at a wallet-friendlier total. And with both chains using premium, never-frozen beef, this isn't as much a consideration on quality — more a question of how you'd rather use your hard-earned cash.

With its $20-plus burger and fries total, it would be hard to put forward a convincing case for Five Guys' affordability. For many families, such pricing would be akin to a once-in-a-while treat more than a casual dining option. Whole Reddit threads are devoted to trying to decipher why it's so expensive, making it one of several burger chains that fans think cost too much. Its lack of bundles is also a big component in its value issue, especially as it is rather unique in a market saturated with a plethora of flashy combo deals.

However, the chain makes its strongest value argument when the term is measured by how much food and freedom of preference you receive, rather than the figure at the bottom of the receipt. Its regular hamburger and cheeseburger arrive with two hand-formed patties — only the little version contains one. Diners can stack their sandwiches with grilled onions, jalapeños, mushrooms, pickles, and sauces to their heart's content without being charged anything extra. All of this helps explain why Five Guys is so much pricier than other fast food chains: The base price is high, but the burger itself can become as loaded as you can handle.

Some heavy lifting is done by the fries as well. Five Guys prepares them from hand-cut potatoes, double cooks them in peanut oil, and has built a name for itself for its renowned generous portions. Indeed, a Little Fry is not always little in spirit, even when split between two or more people. With portion sizes so large, you can happily share one order and skip separate drinks while still feeling satisfied, making the meal and the bill both feel more digestible.

When it comes to sheer affordability, Culver's undeniably wins out: Its prices make a bundle feel like a standard order, not a restaurant-level meal or an expensive series of additions. You can eat substantially at Culver's for less than $10: Its $9 Value Basket pairs a ButterBurger or other entree with a side and regular drink, as well as upgrades for anyone craving cheese curds instead of regular fries. Things get even cheaper when you look at the kids' menu, with the $6.99 meal containing a similar serving of a burger, fries, a drink, and a scoop of frozen custard.

Culver's also stretches value through flexibility rather than size alone. Value Baskets allow customers to have a lot of freedom to swap their sides, including mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and the aforementioned Wisconsin curds, a clear homage to the brand's Midwestern roots. The chain's loyalty to cooked-to-order preparation is worth mentioning as well: ButterBurgers are seared only upon purchase, which helps the lower price by reducing waste. And since frozen custard is also included, dessert feels like part of the meal rather than an afterthought or costly extra.

Lower pricing could be less impactful if it dented the quality of the product, but that could hardly be further from the truth at Culver's. The chain puts a premium on sourcing ingredients from American meat and dairy farms, and topped our own list of the best burger chains in the country. The toasted, lightly buttered bun gives each sandwich its signature texture and richness without needing to turn into a leaning tower of extras. Such an uncomplicated formula is key to what makes Culver's ButterBurgers so unique.