To Eat or Not to Eat: Comparing Culver’s and McDonalds

In the Midwest our family-oriented traditions, honest work ethics, and community minded behavior are rooted in our agricultural bounty. So, if you are looking to satisfy our comfort food culture, you should do it right. This is why for me, Culver’s is a better fast-food chain than McDonalds because of its fresh foods, atmosphere, and desserts.

Fresh Food

An important aspect of a fast-food chain is the freshness of its food. People should trust that their food is being prepared with a freshness that their taste buds can be awakened by. This kind of quality is what a Culver’s founder says they never compromise on. As their “About Culver’s” page even states that “It’s why we always use fresh, never frozen beef and whole, white meat chicken from America’s family farms”. They truly know how to satisfy a Midwesterner’s palette as they further stated that “We also know quality is something you can taste”. This deliberation and thoughtfulness that Culver’s puts into sourcing the best ingredients are a major reason I choose Culver’s over McDonald’s any day.

On the other hand, McDonald’s priority on speed takes away the goodness that comes from the moisture and flavor of a freshly made meal. This convenience of a ready-to-order style also means your meal could be sitting under a heat lamp for several minutes before it reaches you. They seemed to make an exception with their quarter pounder beef patty, as they stated on their “About our food” webpage that “Our Quarter Pounder is made with 100% fresh beef and cooked right when you order”. Even though this is a slight upgrade from their previous frozen patties, they’re still inferior to the fresh-beef patties at Culver’s.

Atmosphere

Warm and inviting, friendly and approachable, this is the kind of atmosphere that should accompany the eating out experience. This of course, is the welcoming environment you get at Culver’s. According to a comprehensive comparison between McDonalds and Culver’s done by Texas Real Food, “Culver’s projects a more homely and inviting atmosphere… The interior design often features a blend of warm colors and comfortable seating arrangements, which contribute to a more relaxed experience". That atmosphere is why I am always willing to have friends and family dine in with me at Culver’s.

Conversely, the atmosphere at McDonalds can feel a bit tense and unsettling. Due to its operation on a large scale, their focus from my experience has been unwelcoming. This lack of warmness is casually described in the same comprehensive comparison between McDonald’s and Culver’s done by Texas Real Food as “McDonald’s locations tend to prioritize functionality and practicality in their design, aiming to accommodate high customer turnover rates”. So, on the very rare occasions that I need to order something from McDonalds, I do not dine in.

Desserts

Last but certainly not least, the delightful goodness of desserts is said to activate the brain’s reward centers. This is probably why I am accustomed to having and appreciating the luxurious mouthfeel desserts I get at Culver’s. From their amazing slow-churned custard which Odyssey lifestyle webpage stated that “It takes the cake in the ice cream category”. To the novelty of having a “flavor of the day” custard, which has become a shared excitement among fans. Additionally, their “Concrete mixers” offers you the fun of creating and personalizing your own custard flavor. Now if that isn’t a “Welcome to Delicious” as their slogan states, I don’t know what is.

On the other end of the dessert spectrum, McDonald’s “Sweets and Treats” as it is called on their menu, are pretty basic to me. They offer shakes and soft serve ice cream with their “McFlurry” blend of Oreo cookies and M&M’s candy pieces if requested. The webpage states “Satisfy your sweet tooth with a sweet treat from McDonald’s Sweet & Treats menu”. However, I have tried them, and they are not a personal preference of mine. Moreover, their process of having a machine rapidly churn air into the mixture results in a consistency that barely lets me savor it before it melts.

Conclusion

Now we all eat out for various reasons and for many McDonalds fulfils those cravings. Perhaps the familiarity of the franchise strengthens their devotion to it. For me, however, a big part of eating out is the satisfaction of savoring a hearty meal rich in freshness. With a welcoming feeling of comfort, and the contentment of indulging myself or loved ones. This is not the experience I have at McDonalds, and that is why I will always choose Culver’s over McDonalds.