Culver's Has A Corporate Sister Chain Not Enough People Know About, And It Might Surprise You

From the cheese curds to the unparalleled burgers that set Culver's apart from other fast food joints, it's a one-of-a-kind chain that many American consumers know and love, especially those from the Midwest. While the business is seen as standing on its own two feet (and is still primarily owned by the Culver family), there is also a private equity firm based in Atlanta that owns a minority share of the company.

Roark Capital Group invested in Culver's in October 2017 and acquired Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q earlier that same year, making the southern chain Culver's sibling restaurant. The Birmingham, Alabama-based barbecue restaurant was founded in 1985 by father and son duo Jim and Nick Pihakis, and it has since expanded to have 63 locations across seven southern states. While this reach is nowhere near that of Culver's, a chain that has over 1,000 locations in 26 states, Jim 'N Nick's is a cult favorite that deserves its flowers. In fact, we'd consider it one of the regional barbecue chains we want to see everywhere.

The menu at Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q doesn't share many similarities with Culver's, although it does stand out due to the high quality of its ingredients in the same way. The popular BBQ restaurant chain specializes in meats cooked low-and-slow including pulled pork, brisket, whole chicken, turkey, and spare ribs, all of which can be purchased by the pound or as a part of a larger platter of meats and sides, similar to many other restaurants of its kind. The Value Feasts, for example, cost between $40 and $50 depending on the protein and come with 1 ½ pounds of meat, a pint each of three sides, and potato buns and biscuits. Plus, the chain offers other meaty dishes like smash burgers and chicken tenders, with folks lauding the items despite them not being the focus of the menu.

Beyond just the meat, Jim 'N Nick's cheese biscuits are also major fan favorites. They're sold for $3.59 for half a dozen and $6.59 for a full dozen, remarkably low prices to pay for a side so renowned. In fact, even fans of the Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits have said that the Jim 'N Nick's variant blows the more mainstream menu item out of the water. Jim 'N Nick's renditions of other classic barbecue sides, including mac and cheese and coleslaw, are also quite well-done.