Forget Cheese Curds: Real Culver's Fans Say This Other Side Is 'Far Better'

Culver's hails from Wisconsin, which means you know it's going to have a handle on all things cheese-related. It serves a fan-favorite cheese sauce (so beloved a customer once purchased entire foodservice bags of it), and one of its most popular sides is deep-fried cheese curds. But those who know already know which underrated side doesn't get enough attention (this is also in my opinion): Culver's onion rings. I'm clearly not alone in feeling this way, because in a thread on Reddit, Culver's fans sing their much-deserved praises.

In fact, some Reddit commenters are willing to trash talk the cheese curds in favor of the onion rings. One said, "They are really good. Far better than their fries and the cheese curds. Being from WI, I know how bad those cheese curds are." Another Reddit user pitted them against a rival chain, saying, "My father-in-law had the nerve to tell me Sonic had the best onion rings. I made him try Culvers onion rings and I think his life flashed before his eyes. He realized what he'd been missing [sic]."

As a fan of Culver's onion rings myself, there are a few reasons why I believe they're terrific. One of the most important reasons why I maintain they're good is because of their texture. Unlike Burger King's stubbly onion rings, which are bready and disappointing, Culver's are genuinely crisp. They're also not overly battered, and since Culver's employees are generally open to requests, you can order your food "extra crispy," just to be sure they'll come out as shatteringly delightful as you want.

In a Culver's Reddit thread dedicated to the Culver's onion rings themselves, a user wrote, "I personally prefer the onion rings to cheese curds at Culver's! I think if they used the same type of batter on the curds as they do on the onion rings, they'd have a better product!" And maybe that's the answer to turn Culver's signature curds into something everyone agrees on (though it's not likely the chain would change them anytime soon). So if you've never had Culver's onion rings, next time swap out the hit-or-miss crinkle-cut fries, tear yourself away from the curds, and try them. You might just find yourself converted, though it is understandably difficult to say no to a lump of fried cheese.