The Reason Culver's Beef Burgers Always Taste Fresher Than Burger King's

Ever noticed that Culver's burgers taste fresher than those from rivals like Burger King's? That's because they are. Culver's uses fresh beef, while Burger King's beef is frozen. 

Culver's advertises on its website that its burgers are made from three cuts of fresh beef: a blend of sirloin, plate, and chuck. Burger King doesn't go out of its way to publicize that its patties are frozen, but employees have revealed the chain's secrets on social media. The meat arrives at stores as frozen, pre-formed patties that workers then cook on a grill. While the beef may be frozen, the chain advertises that it never freezes its buns.

Although Burger King recently introduced a new-and-improved Whopper, the chain's tweaks focused on the bun, mayonnaise, and overall presentation rather than the quality of the beef. The burger got solid reviews from fast food fans, but most found the improvements subtle. 

Admittedly, experts debate whether frozen beef is noticeably different from fresh beef. Several studies have found that frozen beef is more tender, though the thawing method can affect quality. Plus, cooking burgers from frozen patties makes for a juicy center and a well-browned exterior.

Frozen beef has practical benefits for a big chain like Burger King, too. By using frozen beef, Burger King can maintain consistent quality. There's also less chance of the beef going bad, and less potential for food waste.

The fresh-vs-frozen debate isn't the only reason you might choose one chain over another. Burger King is famous for being one of the few fast food restaurants that offers flame-grilled burgers. Culver's, meanwhile, cooks its burgers smash-style on a flat-top. While this gives the burgers a nice sear, they won't have the same smoky note you'd get from a Whopper. If you're a fan of that smoky flavor — or if smashburgers aren't to your taste — you may prefer a fresh-off-the-grill Whopper to Culver's ButterBurger, frozen meat or not.

Still, Culver's has a cult following that Burger King simply can't beat. On Reddit's r/burgers subreddit, the chain regularly receives high praise. One Redditor described the chain's burgers as "the best fast food burgers, hands down," while another said that Culver's was "definitely the #1 fast food burger." Still, Burger King beats Culver's in terms of accessibility: Culver's only exists in 26 states.