This Iconic Midwestern Fast Food Burger Named Among Best In Nation

Culver’s was named among the top contenders for America’s best fast food burger in a recent ranking from USA Today.

The newspaper’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards of 2026 ranked the double ButterBurger with cheese at No. 5 on the list, between Shake Shack’s SmokeShack at No. 6 and A&W’s Papa Burger at No. 4. California-based Habit Burger & Grill’s Double Char took the top spot.

Culver's is headquartered in Wisconsin, but has a sizeable footprint in neighboring Minnesota with 65 locations, according to its website.

“You may know Culver's for its chicken, pot roast, or fish sandwiches, but it's hard to resist the double ButterBurger Cheese,” USA Today said in the ranking. “This burger made Wisconsin a serious contender in the burger wars. It's made with fresh, never-frozen beef seared to order and topped with real American cheese made in Wisconsin.”

Culver’s opened its first location in 1984 in Sauk City, Wisconsin.

The ButterBurger held steady in this year’s USA Today ranking, maintaining the fifth-place slot it took in 2025, two steps up from its 2024 placement at No. 7.

The USA Today 10Best fast food burger ranking is determined by editors and an expert panel, as well as readers voting for their favorites.

The full ranking is as follows:

1. Double Char, Habit Burger & Grill
2. Double-Double, In-N-Out Burger
3. Freddy's Original Double, Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers
4. Papa Burger, A&W
5. ButterBurger Cheese, Double, Culver’s
6. SmokeShack, Shake Shack
7. Cheeseburger, Five Guys
8. Whopper, Burger King
9. Son of Baconator, Wendy's
10. Double Meat Whataburger, Whataburger