Why Culver's Grilled Cheese Is So Good — And How To Recreate It At Home

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Culver's is most known for frozen custard and delicious ButterBurgers with crispy, lacy edges. Unsurprisingly given the chain's Wisconsin roots, Culver's also knows how to make a mean grilled cheese. It's a no-frills sandwich with consistently positive online reviews thanks to relatively minor upgrades: Wisconsin-sourced American cheese melted between two buttered and grilled pieces of sourdough bread.

With the Wisconsin cheese (which is generally considered superior quality because of the state's cool weather and ideal environmental conditions for dairy cows), this sandwich really stands out when compared to other fast food versions. One TikToker gave the sandwich a 7 out of 10, praising the amount of cheese though noting it could use a little more butter.

You can purchase the grilled cheese at Culver's for about $4, or make it a value basket with a drink and a side for about $8. Non-premium sides include crinkle fries, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed broccoli, or coleslaw. If you want to spend a little extra on premium sides, we highly recommend the onion rings.

You can easily recreate Culver's grilled cheese in your own kitchen. Start with sourdough bread. You can make your own or use the brand Chowhound ranked No. 1 in our ranking of best grocery store sourdough breads: Aldi's Specially Selected. Douse each slice of bread with melted butter (a butter wheel, such as the Cuisinart Butter Roller, is a great option for even application) for the best sear and use a cast iron pan to get golden-brown pieces of bread. For the cheese, Culver's uses American from Wisconsin. Use Sargento or Crystal Farms, which are Wisconsin-based, for the best copycat version, but, let's be honest, yummy, melted cheese hits whether or not the source is from Wisconsin.

Of course, a grilled cheese is an empty canvas to get as creative as you like with additional toppings. To upgrade this sandwich, you can copy Culver's by adding options such as thick-cut bacon, tomato, or lettuce for a BLT with cheese. Add some mushrooms or grilled onions for a little extra burst of flavor. Another Culver's hack you can recreate is placing some chicken tenders inside for a crispy grilled cheese sandwich. Culver's gives you the basics, but you can absolutely copy its grilled cheese and make it even better.