Culver's

The Culver family opened their first restaurant in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in July 1984, in a building that had been an A&W. They built it around two things Wisconsin takes very seriously: dairy and hospitality. The frozen custard is made fresh throughout the day, the cheese curds are the real squeaky kind, and staff still bring the food to your table.

The burger is the ButterBurger, and the name confuses a lot of first-timers. There is no butter mixed into the beef. The bun is lightly buttered and toasted, and the patty is seared on a flat grill, which together give it a rich, slightly sweet, deeply savoury bite that tastes more like a small-town diner than a national chain.

About 1,000 restaurants in 27 states, most of them in the Midwest.

• MrBeast Burger (United States, since 2020). The YouTube star’s burger brand, cooked in other restaurants’ kitchens and ordered through an app. Also built on beef and cheese.
• Wayback Burgers (United States, since 1991). A Delaware burger stand that grew into a franchise from Buenos Aires to Tokyo. Also built on beef and cheese.
• Spangles (United States, since 1978). Wichita’s 1950s-themed steakburger chain, famous in Kansas for its odd TV adverts and a six-patty burger called The Beast. Also built on beef and cheese.
• Burger Street (United States, since 1985). A Texas double drive-thru burger chain from the man who created Taco Bueno and Casa Bonita. Also built on beef and cheese.