Culver’s — Restaurant in Ankeny

All about policy, but doesn’t follow said policy when the roles are reversed. Ordered online PICKUP. I went through the drive-thru. Employees argued with me at the window for 3 minutes, saying they were physically unable to hand me my order through the window per their online ordering policy and that I would HAVE to come inside to retrieve it.

I eventually found out I had ordered CURDSIDE pickup, and that I needed to park out front and they’d bring my order out. Well, that didn’t happen. Like I said—they told me I HAD to come inside or I wouldn’t get my food. That was it. So I went inside, despite having broken my toe a week prior. (Besides the point—no one should HAVE to get out of their vehicle when thats not whats advertised.) Whatever. I got my food. Reported the rude interaction, and corporate called back with an apology. No biggie.

I’m at this location frequently. I DoorDash as a side gig when I’m not at work, so I pick up orders here often, and I’m a regular customer myself. After that incident, One time after that I order CurdSide Pickup, I followed all the instructions in the app and the confirmation email—I waited outside for 10 minutes, and no one came out. I had to get my 8-month-old daughter out of the car and go inside, where I saw my order just sitting on the rack. They handed it to me. the ice cream was already melted. & They gave me two free ice cream tokens as an apology when i said i had been out there for 10 minutes.

This location is a STICKLER for following policy… so why wasn’t my order brought out PER CURDSIDE POLICY @ CULVER’S? Whatever. I didn’t report that one—it wasn’t that serious. That was about 2–4 weeks ago.

Now, two days ago, I go again (I frequent this location at least twice a week—sometimes none, sometimes more). I order my meal and go home. My fries are not in the bag. I call, they take my name and number, and say I can come in and get a medium fry. Great—no problem!

I didn’t come the next day because I worked a 12-hour shift. I wasn’t worried about chasing a fry that a million-dollar corporation forgot. I came today—48 hours after the initial visit.

I pull up to the drive-thru and try to order an ice cream. They’re out—no problem. Then I bring up my missing fry. The employee says, “You were here 2 days ago?” with a tone. I say “yes.” She steps away, comes back, and starts saying, “Per our policy, we can only—” and I cut her off and said, “Keep it,” and drove off.

I’m positive she was about to tell me that I only had one day to come back per policy, but that “since I was already there,” she’d give it to me. Like… what?? Why is that even necessary? There is ZERO need to tell me your policy. Are you giving me the food I paid for or not?

im pretty sure this is the same employee who argued with me in the drive-thru the first time over coming inside. I don’t need a rundown on your policies. I don’t need to argue with employees at 9 PM over a medium fry. If we’re following policy, then my fries would’ve been in the bag in the first place… no?

Don’t tell me about a policy that you don’t even follow. It’s hypocrisy. It’s inconvenient. It’s annoying.

Like no one’s asking for charity here. I paid for something. You forgot it. I’m just coming back to get what I already paid for. But instead of saying, “Hey, I’m sorry we forgot your fries! Thanks for coming back—we’ll get those for you,” she hits me with:

“Well, technically you’re late, but I GUESS I’ll let it slide.”

That’s not customer service. No one’s doing me a solid by giving me the stuff I paid for. I shouldn’t have to argue. It’s not about the fry. It’s not about the fact I have to walk inside. It’s about how it’s being handled.

So in conclusion: The customer service skills aren’t there. Why are we arguing in a drive-thru about a pickup order? Hand me my shi I paid for 😂😂😂😂. Employees acting like the paper bag and medium fries are coming out of their paychecks.

This location has power-tripping employees who are obsessed with customers following policy—but aren’t following...

G’day, you ripper Yanks! Fresh off the plane from the land of kangaroos and Vegemite, I rolled into Culver’s in Ankeny, Iowa, ready to see if this Midwest joint could sling a burger worth writing home about. Spoiler alert: it’s a bloody corker of a feed, and I’m still dreaming about those cheese curds like they’re the lovechild of a meat pie and a fairy bread sprinkle party. Here’s the yarn, with a few chuckles for good measure. First up, the ButterBurgers. Strewth, these things are so good they’d make a dingo ditch its dinner! I ordered the Deluxe, and when that beauty landed in front of me, it was like a love letter from Wisconsin—juicy beef patties, fresh lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a bun so buttery it could star in a rom-com. The patty was cooked to perfection, not some sad, overdone hockey puck you’d find at a dodgy servo back home. It’s like they’ve bottled the essence of a backyard barbie and slapped it between two buns. I took one bite and nearly shouted, “Fair dinkum, this is better than a Bunnings sausage sizzle!” Now, let’s talk about the real MVPs: the Wisconsin Cheese Curds. Crikey, these golden nuggets are sensational—crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside, and squeaky like a koala with a stubbed toe. I reckon I could’ve eaten a bucket the size of Uluru and still begged for more. They’re made with proper Wisconsin cheddar, none of that fake stuff that tastes like plastic wrap. I tried dipping ‘em in ranch, and it was like a flavor explosion that’d make a quokka grin. If these curds were a sport, they’d be winning gold at the Olympics. No wonder they’ve got their own national day—October 15, mark it in your diary, mates The vibes at Culver’s Ankeny? Top-notch. The place is cleaner than a Bondi Beach sunrise, and the staff are friendlier than a labrador at a barbie. They’re zipping around, serving up smiles faster than you can say “chuck another snag on the grill.” Even when the joint was packed—busier than a Sydney train at rush hour—they kept the line moving quicker than a wallaby on a sugar high. Only downside? The menu’s so tempting, I nearly blew my travel budget ordering one of everything. And don’t get me started on the frozen custard—I didn’t try it this time, but it’s eyeballing me for next visit like a cheeky cockatoo. Word to the wise: don’t wear your tightest boardies, ‘cause you’ll be waddling out with a happy belly and a looser belt. All up, Culver’s Ankeny is a deadset legend of a feed. The burgers are a cut above, the cheese curds are a bloody revelation, and the whole experience feels like a warm hug from a mate you haven’t seen in yonks. For an Aussie looking for a taste of the USA, this place is as good as a cold stubby on a hot arvo. Five stars, would scoff again faster than you can say “Aussie Aussie...

The service has been terrible the last couple months. I know with covid staffing problems everyone has been hurting but not to the extreme extent as what is happening at this Culver's. No other restaurant compares. Our last two visits included receiving incomplete orders at the drive through. I thought the last time was a fluke. The order wasn't right on the screen. I corrected it and she said it would be fixed. I pulled up to the window and the order still wasn't correct. I went over the whole order and corrected it again. She repeated it correctly. They swiped my card a second time after some 10 minutes of trying to figure out how to edit an order. I left with our food and found we were missing items and had to return. The car in front of us was missing items also. It's painfully clear that the staff don't know what they are doing or don't care. Today it appears I also was double charged on my card. The presentation of my deluxe was bad. I've never seen it look so mushed and unappetizing. The cheese curds appear to have been dumped loosely into the bottom of the bag. There was liquid cheese sauce on the outside of several items in the bag that made a mess on the seat of my car. The food was barely warm. I spoke with the manager that didn't seem surprised or concerned about the issue or offer much of an apology. I was told I need to come back with a paper statement showing the double charge of $24. It's not an awesome policy. What a headache. Nothing was offered for my hassle. Can't say I'll be thinking about visiting Culver's anytime in the...