Culver’s — Restaurant in Sauk City

I’ve lived in this city my whole life, and I’ve been going to Culver’s just as long. Don’t get me wrong—the employees have always been very nice, and I’ve never had a problem until today.

My husband ordered an 8-piece buffalo chicken tender meal at the drive-thru, but instead we got cheese curds. This meal was meant to be for us after a long day visiting past family members for Labor Day. When we got home and realized the order was wrong, my husband went back to the store with the receipt and asked for a remake. Since we both have worked in customer service, we felt bad, but we let them handle the situation. One of the employees admitted they had messed up and said they were waiting for us to come back. He returned with a new batch of chicken tenders, but when I checked, they had given us regular tenders instead of buffalo—the ones we actually ordered. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal if it was just for me and my husband, but we were serving family who specifically wanted buffalo tenders and even pitched in money to help pay for the meal.

This time, I went inside instead of my husband because he felt bad asking again. I explained the situation to a kind gentleman who was restocking. While I was talking to him, another worker stepped in and explained that they couldn’t take the regular tenders back but that they’d make a new batch of buffalo tenders. She was very sweet and understanding.

Unfortunately, the cook seemed upset and loudly said, “BRUH, FOR WHAT?!”—clear enough for me to hear. The worker explained to him that it wasn’t anyone’s fault, just a miscommunication. I left with the new tenders and, trusting they had finally fixed the mistake, didn’t check the box this time. But when I got home, my husband showed me that they were once again regular tenders.

At that point, I decided to just eat them because I didn’t want to go back a third time, but it was frustrating since family had paid for buffalo tenders, not regular ones. I called the store to explain, and the person who answered said he was there when I came in and insisted that I had asked for regular tenders. Why would I ask for regular tenders again when I literally had a box of them in my hand? He basically accused me of lying, which felt really unfair. On top of that, he claimed he “heard me,” even though he wasn’t the one talking to me directly.

When we went back again to finally get the right order, the two girls who had helped me earlier were outside taking out the trash. As we drove up to the drive thru with our windows down, we heard one of them say, “OMG, they’re right there!” and then the taller blonde girl with glasses burst out laughing with her. They were clearly talking about us. It was frustrating and disrespectful, especially because we had been trying our best to stay polite throughout the entire situation.

We’re not upset or rating this because we got the wrong order 3-4 times. It’s the customer service.

In the end, what should have been a simple order turned into a stressful and...

I give this establishment a 5 star review, for all the reasons one should give a 5 star review to a small town, homey, pleasant restaurant with wholesome beginnings such as Culver's. Even though it is a fast food restaurant, this place makes one feel at home, and the people in it make one feel confident and in control, as they are never to be found weary of serving their customers. After all these years, the Culver's staff have managed to maintain the small town supper club atmosphere akin to that which my mother recalls fondly when she grew up attending the Blue Spoon and the original Culver's supper club growing up in the city itself.

The food is impeccable, every time. I've had many a bad experience with fast food, and every time I recount them, not one is found with Culver's. The quality of their ingredients is nothing short of fantastic, and always leaves me hungry for more. With every bite of a Double-Bacon Deluxe, a symphony of crisp, vibrant flavor overwhelms the taste buds, and paints a picture on the palate that would leave Michelangelo and Monet breathless. The flavor of every dish is smooth and consistent through the end, and is a true joy to witness. The only point which could tempt me to dare remove a star is that ketchup should be a standard ingredient on the deluxe, however this can (and should) be added at no extraneous fee.

Perhaps the thing responsible for such an impressive menu are the time-tested, tried and true methods used to make each dish. I have spoken with a number of employees of the establishment and was informed at one point that the food is truly made fresh. The advertisements do not lie. The freshness of the ingredients makes for a forgiving preparation process which always results in perfection, proving true the famous phrase, "anyone can cook." And indeed, when it comes to this establishment, everyone should, so that the joy of its flavors can be shared among the ranks of many.

I leave this review most wonderfully pleased with my entire experience at the Original Sauk City Culver's, and intend to come back soon,...

I used to feel that Culver's set a new standard when it comes to fast food and customer service. Over the last few years, I've become less pleased with the company as a whole, particularly the landmark location.

While you can't begin to compare McDonald's food to Culver's, the former hits it out of the ballpark when it comes to accurate orders, particularly special requests. Time and time again, Culver's has messed up the simplest of requests. The smoothies, one of their warm weather staples, are far from consistent. Due to a medical issue, I was getting one daily last year. About 25% of the time, the smoothie was lacking the lemon ice component or I was given the wrong flavor.

Additionally, when I wrote to corporate about my issues with their lack of consistency, their suggestion was that every time I place an order, I should mention that I have medical issues. This is wrong on so many levels. Living with these problems is difficult enough. I should not have to announce it with every order. If the issue was celiac disease, it would be a different story. Plus, what does this say about the consumer who doesn't have a medical issue? Are they more deserving of an error in their order? I think not.

I'm also unhappy with the fact that they've removed the dinners from their outside menu. These are their most expensive meals and the price can be a little shocking when you get your total.

Lastly, my favorite item on the menu is no longer an option. I miss you, chicken dinners!

I'm finding less and less reasons to go...