Culver's Restaurant Review - Clayton, NC

11959 US Highway 70 BUS W

Clayton, NC  27520

(919) 243-8448

Exterior View

Interior Decor

I recently heard that a fast-food franchise called Culver's was opening a new location in Clayton, North Carolina. This is the 2nd location that has opened in the Triangle. The 1st location is in Wake Forest. Soon they will be opening the 3rd location in Apex which is more convenient for us. It will be near the Publix off Kelly Road. It's an upscale fast food restaurant serving butter burgers, fried seafood, grilled & fried chicken, soups, chili, salads, milkshakes, concrete mixers, and frozen custard. They are open for lunch and dinner every day from 10:30 am until 10 pm. Your food is cooked after you order rather than prior to your arrival. They hand you a plastic number to hang on your side mirror if you order at the drive-thru and one to place on your table if you order inside. They bring your order to your car or table as soon as it is ready. 

We went through the drive-thru for our meal around 2:30 pm on the 4th of July. Our food arrived ten minutes later after ordering, paying and waiting. They have you drive up to the sidewalk in a line which isn't as good as having labeled drive-thru parking spaces. We received our order before the person in front of us so it was difficult to leave since we were in a line spaced close together.  I recommend leaving plenty of room between the car in front of you and your car rather than paying attention to the white lines marking the spaces. While it was after the lunch rush, the restaurant was very busy, though it was a holiday. I suspect they are busy most of the time since the area was in need of another fast food restaurant and some customers just come for dessert between meals. They have a large parking lot so we were able to find a parking space. 

Hubby ordered the Double Bacon Deluxe Butterburger which he absolutely loved. It is described as "100% fresh, never frozen beef, seared on a grill, topped with mild, aged Wisconsin cheddar and smoky, crisp bacon." It's dressed however you wish and served on a lightly buttered, toasted bun. See below, the yummy deliciousness:

Double Bacon Deluxe Butterburger - $5.59 or Basket $8.59 

I ordered the North Atlantic Cod Filet Sandwich which is described as "caught in the icy North Atlantic, our fish is hand-cut, hand-battered and cooked to order. Topped with a Culver's family recipe tartar sauce featuring olives, capers, and sweet relish, crisp lettuce, and Wisconsin cheddar. Served on a lightly buttered, toasted hoagie roll". While the fish was perfectly cooked, I found it to be very bland. I was shocked at the tiny amount of shredded cheese on it. The tartar sauce was tasty and the roll was soft and fresh. We really appreciated that at the drive-thru window they gave us as many condiments as we wanted with no hesitation. One of our pet peeves is when you ask for ketchup or another condiment and they hand you one and you have to ask for more sometimes to the point of begging, it can get really ridiculous. Fast food isn't inexpensive anymore if I have to beg for condiments they will lose my future business.  They offer the large Heinz ketchup tubs and large tarter sauce tubs. You may only need only one of them. I appreciate the larger sized condiments. I dislike messing with a bunch of those tiny packets while eating in the car! Check out the fish sandwich, fries, and cheese curds:

North Atlantic Cod Filet Sandwich - $5.29 or Basket $8.29

Crinkle-Cut Fries - $1.99

Wisconsin Cheese Curds - $3.79

The fries were ok, they needed more salt. I'll order the mashed potatoes or coleslaw instead next time. Hubby didn't care for the cheese curds, he said he prefers mozzarella sticks. He'll be ordering the green beans instead next time. All of the food was served hot which we really appreciate. They also offer Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Sauce for dipping your french fries in. I ordered some since it was a new experience, but it tasted like melted American cheese slices to me. I didn't care for the flavor so Hubby dipped his cheese curds in it, he wasn't crazy about it either. 

The sun was making our car so hot even with air conditioning, so I decided we should go inside to order and enjoy our desserts. While I usually skip dessert, I just had to try a sundae since they sounded so appetizing. I ordered the Sundae with brownie pieces, Andes Chocolate Mints, and hot fudge. It was tasty though I prefer ice cream. I'm not a fan of the flavor and texture of frozen custard. The toppings were scrumptious! The brownie was cut into tiny cubes which were very rich and chewy. Andes Chocolate Mints were cut into small pieces and were such a wonderful minty, crisp, chocolate sensation on the cold custard. I will buy some soon and crumble them on top of my ice cream at home, it's such a great idea. The hot fudge was delicious also. While it looked like there weren't enough toppings, it landed up being plenty. Hubby's favorite sundae is a Banana Split so he had to order one. He had the small one scoop banana split. The regular-sized one is three times as large so beware! Their online menu states it comes in two or three scoops but they offered him one scoop at this location. He loved his sundae with whipped topping, Maraschino cherry, sugared pecans, strawberry topping, fresh ripe banana, hot fudge, and hot caramel. Check out the yumminess below:

Sundae with Brownie Pieces, Andes Chocolate Mints & Fudge - $3.04 & Banana Split with One Scoop - $3.79

Take a look at the drive-thru menu and check out the prices for the Clayton location:

Menu

Drive-thru Menu

I will be trying a burger next time and probably the shrimp basket the time after that. Hubby will be ordering a burger again probably without the bun unless it's a cheat day. We will definitely frequent the location in Apex when it opens. Clayton is a long drive for us, but we may return just one more time if we are in the mood for a long country drive. I'm hoping the Apex location opens soon. If you are sick of fast food, I recommend giving this restaurant a try soon. The food is cooked perfectly, it's served fresh and hot, fried food isn't greasy, the staff is friendly and most of it is tasty goodness. Sundaes are priced low, so grab your kids and their friends and treat them to a cold dessert on a hot summer day! Give this restaurant a try, I don't think you will regret it and it's fun to try something new! If you've eaten at a Culver's what are your favorites?

Have a PEACEful Day!