A Midwesternburger chain was just named one of Americans' most-loved restaurants.Culver's ranks as the country's second-favorite burger chain, losing only to West Coast icon In-N-Out, according toRestaurant Business' annual list ofAmerica's Favorite Chains.The list uses data from Technomic to find the chains with the best reputations when it comes to areas includingservice, ambiance, convenience, quality, and value.With roughly 600restaurants in 24 states,Culver's is closer in size to regional classics like In-N-Out than burger giants like McDonald's. For comparison, McDonald's has roughly 14,000 locations in the US.The first Culver's opened in1984 in Sauk City, Wisconsin ' the hometown of the Culver family. Butcher-quality beef. Real Wisconsin cheese. That's our kind of combination. A photo posted by Culver's (@culvers) on Jan 11, 2017 at 8:42am PSTon Jan 11, 2017 at 8:42am PST The chain was founded by Craig and Lea Culver, along with Craig's parents George and Ruth.Since 1984,Culver's has been known for its ButterBurgers and frozen custard.The ButterBurger distinguishes itself from the fast-food competition with it buns, which are buttered, then toasted. The butter comes froma small, family-owned creamery, located in Wisconsin less than an hour fromSauk City.Every Culver's restaurant slow-churns frozen custard in the store.Frozen custard uses egg yolks, making it denser and creamier than the typical scoop of ice cream. Forget the shovel. You'll need a blue spoon to dig your way out of this Andes Mint Avalanche. Looks great, Holly I.! A photo posted by Culver's (@culvers) on Dec 10, 2016 at 9:12am PSTon Dec 10, 2016 at 9:12am PST "The definition of frozen custard is no laughing matter," states Culver's website. "By law (that's right, there is legislation about custard!) it must contain a certain amount of egg and butterfat to give it the characteristic smooth, creamy flavor."That superior taste comes with some extra calories ' two scoops of vanilla frozen custard clocks in at 700 calories, compared to McDonald's vanilla cone's 200 calories.Culver's also serves up a number of variations on its frozen custard you can't find at any other fast-food chain.The chain serves old-fashioned malts, which are thicker, creamier, and even sweeter than the traditional milkshake.Culver's has its own signature root beer, which can be paired with frozen custard to make the Culver's root beer float.And, instead of Dairy Queen's Blizzards, customerscan blend in toppings such as M&Ms, cookie dough, and peanut butter in concrete mixers. Mandatory stop in Wisconsin for cheese curds @culvers ''' . . . #cheesecurds #wisconsin #wisconsincheese #culvers #fastfood #roadtrip #midwest #fries #yummy #cheeselover A photo posted by TravelEatsWithAndrea (@traveleatswithandrea) on Aug 14, 2016 at 5:36pm PDTon Aug 14, 2016 at 5:36pm PDT Another Culver's classic that customers won't find elsewhere are the cheese curds. The small balls of friedcheesy goodness use white Wisconsin cheddar.In general, many ofCulver's menu items source ingredients from local farmers in Wisconsin.While Culver's is still a regional chain, the company is currently in expansion mode. The chain crossed the 600 restaurant mark in late 2016, as Culver's opened its first locations in North Carolina and Georgia. My first Pit Stop just across the state line into South Carolina - Hello Culver's! I waited a long time for a Culver's to make it close to me, and I understand a new location has opened up near IKEA in Charlotte! I am happy Culver's lover! Oh, and see that blue sky' It's 73 degrees in January! '' . . #quiltville #bonniekhunter #quiltntravel #roadtrip #culvers A photo posted by Bonnie K Hunter (@quiltville_bonnie) on Jan 18, 2017 at 8:40am PSTon Jan 18, 2017 at 8:40am PST Culver's is just one of a wave of "better burger" chains like Habit Burger and Shake Shack that have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, the company isn't worried about the competition."A number of these players have raised the bar on what people think is a good burger, and we like competition because it makes us stronger," CEO Phil Keiser told QSR Magazine in 2015. "Our approach is, 'Welcome to the neighborhood. Game on.'"SEE ALSO:Forget Shake Shack ' this Midwest-based burger chain is way betterJoin the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Danny Meyer explains the biggest mistake he's made while starting burger chain Shake Shack
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