Culver's Review
If you live in the Midwest, you've probably heard of Culver's. Culver's is a not so fast, fast food chain of restaurants that have an almost cult-like following for their cheese curds alone. Being relatively close to Wisconsin, cheese curds are pretty common in these parts, but they bread and deep fry those suckers in a way that makes you want to sell your soul to the Gods of Dairy. Good gravy, they are scrumptious. They also offer fare ranging from hamburgers to pot roast with a very homemade feel. The company is also known for their ice-cream flavor of the day. Made in house, you can find such treats as Peanut Butter Cup or Raspberry Cheesecake. The feature flavor changes daily, but they offer many more selections pre packed in their self- serve freezers. But this blog isn't about their scrumptious food and ice cream. It's about their service. I'm by no means a difficult customer. My family owned restaurants for the majority of my childhood and I have a certain respect for servers that goes beyond being nice so they don't spit in your food. I appreciate the work they do, truly. It's a tough job. But I've also been critical of establishments like McDonald's for the amount of headache I have to go through just to order an espresso. I've had to explain it, tell them how to make it, and no- I don't want it IN anything other than a cup. Yes that is a thing. My sarcastic voice in my head chimes in and says- "They have an espresso machine, and they don't know what the hell it does?" Any time my family goes to one of Culver's locations, we're greeted by the "typical" pimple faced teenager, hair in his eyes, trying to look cool for the girl working the fryer. But there is a huge difference in the experience. The staff is almost always well spoken. They enunciate, speak clearly and TO you. They are pleasant, and if an error is made- are extremely apologetic and make it clear that you are important. There is no time to become a difficult customer because they disarm you instantly with kindness. My experience yesterday was brief but resonated with me. I went through the drive through, ordered chicken tenders and cheese curds with a lemonade. They make the food fresh, so I had to pull up with my number, #81, and wait for someone to bring it out to me. Not 5 minutes passed before an older woman walked out, smile on her face, and two-handed me my bag. She smiled as she did it, and thanked me for coming, wished me a great weekend and for me to enjoy my meal. She wasn't rushed. She was infectiously pleasant, and that's been my experience there- every.single.time. I don't know if this is a candidate selection factor, a focus in training, or a combination of both, but it's appreciated and noted here. If you're near one, and have not stopped, I suggest you do. It's really delicious food in an unhurried environment that really makes the customer appreciation known. www.culvers.com
