Culver’s of Apple Valley

Not only is the food great, the service consistently good, this store is a great member of the local community. For that, I am giving them 5 stars.
We have been coming to this Culver’s for years. We like the frozen custard and have found many menu items that we love. The fish, both the cod and the walleye, are quite good. The chicken strips are crunchy and flavourful, and the burgers juicy and delicious. But let’s face it, at the end of the day, Culver’s is still fast food and you might be asking «why a 5 star rating?»
Well, this store does so much for the local community. Fundraisers for the schools and clubs are always happening. We have been there many times knowing part of our purchase is supporting our children’s school. And it goes beyond that. They hire people with development disabilities to work at the store. More importantly, the employees with disabilities are not stuck in the back of the house doing dishes, but given jobs interacting with customers. The pride that the employees show as they go about their job is amazing. I want to support a business who can help that happen for people! I believe that takes a great fast food restaurant and gives them a 5 star rating!
It is one thing to serve good food and offer great service while doing it. I enjoy both and frequently comment on them in my reviews. Making a difference in the lives of people and contributing to our community makes this Culver’s a step above the rest.

After my intense cardio sesh, I decided very wisely to visit Culver’s yesterday. Calories out, calories in. Jeezus! I never learn. I had the snicker swirl concrete with heath bits and blueberries. It was fantastically refreshing. The custard did not feel heavy but rather silky smooth. Closest frozen custard to me and looks like I’ll be visiting more and more of this place. Maybe not right after I work out!

Great restaurant! Great staff! The Manager, Trevor, is very personable and they take care of you!

After several visits during Lent with cold food we were given certificates for free food that the manager said were good for anything on the menu. I never had issues with the first two free ones. Tonight I was told I could only order a sandwich with the free coupon — no meals. So after spending about $ 45 a week during Lent for walleye dinners (for several meals we had cold sides and some undercooked fish) we received 3 coupons and then I couldn’t even use one as promised.
I used my free coupon on a cod sandwich and paid to add extra cheese. They omitted the included cheese and the sandwich was only so-​so.
I called the manager later and he said the coupon should have been good on any meal. Too late. The mashed potatoes are cold — lukewarm over 50% of the time and forget the cheese curds as they are never hot. They need better timing on the line.

Okay. I admit that when I ask my kids what they want for lunch or dinner and duo shouts of Culvers! vociferates (my word of the day) out, I tend to roll my eyes; ‘Um, we were just there yesterday.’ The general reply is a «what’s your point» stare.
But let’s break it down to just the Apple Valley Culvers. Friendly staff that have been trained about food allergies for special orders; a clean store; community active and involved, especially regarding certain «Culvers night» that area school kids shame their parents into dining on a Monday or Tuesday here because a percent of the evenings profits are donated back to that school.
Now on to the important stuff. I think the only time I was ever unimpressed by the taste or appearance of my food here was with that odd Pub Burger. I don’t blame this store though, it might have been me. Oh! Same song second verse, the custard. I’m also a Concrete Mixer fan and it certainly does rival DQ’s Blizzard. Did you know they also have chocolate custard?
Lastly, Mike, who also owns the Lakeville store, definitely stays on top of this store with maintenance and improvements. Another reason I like coming here.

Bearing in mind that Culver’s fits into the «fast food» category, this is a great place to eat. Convenient «delivery to the table» after you order (especially nice for families with young kids, or for seniors who don’t want to stand at a counter and wait) with very friendly service at this location. (I suppose some would complain it’s «too friendly»… but relax; it’s much better to have overly-​helpful people than to have sullen or absent people, so I’m thankful for the staff in Apple Valley.) The counter team has always been very accommodating — nobody rolls their eyes if you ask for an extra cup and spoon to split one sundae for two kids.
A tip: The «Scoopie Meal» (kid’s meal) isn’t just for kids, is just the right amount of food, and the tear-​off coupon/​token on the bag (don’t throw it out!) when brought to the counter at the end of the meal gets you a free small Frozen Custard. Or, save it for a different day and combine it with a different meal. Point being, it’s the not-​terribly-​obvious «budget option» for a great meal at Culver’s

I love this Culver’s. They’re super nice, they’re always walking around cleaning the tables, and they’re very family –friendly. And their concrete mixers are awesome!

Butterburgers? Not interested. I came to try the frozen custard for the first time today. The cashier was very friendly and gave me a taste test of the vanilla custard. Yummers! I got the Bananas Foster sundae with vanilla custard and it was decent. I think their Concrete Mixers (like DQ’s blizzards) are probably the most popular treat, so I might be back to try that. Looked up the calorie content, however, and those suckers are a kajillion calories! DQ’s Blizzards still win by a long shot on flavor in my opinion.