Updated January 2023! Culver’s is a privately owned fast food restaurant chain that’s most known for “Butterburgers” and frozen custard. But Culver’s does have a handful of dairy-free meals, and they can actually make your “Butterburger” sans butter! In fact, most of their savory menu items can be ordered without dairy. They also offer gluten-free buns, so you can customize several of the following dairy-free items to be gluten-free, too.
Culver’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Allergen Notes & Custom Order Options
This menu guide includes dairy-free menu options first, followed by custom order components, and finally, dessert. Be aware of special order requirements in parentheses () next to the menu items, and see the Heads Up notes to help fill in the blanks.
Butter Note: The buns and breads at Culver’s can be ordered without butter and not toasted. According to the ingredients and confirmation with a Culver’s representative they are all made without milk but there is potential cross-contact with butter on the toaster and grill. They do use real dairy butter liberally at this restaurant chain.
Fryer Note: Culver’s uses canola oil for frying. They do use shared fryers which are used to cook both dairy-free items and items containing milk. Speak with staff if concerned about potential cross contamination of allergens in the fryers.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: All items listed below are made without egg, peanuts, and tree nuts, unless listed in the name or parentheses. The burgers and sandwiches listed can be made without egg if you omit the mayo or substitute a dairy-free / egg-free sauce (see our sauce list below). Many of the menu items listed below contain refined soy in the form of soy oil and/or soy lecithin. But at last check, only the Chili contained soy protein and only the Stuffed Green Pepper Soup contained soy sauce. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Burgers
- The Original ButterBurger (no butter)
- The Culver’s Deluxe (no cheese, no butter) (contains egg)
- The Culver’s Bacon Deluxe (no cheese, no butter) (contains egg)
- Mushroom ButterBurger (no cheese, no butter)
Heads Up! If you prefer sourdough to a bun, you can swap in unbuttered sourdough, or order a “melt” without the melt (no cheese and no butter).
Chicken
- Chicken Tenders, Buffalo
- Chicken Tenders, Original
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no butter)
Heads Up! The Crispy Chicken Breast and Spicy Crispy Chicken Breast at Culver’s do contain milk. Culver’s does use a shared fryer, and they note possible cross-contact for milk with the Chicken Tenders.
Seafood
- Butterfly Jumbo Shrimp Basket
- Butterfly Jumbo Shrimp Dinner (no butter)
Heads Up! The Breaded Cod in their North Atlantic Cod Dinner and Sandwich does contain milk. Culver’s does use a shared fryer, and they note possible cross-contact for milk with the Butterfly Shrimp.
Homestyle Favorites
- Chopped Steak Dinner with Dairy-Free Sides (no butter)
- Beef Pot Roast Dinner with Dairy-Free Sides (no butter)
- Beef Pot Roast Sandwich (verify no butter)
- Grilled Reuben (no butter, no cheese) (contains egg)
Heads Up! The Harvest Veggie Burger patty and Pork Loin Sandwich fritter contain milk. It is not customary for them to butter the buns for the Beef Pot Roast Sandwich, but make sure they don’t!
Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup (contains egg)
- George’s Chili
- Stuffed Green Pepper Soup
- Vegetable Beef Soup
Heads Up! In addition to the creamy soups, the Tomato Florentine Soup does contain milk.
Salad
- Chicken Cashew Salad (no cheese)
- Cranberry Bacon Grilled Chicken Salad (no cheese)
- Garden Fresco Salad with or without Chicken (no cheese, no croutons)
Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Culver’s Vinaigrette, Honey Mustard Dressing, Ken’s Country French, Ken’s Raspberry Vinaigrette, Thousand Island (where available; used on the Reuben)
Heads Up! The Croutons at Culver’s do contain milk.
Kids
- Chicken Tenders Kids Meal (Original or Buffalo) with Fries or Applesauce and dairy-free drink
- The Original Butterburger Kids Meal with Fries or Applesauce and dairy-free drink (no butter)
Heads Up! The Corn Dogs at Culver’s do contain milk.
Sides
- Coleslaw (contains egg)
- Crinkle Cut Fries
- Dinner Roll (no butter)
- Pretzel Bites (no cheese sauce; sub dairy-free sauce)
- Side Salad (no cheese, no croutons)
- Steamed Broccoli
- Sweet Potato Fries (limited availability)
Heads Up! The Gravy at Culver’s is made without milk, but their Mashed Potatoes do contain milk. The Onion Rings also contain milk. Culver’s does use a shared fryer, and they note possible cross-contact for milk with the French Fries.
Bread
- Rotella’s Gluten Free Bun (no butter)
- Burger Bun (no butter)
- Rye Bread (no butter)
- Sourdough Bread (no butter)
- Hoagie Bun (no butter)
Toppings
- Bacon
- Dill Pickle
- Red Onion Ring
- Sauerkraut
- Sautéed Mushrooms
- Shredded Lettuce
- Tomato Slices
Sauces & Condiments
- Beef Gravy
- Chicken Gravy
- Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Dipping Sauce
- Horseradish Sauce (contains egg)
- Ketchup
- Malt Vinegar
- Mayonnaise (contains egg)
- Shrimp Cocktail Sauce
- Spicy Brown Mustard
- Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce
- Tartar Sauce (contains egg)
- Thousand Island (contains egg)
- Yellow Mustard
Desserts
- Lemon Ice (seasonal)
- Lemon Ice Cooler (seasonal)
- Cake Cone
- Waffle Cone
- Topping: Brownie Pieces (contains egg)
- Topping: Espresso
- Topping: Granola Clusters
- Toppings: Fruits
- Topping: Maraschino Cherries
- Topping: Marshmallow Creme (see Heads Up! below)
- Toppings: Nuts and Peanut Butter
- Topping: Oreo Crumbs
- Topping: Root Beer
- Topping: Sprinkles
Heads Up! The Lemon Ice Smoothie is not dairy free. It’s blended with Culver’s frozen custard. At this time, Culver’s does not offer any dairy-free frozen custard at this time. One of Culver’s allergen grids mistakenly lists the Sugar Cookies as not containing milk, but they do contain milk. The Marshmallow Creme is listed as not containing milk on their allergen grid, but it says “contains milk” in their ingredient guide. The ingredients appear to be dairy-free (and egg-free), and most marshmallow creme and topping is made without milk, but be sure to check in store if you plan to order it.
Culver’s Vegan Menu Guide
Vegan Salad
- Garden Fresco Salad (no cheese, no croutons; can ask to add cranberries or cashews)
- Culver’s Vinaigrette
- Ken’s Raspberry Vinaigrette
Vegan Sides
- Crinkle Cut Fries
- Dinner Roll (no butter)
- Pretzel Bites (no cheese sauce; sub vegan sauce)
- Side Salad (no cheese, no croutons)
- Steamed Broccoli
- Sweet Potato Fries (limited availability)
Vegan Sandwich Bread & Toppings
- Rotella’s Gluten Free Bun (no butter)
- Burger Bun (no butter)
- Rye Bread (no butter)
- Sourdough Bread (no butter)
- Hoagie Bun (no butter)
- Dill Pickle
- Red Onion Ring
- Sauerkraut
- Sautéed Mushrooms
- Shredded Lettuce
- Tomato Slices
Vegan Sauces & Condiments
- Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Dipping Sauce
- Ketchup
- Malt Vinegar
- Spicy Brown Mustard
- Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce
- Yellow Mustard
Vegan Desserts
- Lemon Ice (seasonal)
- Lemon Ice Cooler (seasonal)
- Cake Cone
- Waffle Cone
- Topping: Espresso
- Toppings: Fruits
- Topping: Maraschino Cherries
- Topping: Marshmallow Creme
- Toppings: Nuts and Peanut Butter
- Topping: Oreo Crumbs
- Topping: Root Beer
- Topping: Sprinkles
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.
Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.
Where to Find Culver’s
There are over 900 Culver’s restaurants in 26 U.S. states, with a heavy concentration in the Midwest. See the website below for addresses, hours, and online ordering.
Website: www.culvers.com
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What Others Are Saying ...
Very informative information
Tell you everything about food allergies on here, which great to know
Dairy free
So many great options and easy to read guide for dairy free options. It’s so nice to know that chicken tenders are not dipped into a milk based batter!! And so easy to tell the staff not to butter or grill the breads. Thank you for serving bread that is not milk based.
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
6 Comments
Culver’s butters the bun before they toast. So ask for not toasted or buttered since the toaster will probably have residual butter on it.
the dairy is on their buns, though i do not know the ingredients in the actual bun. I get the chicken tenders, fries and a gluten free bun which is individually wrapped and dairy free. I am not a gluten free fan but the buns are soft and good. Also, when i have ordered a hamburger and said no butter on the bun they ask,”is this a dairy allergy?” and i say yes and they have a special button they push to add the warning on my order and to alert the cooks. I am really impressed by that. so be sure to tell them. they also have lemon ice and i often get just a bowl of their strawberries for dessert which are delicious. the brownie bites are also dairy free.
Fantastic! Thank you for sharing Jen.
The burgers at Culvers are called BUTTERburgers. That’s where the dairy comes in. 🙂
According to their website there is no dairy in their fries. Should we question this or go with their word?
Hi Sara, it looks like the fries are too now, which is great! If you are dealing with a severe milk allergy though, you should still always double check at the location and ensure that they aren’t using shared fryers that may cook products with dairy ingredients, too.