Culver's vs Del Taco: Menu Prices Compared (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 6 items matched

The short answer

Del Taco is the cheaper of the two. Of the 6 directly comparable items we could match across both menus, Del Taco is cheaper on 6 of them, by an average of $3.65 per item.

Typical menu price: Culver's $8.29 · Del Taco $3.49

Matched Items, Side by Side

The same item on both menus, priced against each other. Where names differ, we matched the closest equivalent — Culver's's wording first.

Item	Culver's	Del Taco	Difference
Grilled Chicken Dinnervs Grilled Chicken Taco	$14.79	$3.29	$11.50 cheaper at Del Taco
Grilled Chicken Sandwichvs Grilled Chicken Taco	$8.49	$3.29	$5.20 cheaper at Del Taco
Malt or Shake (regular)vs Shake (regular)	$5.49	$4.29	$1.20 cheaper at Del Taco
Crinkle Cut Fries (large)vs Value Crinkle Cut Fries	$4.19	$1.79	$2.40 cheaper at Del Taco
Crinkle Cut Fries (regular)vs Value Crinkle Cut Fries	$3.29	$1.79	$1.50 cheaper at Del Taco
Fountain Drink (regular)vs Fountain Drink (medium)	$2.79	$2.69	$0.10 cheaper at Del Taco

Culver's vs Del Taco at a Glance

	Culver's	Del Taco
Typical menu price	$8.29	$3.49
Average menu price	$8.19	$4.25
Cheapest item	Fountain Drink (regular) — $2.79	Value Taco — $1.29
Most expensive item	North Atlantic Cod Dinner (3 pc) — $16.99	Epic Burrito Combo — $11.79
Items priced	42	44
Menu sections	6	6
Price range	$$	$
Founded	1984	1964
Headquarters	Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin	Lake Forest, California
Locations	More than 970 restaurants, concentrated in the Midwest	About 600 restaurants, concentrated in the West

Which One Should You Order From?

Del Taco has the lower typical menu price of the two — $3.49 against $8.29 — but a typical price only tells you where the middle of the menu sits. At the value end, Del Taco gets you in cheaper at $1.29.

Culver's is strongest on ButterBurger Deluxe, Butterburger Cheese Double, Cheese Curds; Del Taco on Del Taco (crunchy), Epic Burrito, Crinkle Cut Fries. Neither chain's app prices match the counter, and both discount heavily through their loyalty programmes, so the deals below usually matter more than the few cents between the two menus.

Deals Worth Knowing at Both

Culver's

Kids meals include a scoop of frozen custard at no extra charge — an unusual inclusion that adds about $3.79 of value.
Buy custard by the pint or quart to go: a quart at $11.99 is roughly half the per-ounce cost of individual scoops.
Culver's e-club sends a free-item coupon on signup and again on your birthday.

Del Taco

The 20 Under $2 menu is the deepest value lineup in Mexican fast food — a Value Taco at $1.29 and a cheeseburger at $1.99 from the same window.
Two Value Tacos plus Value Fries comes to about $4.37, well under any combo on the board.
Del Yeah! Rewards in the app gives a free item on signup, points on every order and a birthday reward.

About these prices: menu prices are set by individual franchise owners and change without notice. The figures on this page are researched estimates for 2026 and are provided for reference only. Confirm the current price with the restaurant before ordering. Menu Price Book is not affiliated with this chain.

Culver's vs Del Taco — FAQ

Is Culver's cheaper than Del Taco in 2026?

Del Taco is cheaper on most matched items — 6 of 6. Across the whole menu Del Taco is the lower-priced of the two, at $3.49 for a typical item against $8.29 at Culver's.

What is the price difference between Culver's and Del Taco?

On matched items the average difference is $3.65, or about 48% overall. Culver's averages $8.19 across 42 priced items; Del Taco averages $4.25 across 44.

Which has the cheaper entry price, Culver's or Del Taco?

Culver's starts at $2.79 (Fountain Drink (regular)) and Del Taco at $1.29 (Value Taco).

Are these prices the same at every location?

No. Both chains let franchise owners set prices, so figures move by a dollar or more between markets and run highest at airport, stadium and highway locations. Treat these as the typical U.S. price, not a quote.