America’s top fast food joints: Who wins the battle of the burger?

Restaurants play a central role in Americans’ daily lives, but in an increasingly competitive landscape, standing out has never been more important.

YouGov’s latest report, Best Bites 2026: U.S. restaurant brand rankings, explores how restaurant brands are performing across the U.S.

Fast food is a regular part of American life

Fast food remains deeply embedded in everyday behavior. Two in three Americans purchase food or drinks from fast food restaurants at least once a month (70%), while 30% eat it at least once a week.

This demand is driven by a younger, economically active audience. Over half (51%) of weekly fast food diners are under 45, and 49% fall into middle-income households.

When it comes to choosing where to eat, practical factors still dominate. Value and discount menus are the biggest drivers of visits, followed by a clean dining environment.

Five Guys, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell stand out by category

While overall rankings matter, consumers also strongly associate certain brands with doing specific foods best.

Among burger chains, Five Guys leads, with 15.5% of Americans naming it as the best for burgers, just ahead of Burger King (15.0%) and In-N-Out Burger (12.1%).

In pizza, Pizza Hut (19.1%) and Domino’s (17.1%) emerge as category leaders. Meanwhile, Taco Bell dominates in tacos and burritos, with 30.3% of Americans naming it the best — nearly 10 points ahead of Chipotle.

Other categories show similarly strong associations, with Chick-fil-A leading in chicken and McDonald’s standing out for fries.

Explore the full rankings

These highlights are just a snapshot of YouGov’s Best Bites U.S. restaurant rankings report.

Download the full report to explore:

• The most considered fast food, casual dining, and specialty brands
• Rankings by quality and value
• The brands Americans believe do specific foods best
• Profiles of weekly fast food diners and their habits
• Differences in preferences by age and gender