America’s favorite fast food chain is Chick-fil-A, number one in 34 states, an analysis shows.
The Center for Disease Control Research shows that over a three-year period, 36.6 percent of American adults eat fast food on any given day.
CashNetUSA identified the best-known quick-service restaurants in five categories and analyzed their Google Maps ratings in all 50 states to find the best-rated and worst-rated restaurants.
They divided the analysis into five cuisines: burgers, pizza, donuts, chicken and Mexican food.
‘Eat Mor Chikin’ store Chick-fil-A is the nation’s favorite, while Papa John’s pizza is at the bottom in 16 states.
Here you can see how the restaurants are divided by category.
Burger chains
Five Guys is America’s favorite burger joint and is the top-rated store in 29 states.
McDonald’s and Burger King tied for bottom in the burger category, each finishing last in 24 states.
Top Rated by State
Five men: New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana, Minnesota, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, New Mexico and Washington
Culvers: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Texas, Wyoming and Idaho
In and out: Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and California
Wendy’s: Alaska
Lowest rating by state
McDonald’s: Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi, Indiana, Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Dakota and New Mexico
Burger King: New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Hawaii, Alaska, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Washington
Sonic: Montana
Jack in the box: Missouri
Chicken chains
Chick-fil-A took the number one chicken meat category in 46 states.
The ‘home of the Original Chicken Sandwich’ is consistently in first place US Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant study.
Chick-fil-A has an 85 percent satisfaction rate based on data collected between April 2022 and March 2023.
In August, they released a brand new Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich, the first new sandwich in almost a decade.
In August, Chick-fil-A launched its first new sandwich in nearly a decade, the new Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich. The Chicken Joint is America’s highest-rated fast food chain
Highest Rated by State:
Chick-fil-A: New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Maine, Rhode Island , Massachusetts, New York, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi, Indiana, Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Dakota and New Mexico
Raising sticks: Alaska and Hawaii
Lowest rating by state:
Kentucky fried chicken: New Hampshire, Delaware, Arkansas, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Washington
Popeyes: Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, Alaska, South Dakota, Montana
Wing stop: Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Idaho, Oregon and California
Texas chicken from the church: South Carolina
No data was available for Vermont.
Donut chains
Krispy Kreme is the top-rated donut shop in the entire country and is number one in 17 states.
Over the summer, the favorite donut shop gave free treats to customers who lost the $1.25 billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot.
LaMar’s Donuts and Coffee Shop is a chain that ranks number one in four of the five states in which it operates.
Dunkin’ Donuts has the lowest ranking, ranking at the bottom in 31 states, which is more than any other brand in its own category.
Krispy Kreme is the top-rated donut shop in the entire country. Over the summer they gave free donuts to customers who lost the 1.25 billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot
Highest Rated by State:
Krispy Kreme: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and California
Tim Hortons: Maine, West Virginia
LaMar’s donuts and coffee: Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Missouri
Shipley Donuts: Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana
Daylight Donuts: Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia
Winchell’s Donut House: Nevada
Lowest rating by state:
Dunkin Donuts: Maine, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin , Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California
Tim Hortons: Michigan and Ohio
Krispy Kreme: Oklahoma and Utah
No data was available for New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon
Mexican chains
Qdoba is ranked as the number one quick-service Mexican restaurant in 18 states, while Taco Bell ranks the lowest.
Although Taco Bell is the nation’s least favorite Mexican fast food store, they won a legal dispute that cleared the way for any restaurant to use the “Taco Tuesday” slogan.
Taco Bell is America’s Mexican fast food restaurant with the lowest prices. They recently won a legal dispute that cleared the way for any restaurant to use the “Taco Tuesday” slogan
Highest Rated by State:
Qdoba: New York, West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota and Oregon
Moe’s: Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi
Chipotle: New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and Washington
El Pollo locomotive: California
Lowest rating by state
Taco Bell: New Hampshire, Vermont, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California
Chipotle: Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, West Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Minnesota
Qdoba: Nevada and Arkansas
Del Taco: Arizona
Data were available for Alaska and Hawaii.
Pizza chains
Pizza restaurants were rated the worst fast food restaurants in 35 states, while Papa Johns was the lowest in 16 of them.
Papa’s Murphy’s scored the highest, followed by Marco’s and Domino’s.
Currently, Domino’s is offering a free ’emergency pizza’ to customers having a bad day.
The program offers customers one free medium pizza with two toppings when they participate in the rewards program through February 11, 2024.
Papa Murphy’s pizza (pictured) is the highest-rated fast-food pizza shop in the country
Highest rated by the state
Papa Murphy’s: North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska, Arizona , Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Washington
Marcos: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas, Minnesota and California
Dominoes: Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Delaware
Chuck E. Cheese: Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts
Little Emperors: Connecticut
Godfather’s pizza: Georgia
Lowest rating by state
Papa Johns: Connecticut, Delaware, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Washington
Dominoes: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas, Wyoming, Utah and California
Pizza Hut: West Virginia, Mississippi, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon and Idaho
Little Emperors: Rhode Island