This Fast-Food Chain Is America’s Favorite Restaurant—for the 3rd Year in a Row

Updated: Apr. 01, 2022

Hint: They have an amazing chicken sandwich.

Fast-food fans often debate which brands have the best burgers, fries, or milkshakes—but only one fast-food chain is America’s favorite restaurant, according to a new report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

The ACSI scored 18 of the most popular fast-food chains in the United States on a 100-point scale, as well as 13 full-service restaurants. Leading the pack as the top fast-food restaurant for the third year in a row? Chick-fil-A. Other restaurants in the survey include favorites like Starbucks, Subway, and McDonald’s, to name a few. Behind Chick-fil-A is Panera Bread with a score of 81. Here are the secrets your fast food worker won’t tell you.

Although full-service restaurants had a higher combined score than fast-food chains, Chick-fil-A still has the highest score of any dining establishment. Customer satisfaction for Chick-fil-A is 87 in comparison to that of the highest scoring full-service restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, with a score of 83. Chick-fil-A’s high score likely stems from a few things: they never freeze their famous chicken, they have a huge secret menu, and there are locations in almost every U.S. state. These are the restaurants you never knew had secret menu items.

Don’t worry—this doesn’t mean your other favorite restaurants and fast-food chains didn’t improve. LongHorn Steakhouse, Pizza Hut, and Red Robin all improved this year regarding customer satisfaction. As for pizza, Papa John’s and Pizza Hut both have a score of 80, followed by Domino’s and Little Caesars.

Chick-fil-A Copycat Recipes
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[Sources: Fox News, ACIS]