The U.S. is home to the world’s largest fast-food industry, so there are lots of options to choose from when you want a quick and convenient meal. While we all have our favorite drive-thrus to pull into, a new study compares reviews to name the best and worst chain restaurants in the country.
- CouponBirds combed through Google reviews of restaurants with four or more locations, analyzing reviews of more than 161-thousand individual establishments.
- They used a weighted average to grade each chain, making sure it “wasn’t biased towards entities with a higher volume of reviews.”
- Based on their research, the site names Taco John’s as the worst chain in America right now.
- The Mexican-inspired chain, which operates over 350 locations, scores a 2.61 out of five.
- At the top of the list is Chick-fil-A, which has the highest average rating of 3.95, making it the best chain restaurant in the U.S.
- The study also names In-N-Out Burger as the best medium chain (with 100 to 1,000 locations), while Acai Republic tops the list as the best small chain (four to 100 locations).
The Top 10 “Super” Chain Restaurants (those with 1,000+ locations)
- Chick-fil-A (3.95 rating out of 5)
- Five Guys (3.85)
- Jersey Mike’s Subs (3.76)
- Waffle House (3.72)
- Starbucks (3.71)
- Dairy Queen (3.68)
- Arby’s (3.57)
- *TIE* Panera Bread (3.55) and Dairy Queen Grill & Chill (3.55)
- IHOP (3.49)
- Carl’s Jr. (3.46)
The 10 Worst-Rated Chain Restaurants in the U.S.
- Taco John’s (2.61 out of five)
- McDonald’s (2.75)
- Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay (2.84)
- Wahlburgers @Hy-Vee (2.85)
- Popeyes (2.90)
- *TIE* Sonic (2.93) and Buffalo Wild Wings “GO” (2.93)
- South Philly Cheesesteaks & Fries (2.97)
- Bucciferro Family McDonald’s (3.00)
- Wetzel’s Pretzels (3.02)
Source: Eat This, Not That