Zagat Ranks Fast-food Restaurants
In holy-grail category of best burger, Five Guys won the top spot, while McDonald's has the best fries. Starbucks has the best coffee, and best service included Wendy's and In-N-Out Burger.
The annual survey was based on more than 10,500 diners who say they eat at a chain restaurant at least nine times a month. They voted on everything from taste, decor and service. Chains were rated on Zagat's 30-point scale. Last year's survey results were polled from about 6,000 diners and 103 chains.
Here are full results.
Most popular mega chains:
Subway
Wendy's
McDonald's
Taco Bell
Burger King
Most popular large chains:
In-N-Out Burger
Panera Bread
Chipotle
Five Guys
Chick-fil-A
Most popular quick-refreshment chains:
Starbucks
Dunkin' Donuts
Ben & Jerry's
Peet's Coffee/Tea
Auntie Anne's Pretzels
Top overall chains
With all criteria considered, the top overall mega chains are:
Wendy's
Subway
Pizza Hut
Taco Bell
McDonald's
The top overall large chains include:
In-N-Out Burger
Fazoli's
Panera Bread
Papa Murphy's
Chipotle
The top overall quick-refreshment chains are:
Caribou Coffee
Rita's Italian Ice
Peet's Coffee/Tea
Culver's
Tim Hortons
Food, Décor and Service
The top five mega chains, in order, for food were Wendy's, Subway, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Burger King. The top ranking large chains for food include In-N-Out Burger, Papa Murphy's, Chipotle, Panera Bread and Bojangles, respectively.
For quick-refreshment chains, top food brands include Rita's Italian Ice, Ben & Jerry's, Haagen-Dazs, Peet's Coffee/Tea and Culver's.
The top five mega chains listed for décor include Wendy's, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Subway, respectively.
Large chains with the best décor include, in order, Fazoli's, Panera Bread, On The Border Mexican Grill, Corner Bakery Café and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Quick-refreshment brands with the best décor are Caribou Coffee, Peet's Coffee/Tea, Starbucks, Culver's and Tim Hortons, respectively.
For service, Subway was ranked on top of the mega chains, followed by Wendy's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and McDonald's.
For large chains, top service went to In-N-Out Burger, Papa Murphy's, Jimmy John's, Fazoli's and Panera Bread.
Quick-refreshment chains with the best service include Caribou Coffee, Rita's Italian Ice, Culver's, Peet's Coffee/Tea and Tim Hortons.
Top menu items
Zagat's survey respondents also ranked their favorite menu items. They include:
Best burger: Five Guys
Best fried chicken: KFC
Best grilled chicken: Chick-fil-A
Best fish: Long John Silver's
Best french fries: McDonald's
Best coffee: Starbucks
Best milkshakes: Steak 'n Shake
Best ice cream/custard: Rita's Italian Ice
Best breakfast sandwiches: McDonald's
Best salads: Wendy's
Best value menu: McDonald's
Best overall value: McDonald's
Best child-friendly chain: McDonald's
Best wings: Buffalo Wild Wings
Best healthy options: Panera
In the Full-Service category, Cheesecake Factory was named most popular, while neighborhood restaurant Cheddar's was named with the Top Food, Top Decor and Top Overall. For service, O'Charley's was listed as number one.
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