Regional favorite In-N-Out Burger has been crowned the nation’s primo patty purveyor in our latest Fast-Food Survey. With locations in just four Western states (California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona), In-N-Out nudged out behemoths Wendy’s, Burger King and McDonald’s to snare the Best Burger title.

Mickey D’s, meanwhile, retained its Best French Fry title and was voted tops in several other fast-food categories, including Best Breakfast Sandwich, Best Value and Most Child-Friendly.

The 6,107 people who participated in the survey also weighed in on a category that’s been hotly contested of late: Best Coffee. Not surprisingly, top honors went to Starbucks, with Dunkin’ Donuts finishing second. 

Other Survey highlights, after the jump:

• Among fast-food mega chains (those with more than 5,000 U.S. locations), Wendy’s was ranked No. 1 for Food and Facilities, while sandwich specialist Subway was voted Most Popular and No. 1 for Service and Healthy Options.


• Looking at fast-fooders with under 5,000 locations, Panera Bread, specializing in fresh-baked breads, sandwiches and salads, scored as Most Popular and No. 1 for Facilities, Healthy Options and Salads. Top Food and Top Service ratings went to In-N-Out Burger.


• Milkshake mavens gave the nod to Ben & Jerry’s, with Dairy Queen placing second.


• In the Chicken championships, Chick-fil-A was named best in the grilled category while KFC took the fried prize.


• Surveyors also voted on full-service chains: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro scored a triple, ranking as Most Popular and No. 1 for Food and Facilities. Carrabba’s Italian Grill topped the Service category, while California Pizza Kitchen was favored for Healthy Options. The Cheesecake Factory topped a few categories as well, including Best Value, Best Coffee and – natch – Best Desserts.

See the full Survey results here, including our favorite witty comments from participants.