The 2011 Zagat Fast-Food Survey

Thank you to everyone who cast a vote in our Fast-Food Survey

Over 6,000 fast-food fans have weighed in with their opinions on the best bets in burgers, salads, coffee and more. See their top picks below, and read more about the Survey here.

Best Burger

Best Coffee

Best Salad

Best Value

Most Popular Chains

Fast Food – Large Chains*

  1. Five Guys
  2. Panera Bread
  3. Chipotle Mexican Grill
  4. Chick-fil-A
  5. In-N-Out Burger

Fast Food – Mega Chains**

  1. Subway
  2. McDonald's
  3. Wendy's
  4. Burger King
  5. Taco Bell

Quick-Refreshment Chains

  1. Starbucks
  2. Dunkin' Donuts
  3. Culver's
  4. Ben & Jerry's
  5. Cold Stone Creamery

Full-Service Chains

  1. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
  2. Cheesecake Factory
  3. Bonefish Grill
  4. California Pizza Kitchen
  5. Maggiano's Little Italy
* Up to 5,000 U.S. locations
** More than 5,000 U.S. locations

Quick Survey Facts

  1. Number of surveyors: 6,064
  2. Average number of meals per month at fast-food chains: 6.3
  3. Average number of meals per month at full-service chains: 4.4
  4. Collective total meals per year at fast-food/full-service chains: 779,000

Outtakes from the Survey

  • If you want to make one more bad decision on a Saturday night at 2 AM – go here
  • Helping generations turn into obese diabetics
  • They even fry the napkins
  • Better than oral surgery, though it's close
  • How can a salad have 1,700 calories?

View More Outtakes

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Best Burger

  1. Five Guys
  2. In-N-Out Burger
  3. Wendy's
  4. Burger King
  5. McDonald's

Best French Fries

  1. McDonald's
  2. Five Guys
  3. Wendy's
  4. In-N-Out Burger
  5. Chick-fil-A

Best Salads

  1. Panera Bread
  2. Wendy's
  3. Jason's Deli
  4. Cosi
  5. Corner Bakery Cafe

Best Fried Chicken

  1. KFC
  2. Popeye's
  3. Church's Chicken
  4. Bojangles'
  5. Culver's

Best Grilled Chicken

  1. Chick-fil-A
  2. El Pollo Loco
  3. Panera Bread
  4. Wendy's
  5. McDonald's

Best Value Menu

  1. McDonald's
  2. Wendy's
  3. Taco Bell
  4. Burger King
  5. Sonic Drive-In

Best Coffee

  1. Starbucks
  2. Dunkin' Donuts
  3. McDonald's
  4. Peet's Coffee & Tea
  5. Caribou Coffee

Best Value

  1. McDonald's
  2. Chipotle Mexican Grill
  3. Chick-fil-A
  4. Panera Bread
    Subway (tied)
  5. Taco Bell

Best Breakfast Sandwiches

  1. McDonald's
  2. Panera Bread
  3. Chick-fil-A
  4. Einstein Bros.
  5. Dunkin' Donuts

Top Ice Cream/Custard

  1. Ben & Jerry's
  2. Bruster's Real Ice Cream
  3. Häagen-Dazs
  4. Rita's
  5. Carvel

Top Smoothies/
Frozen Yogurt

  1. Red Mango
  2. Pinkberry
  3. Jamba Juice
  4. Smoothie King
  5. TCBY

Best Milkshake

  1. Dairy Queen
  2. Cold Stone Creamery
  3. Sonic Drive-In
  4. Chick-fil-A
  5. Ben & Jerry's
    McDonald's (tied)

Best Fish

  1. Long John Silver's
  2. McDonald's
  3. Captain D's Seafood
  4. Culver's
  5. Burger King

Most Child-Friendly

  1. McDonald's
  2. Chick-fil-A
  3. Burger King
  4. CiCi's Pizza
  5. Ben & Jerry's

Best Drive-thru

  1. McDonald's
  2. Chick-fil-A
    Sonic Drive-In (tied)
  3. In-N-Out Burger
  4. Wendy's
  5. Starbucks

Best Wings

  1. Buffalo Wild Wings
  2. Wingstop
  3. KFC
  4. Zaxby's
  5. Pizza Hut

Top Rated Among Large Chains (up to 5,000 U.S. locations)

Top Food

  1. In-N-Out Burger
  2. Chick-fil-A
  3. Papa Murphy's
  4. Five Guys
  5. Chipotle Mexican Grill

Top Facilities

  1. Panera Bread
  2. Chick-fil-A
  3. Pei Wei Asian Diner
  4. McAlister's Deli
  5. In-N-Out Burger

Top Service

  1. Chick-fil-A
  2. In-N-Out Burger
  3. Papa Murphy's
  4. Jimmy John's
  5. Panera Bread

Top Rated Among Mega Chains (more than 5,000 U.S. locations)

Top Food

  1. Wendy's
  2. Subway
  3. KFC
  4. Pizza Hut
  5. Burger King

Top Facilities

  1. McDonald's
  2. Wendy's
  3. Subway
  4. Burger King
  5. Pizza Hut

Top Service

  1. Subway
  2. Wendy's
  3. McDonald's
  4. Pizza Hut
  5. Taco Bell

Top Rated Among Quick-Refreshment Chains

Top Food

  1. Ben & Jerry's
  2. Bruster's Real Ice Cream
  3. Häagen-Dazs
  4. Red Mango
  5. Pinkberry

Top Facilities

  1. Caribou Coffee
  2. Pinkberry
  3. Starbucks
  4. Red Mango
  5. Peet's Coffee & Tea

Top Service

  1. Caribou Coffee
  2. Culver's
  3. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
  4. Starbucks
  5. Peet's Coffee & Tea

Best Burger

  1. Red Robin
  2. Steak 'n Shake
  3. Cheesecake Factory
  4. Chili's Grill & Bar
  5. Ruby Tuesday

Best Steak

  1. Outback Steakhouse
  2. LongHorn Steakhouse
  3. Texas Roadhouse
  4. Cheesecake Factory
  5. Maggiano's Little Italy

Best Salads

  1. Cheesecake Factory
  2. Olive Garden
  3. California Pizza Kitchen
  4. Ruby Tuesday
  5. Maggiano's Little Italy

Best Coffee

  1. IHOP
  2. Cheesecake Factory
  3. Cracker Barrel
  4. Waffle House
  5. Denny's

Best Breakfast

  1. Cracker Barrel
  2. IHOP
  3. Bob Evans
  4. Denny's
  5. Waffle House

Best Appetizers

  1. Cheesecake Factory
  2. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
  3. Bonefish Grill
  4. T.G.I. Friday's
  5. Maggiano's Little Italy

Best Desserts

  1. Cheesecake Factory
  2. Maggiano's Little Italy
  3. Friendly's
  4. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
  5. Olive Garden

Best Value

  1. Cheesecake Factory
  2. Olive Garden
  3. Cracker Barrel
  4. Outback Steakhouse
  5. Maggiano's Little Italy

Best Seafood

  1. Bonefish Grill
  2. Red Lobster
  3. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
  4. Cheesecake Factory
  5. Maggiano's Little Italy

Best Pasta

  1. Maggiano's Little Italy
  2. Carrabba's Italian Grill
  3. Olive Garden
  4. Romano's Macaroni Grill
  5. Cheesecake Factory

Most Child-friendly

  1. Chuck E. Cheese's
  2. IHOP
  3. Red Robin
  4. Friendly's
  5. Cracker Barrel

Top Rated Among Full-Service Chains

Top Food

  1. Bonefish Grill
  2. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
  3. Carrabba's Italian Grill
  4. Maggiano's Little Italy
  5. Cheesecake Factory

Top Facilities

  1. Bonefish Grill
  2. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
  3. Maggiano's Little Italy
  4. Cheesecake Factory
  5. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse

Top Service

  1. Bonefish Grill
  2. Maggiano's Little Italy
  3. Carrabba's Italian Grill
  4. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
  5. Cheesecake Factory