Food

McDonald's wins America's favorite chain despite losing best burger title

It was a mixed bag of mainly good news for McDonald's, which won for best fries, the best fast-food chain to eat at, and great for value and discounts. ©Image Credit: Unsplash / Luciana Esquenazi

It looks like McDonald's has bounced back after losing the best burger title. Instead, McDonald's wins America's number one fast-food chain when people consider where to eat, proving that customers are huge fans of the restaurant.

You win some, you lose some

McDonald's is a perfect example that you win some and you lose some. Sure, they may not have won for the best burger, but being the first choice for customers when making decisions is great consolation. That reflects not just one menu item, but the entire menu and dining experience.

Digging into the "Best Bites 2026: U.S. Restaurant Brand Rankings" report, it looks like customers gave McDonald's top marks for discounts and value. The report specifically asked people about food quality, restaurant considerations, and dining preferences.

"One of the more interesting findings is that McDonald's leads all fast-food brands in consideration when Americans are deciding where to purchase fast-food, despite ranking behind several competitors on best-tasting burgers," said Ashley Brown, Georgia-based senior director of YouGov, when speaking to Fox News Digital.

It's deeper than just value

Before you write off the results as simply value-based, there's actually more good news for McDonald's.

"At the same time, McDonald's is the clear leader when consumers are asked which restaurant has the best fries," said Brown.

"Taken together, the findings suggest consumers evaluate fast-food brands across multiple menu items and attributes, not just burgers alone, when deciding where to eat," continued Brown.

Chick-fil-A and Wendy's also got impressive scores

While McDonald's ranks at the top of mind when consumers consider where to eat, they weren't the only restaurant getting a shout-out.

Chick-fil-A ranked as the second-most popular fast-food chain when consumers make considerations, with 35.5% of the vote, and Wendy's was third with 33.2%. McDonald's topped the list with 39.6% of the vote.

See what the fuss is all about

If anything, these rankings and feedback could be giving you a sense of FOMO. It may be time to do a little taste-testing for yourself and see what the fuss is about.

Source: FOX News

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