A new report exploring how restaurants are performing in the United States and which brands American diners prefer found that McDonald's comes to mind first when most consumers consider eating fast food — even though other chains ranked higher for burger quality.In its survey, "Best Bites 2026: U.S.Restaurant Brand Rankings," the international market research group YouGov sought to discover: "Which restaurant brands come out on top among American adults?"The group surveyed U.S.
adults about restaurant considerations, food quality and dining preferences.FAST-FOOD GIANT DETHRONED AS CUSTOMER STUDY CROWNS AMERICA'S NEW FAVORITE RESTAURANT CHAIN"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," Ashley Brown, the Georgia-based senior director of YouGov, told Fox News Digital."At the same time, McDonald's is the clear leader when consumers are asked which restaurant has the best fries," she added. McDonald's ranked as the fast-food restaurant most Americans consider when they're looking for a quick meal, although it's not the top burger, according to a recent survey.(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)"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."The YouGov survey asked respondents, "When you are in the market next to purchase food or drink, from which of the following would you consider purchasing?"RAISING CANE'S OWNER ADMITS THERE'S ONE SIDE DISH HE WON'T EAT, AND IT'S STILL ON THE MENUMcDonald's topped the list with 39.6% of the vote. Chick-fil-A came in second at 35.5%, while Wendy's followed with 33.2%.McDonald's was the No.
1 "most-considered" restaurant for both males and females as well as among age groups 18-29, 30-44 and 45-64.People 65 or older said they'd most consider W...