The most popular fast food chains in the US serve ice cream
If I had to guess the most popular fast food in the US I would say McDonalds maybe followed by Taco Bell. It turns out that Baskin Robbins is the most popular chain, with Dairy Queen a close second! That’s wild to me, but this ranking isn’t based on sheer number of customers, it’s the percentage of customers who rate the brand positively. This ranking is based on 2023 polling from YouGov and I saw it in The Sun and Eat This, Not That reported as the “most popular” fast food chains, which is accurate. To me popular means numbers, not how well-liked the place is, but I’m wrong, it definitely means well liked. Incidentally, the chains with the most locations in the US are McDonalds, Subway, Starbucks, KFC then Burger King. Here are the top five fast food chains based on polling from 2023:
5. Krispy Kreme
The reigning king of fast-food doughnuts in this roundup is Krispy Kreme. The chain is known far and wide for its signature glazed donuts. When the red light is turned on, the doughnuts are at peak freshness.
4. Cinnabon
A common sight in shopping mall food courts, Cinnabon is there for those sweet, sweet cinnamon roll cravings. America’s sweet tooth must be strong, given its placement in the top five.
3. Wendy’s
Where else can you dine on a cheeseburger, a bowl of chili, a baked potato, and a frozen dessert all under one roof? Wendy’s has been a top choice among fast-food aficionados for decades, with customers coming back for its delicious Frosty and Baconator.
2. Dairy Queen
Having taken home the gold in 2022, Dairy Queen comes in at number two for this roundup. The classic soft-serve ice cream chain is known for its cones, Blizzards, and other frozen dessert novelties.
1. Baskin–Robbins
Taking the top spot this year is Baskin–Robbins, the ice cream shop known for its array of flavors. It has been considered among the best fast-food chains in America for a while, so it’s no surprise that it takes home the number one prize this year. A whopping 75% of respondents viewed the brand favorably in the latest survey.
I love Wendy’s and am so happy to see it in the top five. The food is always consistently good, the people who work there are nice, and I don’t care that the chili is supposedly leftover meat, it tastes great. They have the best fries out of the major chains too. (Although Arbys, ranked 15, also slaps.) Baskin-Robbins is a solid choice, it’s fast and the ice cream is tasty. I also like going to the Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin Donuts hybrid places. It’s surprising that Dairy Queen is number two. Blizzards are awesome, but my local Dairy Queen takes forever and they’ve been cited for multiple health code violations. The food I’ve tried there has been subpar. Maybe people rate the ice cream places favorably because it’s fun to get ice cream. You’re not starving like when you’re waiting for a meal and it’s a positive, memorable experience to go for ice cream with your family.
As for the other major places, McDonalds was number 10, Dunkin’ Donuts was 9 and Subway, KFC then Taco Bell took 8 to 6. Eat This Not That has the full list up to number 50. The Sun points out that Burger King, Chipotle and Starbucks didn’t make the top 20. If we’re only talking about ice cream brands, Cold Stone Creamery didn’t make the short list either. They’re number 22. That’s not surprising to me. I love ice cream but I’ve only been there twice because I found the whole process super annoying. You don’t need to have your employees sing on demand unless it’s someone’s birthday! Just make my ice cream, don’t make it into a whole production.
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