McDonald's is the first restaurant Americans think of when they want fast food, but it is not where most of them go for the best burger. That is one of the central findings of a 2026 survey by the international market research group YouGov, which ranked restaurant brands across a range of categories including food quality, value, and specific menu items.
The survey, titled "Best Bites 2026: U.S. Restaurant Brand Rankings," asked U.S. adults which restaurant brands they would consider when purchasing fast food. McDonald's topped that list with 39.6% of the vote. Chick-fil-A came in second at 35.5%, and Wendy's followed at 33.2%.
McDonald's led in consideration among both men and women and across all age groups from 18 to 64. Adults 65 and older were the one exception, with that group saying they would most consider Wendy's.
"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, senior director of YouGov, in a statement to Fox News Digital. "At the same time, McDonald's is the clear leader when consumers are asked which restaurant has the best fries."
Brown added, "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."
On the burger question, Five Guys ranked first at 15.5%, followed by Burger King at 15% and In-N-Out Burger at 12.1%. Wendy's placed fourth at 10.2%, while McDonald's came in fifth at 8.7%.
The french fry results told a very different story. McDonald's took 39.2% of the vote in that category, far ahead of second-place Five Guys, which received just 9%.
Chick-fil-A ranked first for best chicken at 25.3% and was also the top-ranked fast-food brand overall based on quality. McDonald's did not appear in the quality top ten.
On value, Wendy's led with 21.6% of the vote. McDonald's came in eighth at 12.5%.
Other category winners included Subway for best deli sandwich at 22.9%, Taco Bell for best taco or burrito at 30.3%, and Pizza Hut for best pizza at 19.1%.
The YouGov report also examined casual-dining and specialty-dining brands and developed a profile of weekly fast-food consumers. About two-thirds of Americans purchase food or drinks from fast food establishments on a regular basis, according to the survey data.
