Calling all fast-food lovers: the verdict is on the best chain in the nation.

Nov. 16 is National Fast Food Day, which pays tribute to our favorite drive-thrus and burger joints.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index recently released 2023 best fast-food restaurants based on customer satisfaction and feedback.

Wondering where your go-to spot ranks or simply looking for a tie-breaker to choose where to have dinner tonight? Check out the lists below.

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How the ranking was determined

The American Customer Satisfaction Index gathers information from 500,000 customers interviewed annually and inputs it into a multi-equation model developed at the University of Michigan. Unlike other organizations that measure things like revenue and volume of customers or purchases per year, the American Customer Satisfaction Index is unique in its focus on customer experience and satisfaction.

This year's restaurant study was based on interviews with 16,250 customers, chosen at random and contacted via email between April 2022 and March 2023.

According to the research, customers care the most about a number of experiences and customer service-related components. In ranked order, they are:

  • Accuracy of food order
  • Quality of mobile app
  • Reliability of mobile app (minimal downtime, crashes, lags)
  • Beverage quality (taste, temperature)
  • Courtesy and helpfulness of staff
  • Food quality (taste, temperature, freshness of ingredients)
  • Website satisfaction
  • Restaurant layout and cleanliness
  • Speed of check-out or delivery
  • Variety of beverages on menu
  • Variety of food on menu

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Top five fast food restaurants for customer satisfaction in 2023

When it comes to customer satisfaction, Chick-fil-A ranked No. 1, following closely by Jimmy John's.

  • Chick-fil-A with an 85 satisfaction score, up 2% from last year
  • Jimmy John’s at 84, up 6% from 2022
  • KFC with an 81 customer satisfaction score, an increase of 4%
  • Papa John's with an 80 score, up 5% since last year
  • Domino’s stayed consistent with a 78 in satisfaction
  • The list also included an "All Others" category in the third spot for restaurants not named, scoring 82

Bottom five fast food restaurants for customer satisfaction in 2023

Of the chains listed in the index, McDonald's customers were least satisfied, followed by Taco Bell and Sonic. Jack in the Box and Wendy's rounded out the bottom five.

  • Wendy’s had a 74 satisfaction score, up 1% from last year
  • Jack in the Box weighed in at 73, also up 1% from 2022
  • Sonic saw a 2% drop in satisfaction, going from 74 to 72
  • Taco Bell likewise went from 72 to 71, a 1% decrease
  • McDonald’s bottomed out the list at 69, up one point from last year

Complete ranked list

The survey found that America's favorite fast-food chain is Chick-fil-A, which had a satisfaction score of 85, a 2% improvement over last year. Here's how your other favorite and not-so-favorite chains ranked:

  • Chick-fil-A∘ Score in 2023: 85∘ Score in 2022: 83
  • Jimmy John’s∘ Score in 2023: 84∘ Score in 2022: 79
  • KFC∘ Score in 2023: 81∘ Score in 2022: 78
  • Papa Johns∘ Score in 2023: 80∘ Score in 2022: 76
  • Domino’s∘ Score in 2023: 78∘ Score in 2022: 78
  • Five Guys∘ Score in 2023: 78∘ Score in 2022: 76
  • Pizza Hut∘ Score in 2023: 78∘ Score in 2022: 77
  • Starbucks∘ Score in 2023: 78∘ Score in 2022: 77
  • Arby's∘ Score in 2023: 77∘ Score in 2022: 76
  • Dunkin'∘ Score in 2023: 77∘ Score in 2022: 74
  • Panda Express∘ Score in 2023: 77∘ Score in 2022: 75
  • Burger King∘ Score in 2023: 76∘ Score in 2022: 75
  • Panera Bread∘ Score in 2023: 76∘ Score in 2022: 77
  • Chipotle∘ Score in 2023: 75∘ Score in 2022: 77
  • Dairy Queen∘ Score in 2023: 75∘ Score in 2022: 74
  • Subway∘ Score in 2023: 75∘ Score in 2022: 75
  • Little Caesars ∘ Score in 2023: 74∘ Score in 2022: 75
  • Popeyes∘ Score in 2023: 74∘ Score in 2022: 71
  • Wendy's∘ Score in 2023: 74∘ Score in 2022: 73
  • Jack in the Box∘ Score in 2023: 73∘ Score in 2022: 72
  • Sonic∘ Score in 2023: 72∘ Score in 2022: 74
  • Taco Bell∘ Score in 2023: 71∘ Score in 2022: 72
  • McDonald's∘ Score in 2023: 69∘ Score in 2022: 68

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