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Most Popular Fast Food Restaurants

Try to name the 50 most popular fast food restaurants in the United States.
Based on 2022 sales. Source: QSR magazine.
Quiz by Quizmaster
Rate:
Last updated: August 6, 2023
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First submittedJuly 31, 2011
Times taken526,480
Average score36.0%
Rating4.16
6:00
Enter restaurant here:
0
 / 50 guessed
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Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
#
Segment
Restaurant
1
Burger
McDonalds
2
Coffee
Starbucks
3
Chicken
Chick-fil-A
4
Mexican
Taco Bell
5
Burger
Wendy's
6
Donut
Dunkin'
7
Sandwich
Subway
8
Burger
Burger King
9
Pizza
Domino's
10
Mexican
Chipotle
11
Sandwich
Panera
12
Pizza
Pizza Hut
13
Burger
Sonic
14
Asian
Panda Express
15
Chicken
KFC
16
Chicken
Popeyes
17
Ice Cream
Dairy Queen
#
Segment
Restaurant
18
Sandwich
Arby's
19
Burger
Jack in the Box
20
Pizza
Papa John's
21
Pizza
Little Caesars
22
Burger
Whataburger
23
Chicken
Raising Cane's
24
Burger
Culver's
25
Sandwich
Jersey Mike's
26
Chicken
Wingstop
27
Chicken
Zaxby's
28
Sandwich
Jimmy John's
29
Burger
Five Guys
30
Burger
Hardee's
31
Chicken
Bojangles'
32
Burger
Carl's Jr.
33
Coffee
Dutch Bros
34
Sandwich
Firehouse Subs
#
Segment
Restaurant
35
Burger
In-N-Out
36
Smoothie
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
37
Chicken
El Pollo Loco
38
Cookie
Crumbl Cookies
39
Mexican
Qdoba
40
Burger
Shake Shack
41
Donut
Krispy Kreme
42
Pizza
Marco's Pizza
43
Mexican
Del Taco
44
Sandwich
McAlister's Deli
45
Burger
Checkers/Rally's
46
Burger
Freddy's Frozen Custard
& Steakburgers
47
Chicken
Church's Chicken
48
Pizza
Papa Murphy's
49
Mexican
Moe's Southwest Grill
50
Ice Cream
Baskin-Robbins
+1
Level 56
Dec 7, 2020
Subway don't make sandwiches. They make roles.
+3
Level 82
Sep 1, 2021
Like for LARPing?
+1
Level 57
Dec 16, 2020
Is Dunkin donuts really food?
+6
Level 71
Aug 25, 2021
Is any of the 50 really food?
+1
Level 59
Feb 3, 2021
am i the only one who's never heard of noodles & co?
+1
Level 28
Feb 18, 2021
no
+1
Level 71
Sep 1, 2021
I have never heard of 38 of them
+1
Level 82
Apr 8, 2022
girl I was dating in Bahrain used to work at one.
+1
Level 28
Feb 18, 2021
1:00

Scoring

You scored 22/50 = 44%

This beats or equals 73.5% of test takers

The average score is 17

Your high score is 22

+1
Level 79
Feb 21, 2021
How come no a&w?
+1
Level 88
Oct 14, 2021
I haven't seen one of those in years.
+1
Level 53
Aug 16, 2023
There's one located in Branson, Missouri at the Tanger Outlets!
+1
Level 65
Mar 12, 2021
There were so many I was surprised not to see, and so many I've never heard of. Must be regional differences.
+1
Level 18
Apr 24, 2021
I was surprised when I saw Tim Hortons on the list must be popular in the East or Midwest.
+1
Level 74
Aug 27, 2021
New York and Michigan have a lot of Tim Hortons locations.
+1
Level 66
Jul 24, 2021
As a non American I was surprised #13 was not on #8.
+1
Level 48
Aug 26, 2021
waah i just learned white castle from my English class and I just tried it, and I got it right lol

only 36 percent of ppl got it right :p

+1
Level 70
Aug 26, 2021
I love trying this quiz even when I do very poorly! Some of the highest restaurants on the list have little to no presence in Canada.

Meanwhile the Tim Hortons invasion continues, with major cities in America, Britain and China falling to inferior coffee, lukewarm tea and creative interpretations of what a sandwich is.

+1
Level 73
Aug 27, 2021
Damn I only typed Freddy's frozen custard, still got 40. Not bad since I'm not American
+1
Level ∞
Aug 27, 2021
There was a problem with that type-in. Now fixed.
+1
Level 74
Aug 27, 2021
Can you accept Cane's for Raising Cane's? :)
+1
Level ∞
Aug 27, 2021
Yes
+1
Level 46
Aug 29, 2021
Freddys should be an accepted answer
+1
Level ∞
Aug 29, 2021
Freddys already works.
+2
Level 68
Sep 1, 2021
is Papa Murphy's actually fast food? Considering you have to take it home and bake it yourself, it doesn't seem like it would qualify.
+1
Level 74
Sep 1, 2021
I'm so happy that In-N-Out made the 33'rd most sales of all fast food restaraunts in the world considering theres only 286 of them in only 5 states in the US. One day, the best fast food restaraunt of all time will be #1 and will be everywhere!
+1
Level 88
Sep 11, 2021
I've heard of In-N-Out but never been. What's so fab about it?
+2
Level 71
Aug 7, 2023
The style is a lot like McDonald's from the 60s, the ingredients are fairly flavorful and it's a basic griddled burger executed well. They're not the best fast food burger (even Wendy's has better actual meat, Five Guy's is the best) but I admit I get a hankering from time to time for their particular combination of ingredients. They have an appealing esthetic, limited menu and I think that influences people, too.
+2
Level 84
Sep 1, 2021
As a Kiwi I'm astonished KFC is so low down, here it would be 2nd at least, just behind McDonalds. Pizza Hut, Dominos and Subway are the only others on this list we have many of.
+4
Level 90
Sep 1, 2021
The passion for the Chick-Fil-A sandwich mystifies me. The chicken's okay. The bun is crap. Popeyes got it right using a brioche bun. And Shake Shack (which isn't on this list but is about as good as American fast food gets) got it even righter with a potato roll.
+1
Level 71
Aug 7, 2023
Popeye's is head and shoulders above most of these places.
+3
Level 62
Sep 1, 2021
Here in India we have-

McDonads, Starbucks (uncommon), Wendy's (very uncommon), Burger King , Dunkin' Donuts , Subway , Dominos, Pizza Hut , KFC and Baskin-Robbins (rare). Some of them serve purely vegetarian food. Paneer variants of many burgers are present.

+2
Level 49
Sep 1, 2021
As someone who lives in the U.K I found the quiz very hard, I haven't heard of the majority of those fast food places we only have about 10 of those at most
+1
Level 74
Sep 1, 2021
332 comments?? wowww that's a lot, I can't remember ever seeing more.
+1
Level 71
Aug 6, 2023
Check the Countries of the World Quiz :)
+1
Level 67
Sep 1, 2021
Can't believe I forgot Subway, Domino's, Sonic, Panera, KFC, Arby's, Little Caesars, Papa John's, Jersey Mike's, and Baskin Robbins.
+2
Level 66
Sep 1, 2021
Got 12 as an European, kinda glad to have a bad score on this.
+1
Level 64
Sep 1, 2021
Some am I! I got only 4, could have guessed up to 8, I've never heard of the 42 remaining ones.
+1
Level 28
Sep 2, 2021
I cannot believe I missed Popeyes, Arby's, Baskin-Robbins and Dairy Queen. But I live a thousand kilometers away from America, so...
+1
Level 63
Sep 3, 2021
Mcdonalds, Burger King (Hungary Jacks), KFC, Wendys, Starbucks, Dominos, PIzza Hut, KFC, Subway and Krispy Kreme. 9 things... that's all I got - and I'm proud of that score!
+1
Level 15
Sep 7, 2021
Really cool quiz but very hard! I may or may not have gotten 1/50
+1
Level 70
Sep 11, 2021
Tims really should be accepted for Tim Hortons.
+1
Level 31
Oct 29, 2021
i missed KFC!? so disappointed
+2
Level 65
Nov 6, 2021
Haven't heard of so many of these!
+3
Level 48
Nov 11, 2021
Got 23 first try. Considering I'm vegetarian and can't even eat anything at half these places, I'm fairly happy with that score
+1
Level 21
Jan 5, 2022
Got 50/50 Only 45 Seconds Left On First Try
+1
Level 67
Jan 12, 2022
Yo where's Los Pollos Hermanos
+1
Level 67
Jan 12, 2022
It's impressive if you can get all of them, I want to become a food connoisseur and have them all ingrained in my brain
+1
Level 24
Feb 14, 2022
Ouch I got 8/50, although in the UK we don't have the other 42 fast food places, or Taco Bell. I can't believe in the USA you guys don't like/don't have Nando's, Gregg's, Costa Coffee, Frankie and Bennie's, Café Nero, Coffee No. 1, Any Fish and Chip shop that floats your boat really or Spartacus.
+1
Level 82
Apr 8, 2022
Nando's, yes. Fish and chips, no.
+1
Level 71
Aug 7, 2023
I'm not sure fish and chips is that sustainable in the U.S. Long John Silver's is the only fast food fish and chip chain that I know of and it's kind of expensive and pretty rare (rarer than it used to be). Skipper's has all but disappeared entirely. I think H. Salt is out of business. Seafood seems to need an actual restaurant to make money out of it, outside of novelty (or Lent-only) menu items on a burger place's menu.

Popeye's is a bit of an exception and has pollock and I think (sometimes? seasonally?) catfish, popcorn shrimp and that's a lot for a fast food menu (it's pretty good).

+1
Level 89
Aug 17, 2023
We do have Nando's in the US but only in a select few locations. Also, Taco Bell exists in the UK.
+3
Level 39
Apr 6, 2022
calling taco bell Mexican food is so wrong and weird. That stuff is nasty.
+1
Level 82
Apr 8, 2022
The last month I've mostly been in Spain and am pretty surprised at the very large number of American fast food chains you see around here. Including Taco Bell, which I don't recall ever seeing before outside of the USA or Middle East, but I think I've seen more Taco Bells in Madrid than I've ever seen in any US city.
+1
Level 82
Apr 8, 2022
Also McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, Subway, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, Jollibee (Filipino; still, was surprised to see them), Dunkin Donuts, Five Guys... several other places...
+1
Level 71
Aug 7, 2023
What's the other Mexican food like there? Any attempt at Mexican I've tried in Europe has been execrable.
+1
Level 35
Apr 17, 2022
Damn. The only ones that i knew were starbucks, mc donalds, kfc, chick fil-a, burger king, in-n-out, sonic, taco bell and dunkin donuts.
+2
Level 69
Jun 2, 2022
Here in Brazil (or at least in my city; I live in Fortaleza) we only have the following: McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, Domino's and KFC. The last one of which only opened its first store somewhat recently back in 2019, surprisingly.

I still got 25/50, mainly thanks to my prior trips to the USA.

+1
Level 47
Jun 16, 2022
So many I've never heard of! Damn regional ones...
+1
Level 36
Jul 1, 2022
Nandos?
+1
Level 66
Aug 13, 2022
Blown away at how low Five Guys and Wingstop are, as these are some of the very few that are international (seen both of these in Birmingham UK).
+1
Level 65
Aug 13, 2022
256 comments and no one has asked about Chuck E. Cheese? Wikipedia counts it as restaurant / fast food
+1
Level 47
Sep 14, 2022
Must not be in the top 50
+1
Level 57
Aug 27, 2022
I got 26/50 as a Finnish guy. We only have McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Starbucks and KFC
+1
Level 24
Dec 12, 2022
The title should include *in america*
+1
Level 56
Jan 4, 2023
Zip's? It's in every small town here.
+1
Level 60
Jan 6, 2023
I’m vegetarian - still did okay, got a point. Missed a few I’ve heard of.
+1
Level 63
Feb 14, 2023
14/50 - basically the ones that expanded to Europe plus a few that I remembered from a visit to the US and from movies. (Thanks to Harold and Kumar!) :-)

Would be interesting to have another quiz based on worldwide statistics. Although most of the top ten would be similar, I guess.

+1
Level 46
Feb 15, 2023
i forgot white castle, since there is only ONE open location...

they have pretty good burgers tho ngl

+2
Level ∞
Aug 6, 2023
White Castle is now off the list sadly.
+1
Level 37
Apr 22, 2023
wow
+1
Level 39
May 3, 2023
I'm British so this was a struggle.
+2
Level 35
Jun 2, 2023
Me guessing tropical smoothie cafe and then realizing that 6% of people got it
+2
Level 71
Aug 6, 2023
Same with Dutch Bros! It’s currently the the least guessed answer, which is honestly quite surprising imo. Guess we have too many east coasters taking this quiz. :)
+1
Level 71
Aug 16, 2023
Well I live in PNW and am a loyal customer, but I didn't guess it because I thought it would be too regional.
+3
Level 76
Aug 6, 2023
Good preparation for what I assume makes up a big percentage of the US citizenship test
+3
Level 71
Aug 6, 2023
I didn’t know Crumbl was that popular, nor did I know that it was considered fast food!
+2
Level 71
Aug 7, 2023
I was slightly surprised (but I got it).

My speculation is that Crumbl is basically built around a scheme to make money on franchisers paying franchise fees (and then taking all the risk and going bankrupt when demand flags).

It's an appealing franchise startup because they're literally taking the cookie baking oven from Subway and making a business out of it. So the "build out" doesn't involve anything but installing a very spare countertop, a few tablets and a couple of pieces of kitchen furniture. No actual kitchen required, staff doesn't need any special skills, etc. So they can flood the market at this time with a lot of growth on the back of franchisers.

Crumbl cookies is like any trend, like the cupcake stores were ten years ago and Peace/Love/Donuts were five years ago. People get excited about these big sloppy cookies and they pop up in like an office park or disused strip mall. When the trend fades, they'll go under, but that's on the franchisers; Crumbl's made its money.

+1
Level 42
Dec 20, 2023
I live in Utah (where Crumbl came from) and they sue just about everyone for making a cookie. It's like they think they invented the chocolate chip. It's annoying as hell and nobody here likes em anymore. Crazy how they spread to every state in like 5 years tho.
+1
Level 74
Aug 6, 2023
Surprised Steak 'n Shake didn't make the cut! I wonder if they're shrinking
+1
Level 71
Aug 7, 2023
I think indeed it is shrinking; I can recall Steak n Shake being on this quiz before, then I guess fell off the top 50 with the recent update.
+1
Level 66
Aug 7, 2023
Zaxby's and Freddy's are truly the best. I'm unsure if it's considered fast food, but Red Robin could also join that high company.
+2
Level 66
Aug 7, 2023
ChickFilA and Whataburger are pretty good as well.

I like Jimmy John's, but the last time I went, a group of five literal clowns ordered sandwiches with too much sauce. The whole experience was very uncanny.

+1
Level 71
Aug 7, 2023
I knew Whataburger, but missed it because I kept trying to spell it "Wattaburger".

It's okay. It's "better" Burger King like In-N-Out is "better" McDonald's.

+4
Level 71
Aug 7, 2023
Red Robin is casual dining I believe (not fast casual, since they have table service and a full bar).
+1
Level 65
Aug 7, 2023
I'm an American living in the UK so I did well, but by my latest count at least 16 of these have UK locations, and 12 of the top 20 do now.
+1
Level 67
Aug 7, 2023
Didn't really know Raising Canes until the other day when I ate it on vacation
+1
Level 86
Aug 8, 2023
Cane's is absolutely delicious when it's hot and fresh! Doesn't keep well once it cools down, though. The staff is always fantastic, too, which is a rarity for fast food. I remember going to it outside of LSU's campus when there was just one location. Multi-national now in a relatively short period of time.
+1
Level 70
Aug 16, 2023
12/50. If I weren't watching too much YouTube lately, I'd been only aware of McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut (I also thought that one was the German thing).
+1
Level 60
Aug 16, 2023
I've got 9/50, almost everything in this list is sth I've never heard before (I am Polish)
+1
Level 64
Aug 16, 2023
20/50 missed popeyes
+1
Level 63
Aug 16, 2023
Quite American centric. I live in the UK so not likely to get most of them.
+4
Level 73
Aug 16, 2023
Yea, it's almost like the quiz description says "In the US"
+1
Level 59
Aug 16, 2023
"Try to name the 50 most popular fast food restaurants in the United States."
+1
Level 72
Aug 16, 2023
Accept just 'Panda' for Panda Express?
+1
Level 21
Aug 17, 2023
crazy how many there are.

I got the top 9 + 2 more and thats about all I know. From the results there are about 5 I have heared of.

fast food chains are not common in Germany apart from the very big ones

+1
Level 66
Oct 21, 2023
Just add "in the US" to the title of the quiz, so that the title accurately reflects the content, and I'll give it some stars.

(Yes, I know that the desription says

"Try to name the 50 most popular fast food restaurants in the United States"

but you wouldn't even need any description at all if the title was extended to include those three little words.)

+2
Level 42
Dec 20, 2023
I live in Utah (where Crumbl came from) and they sue just about everyone for making a cookie. It's like they think they invented the chocolate chip. It's annoying as hell and nobody here likes em anymore. Crazy how they spread to every state in like 5 years tho.
+1
Level 33
Jan 16, 2024
As an European I've never even heard of so many of those. Here we have KFC, McD, Starbucks, Subway, Domino's, Dunkin' Donuts, Pizza Hut and Burger King, maybe 2-3 more.
+1
Level 35
Mar 12, 2024
i did this for the second time and missed a million that i knew