McDonald's topped the fast-food consideration rankings in YouGov's "Best Bites 2026: U.S. Restaurant Brand Rankings," with 39.6% of American adults naming the Illinois-based chain their first choice when deciding where to purchase fast food — yet the same respondents ranked McDonald's fifth for best-tasting burgers, at 8.7%. The survey, conducted by the international market research group YouGov among U.S. adults, found brand salience and product-category excellence tracking separately across the fast-food landscape.
Consideration Rankings: McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Wendy's
McDonald's 39.6% consideration share outpaced Chick-fil-A at 35.5% and Wendy's at 33.2% in the question asking which restaurant respondents would consider for their next food or drink purchase. McDonald's ranked first among males, females, and every age group from 18 to 64. Among respondents aged 65 and older, Wendy's took the top spot.
Ashley Brown, senior director of YouGov and based in Georgia, said the findings suggest consumers weigh fast-food brands across multiple menu items and attributes — not burgers alone — when choosing where to eat.
Category Scores: Burgers, Fries, and Beyond
Five Guys won the best burger category with 15.5% of the vote, narrowly ahead of Burger King at 15.0% and In-N-Out Burger at 12.1%. Wendy's ranked fourth at 10.2%; McDonald's placed fifth at 8.7%.
The french fry category produced a starker margin: McDonald's led at 39.2%, with Five Guys a distant second at 9.0%. Other category winners included Chick-fil-A for best chicken spot (25.3%), Subway for best deli sandwich (22.9%), Taco Bell for best taco or burrito (30.3%), and Pizza Hut for best pizza (19.1%).
Chick-fil-A ranked No. 1 on quality; McDonald's did not appear in the top 10. On value, Wendy's led with 21.6%, while McDonald's came in eighth at 12.5%.
Weekly Fast-Food Diner Profile
About two-thirds of Americans purchase from fast-food restaurants at least once a month; 30% do so at least once a week. Weekly diners skew 55% male and 45% female; 49% fall in the middle-income band, defined as earning between 75% and 200% of the median income; and 51% are younger than 45.
YouGov's report identified value and discounts as the primary drivers for weekly fast-food diners, followed by a clean dining area. Customization of menu items over-indexes with women; men respond more strongly to 24-hour service and self-serve drink stations.