Fast-food restaurants are synonymous with America. After all, this is the country that began mass-producing them and exported them to the world.
There's a fast-food joint for every taste and seemingly any type of food. Whether you want burgers, chicken or donuts, America delivers to satisfy your cravings. But which restaurants have the strongest hold on the hearts of Americans? We analyzed search data to see which ones people are searching for the most.
Here are the 11 most popular fast-food restaurants in the U.S.
11. Dairy Queen
MS / Yelp
Headquarters: Bloomington, Minnesota
No. of searches: 1.83 million
With endless ice cream and milkshake options, Dairy Queen is basically a sugar lover's dream. No one can forget the feeling of being a child and stopping by a DQ, knowing you'd get a sugar rush that would last you for three days.
We'll ignore that they also serve burgers because they're not good at all, but it doesn't matter since we're here for the ice cream anyways.
6. Wendy’s (Tie)
Kate S. / Yelp
Headquarters: Dublin, Ohio
No. of searches: 2.24 million
Wendy's ties in sixth place with many other fast-food chains with a 2.24 million search volume — that's more than the entire population of New Mexico! As far as the big three in burgers go (the other being Burger King and McDonald's), Wendy's is decidedly less fancy (if fancy is a word you can even use in the context of fast food).
That said, its Baconator is delicious and so are its Frostys, which are simple but always hit the spot.
6. Sonic Drive-In (Tie)
Karole W. / Yelp
Headquarters: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
No. of searches: 2.24 million
Sonic stands out from the fast-food crowd for its unique 1950s dinner-inspired concept. After all, servers are known to come out on roller skates to bring you your food. This alone makes the trip worth it.
Add to that the chain's famous milkshakes and decent burgers, and you can understand why Americans love this brand.
6. Popeyes (Tie)
Ciri D. / Yelp
Headquarters: Miami, Florida
No. of searches: 2.24 million
One of the two biggest fried chicken chains in the country, Popeyes has a fiercely loyal following that swears there is nothing better than its sandwich.
The chain uses flavors inspired by the American South, which translates into more seasoned and interesting meals than you get at many other fast-food places.
6. KFC (Tie)
Matt M. / Yelp
Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky
No. of searches: 2.24 million
It seems like America is equally divided in its love for Popeyes and KFC. The fight is finally settled, and the verdict is a tie. Sorry, people, the numbers simply don't lie.
KFC lovers can't get enough of Coronel Sanders' secret recipe, which is guarded as tightly as the Mona Lisa. Is the recipe worth the hype? Millions of people seem to think so.
6. Dunkin' (Tie)
Suzette R. / Yelp
Headquarters: Canton, Massachusetts
No. of searches: 2.24 million
Is there anything better than coffee and donuts? Sure, the combination is horrible for your health, but sometimes, you need to live a little. And while we don't recommend starting your day at Dunkin' (originally Dunkin' Donuts), it's certainly a perfect place to treat yourself to a sweet, delicious and inexpensive rush sugar rush.
Whether you're in the glazed or filled donut camp, you'll never be disappointed by the offerings at this northeastern gem.
5. Burger King
Steve D. / Yelp
Headquarters: Miami, Florida
No. of searches: 2.74 million
Of course, the King would make it to the top five fast-food restaurants. Serving burgers since 1954, BK is McDonald's fiercest burger competition. The Whopper is perhaps its most famous menu item, developing a cult following of people who refuse to order anything else.
The chain's fries are fairly decent as well, and it was one of the first fast-food places to adopt vegetarian options with the Impossible Burger.
4. Taco Bell
Sheryl D. / Yelp
Headquarters: Irvine, California
No. of searches: 5 million
The food served at Taco Bell is nowhere near anything you could call Mexican food. But that doesn't stop millions of people from craving the mix of beans, vegetables and lots of cheese wrapped up in tortillas.
Plus, Taco Bell fulfills a craving for a type of fast food that no other competitor really offers. That's just good business.
2. Chick-fil-A (Tie)
Lucia L. / Yelp
Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
No. of searches: 6.1 million
Like Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A stands out because it specializes in something no one else focuses on: chicken sandwiches. Sure, other brands offer them, but none truly focus on this one item that is more coveted than one would think.
As such, this highly controversial brand has carved itself into a very niche market, and it doesn't seem like it'll leave any time soon.
2. McDonald’s (Tie)
Daniel B. / Yelp
Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois
No. of searches: 6.1 million
Of course, McDonald's would be close to the top of this list. In fact, we're surprised that it tied with Chick-fil-A and that it's not No.1.
The brand is a symbol of fast food, franchises and America worldwide. Does it offer the best quality? Not even close! But people can't get enough of the famous Big Mac accompanied by a McFlurry.
1. Domino's Pizza
Chris L. / Yelp
Headquarters: Ann Arbor, Michigan
No. of searches: 11.1 million
Pizza is not to be left behind in the hearts of Americans. Though burgers are popular, it's Domino's that has the most searches out of any fast-food brand. And it's by a margin of about 5 million!
Is it the option to build your own pizza? The different crusts that cater to all tastes? We can't really say, but we agree with America that this is the best fast-food pizza chain out there.