Chick-fil-A Dethroned as Best Fast Food Chain - Meet the New No. 1

Move over, Chick-fil-A, there's a new king in town. Sorry, Burger King, it's not you.

The American Consumer Satisfaction Index released its Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2026, which revealed a new No. 1 in the quick service industry. Chick-fil-A has dominated the list, sitting atop the leaderboard in each of the past 11 years.

However, a restaurant that's been growing rapidly is now the favorite.

Jersey Mike's Overtakes No. 1 Spot

Jersey Mike's is now the top-rated fast food chain in the United States according to the ACSI study.

"Jersey Mike's enters the ACSI rankings as the top-rated brand at 84, recognized for freshness, food variety, and value. The chain, which added 238 net new locations in 2025 and reached $4.2 billion in systemwide sales, has maintained quality while scaling rapidly," the study said.

Despite its slip, Chick-fil-A still remains the No. 1 fast food chicken restaurant and one of the highest-scoring brands in any ACSI category at 83.

Jersey Mike is just one of a number of restaurants making a strong debut.

"Restaurant industry-level scores are stable, but there's real movement underneath," Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI said in a statement.

"New brands are entering our rankings and immediately competing at the top, which tells you something about where consumer expectations are headed. Price still matters, but it's no longer enough on its own. Consistency across the full experience is what separates the leaders right now, and that's showing up clearly in the data. The challenge going forward is sustaining that as costs continue to rise and competition intensifies from outside the traditional restaurant space."

New entrants Raising Cane's (79) and Wingstop (77) gave Chick-fil-A competition, while Popeyes fell 3% to 73.

Related: Peacock Quietly Canceled One of Its Most-Watched Shows

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 12:17 AM.