2 min read- A new YouGov survey ranked Five Guys as America’s best fast-food burger chain, ahead of Burger King and In-N-Out.
- Five Guys has also made lists as both the country’s most expensive fast-food burger and one of its least healthy.
- The same report also ranked Taco Bell first for tacos, Chick-fil-A for chicken, and McDonald’s for fries.
America has officially chosen its fast-food burger champion, and I can’t say I’m stunned.
According to YouGov’s new 2026 U.S. restaurant rankings, Five Guys came out on top for best quality fast-food burgers, with 15.5 percent of respondents giving it the top spot. Burger King was right behind it at 15.0 percent, followed by In-N-Out at 12.1 percent, Wendy’s at 10.2 percent, and McDonald’s at 8.7 percent.
Five Guys winning this is kind of perfect, because nobody goes there expecting any real level of restraint. This is the same chain identified as the most expensive fast-food burger in the country, with its classic cheeseburger (American-style cheese melted over fresh patties and sandwiched between a toasted sesame bun) ringing in around $12.99.
Funnily enough, it also showed up as the unhealthiest cheeseburger in a 2024 PlushCare study with a 50-point “unhealthiness score” (their fries also weighed in as the unhealthiest, with 28 points on the score).
On the flip side, its Bacon Cheeseburger is one of the higher-ranked fast-food burgers on the protein front, with 52 grams of protein from two fresh beef burger patties, crispy Applewood-smoked bacon, and additional toppings. So, yes, Five Guys may cost more and do the most nutritionally, but apparently a lot of America still thinks it tastes the best.
The other data of the YouGov report filled in the rest of some common fast-food superlatives: Taco Bell won tacos and burritos, Subway topped deli sandwiches, Chick-fil-A led chicken, Pizza Hut won pizza, and McDonald’s dominated fries by a wild margin.
So while plenty of burger fans will keep arguing, America’s official answer right now is pretty clear: if you want the fast-food burger crown, it goes to the place that’s never been shy about being extra.