Study: Chick-fil-A’s 11-year reign as top fast-food restaurant comes to end

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A used to have a lock on the title of top fast-food restaurant, but season(ings) change.

A new study from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which gauges consumer sentiment, indicates that the sub shop Jersey Mike’s has topped Chick-fil-A in customer satisfaction.

The study covers metrics such as food order accuracy, menu variety, and restaurant layout and cleanliness across several restaurant tiers — including quick-service restaurants (fast food), which have been dominated by Chick-fil-A in 11 previous studies.

Jersey Mike’s, which makes its debut in the rankings, topped Chick-fil-A by one point, scoring an 84 out of 100.

Here are the top four fast food restaurants in ACSI’s 2026 rankings, along with their scores:

• Jersey Mike’s: 84
• Chick-fil-A: 83
• Jimmy John’s: 81
• Panda Express: 81

Other brands made customer-friendly strides in the rankings, including Sonic, which experienced a 5% jump in its score compared to the last study.

Popeyes had a 3% tumble, the worst on the list.