McDonald's Tops Fast-Food Consideration at 39.6% as Nearly 40% Pick Its Fries
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 20
McDonald's Tops Fast-Food Consideration at 39.6% as Nearly 40% Pick Its Fries
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 20
Summary
YouGov’s 2026 U.S. restaurant survey put McDonald’s first when Americans consider buying fast food, with 39.6% naming it ahead of Chick-fil-A at 35.5% and Wendy’s at 33.2%.
That lead did not extend to burgers: Five Guys ranked best at 15.5%, Burger King took 15%, and McDonald’s placed fifth at 8.7%, suggesting diners weigh more than burger taste when choosing where to eat.
McDonald’s dominated the fries category with 39.2%, far ahead of Five Guys at 9%, and it was the most-considered chain across men, women and adults ages 18 to 64.
Chick-fil-A ranked as the top fast-food brand on quality, while Wendy’s led on value at 21.6%; McDonald’s missed the quality top 10 and ranked eighth on value at 12.5%.
The report also found about two-thirds of Americans buy fast food at least monthly and 30% do so weekly, with value, discounts and clean dining areas driving those frequent visits.