Skip to content
Next Episodes
Mon: 7:30pm
Tues: 7:30pm
Classic Episodes
Mon: 1:30pm
Tues: 1:30pm
Most popular fast-food chain in every American state revealed in new research Credits: Social Media
By Paul Fogarty

Most popular fast-food chain in every American state revealed in new research

By Paul Fogarty

New research reveals the most popular fast-food chain in every state across America and some firm favorites are surprisingly absent.

Fast food is often viewed as the lifeblood of America and preferences vary dramatically across the country, with the most popular restaurant chains across the country giving us a fascinating insight into local tastes, traditions, and regional loyalty.

Market research company HubScore has recently published a rating of the most popular fast-food chains across America, ranking the favorite restaurants in 48 states across the country – with Hawaii and Alaska absent from the list.

The research revealed that Chipotle Mexican Grill enjoys the most widespread popularity across the US as its the favorite fast-food option in 11 states.

Chick-fil-A came in at second with nine states rating it as their number-one choice. Meanwhile, Smashburger ranked third with eight states calling it their favorite.

Elsewhere, A&W was most popular in five states, four states on the West Coast had In-N-Out Burger as their number one pick while KFC, Taco Bell, and Churchs Texas Chicken held the top spot in two states each.

And lastly, Popeyes, Hardees, Burger King, Five Guys, and Whataburger were all the favorites of one state apiece.

Notably, despite being the world’s biggest fast-food brand, McDonalds didnt rank as the number one choice in any state according to HubScores findings. Although, the restaurant does rank within the top 5 choices of 19 of the 48 states included in the research.

The McDonald's Logo lit up at night
Photo by Artin Bakhan on Unsplash

The favorite fast-food chain in every state

You can learn a lot about a region by its favorite foods and that can certainly extend to the realm of fast food.

For example, California-founded In-N-Out Burger is the most popular choice across several West Coast states. New York and New Jersey both enjoy Churchs Texas Chicken while Chick-fil-A, Smashburger, and Chipotle are favorites across several Midwestern states.

  • Alabama | A&W Restaurants
  • Arizona | Chick-fil-A
  • Arkansas | Smashburger
  • California | In-N-Out Burger
  • Colorado | Taco Bell
  • Connecticut | Chick-fil-A
  • Delaware | KFC
  • Florida | Whataburger
  • Georgia | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Idaho | Chick-fil-A
  • Illinois | Smashburger
  • Indiana | Smashburger
  • Iowa | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Kansas | Chick-fil-A
  • Kentucky | Smashburger
  • Louisiana | Smashburger
  • Maine | Burger King
  • Maryland | A&W Restaurants
  • Massachusetts | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Michigan | Chick-fil-A
  • Minnesota | Chick-fil-A
  • Mississippi | Chick-fil-A
  • Missouri | Chick-fil-A
  • Montana | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Nebraska | Smashburger
  • Nevada | In-N-Out Burger
  • New Hampshire | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • New Jersey | Churchs Texas Chicken
  • New Mexico | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • New York | Churchs Texas Chicken
  • North Carolina | A&W Restaurants
  • North Dakota | KFC
  • Ohio | Smashburger
  • Oklahoma | A&W Restaurants
  • Oregon | In-N-Out Burger
  • Pennsylvania | Smashburger
  • Rhode Island | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • South Carolina | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • South Dakota | Taco Bell
  • Tennessee | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Texas | A&W Restaurants
  • Utah | In-N-Out Burger
  • Vermont | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Virginia | Five Guys
  • Washington | Popeyes
  • West Virginia | Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Wisconsin | Chick-fil-A
  • Wyoming | Hardees

To view a full map of the favorite fast-food chains by state, head over to HubScores website.