ACSI: Diners have a new favorite quick service restaurant brand
A quick service restaurant chain is making its debut at the top spot in the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI) Restaurant and Food Delivery Study.
Following 11 straight years of Chick-Fil-A earning the number one ranking in the ACSI study, Jersey Mike’s is appearing in the rankings for the first time, holding the top position. Jersey Mike’s received a leading customer satisfaction score of 84 (out of 100), with ACSI crediting its freshness, food variety, and value even as it added 238 stores in 2025.
Chick-Fil-A, which was ranked number one in the study ever year from 2015-2025, came in a close second in 2026 with a customer satisfaction score of 83.
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ACSI also credited improvement efforts by KFC as contributing to the fried chicken chain’s rising to a customer satisfaction score of 80. New entrants in the quick service chicken category included Raising Cane’s (79) and Wingstop (77), while Popeyes fell to 73.
In the food delivery category, Uber Eats rose to the top spot with a customer satisfaction score of 76, while Grubhub climbed for second straight year to 75 and DoorDash rose to 74 for third place as ACSI analysis indicates app enhancements helped boost satisfaction for both DoorDash and Grubhub.
In the burger segment, Culver’s now shares the top spot with Burger King. Culver’s maintained its score of 78 while Burger King improved its rating. According to ACSI, Culver’s continued focus on fresh, made-to-order food, with an emphasis on customer service, has been a major differentiator while Burger King is in the midst of a corporate revamp and offers a broader range of food than most chains in this category. Meanwhile, Sonic rose significantly to a customer satisfaction score 77 by emphasizing value offerings.
And in the full service restaurant category, LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse are now tied at 82, with both chains slightly declining from the prior year in customer satisfaction score, while Olive Garden came in a close third with an unchanged score of 81. Chili’s, which had the most traffic of any casual dining chain in 2025, rose to a score of 79, although ACSI says surging traffic can challenge operations and may be related to the Chili’s above-average complaint rate.
“Restaurant industry-level scores are stable, but there’s real movement underneath,” said Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI. “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.”
