This Sandwich Chain Just Overthrew Chick-Fil-A As America's Top-Rated Fast Food In 2026

Many factors contribute to the success or failure of a fast food chain, be it the variety of the menu, the freshness of the food, or the quality of the service. Ultimately, however, all will be measured in terms of customer satisfaction, and it is by this metric that Chick-fil-A has lost its throne. For the first time in over a decade, a 2026 study from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) found that Chick-fil-A was beaten out by rival sandwich franchise, Jersey Mike's, for the prime position of the United States' top-rated fast food chain. 

In the ASCI's overall assessment of quick-service restaurants (QSRs), Jersey Mike's scored a rating of 84 on a scale of zero to 100, narrowly unseating Chick-fil-A, which maintained its prior score of 83. Based on the 16,464 completed surveys of random customers conducted by the ASCI between April 2025 and March 2026, Jersey Mike's was commended for the variety, value, and freshness of its food. The ACSI also noted that the chain maintained this level of quality even while adding 238 new locations throughout 2025 and achieving $4.2 billion in systemwide sales. 

Chick-fil-A nevertheless held on to its position as leader in the ASCI's ranking of chicken-based restaurant chains, a conclusion which echoed Yelp's finding that Chick-fil-A was America's favorite fast food chicken sandwich chain in 2025.

Assessing wider trends throughout the U.S. restaurant industry, the 2026 study from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) cited a report from Technomic, which found that chain restaurants experienced a growth rate of only 3% across 2025, making it the slowest year outside of the COVID-19 pandemic since the Great Recession. What little growth there was throughout the year was attributed to higher prices, rather than an increase in customers.

Commenting on the findings, ACSI director of research emeritus and associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University, Forrest Morgeson, said, "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. The challenge going forward is sustaining that as costs continue to rise and competition intensifies from outside the traditional restaurant space."

Jersey Mike's has been catching our attention for its "sub in a tub" options, two of which were named by Tasting Table as the three best Jersey Mike's orders of 2026 so far. For a more comprehensive look at the menu of the top-rated fast food chain in the U.S., check out Tasting Table's ranking of 15 popular Jersey Mike's subs.