12 Absolute Best Southern Fast Food Chains

It doesn't get much more American than charbroiled burgers, crisp French fries, and thick, creamy milkshakes, especially when they're ordered from your favorite fast food chain. If you're a fan of quickly prepared affordable eats, then you've probably debated whether a Whopper is better than a Big Mac. You may remember when everyone thought the tacos at Jack in the Box were vegan, or when Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, Wendy's, and others waged war with chicken sandwiches. These moments in time highlight why fast food isn't just stuff we love to eat, but a culture we're all part of.

American fast food is much more than golden arches, pigtailed redheads, swinging bells, and smiling colonels, though. In the South, for example, you'll find fast food chains that are every bit as iconic as major nationwide ones. Some have expanded into other territories, such as Church's Texas Chicken and Checkers & Rally's, but there are many regional chains that, though you may have never heard of them, have nonetheless been an important part of everyday life for locals. If a trip below the Mason-Dixon Line is on your to-do list, fret not, because I looked at online recommendations, nationwide reach, and factored in my own personal experience to narrow down the 12 absolute best Southern fast food chains.

I first tried Whataburger years ago during a brief pit stop in Austin, Texas, and after taking a bite, I immediately understood the local hype. I ordered its flagship handheld, made with 100% fresh, never-frozen beef, crisp hand-cut lettuce, onion, and three tomatoes, along with pickles, mustard, and its thick signature ketchup served on a toasted five-inch bun. To be honest, it kind of reminded me of Burger King, except with a fresher taste. 

The chain, which today is considered Texas's favorite fast food joint, is not just a quintessential part of the Lone Star State experience, but is worth trying if you ever find yourself in any of the 373 cities it operates in. Along with bulky burgers that require two hands, the chain offers a variety of chicken options, patty melts, salads, shakes and malts, and a high-quality breakfast sandwich that's available to order from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m.

There are three bun types to choose from, including Texas toast, tasty add-ons like grilled jalapeños and avocado, and five signature house-made sauces. In fact, Whataburger's sauces can even be purchased from its online store, or at grocery stores like Albertsons, Hy-Vee, and H-E-B, to name a few. That said, if you want the real deal sauce-perience, you have to visit an actual Whataburger location.

I was lucky enough to attend a high school that served Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches for breakfast. Yes, this is a true story. Even then, I knew there was something special about the chicken that made it stand out from other fast food chains. It was fresh, meaty, juicy, flavorful enough to enjoy on buns with just pickles, and clearly didn't originate from the chilly depths of a freezer.

Chick-fil-A is now located in states across the U.S., and the same freshly made quality remains true today. The chain hasn't strayed far from its roots, and for the most part, it's maintained a pretty concise menu. Spicy versions of its flagship sandwich, grilled chicken options, wraps, strips, and a variety of chicken-topped salads make up most of the available items. Its signature waffle fries are also a must-try, mindfully salted on the outside and moist on the inside, and in my opinion, they're some of the best fast food fries out there. 

Food aside, a trip to Chick-fil-A is incomplete without a sip of its sweet Georgia-style lemonade, made from real lemon juice. The chain sells it by the gallon. You can't forget the breakfast, either. Pull up anytime between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. for chicken biscuit sandwiches, which can be ordered spicy or topped with bacon, egg, and cheese. The menu also includes milkshakes, frosted coffees and sodas, and sweet treats.

If scratch-made Southern-style biscuits, crisp made-to-order fried chicken, and all-day breakfast are your cup of tea, plot a course to Bojangles. Founded in 1977 in Charlotte, North Carolina, its footprint now extends to 24 states, along with one location in Honduras. Bojangles takes biscuit-making seriously, and its ultra-buttery biscuits with a super fluffy consistency are what it's most known for. The chain employs a 49-step method to make them, and it even holds an annual Biscuit Maker Challenge.

At Bojangles, you'll find a variety of biscuit sandwiches, including the fan-favorite Bo' Berry biscuit that's dotted with blueberries and drizzled with sweet icing. This popular chicken chain keeps growing because it offers a wide range of delicious poultry options, including nugget-style Bo' Bites, dark and white meat seasoned chicken, and chicken sandwiches, all of which are marinated for 12 hours, hand-breaded, and fried until crisp and golden-brown. If you prefer grilled chicken, Bojangles has that too.

Spruce up your order with one of eight sides, or as Southerners call them, fixin's. The Bo-tato Rounds, which resemble miniature hashbrown bites, are another popular item. Plunging them into the signature Bo Sauce is a must. Afterwards, you can wash it all down with the chain's Legendary Peach Iced Tea.

The best way to describe my perception of Church's Texas Chicken as a kid was of it being the Wendy's to KFC and Popeyes. In other words, it was pretty well-known, but not quite as popular. This was when it was named Church's Fried Chicken, before swapping the "Fried" in its name for Texas, which is where it was founded over 70 years ago. Today it operates in 30 states, though is still mostly located in the South.

Like KFC and Popeyes, Church's specializes in Southern fried chicken. However, it isn't as seasoning-heavy as Popeyes chicken, and to me, it has way more crunch than KFC's chicken has. The chain reintroduced its original 1952 recipe in 2024, so the fried chicken is now marinated, hand-battered, and double-breaded, which gives it an even crispier, crunchier consistency. Also, unlike at its rivals, it's customary to eat Church's chicken with jalapeño peppers.

Now, whether or not you consider it the superior chicken maker is a matter of opinion, but one thing you can't deny is that it's more affordable. An 8-piece family meal at Church's, for example, is around $4 cheaper in Texas than both. What's more, the chain also takes the crown when it comes to biscuits. Its scratch-made small-batch honey butter biscuits are hands-down unrivaled.

Founded in 1921 during the Great Depression, the Tennessee-based chain Krystal could easily be mistaken for a clone of White Castle, were it not for some notable differences, like how the burgers are prepared. Both specialize in small, square, slider-style burgers, but Krystal doesn't add steam holes to its patties like White Castle does. It still steams them on rehydrated onions, but keeps them as-is, then squirts them with yellow mustard, and tops them with diced onions and pickle.

Another difference is that Krystal can only be found below the Mason-Dixon, with the exception of a single location in New Jersey. There are fewer slider options too, but Krystal makes up for it with combos, value items, and limited-time offers, such as its Under $3 Kravings menu, and its rotating Value Picks menu. The chain also shakes things up with chicken wings, nuggets, and pups, which are tiny hot dog sliders.

As someone who grew up in a city where Krystal and White Castle were both available, there are just some things Krystal does better. If you enjoy White Castle's Crispy Chicken Slider, then you'll love Krystal's Classic Chik. Or if your sweet tooth craves a wider assortment of desserts, Krystal has mini waffles, sundaes, donut holes, and fried apple turnovers.

When people debate over the best fast food fries, the Famous Seasoned fries at Checkers & Rally's aren't mentioned nearly enough. Now granted, McDonald's fries are goated, and In-N-Out fries aren't too bad if you're into cardboard, but the Famous Seasoned fries? Those deserve a spot on the Mount Rushmore of fast food side dishes. The first Checkers opened in 1986 in Mobile, Alabama, before merging with the Florida-based Rally's in 1999. As a combined force, Checkers & Rally's has become the nation's largest double-drive-thru chain.

What makes it unique, however, is that in some states, it still goes by Checkers, and in others, it still goes by Rally's. In my city, it was called Checkers, and along with the fries, my favorite thing to order was the Big Buford, a mouthful of a burger made with two hand-seasoned, 100% beef patties, two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and all the classic burger toppings you can think of on a toasted bakery-style bun. The Spicy Chicken Sandwich was another go-to, though I preferred it with Big Buford toppings. The Baconzilla!, which is the chain's version of Wendy's Baconator, also holds a special place in my heart.

In general, though, the chain serves a wide range of handhelds, including fish sandwiches and hot dogs. You'll also find inventive sides like Philly Cheesesteak bites, which are mini empanadas stuffed with Philly-style beef, grilled peppers, and onions. The menu also features classic milkshakes and funnel cake fries.

Fourteen sauces, three dry rubs, and two dressings are what you'll find at Zaxby's, a popular Southern fried chicken chain from Statesboro, Georgia, where flavor is never an issue. Since opening in 1990, it's hatched locations across the U.S., but if you haven't heard of it, it's because there are only a handful outside the South. Zaxby's is where you go for hand-breaded Chicken Fingerz, all-white breast meat wings, served with crispy crinkle-cut fries, fresh slaw made in-house daily, and basket-fulls of Texas toast. That said, the endless customization is what really makes this a must-try chain.

The Chicken Fingerz, for example, can be ordered with one of the signature sauces on the side, coated with them, or tossed in dry rub. You can have your fries plain or sprinkled with signature seasoning salt, lemon pepper, garlic Parmesan, or Nashville hot seasoning. If you prefer boneless wings, Zaxby's has it. If you like to keep it traditional, just ask. However you like your fried chicken, whether stuffed inside a quesadilla, served between buns, or loaded on fries, this Southern chain delivers. The menu also includes chicken-topped "zalads," fried pickles, milkshakes, and handcrafted lemonade and sweet teas, both of which can be ordered by the gallon.

When most fast food chains are looking to expand far and wide, there's something special about a chain that can only be found in one region of the U.S. The North Carolina-born Cook Out is the sort of if-you-know-you-know chain that's largely become a thing of the past. It's been a Southern staple since 1989, and still only operates over 300 locations. Locals show up in droves for the chain's legendary milkshakes, of which there are 37 flavors, including rotating seasonal options. Cook Out lets you combine any of the shake flavors and/or add toppings such as vanilla wafers, cheesecake, and even pumpkin pie slices.

Of course, before you satisfy your sweet tooth, there's an entire menu of savory items to partake in. The signature Cook Out trays, which are the best bang-for-your-buck option, let you customize your cravings with a three-step process. You first select an entrée, then pick two sides or double up on the single side of your liking, rounding it off with a chilled beverage. Popular menu items include the Big Double burger, Cajun fries, corn dogs, chicken quesadillas, and a Cheerwine float. If you're unfamiliar with Cheerwine, it's a cherry-flavored soda from North Carolina that's been around for over 100 years.

While commonly compared to Taco Bell, Taco Bueno sets itself apart by using real ingredients freshly prepared in-store daily. Each location features a fresh self-serve salsa bar, where you can customize your order however you like. Popular menu items like the Muchaco, which includes slow-cooked refried beans, shredded Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and the option of all white meat chicken or seasoned ground beef. Wrapped in pita bread, this can be topped or swapped with two salsa flavors, onions, cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or pico de gallo.

Other fan-favorite items include the bean burrito, the classic MexiDip and chips with fresh guacamole, and the slow-cooked refried beans, to name a few. There are options for hard-shell taco lovers, quesadilla diehards, tortilla chip dippers, and nacho scoopers. If you're looking for something sweet, the chain even offers a cheesecake chimichanga dusted with powdered sugar.

This Alabama-based hamburger shop has been around longer than some of your favorite nationwide chains. Founded in 1946, if there's one thing that's kept folks hooked on Milo's Hamburgers, it's the sauce and sweet tea. If you love fast food, then you know much chains love hyping up their secret sauce, which is usually just some variation of Thousand Island. And while that certainly is tasty, Milo's secret sauce has a flavor all its own. The barbecue-like condiment, which reportedly takes 6 hours to prepare, has an umami punch somewhere between smoky and sweet. The original sweet tea, which is one of several Milo's iced tea flavors, is 100% natural and made with just three ingredients: Filtered water, pure cane sugar, and freshly brewed tea. Both signature staples are essential additions to a Milo's meal.

Milo's apparently approaches burger-making differently, too. According to rumours, the burgers are first cooked on a flat top, then assembled, and then put back on the flat top grease to warm the buns. We can't confirm if that's true or not, but based on the website, it's definitely in line with Milo's "It's a hot mess of goodness" ethos, which comes from the copious amounts of sauce it adds to burgers. Other menu go-tos include the chicken tenders drizzled with garlicky Boom-Boom sauce, and the crispy crinkle-cut fries.

If you love Southern-style biscuits, look no further than Biscuitville, a family-owned eatery that's been pumping out scratch-made deliciousness since 1966. Biscuitville makes a fresh batch of biscuits every 15 minutes, and only uses three ingredients: Locally milled flour, fresh buttermilk, and shortening. USA Today says that "it's no wonder folks return again and again," but unfortunately, you can only experience its #1 Best Fast Food Breakfast Chain if you live in or visit North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia. Biscuitville sources its food from family-owned farms, cracks eggs by hand, and only uses ingredients that you can pronounce, just to deliver the best possible experience. 

Biscuits here come topped with your choice of things like bacon, eggs, cheese, pork sausage, griddle-cooked smoked sausage, gravy, fried chicken, and grilled chicken. You simply won't find a fast food chain that offers more biscuit-topped variety, hence the name. The menu also includes a wide selection of breakfast platters, pancakes, loaded fries, muffins, and fruit-flavored drinks with real fruit pieces in them. And, of course, it wouldn't be a North Carolina chain without Cheerwine to wash it all down.

Not to be confused with Jack in the Box, Jack's Family Restaurants started as a hamburger stand in 1960. Birmingham, Alabama, was its birthplace, and at the time, you could get a hamburger, fries, soda, and a shake for less than a dollar. Since those days, it's expanded to Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, all the while keeping its footprint to a humble count of a little under 300 locations. Jack's still grills up a mean all-beef patty, but according to most locals, the fried chicken, crinkle-cut fries with Jack's special seasoning, and the breakfast are the real highlights.

The "special seasoning" that Jack's uses for its fries is allegedly Flavacol popcorn seasoning, or at least, that's what the rumors say. For breakfast, the chain mostly sticks to buttermilk biscuit sandwiches, of which there are 8 protein options, including country-fried steak and hickory-smoked sausage. The biscuits are made from scratch daily, so that's also a plus. People praise the shakes, too, and even say that they're on par with the legendary ones at Cook Out.

To determine which Southern fast food chains were the absolute best, I considered recommendations on Reddit and Yelp, and made note of the chains that locals mentioned the most. In some cases, I used the nationwide reach of a chain as a metric for how popular it is, but mostly focused on chains that are heavily located in the South, rather than widely available. I also factored in my own personal experience, as someone who was raised in the South and who has traveled extensively to cities where many of these chains have expanded into. Combining these three approaches helped me to narrow down my list.