We’re on the Hunt for the Most Popular Spots to Eat in North America

With such a wide variety of foods, albeit overwhelming, there has never been a better time to be a foodie in North America. So many choices bring us to our next question: Which one should we choose? To answer this, we went on the hunt for the most popular restaurants in North America, and here’s how we did it and what we found.

Methodology

As with any good hunt, we had to do some research first, and Sirved’s search impression made this task a whole lot easier. We started by using Sirved’s search impression and click data to check out which restaurants were getting the most attention. The search impression showed us how many users saw the link to the restaurant, and then we also studied the click data of those restaurants. Those that got the most clicks meant they were more popular.

The total data set was made up of 48 million plus search impressions and one million plus clicks to aggregate the results by restaurant. With this gathered data, we were able to learn the top 10 most popular restaurants in North America.

How We Update the Data

To keep things scientifically correct, we continue to keep our data updated by collecting more data periodically, with our first 2024 update scheduled for the end of the year. As food trends come and go, as well as changing seasons, people’s food preferences change as well, which means what is popular now may not be next year, and our data reflects these shifts.

 

What are the Most Popular Restaurants in North America?

Now that we’ve gotten all the research methodologies out of the way, let’s check out the most popular restaurants in North America.

Wendy’s

The title holder of North America’s most popular spot to eat goes to Wendy’s, a fast-food chain founded in Ohio and has now gone international. Wendy’s had 6 million search impressions according to our research. Founded by Dave Thomas, Wendy’s is a popular fast-food restaurant that has been frying up beef since 1969.

Wendy’s menu was searched for 33.74% in our list of top 10 restaurants. Turns out Americans really love their hamburgers like the Loaded Nacho Triple Cheeseburger or the Big Bacon Classic.

McDonald’s

This list wouldn’t be complete without the iconic golden arches of the global fast-food franchise McDonalds. With over 13,438 locations across the U.S. and 40,275 locations globally, it’s fair to say that the burger franchise is certainly one of the most popular and recognizable restaurants in the world. Founded by siblings Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1940, McDonald’s has been serving their famous hamburger and milkshake since then.

Our research shows that McDonald’s is 11.52% of all top 10 restaurant menu search queries.

Chick-fil-A

The third restaurant on our list is America’s largest fast-food restaurant specializing in chicken sandwiches. With 2,988 locations across the U.S., it’s not surprising to learn that Chick-fil-A is 8.98% of all top 10 restaurant menu search queries. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that Chick-fil-A was one of the first fast-food restaurants to be trans fats free, so you can eat their original sandwich guilt-free.

Chipotle

According to our gathered data, Chipotle’s menu comes in at 7.16% of all top 10 restaurant menu search queries. Founded in 1993 in Denver, Colorado, the Mexican fast-food chain now has locations across Europe, such as France and Germany, with 3,139 in the U.S. What makes Chipotle such a popular eating spot in North America are their burrito bowls or the rich tacos that are made to order using classic cooking methods. In a world where fast-food restaurants use ingredients stuffed with preservatives, Chipotle offers customers organic ingredients.

Burger King

Next up on our list is McDonald’s biggest rival, Burger King. Founded in 1954 in Florida, Burger King is home to the lip-smacking, flame-grilled Whopper burger and boasts more than 6,960 locations across the U.S. It’s not only North Americans who can’t get enough of the beef burger as Burger King has over 18,900 locations across the world. According to our research, Burger King ranks 6.73% of all top 10 restaurant menu search queries, making it one of the most popular burger restaurants in the U.S.

Taco Bell

The gap between Taco Bell and Burger King was so close, with Burger King just beating the Mexican fast-food chain. Taco Bell opened its doors in Downey, California, in 1962 and has been serving Americans their classics like tacos and quesadillas since. Our data has shown that Taco Bell is 6.70% of all top 10 restaurant menu search queries, and looking at some of their specialties, like the grilled cheese nacho fries paired with spicy beef or the chicken chipotle melt, we can certainly see why.

Subway

If you were wondering where the famous sandwich restaurant was on our list, worry not, for Subway was ranked 5.74% of all top 10 restaurant menu search queries. The iconic submarine sandwich restaurant was founded in 1965 and now has 21,796 locations across the U.S. and 20,603 across the world. Whatever your fancy, pickles or pastrami, Subway has something for everyone.

Cook Out

While Cook Out may be one of the smallest fast-food restaurant chains on our list, their fresh burgers and BBQ packs a mighty punch. Founded in 1989, North Carolina Cook Out only has around 319 locations located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Mississippi. They have ranked 5.53% of all top 10 restaurant menu search queries, and after taking a look at the mouth-watering BBQ plate, we’re not surprised.

KFC

Surprisingly, KFC has been surpassed by Cook Out and Subway, with most Americans preferring Chick-fil-A for their chicken cravings. Our research shows that KFC ranked 4.99% of all top 10 restaurant menu search queries.

 

Honorable Mentions

Our search doesn’t stop there. Here are some honorable mentions you need to check out.

 

Waffle House

Founded in 1955, the Waffle House saw over 800K search impression results, according to our research, making it one of the most popular waffle restaurants in North America.

Dayton – Circa November 2021: Waffle House Iconic Southern Restaurant Chain. Waffle House was founded in 1955.

Costco Food Court

It’s not exactly what you were expecting with the likes of Wendy’s on our list, but Americans love the Costco food court according to the 800K plus search impressions.

Texas RoadHouse

According to our search impressions, southwestern cuisine is popular amongst Americans, with just over 800K search impressions for this steak restaurant.

Culvers

Famous for their Butterburgers®, a mix of freshly seared beef paired with a lightly buttered bun, Culvers deserves mention on our list.

Arby’s

If there’s one thing Americans love more than hamburgers, it’s sandwiches. Especially the slow-roasted beef sandwich from Arby’s.

Olive Garden

This casual dining restaurant is popular for its Italian and American cuisine. Our research shows it earned around 700K search impressions.

Little Caesars

Of course, we had to include a pizza restaurant on our list, and Little Ceasar’s menu is a popular choice amongst Americans.

Salad and Go

With the freshest ingredients and large portions, Salad and Go is one of the top choices of healthy restaurants in North America.

Panda Express

Panda Express is the top Chinese restaurant on our list, with just over 600K search impressions.

Popeyes

Last but not least on our list of honorable mentions is the soulful fried chicken and biscuits from Popeyes.

 

3 Things We Learned From This Data

We learned three very important details about North American eating habits:

1. Everyone Loves Wendy’s

It’s clear, looking at our data, that everyone loves Wendy’s. With just under 6 million search impressions and ranked as 33.74% of the 10 restaurant menu queries, North Americans love hamburgers and Frosty’s.

2. Fast Food Dominates North American Tastes

Without a doubt, fast food dominates the taste buds of North Americans, and it’s likely because it happens to be the most affordable way to eat out. Most times, fast food gets a bad reputation for being unhealthy, but actually, there are options like Olive Garden and Chipotle, which are often the most nutritious for the price.

3. Americans Have a Varied Diet

Based on our research, the most popular restaurants on our list range from chicken sandwiches, waffles, hamburgers, Mexican food, and pizza to Chinese and protein-packed salads.

 

What’s Your Favorite Restaurant?

Is your favorite restaurant on our list, or perhaps you want to try something different? Whatever your favorite restaurant is, whether it’s hamburgers or Chinese, you can find your next meal on Sirved.