This Southern Fast-Food Chain Took The Top Spot In Customer Satisfaction For The 11th Year In A Row

From the crispy chicken at Popeyes to Bojangles’ legendary Bo-Berry Biscuits to the highly anticipated (and back for the season!) peach milkshake at Chick-fil-A, Southerners are not immune to a delicious and convenient meal every once in a while from our favorite fast-food chains. (And if y’all haven’t heard, the Snack Wrap will be arriving July 10 at McDonald’s!). But not every customer experience is one-size-fits-all. There are a few chains that stand above the rest for service and, according to the 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report, the spot with the highest marks has held the honor for eleven years straight. Do you have a guess?

The #1 Chain For Customer Satisfaction

If the words “my pleasure” came to mind, you’d be on the right track. Georgia-based Chick-fil-A, with a score of 83 out of 100, just came in first place for customer satisfaction among quick-service restaurants. The ACSI, which has been a national economic indicator for over 25 years, based this year’s scores on 16,381 completed surveys from randomly selected customers. 

After Chick-fil-A, Panda Express and Starbucks tied for second place with 80 points, followed by a tie between Arby’s, Panera Bread, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut with 79 points. McDonald’s was lowest on the list with 70 points. The report also identifies the change between 2024 and 2025 rankings, with Popeyes and Panda Express both experiencing a four-percent increase on the list. The benchmarks that customers consider in the survey include accuracy, mobile app quality, helpfulness of staff, food quality, speed, menu variety, cleanliness, and more.

Category Leaders

Overall, Chick-fil-A leads the chicken category; Culver’s leads the burger category; Starbucks leads the coffee-bakery category; and Papa Johns and Pizza Hut share the lead for pizza. Uber Eats leads for food delivery at 75 points. (And home cooking leads in our hearts with classic Southern recipes for every occasion at 100 points.) 

The ACSI also looks at full-service restaurants, which awarded Texas Roadhouse the first-place spot at 84 points, followed by LongHorn Steakhouse at 83 points. Lowest on the list was Denny’s with 75 points.

Why Chick-fil-A Is A Favorite

It’s no wonder that Chick-fil-A took first place in customer satisfaction for the chicken chain’s dedication to speed, efficiency, quality, and fresh food. It’s why they deliver food right to your table when dining in, instead of you having to wait at the counter—a table that, mind you, is usually adorned with a little vase of fresh flowers. On the company’s website, they say, “Over the years, ‘my pleasure’ has become much more than a phrase—it embodies Chick-fil-A’s commitment of creating remarkable experiences, one interaction at a time.”

We’d expect nothing less born from the genteel hospitality of Georgia.