Consumer Reports Grades Fast Food Restaurants - Guess Who Lost?

This is where we should eat, if we want to be less snobby.

Consumer Reports, after a survey of some 36,000 consumers, has evaluated the fast food industry in America. They asked people about 53 different chain restaurants. The results? Not so great, especially for some of the larger chains. The winner, both of the hamburger category and the overall best-of-show, was In-N-Out Burger, which we sadly don't have in Chicago. But Five Guys, which we do, was the second-best burger chain.

The real surprises (or not, if you follow these things) were the losers. Predictably, McDonalds did pretty damn bad - the worst of the hamburger restaurants, followed closely by Burger King. The single worst fast food restaurant in America? Sbarro. In fact, apparently the fast food pizza industry is in real trouble, since Domino's and Pizza Hut were the second and third worst scores in the whole survey.

For the rest of the info, head to Consumerist. Oh, and the best fries? Wendy's.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@chicagoist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Anthony Todd in Food on July 1, 2011 10:30 AM

Comments [rss]

Nicholas

So glad I live in Chicago, where good burgers and pizza are easy to find. I haven't eaten at Domino's or Pizza Hut in a decade or more. I have not eaten any product from McDonald's in about 15 years. I ate a Burger King Whopper 2 years ago on the 4th of July just cuz I hadn't had one in ages. I am still slightly nauseated from that dining experience. I do like Five Guys and Epic Burger. But, they have been a bit inconsistent lately on quality -- greasy, messy, and poorly cooked. The fresh beef is indeed the key to a good burger.

Ingridz

I agree about the greasiness and messiness of Five Guys and Epic Burger. The flavor is there, but jeez...they are a pain in the neck to eat and so expensive. But then again, it's maybe a couple of times a year I will eat there.
And I never go to McDonald's except for a drive thru cup of coffee if I'm on my way somewhere and I'm in a hurry. For fast food it's my neighborhood Tasty Dog for me :-)

ScooterLibbby

Five Guys burgers are great, but way overpriced. Basically, it's In-N-Out burgers [which are great & inexpensive] at full service restaurant prices.
Their fries are horrible, greasy & undercooked. Then they're served in a drink cup, which doesn't absorb the excess grease.

For a good, basic burger, nothing beats the Double Stack at Wendy's for a buck!
The difference is that fresh meat makes a better burger than frozen meat.
The ice crystals that form in freezing change the taste.