Zagat Releases 2011 Fast Food Survey

By Staff in Food on Sep 11, 2011 7:00PM

Last week Zagat released its 2011 Fast Food Survey, which is based on input from more than 6,000 diners across the nation and evaluates food and service at 103 fast and full-service chains.

The top-rated fast food burger is at Five Guys, the best grilled chicken is at Chick-fil-A, and the best milkshake is at Dairy Queen, all of which we have here in Chicago. McDonald’s fared better than it did in a recent Consumer Reports survey, and topped categories like best breakfast, best French fries, and best value.

For full-service chains, the top-rated burger is at Red Robin, which isn’t in Chicago proper but has a few suburban locations. The best pasta is at Maggiano's Little Italy, which we have here. And the Cheesecake Factory, which has a Chicago location, grabbed best salads, best appetizers, best desserts, and best value.

The results also show that 69 percent of diners are in favor of showing calorie count displays; these influence 55 percent of diners.

Check out the full survey results here. Also, see our story about Google's plans to purchase Zagat.

By Amy Cavanaugh