Fast Food Brand With 73 New Jersey Locations is Number One in U.S

If I asked you what you thought the most popular fast food brand in America was, you would probably say McDonald's.

McDonald's may have the most locations, but according to a new story by Eat This Not That, another fast food restaurant is more favorable in America and New Jersey.

This one is going to shock you.

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First, let's examine the criteria Eat This Not That used to rank the 50 most popular restaurants in the U.S.A.

YouGov is all about getting the most accurate consumer insights possible.

A large sample size is needed to get the best results.

How does 27 million sound?

That's how many registered panel members YouGov has.

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

Eat This Not That said:

This most recent edition of the dining brands coverage ranked restaurants according to nationally representative popularity percentage scores. According to YouGov, percentages are calculated by "taking the proportion of people who view something positively and showing it as a percentage of all of the people who have given any opinion about that thing, including 'have heard of.'

Before we get to the new number-one fast-food brand, let's look at the chain that came in dead last at number 50.

There are only two Einstein Brothers Bagels in New Jersey: Wayne and Glassboro.

Photo by Tara Evans on Unsplash

This one surprised me as I've picked up items from Einstein in the past, and it wasn't bad at all.

So, if McDonalds isn't number one, Wendy's must be on top, right? Wrong.

Taco Bell? Nope. Burger King? Try again.

This chain is famous mainly for its sweet frozen creations; however, if you're jonesing for a burger or chicken sandwich, that's an option here.

It's not the first or tenth place I think of for tried and true "fast food," but people must like it.

Dairy Queen has 73 locations in New Jersey, and according to Eat This Not That and YouGov, it is the new number one fast food chain.

Eat This Not That said:

Founded in 1940 in Joliet, Ill., DQ is of course best known for its frosty treats from innovative classic soft-serve to the iconic Blizzard. Nowadays, the DQ brand offers consumers far more than dessert. The menu is stacked with additional options like Chicken Finger Baskets and Signature Stackburgers.

I know. It's a head-scratcher.

Hey, how many of these do you remember?

50 Most Popular Chain Restaurants in America

YouGov investigated the most popular dining brands in the country, and Stacker compiled the list to give readers context on the findings. Read on to look through America's vast and divergent variety of restaurants—maybe you'll even find a favorite or two.

Gallery Credit: Paul Feinstein