Ranking! Discover the 10 best fast foods in the United States — and Méqui isn't in first place!

On a trip to U.S, your itinerary is likely to include at least one meal at a fast food franchise. After all, indulging in snacks, soft drinks and ice cream, which reach your hands in just a few minutes, is a very convenient part of everyday American culture — in addition to being delicious!

But not every restaurant can offer quality food with this type of speed and scale. With this in mind, the renowned newspaper USA Today compiled a ranking with the 10 best fast foods in the United States, based on readers’ opinions and preferences. And for those who don't have a trip planned, good news is that several of these franchises have one or more units on Brazilian soil!

Next, find out which fast foods have won the hearts (and stomachs) of Americans, in a list full of snacks, tacos and lots of fried chicken!

Ranking: the 10 best fast foods in the United States

10°- Popeyes

Fried chicken is an illustrious food in the gastronomic culture of the United States, especially in the states located in the center-south and southeast of the country, where the preparation became popular among newly freed black families after the Civil War. And it was precisely in the state of Louisiana, in New Orleans, that the franchise of Popeyesknown for its fried chicken served Southern style.

In American restaurants, combos often include crispy chicken, macaroni and cheese, Cajun fries, red beans and rice, coleslaw or mashed potatoes, and Cajun sauce. Cajun-style preparations include several types of pepper in the recipe and are traditional from Louisiana, where the cuisine has many Spanish and French influences. In Brazil there are several Popeyes units, but their menu is more focused on buckets of chicken accompanied by a variety of sauces, as well as snacks filled with fried chicken.

9°- Burger King

Founded in 1953, in FloridaO Burger King is considered one of the largest fast food chains in the world and the most popular competitor to the McDonald's chain. BK's menu is already well-known in the country — especially because, currently, the restaurant chain is managed by a Brazilian group. Focused on grilled meat, its most famous burgers are stuffed with juicy pieces of beef and Heinz sauces. The difference between the Brazilian menu and the one served in the United States are some side dishes and desserts, such as fried chicken, frozen soda (a type of slushie) and chocolate ice cream pie.

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8°- Sonic Drive-In

Anyone who sees it from afar may even think that the Sonic Drive-In It's a mechanic's workshop because, instead of a room with several tables, this chain's restaurants have several parking spaces lined up. Sonic customers park their cars and are served by 'carhops' (waiters who 'jump' from car to car) right there and, although there are some tables outside, the idea is to eat inside the vehicle itself.

In operation since the 1950s, Sonic won over Americans with burgers, breaded sausages, spicy hot dogs and fried portions such as onion rings, cheese sticks and more. But what made the chain very famous, in fact, was its huge drinks menu that includes 14 flavors of its beloved slushies.

7°- Taco Bell

After visiting a McDonald's franchise in the 1950s, Californian Glen Bell had the idea of ​​creating a fast food chain that would have a menu that was different from the others: instead of selling sandwiches and donuts, he would have preparations inspired by Mexican cuisine. . Thus was born Taco Bella restaurant that serves tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas and even Mexican pizza.

Spread across all U.S, the franchise became known as a late-night favorite. This is because there are several restaurants that are open 24 hours a day, and some offer delivery services after midnight. In Brazil, Taco Bell is still only present in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

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6°- Arby's

A Arby's is one of the largest sandwich chains in the United States in terms of number of franchised restaurants, second only to Subway. When it was created in the 1960s, its founders wanted to have a fast food place that served snacks, but without the already popular hamburgers as toppings. In this way, they won over Americans with their famous roast beef sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, gyros, wraps, milkshakes and more.

Arby's is not yet present in many countries besides the United States, only in Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Turkey. In Brazil, the brand had a restaurant in the 1990s, but was unable to establish itself.

5°- Raising Cane's

With fried chicken as its specialty, the Raising Cane's is another fast food chain that was born in Louisiana. Its menu focuses on combos of fried chicken, fries, Texas toast and coleslaw — all with homemade flavors and appearance. In addition, the restaurants serve breaded chicken sandwiches and a house sauce that is essential (Cane's sauce).

An interesting fact is that Raising Cane's is named after the dog of one of the founders and, as he was a yellow labrador, this dog breed became the restaurants' mascot.

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4°- Wendy's

A Wendy's was created in 1969, in Ohio, and takes the nickname and image of the daughter of founder Dave Thomas, who at the time was still a red-haired child. When the first snack bar was opened, its proposal to differentiate itself from other fast foods was a square-shaped burger instead of a round one, and the quality and freshness of the food, with freshly prepared vegetables.

To this day, the restaurant chain relies on these differences, but it has also gained a wide clientele with the other items on its menu. In particular, its Frosty, a creamy, cold dessert that resembles ice cream. In Brazil, Wendy's opened some units in 2016, but closed its doors in 2020, with the promise that it will return better prepared for the local market.

3rd- McDonald's

Look at him there! With more than 40 thousand stores distributed across the globe, McDonalds is the largest fast food chain in the world according to the ranking of Franchise Times. The first snack bar was opened in the United States in 1940 and the franchise has been in Brazil since the end of the 1970s. Therefore, its menu is already very familiar to us, with several types of snacks, French fries, chicken nuggets, ice cream and soft drinks, often sold as combos — with emphasis on Happy Meals, whose little toys are much desired by children.

However, in each country, McDonald's makes variations to the menu to reflect the tastes and customs of the region. In some European countries, such as Germany, the snack bar sells beer, while in some Asian countries it is common to find rice and soup. In the United States and Canada, some McDonald's locations serve an all-day breakfast menu.

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2°- In-N-Out Burger

Unlike most of the chains on this list, which have stores throughout the United States or even in other countries, In-N-Out Burger is a West Coast regional chain. Founded in California, today it is present in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas and Oregon. And the reason for In-N-Out Burger not opening millions of franchises is the great concern with the quality and consistency of the products sold.

The menu is small: there are just three types of combos, with hamburgers, fries and soft drinks. On the other hand, all the ingredients are truly fresh (they don't even have freezers in the restaurants) and customers can check out the “not-so-secret menu”, a page where they explain how each item is prepared. Furthermore, any snack can be ordered in the traditional way, either in the “Protein Style”, in which the snack comes with lettuce instead of bread, or in the “Animal Style”, in which the burger is cooked with mustard and stuffed with grilled onions, pickles and extra sauce.

1°- Chick-fil-A

O Chick-fil-A It is the most loved fast food by Americans, especially those who participated in the USA Today survey!

In operation since 1946, the chain specializes in chicken preparations, whether fried, grilled, topped with a salad or topped a sandwich. Even on the breakfast menu, chicken is present in most snacks made with English muffins. And the chicken isn't even the only star on the menu: its waffle-shaped fries are also a favorite with the public.

Oh, and if you plan to try Chick-fil-A sandwiches during your trip to the United States, pay attention to the opening dates and times! Because the company's founder was a devotee of the Southern Baptist Church, all restaurants are closed on Sundays and religious holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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Do you agree with this list? Did you miss a network? Leave your opinions and tips on where to eat and what to avoid in the United States in the comments!