ZAGAT surveyed 6,100 hungry fast-food and full-service restaurant patrons about their favorite places to eat, and has finally compiled and released the results for 2009.
The best fast-food hamburger, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has eaten there, is from IN-N-OUT BURGER. Best burger from a full-service restaurant came from RED ROBIN.
The other fast-food winners included:
- Best fried chicken: KFC
- Best grilled chicken: Chik-fil-A
- Best fries: McDonald’s
- Best fast-food salads: Panera Bread
- Best milkshakes: Ben & Jerry’s
- Best coffee: Starbucks
- Best breakfast sandwich: McDonald’s
- Best smoothies/frozen yogurt: Smoothie King
- Best fish: Long John Silver’s
- Best fast-food value: McDonald’s
- Best overall value menu: McDonald’s
- Most child-friendly: McDonald’s
- Best drive-thru: McDonald’s
Along with Red Robin, the other full-service restaurants winners showed an overwhelming showing by The Cheesecake Factory:
- Best value: The Cheesecake Factory
- Best coffee: The Cheesecake Factory
- Best salad: The Cheesecake Factory
- Best steak: Outback Steakhouse
- Best breakfast: IHoP
- Best appetizers: The Cheesecake Factory
- Best desserts: The Cheesecake Factory
Most Popular Chains
- Fast food, up to 5,000 locations: Panera Bread
- Fast food, more than 5,000 locations: Subway
- Quick service: Starbucks
- Full service: PF Changs
Other top rankings:
- Top food, up to 5,000 locations: In-N-Out Burger
- Top food, more than 5,000 locations: Wendy’s
- Top food, quick service: Ben & Jerry’s
- Top food, full-service: PF Changs
- Top facilities, up to 5,000 locations: Panera Bread
- Top facilities, more than 5,000 locations: Wendy’s
- Top facilities, quick service: Caribou Coffee
- Top facilities, full-service: PF Changs
- Top service, up to 5,000 locations: In-N-Out Burger
- Top service, more than 5,000 locations: Subway
- Top service, quick service: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
- Top service, full-service: Carrabba’s Italian Grill