Millions of people all over the world enjoy fast food on a regular basis. It’s a cornerstone of global economics—and, to the chagrin of nutritionists everywhere, often the backbone of quite a few diets, too. But not all fast food restaurants are created equal. While chains like McDonald’s and KFC occupy a sphere all their own, many smaller local fast food restaurants have carved out their own niche in the culinary landscape. And the best fast food restaurants offer more than just a great sandwich, fries or shake—they’re often imbued with a sense of place, pulling double duty as ambassadors for their home region to those visiting for the first time.
Here, we’ve rounded up a list of the best fast food restaurants in America, from iconic West Coast spots like In-N-Out Burger to the southern-based Chick-fil-A to the New York City staples Shake Shack and Five Guys. We’ve also included some of the best local fast-casual restaurants, including Chipotle with its menu of burritos, tacos, bowls and quesadillas as well as Blaze Pizza, which aims to reinvent fast food by offering customizable pizzas with a variety of meat and vegetable options as well as vegan, vegetarian, dairy free and gluten-free choices.
We’ve also included a few regional favorites, such as Checkers and Rally’s in the South and Midwest. Their menus are a cornucopia of classic staples (checkers sauce, anyone?) as well as esoteric experimentation (fry-seasoned cheese sticks, anyone?). And of course, no list of fast-food restaurants would be complete without a few desserts and shakes. best fast food restaurants