Consumers are more selective about their food spending as prices climb.
The cost of eating out rose 4.1% in 2025, while grocery prices climbed 2.4%, according to federal data.
These price changes coincide with a shift in customer satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 2026 Restaurant and Food Delivery Study. The ACSI study is based on interviews with over 16,000 consumers.
Fast-food chains are seeing a drop in traffic, while full-service restaurants are finding some stability.
Forrest Morgeson, director of research emeritus at the ACSI, explains in a summary of the findings:
“Price still matters, but it’s no longer enough on its own. Consistency across the full experience is what separates the leaders right now, and that’s showing up clearly in the data.”
Let’s get into the specifics.
Top-scoring full-service restaurants
Overall satisfaction with full-service restaurants held steady at 82 out of 100 points, making it one of the highest-scoring industries the ACSI tracks. Full-service restaurants get the benefit of customers who “consolidate visits into fewer occasions where the experience feels worth the higher check,” according to the ACSI.
Here’s how full-service chains ranked in 2026:
- LongHorn Steakhouse: 82 on a 100-point scale (down from 83 in 2025)
- Texas Roadhouse: 82 (down from 84)
- Olive Garden: 81 (unchanged)
- Applebee’s: 79 (down from 80)
- Chili’s: 79 (up from 78)
- Cracker Barrel: 79 (down from 80)
- Golden Corral: 79 (new entrant)
- Outback Steakhouse: 79 (unchanged)
- The Cheesecake Factory: 79 (up from 77)
- Buffalo Wild Wings: 78 (up from 76)
- Red Lobster: 78 (down from 79)
- Red Robin: 78 (unchanged)
High beef prices haven’t dented Americans’ love of steak, given the top two slots in this category go to steakhouses.
Meanwhile, full-service chains have made technological gains this year. Mobile app reliability jumped 12% to 87, while website satisfaction and app quality each climbed too. Customers also give these restaurants high marks for accuracy of orders with a score of 91.
Top-scoring fast-food restaurants
Fast-food satisfaction has an overall score of 79 out of 100 for the third year running.
Here’s how the top fast-food chains rank in 2026:
- Jersey Mike’s: 84 on a 100-point scale (new entrant)
- Chick-fil-A: 83 (unchanged)
- Jimmy John’s: 81 (new entrant)
- Panda Express: 81 (up from 80)
- KFC: 80 (up from 77)
- Papa Johns: 80 (up from 79)
- Pizza Hut: 80 (up from 79)
- Domino’s: 79 (up from 78)
- Raising Cane’s: 79 (new entrant)
- Starbucks: 79 (down from 80)
- Subway: 79 (up from 76)
For the first time in over a decade, Chick-fil-A isn’t America’s most-loved fast-food chain after sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s edged into the top slot of this category. And KFC’s brand refresh paid off with its jump from 77 to 80.
Order accuracy strengthened two points, from 85 to 87, one of the top-rated parts of the fast-food experience. Mobile app quality slipped a point to 84 as more customers lean on apps for ordering and finding discounts.
How the other restaurants fared
Here are the remaining restauarants that the ACSI surveyed consumers on, with their scores out of 100 points:
- Burger King: 78 (up from 77)
- Culver’s: 78 (unchanged)
- Dunkin’: 78 (unchanged)
- Little Caesars: 78 (up from 77)
- Panera Bread: 78 (down from 79)
- Arby’s: 77 (down from 79)
- Chipotle: 77 (up from 76)
- Denny’s: 77 (up from 75)
- Sonic: 77 (up from 73)
- Wendy’s: 77 (up from 75)
- Wingstop: 77 (new entrant)
- Five Guys: 76 (up from 75)
- IHOP: 76 (down from 78)
- Jack in the Box: 74 (unchanged)
- Taco Bell: 74 (up from 73)
- Popeyes: 73 (down from 75)
- Dairy Queen: 72 (unchanged)
- First Watch: 72 (new entrant)
- McDonald’s: 72 (up from 70)
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