McDonald's: The most popular chain restaurant in America isn't McDonald's-it's this, according to data

50 most popular chain restaurants in America With the advent of Big Data, it's now easier than ever to quantify what people like around the globe. When it comes to food, Americans have particularly specific opinions. American dining brands have a long and storied history, and whether it's fast food, fast-casual, high-end, or super cheap, U.S. restaurants offer something for almost everyone. What's clear about U.S. dining habits is that people love options. Restaurants across America are chock-full of variety, mixing foods from various regions and cultures into steaming melting pots of deliciousness. Stacker analyzed 2022 Q1 data from YouGov to rank the 50 most popular chain restaurants in the U.S. The rating agency surveys people on a daily basis across a variety of areas-such as culture, politics, and business-to determine what people like and dislike. YouGov's overall positive opinion scores represent the percentage of people who had a positive response out of those surveyed, and they are also broken down by generation-baby boomers, Gen Xers, and millennials. Read on for a look at America's vast and divergent variety of chain restaurants. You may also like: Popular snacks from your childhood #50. Panda Express - Positive opinion score: 48% --- Popularity among boomers: 48% --- Popularity among Gen X: 40% --- Popularity among millennials: 52% A subsidiary of the Panda Restaurant Group, Panda Express started as a formal, sit-down restaurant, called Panda Inn, in Pasadena, California, in 1973. The restaurant's founders, father-and-son team Ming-Tsai Cherng and Andrew Cherng, crafted a menu of Mandarin and Sichuan dishes that filled a gap in the area's market. Their success allowed them to open a number of similar restaurants in the surrounding community. In 1983, a year after Ming-Tsai's wife, Peggy Cherng, joined the company, the restaurant group opened a fast-food version of their restaurant in the Glendale Galleria, which they dubbed Panda Express. There are now more than 2,200 Panda Express restaurants. #49. Jersey Mike's Subs - Positive opinion score: 48% --- Popularity among boomers: 47% --- Popularity among Gen X: 50% --- Popularity among millennials: 46% The original Jersey Mike's Subs opened in a popular Jersey Shore town, Point Pleasant, in 1956. In 1971, 17-year-old high school student and Jersey Mike's employee Peter Cancro bought the stand-alone restaurant from its aging founder, and after opening a handful of outlet stores in the area, began franchising in 1987. Today, there are over 2,000 Jersey Mike's restaurants in the United States, as well as a couple of stores in Australia and Canada. #48. Auntie Anne's - Positive opinion score: 49% --- Popularity among boomers: 41% --- Popularity among Gen X: 51% --- Popularity among millennials: 55% Auntie Anne's was started in 1988 at a Pennsylvania farmers market. Founder Anne Beiler began selling her soft, freshly baked pretzels in an effort to fund her dream of providing free family counseling services for her community. To this day, the company makes giving back a priority, partnering with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to find a cure for childhood cancer. #47. Quiznos - Positive opinion score: 49% --- Popularity among boomers: 44% --- Popularity among Gen X: 51% --- Popularity among millennials: 55% Not many chain restaurants can claim they were started by acclaimed chefs, but Quiznos can. Jimmy Lambatos, who had previously worked at Colorado Mine Company (a steakhouse in Glendale, Colorado), opened his own sandwich shop in Denver in 1981. The restaurateur claimed the unique heated subs he sold at Quiznos were inspired by the sandwiches he ate during his childhood living on Long Island. In 1987, Lambatos sold his chain to a franchisee named Rick Schaden, who grew the chain to 5,000 restaurants in its heyday back in 2006. As of 2021, there were 255 locations in the U.S. #46. Golden Corral - Positive opinion score: 49% --- Popularity among boomers: 54% --- Popularity among Gen X: 47% --- Popularity among millennials: 48% Golden Corral's stated mission is to "offer guests real, wholesome foods in a family-friendly atmosphere and at a great value." The restaurant, which opened in 1973, is a buffet-style eatery offering up classic American dishes, from salads and pizzas to fried chicken and ribs. Golden Corral has more than 400 locations around the United States. You may also like: Superfoods that have been used by other cultures for generations #45. Hard Rock Cafe - Positive opinion score: 51% --- Popularity among boomers: 50% --- Popularity among Gen X: 58% --- Popularity among millennials: 50% What started as a small-themed restaurant in London in 1971 has since turned into a megafranchise with 185 cafés, more than two dozen hotels, and multiple casinos all over the world. Two Americans, Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, just wanted a good burger in the U.K.; when they couldn't find one, they started their own company. The cafés are renowned for their extensive collections of rock 'n' roll memorabilia that hang on every free space in the restaurants, as well as regularly scheduled live concerts at many of the venues. The food generally consists of burgers, fries, sandwiches, steaks, and other American favorites. #44. Buffalo Wild Wings - Positive opinion score: 51% --- Popularity among boomers: 47% --- Popularity among Gen X: 51% --- Popularity among millennials: 56% When Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery were living in Ohio in 1982, they had a hankering for Buffalo-style wings-only they realized there was nowhere to satiate their craving. As a result, the two men opened their own restaurant, and Buffalo Wild Wings has since turned into an international craze with more than 1,000 locations around the globe. The restaurant is known for its Buffalo-style wings, but it's also a sports bar that serves sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and lots of cold brews. #43. Chipotle Mexican Grill - Positive opinion score: 52% --- Popularity among boomers: 46% --- Popularity among Gen X: 56% --- Popularity among millennials: 52% Based in Denver, Chipotle serves up real food with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The burrito and bowl spot has more than 2,400 locations throughout the country. The owners chose not to franchise the business, believing instead that holding ownership allows them to set the tone for their employees and better control the quality of their ingredients. McDonald's was an early and major investor but has since divested entirely. #42. Nathan's Famous - Positive opinion score: 52% --- Popularity among boomers: 56% --- Popularity among Gen X: 47% --- Popularity among millennials: 52% Polish Jewish immigrant Nathan Handwerker opened up the first Nathan's Famous hot dog stand on Coney Island in 1916 . Fellow immigrants flocked to his Brooklyn shop, eager to get their hands on his frankfurters, which were seasoned with his wife Ida's secret blend and sold for only a nickel. In 1959, Nathan's son, Murray Handwerker, began opening other branches of the restaurant in New York City, and by 2001, there were locations in every state in America as well as in several countries around the world. Today, the chain is the official hotdog sponsor of the MLB, runs its own annual hot dog eating contest on the Fourth of July, and also sells a line of products in grocery stores across the country. #41. Little Caesars - Positive opinion score: 52% --- Popularity among boomers: 47% --- Popularity among Gen X: 58% --- Popularity among millennials: 53% Little Caesars was started by a husband-and-wife team in Michigan in 1959. Today, it is one of the biggest pizza chains in the United States. The company truly took off in 1979 when it coined its famous phrase "Pizza! Pizza!" and started selling two pizzas for the price of one. Today, the chain has thousands of locations around the world and is just as well-known for its sit-down restaurants as it is for delivery and carry-out. You may also like: Best beers from every state #40. TGI Friday's - Positive opinion score: 52% --- Popularity among boomers: 54% --- Popularity among Gen X: 51% --- Popularity among millennials: 55% TGI Friday's began as a cocktail bar that catered to single folks on New York City's Upper East Side. Alan Stillman opened the first location in 1965, and it was an instant success. Two years later, Stillman began franchising, and it was these early suburban locations, which focused on food and a family atmosphere rather than being a place for attractive young 20-somethings to be seen, that transformed it into the diner-style restaurant we know it as today. As of 2022, there are 900 TGI Friday's locations in 60 countries around the world. #39. Papa John's - Positive opinion score: 53% --- Popularity among boomers: 50% --- Popularity among Gen X: 50% --- Popularity among millennials: 56% Although its founder John Schnatter was ousted as CEO over his controversial comments on the NFL in 2017, the franchise is still going strong with more than 3,000 locations around the United States. Papa John's was founded by Schnatter in 1984 and is known for its signature dipping sauce that separates it from other pizza delivery chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut. #38. Chili's - Positive opinion score: 53% --- Popularity among boomers: 54% --- Popularity among Gen X: 55% --- Popularity among millennials: 52% After falling in love with chili cook-offs, Chili's Grill & Bar founder Larry Lavine decided to open his own restaurant in Texas in 1975 to share that love with the world. Chili's concept was always a family-friendly, casual dining eatery at reasonable prices, and that mantra remains to this day. The sit-down restaurant is known for its burgers, fajitas, and all kinds of American fare at more than 1,000 locations across the globe. #37. Boston Market - Positive opinion score: 53% --- Popularity among boomers: 57% --- Popularity among Gen X: 54% --- Popularity among millennials: 52% Originally called Boston Chicke