Did this study take into consideration the sheer numbers of McDonald's in comparison to the other chains? I mean, like Best Buy, sometimes Mickey-D's is the only option.

Panera Bread is pretty god awful as of late around me. I've stopped going even if I'm in a rush.

How i wish there was a Jamba Juice though.......

@Skankingmike: It's cheaper to just eat money than Panera!

Chipotle is owned by McDonalds though, right?

If Subway had drive-thru's it'd be MY #1.

Subway ingeniously cut about 80 cents from their footlong subs (the limited menu, not "all subs") and it became a giant rage. I can't go into a Subway without seeing a line, and that company has really fucked up franchising policies where you can open up one anywhere- even practically next to another Subway.

Panera Bread always disappoints in that they're constantly sold out of fruit cups, even when I go to a different city and order a sandwich a little after lunch or dinner time. WHY WOULD YOU CONSISTENTLY BE OUT OF A HUGE HIGH-MARGIN PRODUCT?

Chipotle is a favorite of mine, even if those burritos are 1,100 calories. =(

Also, I hope this post avoids the typical commenters spergin out about how 'FAST FOOD IS BAD 4 U' and 'MAGICALLY, IF U CUT OUT LABOR AND OVERHEAD, IT ALLOWS ME TO MAKE THINGS CHEAPER AT HOME!'

My mom loves their potato soup in a bread bowl. It is a pretty pricey place to eat, but they have a tomato bread that I love.

I would like to know what Moe's ranked, I love them.

@WOPDingo: McDonald's is never the only option. I'd rather eat a gas station burrito.

@MitchEvious: At one time they had a vested interest but no longer, as I under stand it.

@MitchEvious: Not anymore. McDonald's used to be a majority stakeholder - but the finished selling all their shares in 2006.

I still haven't been able to bring myself to take my preschooler to either a McDonald's or a Burger King. Mainly because I can't stomach the food at either one.

if I have to go to a fast food place, I usually pick burger king but even then I try to avoid going to any place that will have my meal ready in 2 minutes

I find it interesting that Wendy's dropped two spaces. Thank you Arby's for screwing up Wendy's.

And thank you Taco Bell for picking up the slack.

I guess when you indoctrinate children at such young ages to want your product, it's no surprise. I can't tell you how many times as a kid I went to McDonald's birthday parties in late 80's-early 90's, and I have to admit to a bad 5:00 am McGriddles habit (I figured it would soak up the vodka). I am happy to report, however, that I haven't used McDonald's in at least 3 years.

I just worry about the next generation of kids who don't think it's at all strange that deep-fried "chicken" nuggets could possibly not be nutritious. It sucks that it's probably the cheapest and easiest thing a poor family can do for dinner. I'd still assert that if you put the obesity demographic on a pie chart, McDonald's would own a decent sized slice.

That said, the apple pies were SO much better fried!

That is an awesome picture.
Also, Mcdonalds? I'm sure all us Consumerist only go to locally owned burger joints, ones that use 100% organic ingredients, have wonderful service and much better tasting burgers.

@Blinky987: Have you tried Cosi? I was once a Panera fan until I moved closer to a Cosi. Now I'm never looking back.

@mdoublej: Seriously, Panera isn't bad, just too damn expensive. If I'm gonna drop $20 for my girl and I to get some food we might as well go to an actual restaurant.

Single? Female..or male? Check out the hot singles scene at your local McDonalds.

In fact, that dude scarfing down the 20-piece McNuggets is winking at you right now.

@Dancin' Hooooomeeeeeer!: The ones in my town do

Burger King is beyond awful. I haven't had anything decent to eat there in over a decade. I have stopped going to said shit stop and will only get crap food from the rest of the crap distributors.

I sure wouldn't call it love that has me going to McDonald's once in a great while.

I'm just that damn lazy that I don't want to cook at home, or wait 30 minutes for a meal to come out to my table at the local mexican restaurant.

@Jenkinsbball: I'm surprised it's still #2. You'd think Subway would have taken its space.

@B: No such animal where I live. The only things close to family owned here is the lone mexican restaurant. Big chain fast food, and Pizza Hut are the only other games in town if you don't want to cook at home.

@Skankingmike: No Kidding. I haven't been able to get an edible salad there in 6 months, so I've stopped going.

@VA_White: I'd rather eat the gas pump

@B: We make our own burgers, you insensitive clod!

//Just kidding, I always eat leftovers for lunch.

Wow, I'm actually impressed that Arby's is as high up on the list as it is. #8, nice.

But a couple I didn't see was Hardee's/Carl's Junior, Jack In The Box, and White Castle. From the people that I've spoke to that are from the west coast, these seem to be more of a staple than McDonalds.

I looked at the list on Experian, but I'd like to see a more comprehensive list, and what kind of scoring system was in place for this study.

@MitchEvious: Mc'Ds spun it off as an IPO in Jan 2006 and divested completely by that October (at a VERY nice profit).

I guess at points in my life I have gone to fast food restaurants 7 or 10 times in a month, but I'm astounded that's the overall US average per person. Ugh.

@Scuba Steve: I just have to comment that I love your nick. Big Daddy?

Really? 11 fast food visits per month?

Sounds like a lot till I remembered the Sunday Morning Dunkin' Donut drive-thru tradition, so just under a couple times a week otherwise ... so yeah. Guilty.

@WOPDingo: You're saying we need to be teaching children about grocery stores in school?

@mrgenius: I can't tell you how many times as a kid I went to McDonald's birthday parties in late 80's-early 90's, and I have to admit to a bad 5:00 am McGriddles habit (I figured it would soak up the vodka)

I'm hoping that these activities weren't concurrent...

@WOPDingo:

I don't know......

Subway is just about as common as McD's.... especially if you count the Subway-in-a-gas-station that are so popular around interstate exits.

@strathmeyer: Better in school than learning about them from the streets

McD's owns me. If I skip a day I suddendly get horrible cravings. Must be addicted.

Yeah, that would be me.

If I forget lunch at home a southern style chicken sandwich and diet coke does the job.

Just had one. It was hot, the chicken was crispy, and it tasted pretty good.

@starrion:

Do I need to turn in my Consumerist card or file a form somewhere?

@Dancin' Hooooomeeeeeer!: Mine too!!!

@Randa the Panda: Right, but they're really regional. So less exposure.

And White Castle isn't west coast.

@B: Actually, there's a place around here called Mike's that's a burger joint, there's only three of them and they're all on the other side of town, but I sure do love them. They make the best bacon cheeseburger with a rootbeer float you'll ever have. Plus, they give you huge amounts of sides (fries and potato salad are what I usually get) so you even get leftovers. And it's cheap.

Mm... lunchtime, I could go for some of that right now.

There's a really awesome 24-hour McDonald's downtown here right next to a strip club. And by really awesome I mean filthy and overrun by panhandlers. The club's marquee said something like "try our McShots" when I saw it this weekend. Bet they get a lot of late night business.

McDonald's doesn't surprise me. Massive number of locations, big dollar menu, and the whole Happy Meal thing for kids. The McDouble is an acceptable lunch for me if I have a dollar and I'm near one. Kashi frozen meals may be a lot better for a convenience lunch, but they're $4 most of the time and not as filling. This is why I pack my lunches every day.

I remember Panera Bread. That's the place that sued a mall for allowing a burrito restaurant into its food court, right?

@Jenkinsbball: I like Burger King's burgers more than McDonald's, but the service and cleanliness at my local BK are horrible.

McDonald's keeps re-jigging it's menu and facilities. They realize that they are in the "restaurant business" and don't pigeon hole themselves as just a burger joint competing against other burger joints.

I'm impressed with their (relatively) new Big & Tasty burger.

I'm not surprised at Wendy' performance. In my market they are not expanding or updating aging locations.

Hrmm, I guess they're not a national chain, but Freebirds makes Chipotle look terrible.

So, listen. I try to eat healthy food. Today I had just a few minutes after an appointment to grab something for lunch to take back to my office, where I had some cut-up fruit as well. My first choice was a salad with some kind of protein from Whole Foods. But I couldn't find a parking place! And then I realized that I'd be spending probably at least $7 for said salad, which happened to be all the cash I had in my wallet.

Guess what I bought instead: A double double (like a double cheeseburger) from McDonald's drive-thru for $1.00. Yes, $1.00, plus 8 cents tax. With my fruit, it was a decent meal. I know it's not as healthy as the salad would have been. But can you blame people in this economy for making the dollar-sandwich choice at Micky D's over an expensive, healthy take-out lunch?

@mrgenius: I sorely miss the fried apple pies. I'm sure they were terrible for me, and the apple filling was always squirting out like superheated lava and burning the dickens out of me, but they sure were yummy.

I'd go into a McDonalds if they bring back the fried apple pies!

@Randa the Panda: I don't know. Any self-respecting Westerner would go to In 'N' Out burger any day over those you mentioned. Carl's Junior is expensive, and Jack In The Box makes you feel like you just ate a brick.