Chick-fil-A may still own the chicken lane, but there is a new fast-food favorite in town.
According to the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant and Food Delivery Study, Jersey Mike’s has overtaken Chick-fil-A as the nation’s top-rated quick-service restaurant. The sub shop debuted in the ACSI rankings with a score of 84, edging out Chick-fil-A, which held steady at 83 after more than a decade at the top.
For Southlake diners, both brands have loyal followings around town. Meaning fans do not have to pick sides so much as decide whether the day calls for waffle fries or a Mike’s Way sub.
The ACSI study found that quick-service restaurants overall remained steady for the third straight year with a satisfaction score of 79, even as the industry continues to navigate changing customer habits, value concerns and volatile traffic. Jersey Mike’s stood out for freshness, food variety, and value, while Chick-fil-A continued to lead the highly competitive chicken category.
The report also notes that Jersey Mike’s success comes during a period of rapid growth for the brand, which has managed to expand while maintaining consistent quality and a model built around quick service, digital pickup and off-premise convenience.
Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, is hardly hurting. Its unchanged score of 83 still places it near the top of the entire quick-service category and keeps it comfortably ahead among chicken chains.
Other quick-service standouts included KFC, which climbed 4% to 80, and newcomers Raising Cane’s and Wingstop, which entered the rankings at 79 and 77, respectively. In the burger category, Culver’s remained near the top at 78, tied with Burger King, while Sonic improved to 77.
So is this the end of Chick-fil-A’s reign? Definitely not. But around here, the lunchtime debate is probably not going anywhere.