America's favorite fast-food chicken chain has officially been knocked from its long-held throne in a closely watched customer satisfaction ranking.
Chick-fil-A, which topped the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) in 2025, slipped to second place this year. East Coast sandwich giant Jersey Mike’s claimed the coveted first-place position, earning an impressive ACSI score of 84 out of 100 to narrowly edge out Chick-fil-A's score of 83.
The dramatic shift marks the first time in more than a decade that a new brand has led the ACSI's competitive quick-service restaurant (QSR) category. The highly anticipated study, released on Tuesday, was compiled from 16,464 completed surveys conducted via email between April 2025 and March 2026.
Jersey Mike’s has overtaken Chick-fil-A as the top-rated fast food chain, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. pic.twitter.com/Nn3sTXqm6I
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 17, 2026
The ACSI hailed Jersey Mike's as "a new leader among QSRs," praising the company's unique ability to maintain exceptionally high customer satisfaction even while rapidly expanding its physical footprint across the country.
"Jersey Mike's ACSI success is consistent with their business performance, including rapid unit growth, strong customer demand, and a model designed around throughput and off-premise convenience from high digital pickup usage," the study noted.
Originally founded in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, in 1956, Jersey Mike’s has grown to operate more than 4,000 thriving locations across the United States and Canada. The fast-growing chain is best known for its made-to-order subs and its signature "Mike's Way" preparation, which tops sandwiches with fresh onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, an olive oil blend, and spices.
According to the ACSI report, the chain benefits from a "fairly narrow" menu and a highly streamlined business model that is heavily conducive to franchise owner success.
Despite losing its decade-long run as the undisputed champion of fast food, Chick-fil-A has very little to worry about. The ACSI confirmed that the Atlanta-based brand "is still the clear leader for chicken" in the eyes of American consumers.
Following closely behind the top two contenders were Jimmy John's and Panda Express, which tied for a strong third place with scores of 81.
The next tier of popular dining options included KFC, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut, which all earned respectable scores of 80. Meanwhile, global giants Domino's, Raising Cane's, Starbucks, and Subway each walked away with ratings of 79.
Further down the list, Burger King, Culver's, Dunkin', Little Caesars, and Panera Bread rounded out the middle of the pack with scores of 78.
Struggling at the absolute bottom of the rankings were Dairy Queen and McDonald's. The two legacy brands tied for last place among major quick-service chains, scoring a disappointing 72 out of 100.