A Southern institution, Waffle House opened in 1955 in Georgia, and now has more than 1,900 locations in 25 states. It’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, serving fresh waffles, egg dishes, hash browns (covered in grilled onions, melted cheese and jalapeños) and biscuits.
From Virginia to Tennessee, fans of North Carolina chain Bojangles believe its fried chicken, biscuits and Cajun-style sides are the best in the Southeast. Enviable fixins include mashed potato, dirty rice, pinto beans, and macaroni and cheese.
Craving a real Chicago all-beef hot dog with mustard, relish, celery salt, onions, tomatoes, pickled peppers, dill pickles and a poppy seed bun? Illinois-born Portillo’s is the best of the best. It currently only has locations in its home state and plus a handful of other states including California, Indiana, Arizona, Florida and Michigan.
At Burgerville it’s all about low prices, local ingredients and trying to be a sustainable fast food brand. Beef comes from Pacific Northwest-based, family-owned ranches, the chain uses Tillamook Cheddar and Grand Central Bakery provide its brioche buns. The shakes feature fruit from family-owned farms too. Sadly, outposts are only in Washington and Oregon.
BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, founded in California in the 1970s, has a huge menu of burgers, pizzas, pastas, chicken dishes and salads at wallet-friendly prices. So there's always something for everyone. The joint, which also specialises in craft beer, has locations across the USA.
After the best place to get a milkshake in the Southeast? Head to Cook Out – when you order a cheesecake shake you get a whole slice of the dessert in the drink. Plus, there are more than 40 flavours including watermelon and peach cobbler. It’s also known for its barbecue pulled pork sandwich.
Nebraska isn’t a state that immediately comes to mind when thinking of enviable fast food options, but it has one vendor doing something you won’t find elsewhere. Runza serves a dish that’s something between a burger and a hot pocket: the Runza Sandwich (pictured). The signature version sees hot minced beef, onions and cabbage stuffed in the centre of a soft, fresh bread roll. There are also options to order it with cheese, mushrooms or bacon, among other toppings.
Deliciously-named ButterBurgers (made with fresh Midwest-raised beef, Wisconsin Cheddar and lightly-buttered, toasted buns), plus cheese curds and frozen custard are what Culver’s is known for. It opened in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1984 and now has more than 800 locations in 25 states.
Celebrity favourite In-N-Out Burger is one of the more high-end fast food options in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Colorado. Those in the know order from its 'Not So Secret Menu' – like burgers made 'Animal Style' (with mustard cooked into the patty). It’s also famous as the place where A-listers head for a bite after award shows like the Golden Globes.
A fast food joint with a sprawling menu, Southern chicken chain Zaxby’s offers Chicken Fingerz, wings, sandwich meals and Zalads. Most of Zaxby's meals are served with Texas toast, a thick slice of buttery, white bread cooked so it's crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. Opened in 1990 in Statesboro, Georgia, it now has over 900 locations in 17 states.
There’s more to sandwich chains than Subway and Panera Bread. Jimmy John’s, founded in Charleston, Illinois in 1983, became popular because of its huge, fresh subs and delivery service. A classic choice is the Vito featuring salami, capicola (cured pork meat), provolone, onion, lettuce, tomato and dressing.
The 1950s-founded joint Whataburger is one of the best places to get a burger in Texas and its surrounding states. However, its Patty Melt featuring Texas toast, grilled onions, melted cheese and two beef patties is a must-order too.
Jack in the Box locations are instantly recognisable from the huge, springy jack-in-the-box mascot waving over its restaurants. When the craving hits for a hard shell taco, curly fries, fried chicken sandwich or burger, this is the place to go.
Located in 46 states with 3,550 locations, Sonic Drive-In is pretty ubiquitous. As well as the carhops on roller skates, the retro-themed joint is loved for its classic cheeseburgers, beef hot dogs, customisable lemonade and limeade, and root beer.
It's hard to believe that food this good comes from a convenience store. But 24-hour Sheetz isn’t your regular service station. It offers made-to-order sandwiches, hot dogs, pizzas, burgers, fries and toasties. It’s currently found in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina, but a concept this good should go global.
Hip hot dog chain Dog Haus was founded in Pasadena, California in 2010, and in little over 10 years it has expanded into 17 states. If you’re not in one of them, you’re missing out on extravagantly-topped sausages and all-beef hot dogs, chilli cheese fries, tots and craft beer.
Budget-friendly Del Taco has been satisfying Southerners' appetites for Cali-Mex fast food since the 1960s. Apart from ridiculously good prices, it’s known for great crunchy beef tacos, fried chicken tacos, burritos, burgers and loaded fries.
Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Store's history dates all the way back to the 1930s. Locations combine a burger joint, ice cream parlour and supermarket in one. Fans love its classic cheeseburgers, crinkle-cut fries and ice cream milkshakes. However, it can’t expand further than Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri and Arkansas as its stores must stay close to the dairy.
Named after a naval term for the first shift of the day, First Watch is only open for breakfast and lunch. It specialises in pancakes, waffles, breakfast sandwiches and healthy-ish egg dishes. The popular spot is currently in 28 states, with plans to expand.
Did you know Biscuitville bakes biscuits fresh every 15 minutes? Diners can order them filled with fried chicken, sausage patties, fried eggs and bacon, and served with home-style gravy. Sadly, it currently only has outposts in North Carolina and Virginia.
Bold and a little kitsch, Pal’s Sudden Service restaurants are drive-thru only, and are designed as a bright blue box with a giant hot dog, burger, box of fries and drink on the roof. Located in Tennessee and Virginia, the chain is known for the quality of its food. You can be sure you’ll get a tasty Bacon Biscuit, Big Pal burger, hot dog and Frenchie Fries.
Love thick shakes? Then Iceberg Drive Inn, a burger joint set up by an ice cream salesman, might interest you. Located in Utah, California and Arizona, it offers the thickest shakes you’ve ever seen in flavours such as cheesecake and mint chocolate chip, plus burgers, hot dogs, onion rings and pastrami sandwiches.
A spicy food fan’s dream, New Mexico-born chain Blake’s Lotaburger doesn’t serve regular burgers and fries. The LOTA Burger comes packed with green chile and cheese. You can get chopped Hatch Valley green chile, jalapeños or chilli con carne added to your fries too.
There isn’t anything quite like Krystal outside of the USA. Founded in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1932, it’s one of the country’s oldest fast food brands and serves the same steamed beef sliders as it did when it first opened. More recent menu additions include tiny chicken burgers, hot dogs and biscuit sandwiches.
Depending on where you are in the US, this drive-thru chain is known as either Checkers or Rally’s (Checkers in the Southeast and Rally’s in the Midwest). A quintessential burger joint, it serves hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and milkshakes. What makes it stand out is its French fries. They’re coated in seasoned batter before they’re fried.
What’s more American than a chain devoted to biscuit dishes? That’s exactly what Tudor’s Biscuit World in West Virginia and its surrounding states is. With mouthwatering biscuit sandwiches such as the Mary B (bacon, egg and cheese), Rocket (steak, egg, cheese and potato) and Shaved Ham Melt (shaved ham and melted cheese) on the menu, you're missing out if there's not a location near you.
One of America’s favourite Mexican chains is Taco Bueno. Located in Southeastern states, it’s loved for its Taco Platter featuring crunchy and soft tacos, rice, refried beans, tortilla chips, sour cream and guacamole. The chain needs to go global so the rest of the world can try it.
The colourful smoothies such as Sunshine (mango, banana, pineapple and orange) and Avocolada (avocado, pineapple, spinach, kale, coconut and lime) alone are enough to entice you into Tropical Smoothie Cafe. But the chicken and veggie flatbreads and wraps also draw in customers. In fact, the Floridian chain is currently one of the country’s fastest growing.
You must leave room for dessert at Friendly’s, the East Coast retro chain known for its ice cream sundaes. It started as an ice cream shop in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1935, and still sells ice cream to grocery stores. Looking for something savoury? There are also chicken and seafood entrées, burgers and cheese melts on the menu.
It’s astonishing this historic brand hasn’t expanded outside of the US. Many consider White Castle the first US fast food chain and it must be doing something right because it’s still in business after 100 years. The signature dish is a square, steam-grilled beef slider which people buy 'by the sack'.