30 Most Popular Fast-Food Items, Ranked

Fast food is a way of life in America. Some credit Ray Koch of McDonald’s for the creation of these restaurants famous for serving up food within minutes that can be eaten on the go. But fast food has been a staple since street vendors sold their foods in ancient eras, from the Hans to the Huns and the Greeks to the Romans.

We’ve all grown up with fast food, driving through a Burger King for substance on a long road trip, swinging through a Dairy Queen for a celebratory treat after a Little League game, having pizza delivered to our front doors when we didn’t feel like cooking. It’s a part of our culture.

But there are some fast-food items that became icons and changed our lives, or at least our tastebuds. Here, we celebrate those mainstays and rank them.

“When I die, bury me in a Panera Bread broccoli cheddar soup bread bowl.” — @NeimanMarcusEsq

Little did we know we had been missing out on soup in a bowl until Panera first opened. Although it was the St. Louis Bread Company in 1987, Au Bon Pain bought it in the 1990s and spread the bakery goodness across the country.

Until then, we were simply dipping our bread into our soup. Pffft!

“The subway employee had the nerve to put in three jalapeños on my FOOTLONG SANDWICH. I just stood there in pure awe.” — @J0eI

Subway first opened its doors in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1965. When it began selling its $5 Footlong sandwiches in 2008, it was a huge hit and became a part of its permanent menu … and our vernacular.

“Just found out my parents went to Cheesecake Factory without me … they didn’t even ask if I wanted anything. Feeling: betrayed.” — @alexysspaige

While the Cheesecake Factory didn’t invent the cheesecake, the gigantic portions and variety of flavors it gave us when it first opened in Beverly Hills, California, in 1972 has made the beloved chain a go-to for special occasions.

Even with a phonebook-sized menu, be sure you save room for what the restaurant does best!

“It is impossible to make a more dramatic entrance than Chili’s fajitas.” — @carterhambley

Chili’s didn’t invent the fajita either, but this Texas-based chain that first opened in 1975 introduced the entire country to the build-your-own meal in the 1980s.

Ever since, our ears perk up when we hear the sizzling sound of fajitas making its way across the restaurant.