Word of mouth is one of the best ways to make a business succeed, as long as the food actually deserves it. But sometimes that word of mouth takes on a life of its own, and suddenly the expectations are through the roof. That’s when you get the chains everybody swears by, lines out the door, all this hype — and then you finally try it and it’s just fine.
So, the good Samaritans of the internet want to save you from falling for the same hype they did, and they’ve listed the most overrated fast-food chains. According to the customers, here are the seven most overrated fast-food chains in America.
In-N-Out
We are fully aware this entry is polarizing and patiently await the inevitable death threat from Gordon Ramsay, who once said he’d choose a Double-Double, Animal Style, as part of his last meal. But the people have spoken, and in the endless “is it really that good?” debate, In-N-Out is average at best.
The California burger shrine, which somehow makes a 40-car drive-thru line sound appealing, has long marketed itself as a simple, West Coast-only secret — even though it has recently expanded into states like Colorado, Utah, and soon Tennessee.
And like most overhyped things, the problem isn’t the burger itself, it’s the unrealistic expectations. While nobody has a problem with the Double Double, which has been called mid more than once, people are livid about the fries that taste like garbage. “Any fast-food burger joint where you have to know the secret code (‘well done’) just to get edible fries is overrated,” said one Redditor.
Panera Bread
Technically, “fast casual,” Panera Bread is on every overrated list due to the disconnect between its marketing and reality, which borders on delusional. The whole brand is built on a “wholesome and fresh” image, but the reality is you’re looking at calorie counts that could go toe-to-toe with McDonald’s — plus a hefty price tag.
“Panera is fast food for people who say they don’t like how unhealthy fast food is but don’t actually care about being healthy,” one user wrote. “Insanely expensive for extremely average food,” another user added.
McDonald’s
If there ever was a chain that’s both worshiped and reviled in equal measure, it’s the Golden Arches. McDonald’s built a global empire by convincing the world that a 99-cent cheeseburger was the height of modern convenience, but the cracks are showing. Prices have ballooned, service is sluggish, and the food quality hasn’t exactly “evolved” since the Reagan era.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index puts McDonald’s dead last among major fast-food chains, and TripAdvisor reviews rank it right alongside KFC at the bottom of the barrel.
“It’s not cheap. It’s not fast. It’s not good,” one Redditor said flatly. Another called the burgers “dry as sawdust” and wondered how the place still inspires so much loyalty.
Chick-fil-A
Few things are more American than the cult of the Chick-fil-A sandwich. The phenomenon of a buttered bun, one fried filet, and two pickle slices pulling in Black Friday–level lines is something that belongs in a sociology textbook. For everyone outside the church of Chick-fil-A, though, the sandwich is aggressively fine.
“It’s just chicken. Plenty of other places have it,” one Redditor ranted. “These part-time workers get paid $11 to work non-stop for 8 hours a day just because you guys like to form lines all the way to the highway.”
Taco Bell
There was a time when Taco Bell was the broke college kid’s best friend, and five bucks could buy you a sack of tacos and enough sodium to pickle your insides. Today, however, $5 barely covers a burrito and a drink, while the quality has nosedived into mushy lettuce and mystery meat territory. People are mostly going after Taco Bell and calling it overrated because it has somehow made “Mexican food” synonymous with a $4 Chalupa.
“It was great when you could eat for five bucks. Now, it costs more than a real Mexican restaurant,” one Redditor said.
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Shake Shack
Shake Shack is fine, really. The chain does things the right way, using fresh beef and making everything in-house. But there’s a big gap between something being good and being worth the hype. Twelve bucks for a burger that’s just fine doesn’t add up.
Many people point out that sixty percent of what you’re paying is for the hype. It was even named the most expensive fast food chain in America, which makes the obsession even more challenging to justify.
“Expensive and overrated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad, it’s actually pretty good. It’s a good burger, not a great burger,” one Redditor said.
Chipotle
Chipotle gained popularity in the early 2000s because it stood out with burritos the size of your arm, an assembly line, and the concept of “food with integrity,” which made fast food sound healthier. Nowadays, many people feel the only thing still hyped is the idea of eating at Chipotle. The quality has gone downhill. “20 years ago Chipotle was goat, now they just make shareholders money,” one Redditor said.
