Five Guys dethrones IN-N-OUT as America’s most popular burger joint

The American burger chain IN-N-OUT, which once held a one-day pop-up in Taiwan, won the hearts of many celebrities with its delicious burgers. However, according to the latest U.S. poll, the title of America’s most popular burger joint has now changed hands. Five Guys, which has been aggressively expanding across the country, claimed the top spot for the first time, surpassing IN-N-OUT and Shake Shack. Even former U.S. President Barack Obama once stopped by for lunch, causing a stir at the time.

The Harris Poll released its 2017 EquiTrend study on restaurant brands, with Five Guys taking the crown in the burger restaurant category, knocking IN-N-OUT off the top spot where it had reigned for multiple years. Founded in 1986 and hailing from Virginia, Five Guys is known for its fresh beef patties, peanut oil-fried fries, and all-you-can-eat in-shell peanuts, with prices ranging from $4.99 to $8.69.

Regional American burger chains are rapidly expanding. In the past decade, Five Guys has opened over 1,000 locations across the Americas and Europe. In 2009, then-President Obama visited a Washington, D.C. location with his security detail for lunch, boosting the brand’s popularity across the U.S.

The Harris Poll evaluated over 4,000 brands based on familiarity, quality, and purchase intent from 100,000 U.S. respondents. Five Guys topped the list of American burger brands, followed by IN-N-OUT, Shake Shack, and Wendy’s, with McDonald’s ranking 7th nationally. Starbucks and Subway were named the top brands in their respective categories of coffee shops and sandwich shops.