Jersey Mike’s is No. 1.
The New Jersey-born sandwich chain has topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index for the first time, ending Chick-fil-A’s 11-year run at the top of the fast-food rankings.
Jersey Mike’s scored 84 out of 100 in the 2026 ACSI Restaurant Report, just barely besting Chick-fil-A’s 83. The annual study is based on more than 16,000 customer surveys collected between April 2025 and March 2026, measuring food quality, service, value, and convenience.
The Toms River-founded chain was recognized specifically for freshness, food variety, and value—and it’s been scaling fast. Jersey Mike’s added 238 net new locations in 2025 and hit $4.2 billion in systemwide sales, all while maintaining the quality scores that put it at the top of the list. The brand announced plans to go public earlier this year.
Here’s how the top 15 quick-service chains ranked:
| Chain | Score |
|---|---|
| Jersey Mike’s | 84 |
| Chick-fil-A | 83 |
| Jimmy John’s | 81 |
| Panda Express | 81 |
| KFC | 80 |
| Papa John’s | 80 |
| Pizza Hut | 80 |
| Domino’s | 80 |
Chick-fil-A remains the top-rated chicken chain and one of the highest-scoring brands in any ACSI category. McDonald’s, notably, didn’t crack the top five in the burger category—ranking seventh with a score of 72.
For a Garden State chain that started as a single sub shop in Point Pleasant Beach in 1956, reaching the top of the national fast-food rankings is a pretty good week. Jersey Mike’s has been on a run—the rest of America is catching on.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.