CALIFORNIA STATE – California may be famous for In-N-Out, but another homegrown fast-food chain just beat nearly every major burger, chicken and taco brand in the country.
Del Taco was voted the best fast-food restaurant in America in USA TODAY’s 2026 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, finishing ahead of household names including Chick-fil-A, Wendy’s, Taco Bell and McDonald’s.
It is the third consecutive year that Del Taco has taken the top spot in the national reader poll.
The Southern California-born chain also won a second major honor: its crinkle-cut fries were named America’s best fast-food fries for the third year in a row.
Del Taco Beat Some Enormous Competitors
USA TODAY’s 10Best rankings begin with nominees selected by editors and a panel of industry experts. Readers then vote to determine the final results.
The complete 2026 ranking for America’s best fast-food restaurants was:
- Del Taco
- A&W
- Chick-fil-A
- Wendy’s
- Raising Cane’s
- Taco Bell
- McDonald’s
- Popeyes
- Zaxby’s
- Arby’s
That means the California taco chain managed to defeat several competitors with much larger national footprints.
Taco Bell, Del Taco’s most obvious rival, finished sixth. McDonald’s placed seventh, while California’s other legendary drive-thru chain, In-N-Out Burger, did not make the top 10.
The result does not necessarily prove Del Taco is objectively America’s best restaurant. It is a reader-voted popularity contest, and chains with especially enthusiastic customers can perform particularly well.
Still, winning the same nationwide category three years in a row suggests Del Taco’s fan base is not treating the victory as a fluke.
The Menu Goes Well Beyond Tacos
One reason for Del Taco’s popularity may be that it does not fit neatly into a single fast-food category.
The menu combines Mexican-American staples such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos with burgers, milkshakes and french fries. It also serves breakfast and offers several meat-free choices.
Customers can order combinations that would be difficult to find at most competing chains, including a burrito with a side of crinkle-cut fries or a cheeseburger alongside tacos.
Del Taco says many items are prepared in working restaurant kitchens using ingredients such as grilled meats, shredded cheese and slow-cooked beans.
The chain has also recently renewed its focus on affordability. In May, Del Taco launched a nationwide value menu with more than 10 items starting at $1, though prices and participation can vary by restaurant.
That combination of variety and value appears to be resonating with voters at a time when diners are increasingly frustrated by rising fast-food prices.
Even the Fries Won First Place
The overall restaurant victory was not Del Taco’s only surprise.
Its crinkle-cut fries also finished first in USA TODAY’s separate ranking of the country’s best fast-food fries. Farmer Boys came in second, followed by A&W and McDonald’s.
Del Taco has now won the fries category for three consecutive years.
The fries can be ordered on their own or loaded with toppings such as chili, cheese, carne asada or carnitas. They also help distinguish Del Taco from Taco Bell, which has traditionally focused more heavily on Mexican-inspired sides.
For some longtime customers, ordering fries with tacos is simply part of the Del Taco experience.
The Chain Started in the California Desert
Del Taco traces its history to 1964, when Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson opened the first restaurant in Yermo, near Barstow.
The original restaurant reportedly sold tacos for 19 cents and cheeseburgers for 24 cents. The business quickly expanded across Southern California before moving into other Western states.
Today, Del Taco is headquartered in Lake Forest and operates nearly 600 restaurants across approximately 18 states. A large share of those locations remain in California, where the company first developed its unusual mixture of Mexican and American fast food.
The chain changed hands again in 2025 when Yadav Enterprises purchased it from Jack in the Box for approximately $115 million. New leadership has since been working on an overhaul intended to improve restaurant operations, menus and the overall customer experience.
There Are Only a Few Options Near the Bay Area
Despite Del Taco’s California roots, the chain is far less common around the Bay Area than it is in Southern California.
Contra Costa County residents can find a Del Taco at 4490 Delta Gateway Boulevard in Pittsburg. Another Northern California location operates at 201 Pittman Road in Fairfield, with additional restaurants farther east in cities including Stockton and Sacramento.
That limited local footprint may make Del Taco’s national victory surprising to Bay Area diners who rarely encounter the brand.
In Southern California, however, Del Taco is a familiar part of the fast-food landscape — and its loyal customers have now propelled it above some of the biggest restaurant chains in America for three straight years.
