Whether you're a Five Guys fanatic, a Chick-fil-A champion or a Domino's devotee, everyone has their go-to fast food joint. Choosing the best in the world may seem like an impossible task, but it's a challenge we've embraced wholeheartedly. From global giants to lesser-known gems like Spain's Telepizza and Aussie favourite Huxtaburger, we've scoured the world (and sampled the goods) to uncover the most beloved fast food spots across the globe.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the world's bucket-list fast food chains – counting down to the most unmissable of all.
We’ve based our ranking on the popularity of each chain in its country of origin and abroad, as well as on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. This list is unavoidably subjective.
Guzman y Gomez is one of the best rated fast food chains in Australia, according to Canstar Blue’s ratings, yet the brand doesn't have as big a footprint as its more famous global competitors. Steven Marks and Robert Hazan founded the restaurant in 2006, hoping to fill a gap in the Aussie market for authentic Mexican flavours. The concept proved a hit with customers, and now Guzman y Gomez has over 200 outlets across Australia, Singapore, Japan and the United States, selling its fresh and tasty tacos, burritos and nachos.
The sheer size of Subway makes it hard to ignore when discussing the best fast food options available. With 37,000 outlets in over 110 countries all over the globe, it proves that people everywhere love the simple pleasure of a freshly prepared sandwich. Everybody has their own personal favourite, of course, but the menu classic that many return to time and again is the Italian BMT, featuring salami, ham and pepperoni on Italian bread.
If you haven't tried French tacos yet, you're seriously missing out. Founded in Montrouge, France, in 2010, O'Tacos now has over 300 locations across Europe. The must-have orders here are the signature Otacos (served in a tortilla wrap) and Obowls (without the tortilla). Each dish comes with French fries and the chain's cheese sauce, but the rest is up to you. Choose what (and how much) protein you like, your sauce, your additions and whether you want it toasted or not (you probably do). O'Tacos boasts that there are 40,000 possible combinations, so the world really is your oyster.
KFC is one of the first chains that comes to mind when you think of fast food. This behemoth brand has over 30,000 locations in 150 countries all over the world, bringing its secret blend of fried chicken to anybody and everybody. It's pretty incredible that it all started when one man – the celebrated Harland Sanders – started selling pressure-cooked chicken out of a gas station kitchen in the 1930s. It's even more incredible that the chain is still using Sanders' secret recipe today.
Burgermeister opened its first restaurant in 2006 in a former toilet beneath a subway station in Berlin. It sounds like a disastrous place to start a food business, but Burgermeister's quality shone through, and the joint hit the ground running. Germany has 16 Burgermeister branches so far, but 2025 looks set to be the year the chain expands more rapidly than ever before. Excellent quality burgers, fries, shakes and cookies are on the menu here –and really, what more could you ask for?
In 1958, the Carney brothers borrowed $600 from their mother to start the very first Pizza Hut in Wichita, Kansas. The first franchise was opened a year later, the iconic red roof design of its buildings arrived in 1969, and the brand has continued to grow since. Its success is partly down to its willingness to constantly innovate its products and services, including introducing stuffed-crust pizzas in 1995 and getting into online ordering (very) early in 1994. It helps, too, that people just love its pizzas!
Tim Hortons lives somewhere in the middle ground between a fast food chain and a coffee shop, but given how the Canadian icon is so popular at breakfast time, we're willing to include it here. The Farmer's Breakfast Sandwich, a home-style biscuit filled with sausage, egg, cheese and a hash brown, has got to be the item of choice, although you can't leave without trying the chain's iconic Timbits (doughnut holes) either. They're part of the reason why Tim Hortons has an incredible 4,268 stores in Canada alone, plus locations in 12 other countries.
Wingstop seems like one of the new kids on the block when it comes to fast food chains, but the wonderful wings restaurant has actually been filling our bellies since 1994. The flavoursome phenomenon began as a single location in Garland, Texas and has since blossomed to over 1,500 outlets all over the world. The secret to its success? A small but mighty menu focusing on the very best in deep-fried chicken and mouthwatering sides. When you want wings, you head to Wingstop.
Two university students opened the first Debonairs Pizza in Pietermaritzburg in 1991, and the brand hasn't stopped growing since. The chain opened its 700th restaurant in 2020, becoming one of the best-loved pizza restaurants in South Africa. Some of the unusual creations Debonairs is famous for include the Triple Decker (three pizzas layered on top of one another) and the Cram Decker (the Triple Decker, but with an added stuffed crust).
Fat Phill’s promises quality smash burgers and good vibes – delivering both in spades. Founded in 2019, it's been a big hit in its home country of the Netherlands, opening 19 restaurants in five years. The joint opened its 20th restaurant in late 2024, expanding beyond the Netherlands and into the UK for the very first time. Fat Phill's menu is stuffed with fast food classics cooked with style and flair, including double cheeseburgers, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and Buffalo fries, which come loaded with cheese and chicken tenders.
In 2010, Domino's did something unprecedented for a such a well-known fast food brand: it publicly acknowledged that customers didn't love its pizza. Embracing common feedback such as 'the pizza tastes like cardboard', Domino's worked to reinvent its pizza offerings and overhaul its negative prospects. The result was renewed business and, perhaps most importantly, better-tasting pizzas that customers are happy to return to again and again.
Sukiya was born in Japan in 1982 and, since then, not only has it grown to be the largest gyūdon chain in the country, but it's spawned outlets in other Asian countries, too. As you'd expect, the go-to order from the menu is gyūdon, a beef bowl served in a staggering number of different ways. But it's not the only delicious dish on the menu; other highlights include curries, salads and sticky rice bowls. The menu is so varied that you could order a new item every night for a month and never eat the same thing twice.
The hard-shell taco was the menu item that started it all for Taco Bell. Entrepreneur Glen Bell added the Tex-Mex dish to a previous fast food restaurant's menu to differentiate it from McDonald's, and he carried the idea over to Taco Bell when he launched the chain in 1962. The brand has continued this spirit of innovation and reinvention through the years to spread the love of tacos across the globe. It's almost impossible to pick a favourite from the menu, but the Crunchwrap Supreme is hard to beat for its combination of textures and flavours.
McDonald's doesn't need any introduction – the chain has a mind-boggling 41,000-plus locations in 100 countries all over the planet. It's come a long way since its first restaurant opened in San Bernardino, California in 1940, but the food at the heart of the empire has remained largely the same. The burgers, fries and shakes have been there from the very beginning, while the iconic Big Mac launched in 1967, and McNuggets arrived in the mid-1980s.
In 1972, Alvin C. Copeland Sr. could have given up when his restaurant, Chicken on the Run, failed to ignite the interest of diners in New Orleans. Instead, he relaunched the joint as Popeyes and switched from serving Southern fried chicken to New Orleans–style chicken – and he never looked back. Almost 5,000 Popeyes restaurants can now be found across the globe, bringing chicken fans everywhere a menu of flavour-packed chicken, buttery biscuits and Cajun-spiced sides.
By any normal standards, Habib's shouldn't have worked. Alberto Saraiva, a Brazilian man born in Portugal with no connection to the Arab world, decided to bring Middle Eastern food to a country where only 7% of the population was of Arab descent. Yet Habib's defied the odds to grow to around 500 restaurants and become a huge fan favourite. Its classic menu item is the Beirut sandwich: a large pitta filled with sliced meat, a fried egg, pickles, salad and cheese.
Dave Thomas did things a little differently when he launched Wendy's Old Fashioned Burgers in Columbus, Ohio in 1969 – and we don't just mean those famous square burgers. Hoping to reach a more adult audience, Wendy's opened with a lush interior and burgers that were twice as expensive as those served by its rivals. But the gambit worked, and Wendy's became one of the biggest names in fast food, with over 7,000 locations around the world (and more on the way). Those square burgers are still on the menu today, with Dave's Double being the go-to order for many.
The reason why Shake Shack has been so successful is because, well, it was never designed to be this big. The first restaurant opened in 2004 in Madison Square Park, New York City and was specifically created to serve customer demand in this area. Shake Shack then applied the same attention to detail at each subsequent location, organically growing the brand without losing touch with what made it great in the first place: mouthwatering burgers, made with the best ingredients.
Home Original Chicken launched in 2003 and now has a staggering 1,400 stores throughout China, making it the biggest Chinese-style fast food chain in the country. Founder Shu Congxuan arguably went against the grain when he decided to focus on traditional chicken dishes and soup instead of fried chicken, but his plan for fast, convenient home-style food worked. The menu features the likes of pork meatballs, hot and sour fish and steamed aubergine with chilli sauce, as well as an abundance of poultry.
Such is Chick-fil-A's enviable reputation that you probably think the chain has a bigger presence than it actually does. It currently has over 3,000 restaurants in the US and a few more across the rest of the world. They're impressive numbers, but nothing compared to the 13,600-plus outlets belonging to McDonald's in the US alone. What Chick-fil-A does have, though, is a loyal following of fans who'll tell you its famous Chicken Sandwich is the best fast food menu item anywhere.
Montaditos are Spanish open-faced sandwiches, topped with whatever you happen to have in the pantry. Unsurprisingly, then, the Spanish chain 100 Montaditos features a menu bursting with almost any sandwich variety you can dream of. It's clearly a recipe for success, because the chain, which opened in 2000, now has more than 350 restaurants throughout Spain, plus some international outposts, including five locations in the US.
"If you can serve a good hamburger, you can always make money in America." So said Jerry Murrell's mother, and her son sure did take it to heart. Murrell and his wife founded Five Guys in 1986, with the original 'Five Guys' being Jerry and his four sons (although a fifth son did eventually arrive on the scene). The first restaurant opened in Arlington, Virginia, but things really took off after Five Guys started franchising in 2003. Today, fans can't get enough of the chain's juicy, fresh-never-frozen burgers, endless toppings and hefty portions of fries.
Nordsee's history stretches back to 1896, when it opened as a fish counter in Bremen, Germany. It worked so well as a fishmonger's shop that the company didn't even enter the fast food game until 1965; however, since then, it's opened more than 350 fast food restaurants across Germany and the rest of Europe. As you'd imagine, the menu is mostly focused on fish, with highlights including a redfish baguette, a salmon burger and, of course, fish nuggets.
Fun fact: even though Harvey's was co-founded by two men, neither of those men was called Harvey. When George Sukornyk and Rick Mauran opened the first Harvey's in Ontario, Canada in 1959, they discovered a local car dealership known as Harvey's was closing down and selling its sign. So Sukornyk and Mauran repurposed the Harvey's sign for their burger restaurant, and the rest is fast food history. The brand is best known today for its customisable flame-grilled burgers, which come with unlimited free toppings from the garnish counter.
Launched in 2004, LEON entered the British fast food market with a mission to focus on natural ingredients and healthier food. The chain's menu features ridiculously good rice bowls, super salads and wonderful wraps. But don't worry: LEON also has a range of better-for-you burgers and crispy chicken nuggets. The baked waffle fries are a must-have side, too, so search them out at one of LEON's 60-plus branches throughout the UK.
The genius concept behind Japanese favourite MOS BURGER is that it takes American fast food culture and gives it a uniquely Japanese twist. One of its most popular menu items is a rice burger, which switches out the traditional bread bun for one made of rice, barley and millet. Elsewhere on the menu, the patties are seriously saucy, meaning customers eat the burgers in their wrappers and use the leftover sauce as a dip for fries. The chain is massively popular throughout East Asia.
Quick is so popular that one of its combos landed a spot on food delivery service Deliveroo's 100 top trending dishes ordered around the world in 2024. The go-to for most fans on the app was large fries and a Giant – a double cheeseburger topped with Giant sauce and diced onions. It's the kind of fast food staple that has kept Quick on the fast food scene since it opened in Belgium in 1971. Today, you can find Quick restaurants in 164 locations around France and Belgium.
Yoshinoya has proudly embraced the motto 'tasty, cheap and fast' to deliver its menu of tasty gyūdon (beef bowls) and Japanese fast food staples. It's a motto that has served it well; the first Yoshinoya restaurant opened in 1899 in a fish market restaurant in Tokyo, and today, the chain has over 1,200 locations in East and Southeast Asia and the United States. In the summer, customers enjoy unadon (eel bowls) as a seasonal alternative to gyūdon.
McDonald's might have a bigger presence in Argentina, but Mostaza is the homegrown fast food joint nipping at the heels of its American rival. With 200 outlets throughout the country, Mostaza has been building its reputation, as well as a loyal following, since 1998. Fans will tell you that its menu features bigger, more original and better value food than anything served at one of the bigger chains. Don't believe us? Well, can you get nuggets drowned in Cheddar cheese sauce and bacon bits at McDonald's?
Abrakebabra might earn bonus points for having a funny, punny name, but it makes this list because its meaty kebabs are a delectable combination of tender protein, slaw, salad and plenty of chilli and garlic sauce. The chain has bloomed to 300 locations throughout Ireland since it opened in 1982, arguably bringing the döner kebab to the country. If kebabs aren't your thing, the menu also features chicken shawarma, burgers, and golden falafels served with hummus and pitta bread.
In-N-Out Burger has a reputation for astounding, affordable burgers that's hard for any growing burger chain to live up to. But even though there are some 400 In-N-Out Burgers in the US, the quality of its menu shows no sign of slipping. Fast food fans making the pilgrimage to California, where you'll find the most In-N-Out locations, will want to order the famous Double Double, perhaps opting for the not-so-secret hack of ordering it Animal-Style (with mustard-fried patties, extra spread and grilled onions).
Jollibee isn't a brand everybody's familiar with, but that's likely to change in the next few years. The fast food chain currently has around 1,700 stores worldwide (the majority of which are in the Philippines), but it plans to expand rapidly in the US and China. That means even more people will have the chance to try its crispy chicken and signature Jolly Spaghetti, which comes topped with chopped hot dog pieces and melted cheese.
Australian fast food fans looking for something more niche than their local McDonald's would do well to search out the nearest Huxtaburger. This cult smash burger chain was established in Melbourne in 2011, and it now has six outlets to its name. Fans rave about the premium grass-fed Victorian beef patties, the sesame-sprinkled buns (which are baked in-house daily) and the scratch-made sauces, which take every burger to the next level. The menu also features chicken burgers, veggie options, chicken tenders, and fries served a number of ways.
The US can lay claim to massive fast food pizza chains such as Domino's and Pizza Hut, but its biggest rival in Europe comes in the form of Spain's Telepizza. It has around 1,200 locations, the majority of which you'll find in Spain, and it's loved for its distinct malted semolina crusts and delicious toppings. It's been on the pizza scene since 1987, with one of its signature styles being Las Brutales – featuring five cheeses squished between two layers of pizza dough.
MAX Burgers has been delighting Sweden's fast food fans since 1968, a full five years before McDonald’s arrived in the country. It has since expanded into Norway, Denmark and Poland, all the while taking its environmental responsibilities seriously and delivering exceptional quality burgers. The chain is consistently voted as Sweden's tastiest burger joint in customer satisfaction surveys, and its fries and milkshakes aren't bad, either.
Dave's Hot Chicken is the ultimate fast food fairytale. The growing brand began in 2017, when three childhood friends pooled $900 to open a late-night pop-up in a car park in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. Word spread about the mind-blowing chicken getting served up at the spot, and things escalated from there. These days, the 200-plus locations in the US and the UK are still serving that same spicy chicken to happy customers. Can't find a Dave's near you? Don't worry: the chain is expanding its presence in the US and the UK, and it has plans to set up shop in Canada and the Middle East, too.
Pizzium prides itself on offering an eating environment akin to an Italian grandmother's kitchen, where you just know the food's going to taste warm and comforting. Its pizzas are inspired by, and named after, different Italian regions, with a fan favourite being the Lazio pizza, which features courgette flowers, salted anchovies and pecorino fondue. The chain was founded in Milan in 2017 and now has dozens of locations across Italy.
In 2024, Bleecker Burger won the National Burger of the Year competition for its incredible Bacon Double. It came after years of work growing Bleecker from a fast food truck to a bricks-and-mortar location in 2015 – and it's now the UK's burger brand to beat, with six stunning locations (and more on the way). The things that make this joint stand out from the crowd are its commitment to quality ingredients and ethical values.
Chicken Licken is famous for its hot wings, crispy chicken thighs and hot sauce. Without nailing those basics, there's no way the brand could have become the world's largest fried chicken fast food chain that didn’t come out of the US. In fact, fans of the South African restaurant say its chicken is way more tender and better seasoned than anything on offer at certain other American chains.