The US has practically perfected the art of the restaurant chain; after all, the world’s largest and most well-known chains are American, from McDonald’s to Starbucks. Then there are the chains that have become famous around the globe – despite there being few, if any, locations outside the USA. These all-American restaurants are loved by locals and tempting to tourists – here, we’ve hunted down the most talked-about of them all, ranking them up to the one people want to visit most.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the American restaurant chains everyone should try – counting down to the most unmissable of all.

We've based our ranking on reviews, discussions and general buzz surrounding each chain, and on the experience of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.