2023’s Best Cities for Fast Food Lovers: 200 Cities Ranked : TRAVEL/FOOD

From the drive-in to the drive-thru, America loves finger-lickin’ good fast food.

But which cities are best for satisfying on-the-go hunger (or on-the-couch cravings)?

LawnStarter compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities to rank 2023’s Best Cities for Fast Food Lovers.

We looked for cities with access to plenty of fast-food establishments. We also considered affordability and quality, including Thrillist’s Fasties Awards.

Have it your way on National Fast Food Day (Nov. 16) with the help of our ranking below, followed by some highlights, lowlights, and expert tips.

Contents

City Rankings

A Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant location on an early summer evening in West St. Paul, Minnesota.

See how each city fared in our ranking:

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Overall Rank (1=Best)		City	Overall Score		Access Rank		Quality Rank		Affordability Rank

1	Orlando, FL			67.37		2		1		146
2	New York, NY			66.34		3		2		91
3	Miami, FL			61.16		1		93		147
4	San Francisco, CA			59.00		10		14		15
5	Chicago, IL			58.91		9		9		69
6	Philadelphia, PA			58.79		11		4		127
7	Huntington Beach, CA			56.99		33		6		32
8	Washington, DC			56.89		6		22		28
9	McAllen, TX			56.24		91		3		62
10	San Diego, CA			55.60		47		7		41
11	Los Angeles, CA			54.51		26		10		96
12	Las Vegas, NV			54.46		14		13		128
13	Scottsdale, AZ			54.09		142		11		6
14	Chandler, AZ			53.54		71		17		4
15	Killeen, TX			52.53		76		5		149
16	Boston, MA			52.32		4		48		76
17	Torrance, CA			51.95		24		23		42
18	Glendale, AZ			51.20		31		12		160
19	Atlanta, GA			50.89		20		43		20
20	Austin, TX			50.77		41		28		33
21	Palmdale, CA			50.61		152		8		75
22	Pasadena, CA			49.91		36		37		29
23	Seattle, WA			49.24		39		44		26
24	Long Beach, CA			49.01		28		25		124
25	Rancho Cucamonga, CA			49.00		108		26		25
26	Tempe, AZ			48.20		25		42		85
27	Orange, CA			48.06		32		62		21
28	Tampa, FL			48.04		17		47		104
29	Phoenix, AZ			48.02		55		18		141
30	Mesa, AZ			47.84		82		33		43
31	Pomona, CA			47.75		87		24		82
32	Glendale, CA			47.64		106		46		12
33	Peoria, AZ			47.51		157		16		71
34	Escondido, CA			47.49		107		30		49
35	San Antonio, TX			47.23		61		20		143
36	Plano, TX			47.19		73		57		13
37	Anaheim, CA			47.01		37		50		68
38	Moreno Valley, CA			46.97		132		21		66
38	Corona, CA			46.97		84		45		27
40	Naperville, IL			46.91		65		75		3
41	McKinney, TX			46.14		102		65		11
42	Oceanside, CA			45.80		103		35		90
43	Louisville, KY			45.50		5		117		112
44	Dallas, TX			45.36		19		86		70
45	Charlotte, NC			45.24		150		29		81
46	Fontana, CA			45.20		79		59		44
47	Olathe, KS			45.19		171		32		38
48	Henderson, NV			45.04		170		34		39
49	Santa Ana, CA			44.74		21		95		45
50	Denver, CO			44.67		40		79		58
51	Fort Lauderdale, FL			44.64		12		131		51
52	Thornton, CO			44.61		100		58		57
53	Fullerton, CA			44.59		46		88		35
54	Salt Lake City, UT			44.59		90		53		72
55	Norfolk, VA			44.56		49		51		135
56	Lexington, KY			44.51		176		31		52
57	Portland, OR			44.48		121		60		34
58	St. Louis, MO			44.33		43		55		140
59	Sunnyvale, CA			43.40		29		157		2
60	Springfield, MO			43.20		159		15		181
61	Jersey City, NJ			43.16		8		160		50
62	Sacramento, CA			42.54		15		137		99
63	Frisco, TX			42.49		67		132		8
64	Riverside, CA			42.30		113		74		60
65	Waco, TX			42.07		93		68		105
66	Garden Grove, CA			42.03		80		63		137
67	Eugene, OR			41.98		173		38		117
68	Winston-Salem, NC			41.92		195		41		47
69	Hampton, VA			41.87		75		52		170
70	Fresno, CA			41.87		52		72		152
71	Chula Vista, CA			41.56		122		130		5
72	Overland Park, KS			41.48		174		76		16
73	Pittsburgh, PA			41.38		16		147		110
74	Columbus, OH			41.33		85		66		153
75	Raleigh, NC			41.31		168		80		24
76	Little Rock, AR			41.21		133		61		122
77	Houston, TX			41.14		35		103		121
78	Roseville, CA			41.09		57		138		23
79	Lincoln, NE			41.04		162		56		106
80	North Las Vegas, NV			41.02		196		27		134
81	Colorado Springs, CO			40.96		83		78		129
82	Modesto, CA			40.81		38		133		61
83	Knoxville, TN			40.69		45		87		163
84	Fremont, CA			40.58		148		124		7
85	Santa Clarita, CA			40.42		144		77		74
86	Richmond, VA			40.40		18		112		171
87	Nashville, TN			40.26		172		64		84
88	Baltimore, MD			40.25		27		104		162
89	Ontario, CA			40.23		86		106		73
90	Alexandria, VA			40.06		7		195		17
91	Tallahassee, FL			39.95		50		96		151
92	Tulsa, OK			39.87		136		70		133
93	Virginia Beach, VA			39.73		97		98		98
94	Kansas City, KS			39.73		192		19		184
95	San Jose, CA			39.63		62		164		9
96	Rockford, IL			39.58		164		40		177
97	Clarksville, TN			39.52		191		54		108
98	Amarillo, TX			39.32		58		122		100
99	Kansas City, MO			39.20		197		36		145
100	St. Paul, MN			39.20		98		148		22
101	Fort Worth, TX			39.19		101		119		65
102	Lubbock, TX			39.18		66		94		156
103	Salinas, CA			38.93		30		176		14
104	Tacoma, WA			38.88		64		110		136
105	Providence, RI			38.80		105		91		154
106	Elk Grove, CA			38.76		115		143		30
107	Columbus, GA			38.59		146		90		103
108	Irving, TX			38.26		77		161		18
109	Bellevue, WA			38.09		95		177		1
110	Laredo, TX			38.08		158		82		138
111	Jacksonville, FL			38.07		69		107		158
112	Oxnard, CA			38.00		81		154		46
113	Durham, NC			37.89		175		102		54
114	Madison, WI			37.76		178		89		92
115	Lakewood, CO			37.69		180		71		142
116	Greensboro, NC			37.66		161		101		93
117	Surprise, AZ			37.65		114		111		132
118	Rochester, NY			37.63		13		128		191
119	Fort Collins, CO			37.53		112		150		48
120	Murfreesboro, TN			37.51		120		156		31
121	Omaha, NE			37.51		149		100		109
122	Chesapeake, VA			37.24		183		114		36
123	Augusta, GA			37.17		165		84		157
124	Mobile, AL			37.13		194		49		172
125	Indianapolis, IN			37.07		140		109		119
126	Wichita, KS			37.03		124		120		107
127	Hialeah, FL			36.91		23		124		185
128	Milwaukee, WI			36.90		118		81		180
129	Baton Rouge, LA			36.80		111		108		168
130	Corpus Christi, TX			36.80		134		134		77
131	Anchorage, AK			36.78		199		85		67
132	Carrollton, TX			36.76		59		173		40
133	Cincinnati, OH			36.56		60		146		148
134	Buffalo, NY			36.55		44		73		196
135	Tucson, AZ			36.52		95		69		190
136	Hollywood, FL			36.41		34		183		37
137	Santa Rosa, CA			36.34		116		152		79
138	Lancaster, CA			36.20		154		129		95
139	Albuquerque, NM			36.17		143		121		115
140	Stockton, CA			36.08		94		118		169
141	Vancouver, WA			36.02		53		167		89
142	Bakersfield, CA			36.01		92		153		111
143	San Bernardino, CA			35.84		182		67		179
144	Denton, TX			35.82		188		105		97
145	Arlington, TX			35.70		74		159		102
146	Oklahoma City, OK			35.65		193		83		150
147	Warren, MI			35.64		160		163		19
148	Oakland, CA			35.59		63		174		53
149	Sioux Falls, SD			35.36		166		141		78
150	Boise, ID			35.34		137		158		64
151	Grand Rapids, MI			35.29		51		151		173
152	Shreveport, LA			35.23		134		92		182
153	El Paso, TX			35.20		117		144		144
154	Dayton, OH			35.16		70		97		188
155	Fort Wayne, IN			34.71		151		115		161
156	Irvine, CA			34.69		138		182		10
157	Aurora, CO			34.50		123		113		176
158	Huntsville, AL			34.50		190		142		59
159	Midland, TX			34.15		131		171		56
160	West Valley City, UT			34.14		189		123		113
161	Macon, GA			33.93		155		135		155
162	Minneapolis, MN			33.34		72		180		80
163	Grand Prairie, TX			33.29		127		170		86
164	Newport News, VA			33.27		99		139		183
165	Des Moines, IA			33.25		163		155		125
166	Akron, OH			33.17		167		39		200
167	Memphis, TN			33.16		156		140		167
168	Yonkers, NY			33.12		48		189		87
169	Fayetteville, NC			32.96		179		127		165
170	Garland, TX			32.83		78		184		83
171	Hayward, CA			32.76		89		175		130
172	New Orleans, LA			32.64		184		149		118
173	Birmingham, AL			32.04		147		116		187
174	Salem, OR			31.71		145		168		139
175	St. Petersburg, FL			31.24		68		194		101
176	Reno, NV			30.88		153		178		114
177	Savannah, GA			30.76		56		181		174
178	Toledo, OH			30.71		141		99		198
179	Springfield, MA			30.55		119		136		193
180	Spokane, WA			30.45		54		179		178
181	Mesquite, TX			30.41		130		185		116
182	Paterson, NJ			30.30		126		186		123
183	Pembroke Pines, FL			30.26		139		187		94
184	Pasadena, TX			30.14		169		165		164
185	Port St. Lucie, FL			30.13		110		191		126
186	Worcester, MA			29.92		109		193		131
187	Cleveland, OH			29.74		125		126		199
188	Chattanooga, TN			29.25		177		169		159
189	Cape Coral, FL			29.06		104		190		166
190	Montgomery, AL			28.58		181		166		175
191	Aurora, IL			28.45		129		199		63
192	Charleston, SC			27.68		198		188		55
193	Detroit, MI			27.29		185		145		194
194	Jackson, MS			27.14		187		162		186
195	Joliet, IL			27.06		128		172		192
196	Newark, NJ			26.62		42		197		189
197	Brownsville, TX			26.05		186		196		120
198	Syracuse, NY			24.94		22		198		195
199	Miramar, FL			24.59		200		192		88
200	Bridgeport, CT			20.43		88		200		197

Showing 1 to 200 of 200 entries

Behind the Ranking

For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we gathered publicly available data on the factors listed in the table below.

We then grouped those factors into three categories: Access, Quality, and Affordability.

Next, we calculated weighted scores for each city in each category.

Finally, we averaged the scores for each city across all categories.

The city that earned the highest average score was ranked “Best” (No. 1), while the city with the lowest was ranked “Worst” (No. 200). (Note: The “Worst” among individual factors may not be 200 due to ties among cities.)