{"id":408218,"date":"2026-07-22T17:37:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T17:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/408218\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T17:37:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T17:37:12","slug":"best-fast-food-restaurants-in-us-del-taco-ranked-no-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/408218\/","title":{"rendered":"Best fast food restaurants in US? Del Taco ranked No. 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

California is home to some of the nation\u2019s most recognizable fast food chains<\/a>, from iconic burger joints to growing coffee shops and ice cream favorites.<\/p>\n

USA Today readers recently ranked the best fast food restaurants<\/a> in 2026 \u2014 and one California-based restaurant chain took first place.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a hint: It\u2019s not In-N-Out.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn any given day, tens of millions of Americans are treated to irresistibly delicious food that\u2019s in their hands just a few minutes (or less!) after ordering,\u201d USA Today said in the new ranking, published July 15. \u201cIt takes a tremendous amount of hard work and preparation to deliver that sort of speed, quality and scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s which California restaurant chain claimed the No. 1 spot<\/a> in the country:<\/p>\n

BEHIND THE STORY MORE <\/a> Why we did this story <\/p>\n

Our community-driven series \u2014 How to California \u2014 is here to answer your questions<\/a> about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel in the Golden State. <\/p>\n

McClatchy\u2019s service journalism team, focused on helping our readers navigate daily life, works in communities across the state, including San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Merced, Modesto and Sacramento. <\/p>\n

Ask us your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 by emailing howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a> or filling out a form here. <\/a><\/p>\n

Which California-based fast-food chain is No. 1 in US?<\/p>\n

USA Today readers named Del Taco the No. 1 fast food restaurant in the United States<\/a> for 2026.<\/p>\n

The chain got its start in 1964, when founders Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson opened the first Del Taco<\/a> in Yermo.<\/p>\n

By the end of the 1970s, Del Taco had expanded to 100 locations, according to the company website.<\/p>\n

Today, Del Taco operates nearly 600 locations<\/a> across 18 states, including California.<\/p>\n

That includes several restaurants in the Sacramento<\/a> area, as well as Fresno<\/a>, Merced<\/a>, Modesto<\/a> and Santa Maria<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Del Del Taco took first place on USA Today\u2019s list of the top 10 fast food restaurants in the United States. Del Taco What\u2019s on the menu at Del Taco?<\/p>\n

Del Taco is known for combining Mexican-inspired favorites with classic American fast food.<\/p>\n

The menu features tacos<\/a>, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, loaded crinkle-cut fries and burgers.<\/p>\n

Customers can also order shakes and iced coffee drinks as well as mini churros, donut bites and other desserts.<\/p>\n

\"Del Del Taco is the No. 1 fast food chain in the United States, according to USA Today readers. Rob Nikolewski TNS What are top 10 fast food restaurants in the US?<\/p>\n

According to USA Today, these were the top 10 fast food restaurants<\/a> in the nation in 2026:<\/p>\n

Del TacoA&WChick-fil-AWendy\u2019sRaising Cane\u2019sTaco BellMcDonald\u2019sPopeyesZaxby\u2019sArby\u2019s<\/p>\n

\u201cThese 10 fast food chains serve up diverse, delicious menus that cater to a wide range of tastes and dietary needs, all while keeping service fast and prices reasonable,\u201d USA Today said.<\/p>\n

How did USA Today determine Best10 award winners?<\/p>\n

To determine USA Today\u2019s Best 10 Readers\u2019 Choice Awards<\/a> for 2026, a panel of experts nominated contenders across various categories.<\/p>\n

Readers then cast their votes for their favorites.<\/p>\n

USA Today readers also picked the best fast food burgers<\/a> and fried chicken<\/a> in the country.<\/p>\n

Have a question about life in California?<\/p>\n

How to California \u2014 a guide to help you live, work and enjoy life in the Golden State, is here to help.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll answer your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel.<\/p>\n

Ask your questions in the form below (can\u2019t see it? Click here<\/a>) or email howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Loading\u2026<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez<\/a><\/p>\n

The Modesto Bee<\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez is a service journalism reporter for The Bee. She is a graduate of Sacramento State with a bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism. During her time there, she worked on the State Hornet covering arts and entertainment.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"California is home to some of the nation\u2019s most recognizable fast food chains, from iconic burger joints to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":408219,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8],"class_list":["post-408218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}