This Is America's Favorite Burger Chain, According to Customers

When it comes to making customers happy, biggest burger empires in America aren't necessarily the most successful ones. In fact, according to customer feedback, the award for America's favorite burger destination goes to a mid-sized chain with fewer than 1,000 nationwide locations.

A new set of data collected by tech and marketing company Merchant Centric showed that fast-food brand Culver's scored highest among America's burger chains in terms of customer satisfaction in 2021.

The company analyzed more than 23 million customer reviews from Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor, and Yelp in order to find brands excelling in categories like food quality and flavor, staff demeanor, timeliness, price/value, and loyalty.

Wisconsin-based Culver's wowed the guests who dined at its 882 locations, averaging an impressive score of 4.34 out of 5. To put it in perspective, Sonic Drive-In came in second with a much lower 3.69 average rating. It's clear customers enjoyed their experience at Culver's above all the others.

As for some of the other burger chains that scored high marks, Mooyah (4.43), Five Guys (4.21), and Fuddruckers (4.19) topped the fast-casual segment.

On the other hand, Wayback Burgers (3.86), Smashburger (3.77), and Steak 'n Shake (3.74) have much room for improvement, having scored on the lower end of the customer satisfaction spectrum. Surprisingly, behemoth Burger King earned the lowest score in the fast-food realm with an underwhelming 3.34 average rating—proving, once again, that size doesn't equal quality.

Generally, the majority of fast-food establishments experienced a drop in customer satisfaction between January 2021 and December 2021, although burger chains specifically fared better than other restaurant categories, data showed.

Don't make a tough morning any worse. Be sure to steer clear of the 5 Worst Fast-Food Breakfasts to Stay Away From Right Now.