The 9th Straight Chain Restaurants in 2025 (according to customer satisfaction)

The client is always right, as they say. So, what better way to measure restaurants than by customer satisfaction? We have collected data from the US customer satisfaction index (ACSI), consumer affairs, Yelp and Reddit discussions to conclude a complete conclusion of customer sentiment at restaurants for fast daily chains. Based on our research, we have identified the nine oldest restaurant chains based on customer satisfaction, and this exceeds only food. A fast daily dining room is extremely popular in the US and the client’s experience can be swinging with many things, including their experience with a waiter or waitress, the time it takes for placement, and even the overall vibration of the restaurant.

It is worth noting that all these chains have several places in the United States and customer experience can vary dramatically based on things like property and franchise management. However, the restaurants on this list are repeated offenders, with several clients coming out the same problems in different places. Given everything – from a rough jackal and poor food quality to a long time to wait and unclean restaurants, customer reviews say these are the tallest chains there.

Read more: 10 Steakhouse chains that will take over the United States

Deni

The famous Super Slam breakfast seems not enough to keep customers satisfied with Danny. According to the US Consumer satisfaction index (ACSI), Denny’s is the worst rated chain of full service restaurants in 2025, with a rating of 75 out of 100.

According to consumer affairs, which have more than 400 Diner 24/7 evaluations and reviews, customers agree to several major problem areas when it comes to eating at Denny’s. In particular, customers deal with the long waiting times and the inconsistent quality of the service. Some customers note that it took more than an hour to sit, while others claim that their waitress ignored them, although the restaurant is not so busy. Even delivery drivers are trying to avoid Danny for their long wait times. A Doordash driver took at Reddit to say, “I usually don’t accept Denny for the simple fact that 9/10 orders are not ready there. It’s only when it’s super slow or really good, I’ll go there.”

Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings is known for its sports atmosphere, chicken wings and appetizers that you can eat, but the chain has also gained an unfortunate reputation for having a hassle -free service and inconsistent food quality. Like any other chain, the quality of service varies depending on the location. As a client explained so eloquently about Reddit, “it all depends on the location. Most are garbage. Some are not.”

According to the comparatively, which compares the competitors of restaurants based on how likely customers are to recommend a friend’s place, this restaurant boasts a low score of -31 (yes, negative) on a scale of -100 to 100. This is more than Wingstop, Applebee and even Hooters. Wing lovers do not play around when it comes to their chicken wings, but with such inconsistent experiences from all over the country, it is no surprise that customers are not completely satisfied with Wild Wings Buffalo. And in addition to things, prices only rise upwards, adding insult to injury to disgruntled consumers, with some complaining that prices are excessive to the quality and size of portions.

Chili

Chili’s received a lot of online attention to Tiktok for his triple immersion, which represents over one -tenth of his total sales. Despite the rise, fall and recent renewal of Chile, the chain seems to be diminished in customer satisfaction compared to previous years, proving that you cannot believe everything you see in Tiktok. On the basis of the ACSI circuit, several points were dropped between 2024 and 2025, and more than half of customer estimates on users’ issues are 1-star reviews.

Many reviews report the problems of food quality, with customers complaining that many of their meals have no aroma, burned, had an unexpected spice and more. Some report problems such as potato soup that arrived without potatoes reminiscent of baby food. Similarly, the restaurant served chicken Quesadillas, which were highly missing in chicken meat. The general consensus is that the quality of the food simply does not match the price and with so many other chains to choose from, customers can start to turn to more accessible options.

Ihop

The International Pancake House seems to have a problem with management. Since 1958, the family breakfast chain has been known for its fluffy gold pancakes, but according to customer reviews, it has become known for something else. While some online customers have positive things about food, there are several menu items that you will probably want to avoid in Ihop. Not to mention that many reviews from different places for Ihop claim that the service is extremely bad and that poor management seems to be at the heart of the question.

Of the 352 consumer reviews, 60% of them are 1 star ratings, many of which are associated with inconsistent food quality. Customers complain of obtaining omelets from egg whites that are brown and served with deficiency eggs that are so cold that they have not even melted the cheese on top. Other patrons were greeted with cold coffee, brown avocado and incorrect food orders. Several users have noted the successor of unprofessionalism from the management, with a little relevant to customer satisfaction, despite the company’s claims that food will always be served with a smile.

Red robin

The Red Robin CEO announced in March 2025 that the Burger chain would consider completing 70 seats for less results due to reduced revenue and foot traffic. Perhaps consumer sentiment has something to do with the losses that the chain has seen in recent years. According to more than 99,000 Yelp customers, Red Robin has a serious problem with customer satisfaction, most of all because of the quality of food, service and waiting time.

Customers have experienced experiences where the waiting person did not check the tables while they were dinner, and even ignored attempts to get their attention. Some have also noticed a significant reduction in the quality and size of the portions of the food, marking a clearly burning taste of things like burgers they have ever enjoyed. In fact, several customers remember that the burger served in Red Robin 10 years ago, it is big and delicious, while today it is thinner and drier.

Applebee’s

Applebee has a reputation to provide pretty good value compared to some of their fast daily dining competitors, such as Chili, but customers are deeply dissatisfied with the times of waiting, the rough staff and the quality of the subpara food. Customers speculate that shrinkage has been guilty of changing quality over the years. With regard to consumer affairs, a client from Minneapolis shared their recent 1 star experience, saying, “The last few times the prices have increased dramatically and the portions really suffer in size,” saying that they have settled for salad and are still hungry when they left.

Numerous patrons count experiences in which they entered an almost empty Applebee and were still greeted with a long time of waiting and a rough jackal, contributing to a complete nourishing and negative eating experience. And it seems that the quality of the food is also not in line. In the Reddit thread, entitled “Who is the Worst Chain Restaurant”, one commentator said, “I’m convinced that their kitchen consists entirely of microwaves,” while another even offered to take something better than 7-11.

Golden coral

Golden Corral has long been known as an endless buffet with a diverse choice of food. With everything – from soup, salad and pasta to steak, seafood and desserts, there is little something for everyone. However, the prevailing consensus online is that the chain is a type of amount of nutrition. Most users agree that Golden Corral has lost its attractiveness after childhood, when the experience you can eat is new and exciting.

Customers mourn the massive food and claim that the buffet started even further down when it expanded the menu to additional food styles. A Reddit client explained: “It was quite good before trying to diversify and add things like Mexican cuisine. Steak, macaroni, sliders, etc. are quite good, but things like enhiladi are disturbed.” Others were even less charity, emphasizing the poor quality of food and the lack of spice, saying: “I just appreciate their honesty in naming the place after a livestock station.”

Cracker

Cracker Barrel’s Southern Homestyle’s comfortable food is not enough to satisfy customers, as a Reddit patron saint is to say that “Cracker Barrel does not really sell good food. It sells nostalgia of nostalgia”, which may explain why some older customers are back Even the fried chicken steak with which this chain is known is inconsistent, with moody panic and delicate taste. There are several menu elements that you probably need to avoid at Cracker Barrel, but poor food quality is not the only problem. The chain has also built a reputation of poor service and cleanliness, with a client telling a time when the water dripped from the ceiling on their table.

Many customers have experienced poor service and extremely long waiting times from Waitstaff, which ignored tables and forgot the loading of drinks. On Yelp, a cartridge even complained that “workers do not show appropriate hygiene” as a cough of food. Like many other chains, food service varies depending on location, but it seems that patrons have similar complaints about places across the country.

TGI Friday

TGI Friday is credited to promote Happy Hour with its bar centered daily experience and a menu with a variety of special cocktails. Often this is a place for events such as birthday parties, anniversaries, with his casual vibration and lively music. Although there is a reputation to welcome the waiting and friendly atmosphere, however, the inconsistent quality of food and the long waiting times of the waiting are rewriting many people. Along with the number of restaurants, which can actually write a disaster on TGI Friday. Wet fried potatoes, bare ribs, old lettuce, overly fried chicken strips and bitter Alfredo are among the complaints of customers online. Many also find that their food is served in the cold or the waiting man, which completely delivers the wrong order of their table.

TGI Friday is known for being slightly chaotic, but customers trying to undermine the chaos by ordering online seem to be out of luck. In many times, customers have received a completely wrong order when ordering with delivery applications such as Uber and Doordash, probably due to the chaotic atmosphere of the restaurant.

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