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What's America's favorite fast-food restaurant?

Mary Bowerman
USA TODAY Network
When it comes to fast food not all restaurants are created equal, according to a new customer satisfaction survey that ranks fast-food and full-service restaurants.

When it comes to fast food, not all restaurants are created equal, according to a customer satisfaction survey that ranks fast-food and full-service restaurants.

While customer satisfaction with full-service restaurants has remained steadfast, satisfaction with fast-food restaurants has reached a five-year low, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index's Annual Restaurant Survey. Fast-food restaurants fell 3.8% to a score of 77 on ACSI's 100-point scale.

But while overall customer satisfaction with restaurants like McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, and Wendy's experienced declines in customer satisfaction, others did see gains.

In its first year on the list, Chick-fil-A took the lead as the most popular fast-food restaurant in the rankings. The chain scored 86 in customer service, the highest the survey has ever recorded for a fast-food restaurant.

Chipotle Mexican Grill came in second with a score of 83, and Panera rounded out the top three with a score of 80.

The report, released on Tuesday, is based on 5,023 customer surveys about their experiences at fast-food and full-service restaurants. The survey also ranks the variety of food and beverages, restaurant layout and cleanliness, and overall experience.

In the coffee wars, Dunkin' Donuts saw a 4% increase in customer satisfaction, with a score of 78 compared to 74 for Starbucks.

Despite ranking in the top 10 of fast-food restaurants, pizza chains suffered the most, with four experiencing declines in customer satisfaction scores. Papa John's and Pizza Hut each plummeted 5% to a score of 78, while Domino's Pizza saw a 6% decrease and Little Caesars experienced an 8% decline.

Here's a look at the top 10:

1. Chick-fil-A

2. Chipotle Mexican Grill

3. Panera Bread

4. Papa John's

5. Pizza Hut

6. Dunkin' Donuts

7. Subway

8. Domino's Pizza

9. Little Caesars

10. Starbucks

Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter.

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