Fodor’s writer Geena Truman spent the past year traveling the country with the mission of finding the top 10 fast food chains in America. What a fun job for her Ms. Truman got to eat her travel and her meals all in an effort to share with the rest of us so we don’t have to wander around looking for the best burger, fries and chicken.
She works for the travel company Fodor’s Travel, that is famous for their vast catalogs of great books for international travel. Fodor’s was the essential tool for people going to foreign lands in search of historical sites, whimsical places, quirky people and of course…good food.
Fodor’s Travel writer Geena Truman says,
I spent 1-year driving around the U.S. on a quest to eat (and experience) the true culture of America. This inevitably meant indulging in A LOT of fast food in between. So here I am to offer my ranking of America’s cult favorites. Not the McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s mega-corporations that you see worldwide, but the slightly smaller, breathlessly awaited chains that create lines snaking around city blocks each time a new location opens its doors.
The average American eats out at 4 to 6 times per week. Now that statistic might sound shocking, but we have to consider that includes stopping at your favorite coffee shop in the morning and pop ins at a convenient store as well. However, we feel safe in saying that means we stop at a fast food chain at least 2 to 3 times per week for everything from breakfast, lunch and dinner and sometimes in between.
How do you choose the best fast food chains? First, you have to love burgers and fries and chicken too. What is not surprising about the list is that none of the older burger and chicken joints made the top 10. That means McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s need to step up their game or they will be missing out on a very large swath of the American population that wants something better than what their parents and grandparents had. That goes for KFC and Popeyes too.
Here are 5 of the top 10 Fast Food Chains that are located in Massachusetts.
1. Shake Shack
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The story of Shake Shack’s success is a classic American success story. What began as a small hot dog stand operating out of Madison Square Park in New York City in 2001 eventually grew into a gourmet fast-casual restaurant with more than 377 locations both domestically and internationally. There are 13 locations in Massachusetts
