Have you filled out your Fast Food Bracket yet?
(Click on Bracket for larger view)
Ah March, that time of year when people put anything and everything into “bracket” form. Last year, So Good brought down the house with our wildly popular Meat Madness tournament. One full month of debates, arguments and voting, leading to some interesting final results, and ultimately, bacon defeating steak to be crowned the greatest meat in the land. We even had some controversy along the way, as Deadspin accused an ESPN reporter of copying the idea of a meat bracket.
Rather than re-hash Meat Madness, this year So Good has returned with an all new competition: The Fast Food Bracket.
The rules are fairly simple. Over the course of the next month, So Good readers will vote, match-up by match-up, to determine what is the best fast food chain in America. When we use the term “fast food”, we are using it loosely. These tournament competitors really fall under the larger umbrella of Quick Service Restaurants, or QSR.
Please weigh in with your predictions, intriguing match-ups and thoughts in the comments!
Here is how the participants and seeding were determined, working off last year’s list of the top 50 QSR chains:
- You must have a substantial portion of your sales come from food, specifically non-dessert foods (sorry Starbucks, Jamba Juice and Cold Stone, that means you’re out…Dairy Queen, Dunkin Donut’s, you guys have a big enough variety of food offerings, so you’re in)
- Only 32 chains are eligible. Sure, I could have done 64, but just like with Meat Madness, that would have taken forever to vote on. 32 it is. Complain in the comments about your favorite “bubble chain” that got bounced, but you’re just gonna have to deal with it.
- The top 16 chains by revenue get automatic berths, with the top 4 holding #1 seeds, next 4 holding #2 seeds, etc. Doesn’t matter how bad people think your food sucks, just like the big conferences get an edge in basketball, so do these guys.
- I combined Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. even though they are listed separately on the QSR 50 list, because they are jointly own/run. However, this did not move their seed up – tough noogies.
- After that, the seeding was at my discretion, but for the most part I stuck to the basic structure of ranking them based on revenue.
- The only chains outside of the top 32 in revenue that made the cut as “wild-cards” based on reputation and pop culture familiarity were: In n Out, White Castle and Five Guys.
Voting begins when the “real” tournament starts on Thursday, with voting on two match-ups at a time during the first round. Make sure to check back to So Good at approximately noon each day so you can vote on each of the match-ups.
Last year I heard stories from all across the country of people printing out Meat Madness brackets in their office, running an office pool or making their predictions. Glad everyone enjoyed it so much, and hope they enjoy this competition as well.
Just like with Meat Madness, voting criteria is totally up to you. Want to vote just based on which you think is the best tasting and nothing else? Go for it. Maybe you want to factor in cost? Convenience? Quality of service? Number of locations? Variety of menu options?
The choice is yours. But one thing is clear: in one month’s time, So Good will be crowning one lucky chain as the “Top Fast Food Chain” in America.
78 responses so far ↓
1 Nick // Mar 16, 2010 at 2:38 pm
That Panera-Popeye’s 4-5 matchup in round 1 is going to be a tough one. I’m trying to decide if I’m going to vote based on “one last meal” or “stuck in a small town for 3 days and my choices for food every evening are this or Applebee’s.”
2 Youppi // Mar 16, 2010 at 3:09 pm
final 4: Popeye’s, Chic-Fil-A, Five Guys, In-N-Out Burger…
That’s right… not ONE number one seed in the final four. That’s my prediction…
Also, shake shack should have had some representation… What the F is Zaxby’s? you know it’s going to lose to BK anyway, so I say come up with another one, a dark horse.
Also; sorry Sonic fans, but aside from those Limeades, Sonic BLOWS.
3 Pick a Winning Bracket // Mar 16, 2010 at 3:27 pm
4 Laura M // Mar 16, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Boston Market vs Wendy’s!? That’s just ridiculous for a first round match. I think Boston Market got the raw deal here and thus will finish far below it’s actual deserved spot. Frankly, I’m outraged.
5 Bruce! Chalupa // Mar 16, 2010 at 4:01 pm
The Jack in the Box-Five guys match-up is going to be tough.
Also, I really with there were JitBs (and In-N-Outs) in Maryland! *drools* I miss my breakfast Jacks and questionable-but-cheap-n-tasty tacos!
6 Chckn 'n Bscts // Mar 16, 2010 at 4:27 pm
No Bojangles!!!!!!!!!! Would have been a sleeper to take it all!
You, my friend, are ON NOTICE.
7 lindno // Mar 16, 2010 at 4:48 pm
In-N-Out is going to cruise to an easy win. The Animal Burger won’t even break a sweat.
FYI, Laura, Boston Market is seriously horrendous.
8 Matt // Mar 16, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Sonic as a number 3 seed? Jonesed. At least a 2 in any other bracket.
9 slanch // Mar 16, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Sorry everybody, you’re all playing for second place, I finished in second last year and this year I’m taking the gold!
10 Altissima // Mar 17, 2010 at 8:31 am
I loved last year’s Meat Madness. This year’s Fast Food Bracket is totally irrelevant for overseas readers – I am familiar with only about 1 in every eight of the QSR’s included.
Please do another bracket on more generic foodstuffs, so we foreigners can play along.
Cheers.
11 Eick // Mar 17, 2010 at 9:47 am
@Matt – the #1 – #4 seedings were all automatic based on company revenue. Also, didn’t you try Sonic for the first time with me a few months ago?
12 Jennifer Walcott; Evan Tuner is a Lady Gaga fan: Hot Clicks - SI.com - Extra Mustard // Mar 17, 2010 at 11:14 am
13 Evan // Mar 17, 2010 at 11:27 am
Really only a 5 seed for Chipotle?
They have the best food ever.
14 Eick // Mar 17, 2010 at 1:10 pm
@Evan – sounds like a compelling reason to vote for them. Since the top 16 chains by revenue were guaranteed all the #1-#4 seeds, Chipotle actually got the highest seeding possible.
15 shanson // Mar 17, 2010 at 1:59 pm
White Castle all the way baby!
16 Christi // Mar 17, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Seriously? Sonic’s going to the championship game & taking it all!
17 The 2010 ThatFan Breakfast Cereal Bracket & Bracket Link Round-Up « ThatFan.com — Are You That Fan? // Mar 17, 2010 at 6:29 pm
[...] The Fast Food Bracket – we had onion rings with ours [So Good]. [...]
18 MT Eats // Mar 17, 2010 at 6:46 pm
In-N-Out. No question.
19 Amy // Mar 17, 2010 at 8:08 pm
In and Out Burger….. hands down!
20 Tomlovesbacon // Mar 17, 2010 at 8:43 pm
Final four Five Guys, In-n-Out, Wendys, Burger King. With In-n-Out taking the win.
21 Woody // Mar 17, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Sonic all the way…Happy Hour rocks
22 Sonic Drive-In | Facebook // Mar 17, 2010 at 9:47 pm
23 J Stats // Mar 17, 2010 at 9:57 pm
St. Louis Bread Co….good to see the local boy in there (under it’s other name Panera (because I guess the rest of the nation doesn’t wanna give us no love or somethin). Panda v Sonic will be tough to choose though
24 Jennifer // Mar 17, 2010 at 9:58 pm
My final 2 are Five Guys and Arbys.
Arbys I would eat everyday if I could.
The rest of my final four is Popeyes and Chik-Fil-A
25 MagnumDK // Mar 17, 2010 at 10:02 pm
DQ, Subway, Sonic, Taco Bell in the Final Four. DQ pulls a stunning double-overtime upset over Mickey D’s in the Elite Eight round.
26 Bk // Mar 17, 2010 at 10:11 pm
No Culver’s???
27 Brian // Mar 18, 2010 at 12:39 am
Final 4
Popeye’s( just sneaks by Sonic)
Whataburger
Checkers
Steak and Shake
Popeye’s will come out on top….”I’ts N’awlins neighbor”…
28 Travis // Mar 18, 2010 at 7:21 am
Jack-In-The-Box, Burger King, White Castle & Taco Bell in the final four
JITB vs. Taco Bell in the championship with Taco Bell taking home the crown
29 GalacticCactus Forum -> What are you having for lunch today? // Mar 18, 2010 at 10:37 am
30 wibia // Mar 18, 2010 at 10:43 am
Dude!!! Missing Qdoba and Culvers.
White Castle easily beats Subway.
31 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen // Mar 18, 2010 at 11:19 am
Thanks for all the Popeyes love. Let us know how to vote and we’ll help spread the word to all the folks who love that chicken (and the biscuits, too)!
32 Kenney // Mar 18, 2010 at 11:29 am
Final Four: In and Out, Whataburger, Sonic, Jack in the Box
Championship: Sonic and Whataburger
Whataburger all the way…. they are amazing… Tequitos at 2am can’t be beat…. their double bacon cheeseburgers are out of this world…. fries are fantastic…. shakes are great… Just a great place to eat!
33 Laura M // Mar 18, 2010 at 11:35 am
Lindno, I think you are driven by West Coast feelings given your In-N-Out preference, so I will chalk this up to geographical preference.
For an upset, Subway and White Castle is looking really good. White Castle has a sick cult following.
34 Fast Food Bracket: McDonald's vs. Little Caesar's, Quizno's vs. Dairy Queen | So Good // Mar 18, 2010 at 12:27 pm
[...] ← The Fast Food Bracket [...]
35 Val // Mar 18, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Quiznos v Dairy Queen? Quiznos hands down and the winner in this bracket for sure, unless this is a soft ice cream contest — which I don’t think it is!
36 Pedro Lujan // Mar 18, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Popeyes RULES! Love that chicken baby! Should win with no problems, they have the most flavorful food of all.
37 Westcoastbeast // Mar 18, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Final Four: In-n-Out, MickeyDs, Panda, Wendys
In-n-Out vs Wendys in the finals. In-n-Out cruises to victory. They’ve got heart, over-coming adversity against Steak-n-shake in the second round. Craving a frisco melt right now….
38 Brenda // Mar 19, 2010 at 5:52 am
Why the stigma between Quiznos and Subway? Quiznos uses fresh sliced meats daily real cheese and the steak sandwich doesn’t look like minced cat food. So in my opinion, and we have tested the two products, Quiznos is the superior product….
39 Around the Internet Kitchen: The Dance | Macheesmo // Mar 19, 2010 at 7:02 am
[...] The Fast Food Bracket – In honor of March Madness, this is the best fast food bracket. There’s voting involved so get over there and check it out. Some of them I’ve never heard of, but it’s all in good fun! (@ So Good) [...]
40 The Fast Food Tournament! - NCAA Football 11 & NCAA Basketball 10 at ncaaStrategies // Mar 19, 2010 at 8:38 am
41 Anu // Mar 19, 2010 at 9:59 am
I have Sonic beating Taco Bell in the finals
I say Sonic will take all. Love their chili cheese dogs and tater tots and limeades
42 Eick // Mar 19, 2010 at 10:16 am
@Brenda – personally I think Quizno’s is pretty terrible. The sandwiches are sub-par and until they recently started dropping prices waaaay overpriced.
43 JCA // Mar 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
What happened to Del Taco???
Final Four: In-n-Out, Chick Fil-A, Sonic, and Jack In The Box.
Winner? In-n-Out hands down.
44 Lewis // Mar 19, 2010 at 11:18 am
Baja Fresh got the shaft.
45 Brandon // Mar 19, 2010 at 11:19 am
My final prediction. Dairy Queen vs Dunkin Donuts
46 Fast Food Bracket Round 1: Jack in the Box vs. Five Guys, KFC vs. Checkers | So Good // Mar 19, 2010 at 12:06 pm
[...] HERE to see a full bracket and read the initial Fast Food Bracket post explaining the seeding and [...]
47 thomas soto // Mar 19, 2010 at 9:16 pm
vote for sonic
48 Munch Madness! Final Food Brackets « Jeffrey Tastes // Mar 19, 2010 at 9:59 pm
[...] Links: Other food brackets [...]
49 Your page is now on StumbleUpon! // Mar 20, 2010 at 12:30 am
50 Steve Nelson // Mar 20, 2010 at 10:56 pm
SONIC indeed the best of them all
51 Steve Nelson // Mar 20, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Mac told Wendy that SONIC is the Burger King
52 KevinB // Mar 21, 2010 at 5:18 am
How can In-n-Out win? They’re only available in what, 3 states? I had one once in Vegas, and I thought it was OK, but it took almost 20 minutes after placing the order before I got my food. I know places that can cook a burger from frozen faster than that (and they still end up tasting pretty good!).
53 Stephen // Mar 22, 2010 at 9:40 am
Sonic: Northern Iowa
McDonald’s: Kansas
I’ll let you figure out the rest…
54 Fast Food Bracket Round 1: Burger King vs. Zaxby's, Panera vs. Popeye's | So Good // Mar 22, 2010 at 11:49 am
[...] HERE to see a full bracket and read the initial Fast Food Bracket post explaining the seeding and [...]
55 So Good Presents: The Fast Food Bracket | So Good // Mar 22, 2010 at 11:51 am
56 Shane // Mar 22, 2010 at 5:13 pm
White Castle is going to be like Cornell – way underseeded there’s going to be some upsets.
57 josh is beasten // Mar 22, 2010 at 5:14 pm
zaxby’s is beast
58 josh is beasten // Mar 22, 2010 at 5:17 pm
final four Zaxby’s, five Guys, Chick Fil A, and Arby’s, then battle of the Chicken Zaxby’s vs. Chick fil a , winner is Zaxby’s
59 Fast Food Bracket Round 1: Sonic vs. Panda Express, Pizza Hut vs. Church's Chicken | So Good // Mar 23, 2010 at 12:17 pm
[...] HERE to see a full bracket and read the initial Fast Food Bracket post explaining the seeding and [...]
60 mr dude // Mar 23, 2010 at 4:28 pm
dude zaxby’s is the bomb. i doubt theyll win cus not that many people know about it but its the best restaurant ever
61 mr dude // Mar 23, 2010 at 4:30 pm
sonic isnt that good. i hope they lose
62 Fast Food Bracket Round 1: Subway vs. White Castle, Papa John's vs. Chipotle | So Good // Mar 24, 2010 at 12:06 pm
[...] HERE to see a full bracket and read the initial Fast Food Bracket post explaining the seeding and [...]
63 The Fast Food March Madness Bracket - On The Show - Murphy Sam & Jodi® // Mar 25, 2010 at 7:56 am
64 Fast Food Bracket Round 1: Arby's vs. In-N-Out, Dunkin Donuts vs. Steak 'n Shake | So Good // Mar 25, 2010 at 12:01 pm
[...] HERE to see a full bracket and read the initial Fast Food Bracket post explaining the seeding and [...]
65 Fast Food Bracket Round 1: Wendy's vs. Boston Market, Hardee's/Carl's Jr. vs Chick-fil-A | So Good // Mar 26, 2010 at 12:01 pm
[...] HERE to see a full bracket and read the initial Fast Food Bracket post explaining the seeding and [...]
66 Fast Food Bracket Round 1: Domino's vs. Whataburger, Taco Bell vs. Long John Silver's | So Good // Mar 29, 2010 at 12:33 pm
[...] HERE to see a full bracket and read the initial Fast Food Bracket post explaining the seeding and [...]
67 rg // Mar 30, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Whataburger is the best.
68 Fast Food Bracket Round 2: McDonald's vs. Dairy Queen, KFC vs. Five Guys | So Good // Mar 31, 2010 at 11:37 am
[...] the bracket above for the most up-to-date results and click HERE to see the original bracket and read the post explaining the seeding and [...]
69 Fast Food Bracket Round 2: Popeyes vs. Zaxby's, Pizza Hut vs. Sonic | So Good // Apr 1, 2010 at 12:01 pm
[...] the bracket above for the most up-to-date results and click HERE to see the original bracket and read the post explaining the seeding and [...]
70 Fast Food Bracket Round 2: Wendy's vs. Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell vs. Domino's | So Good // Apr 2, 2010 at 12:36 pm
[...] the bracket above for the most up-to-date results and click HERE to see the original bracket and read the post explaining the seeding and [...]
71 Fast Food Bracket Round 2: Chipotle vs. White Castle, Arby's vs. Steak 'n Shake | So Good // Apr 5, 2010 at 10:20 am
[...] the bracket above for the most up-to-date results and click HERE to see the original bracket and read the post explaining the seeding and [...]
72 Trying to Eat Seasonably | So Good // Apr 7, 2010 at 1:52 pm
[...] the wake of the Fast Food Bracket that this blog has made famous, I wanted to offer another alternative perspective for those So [...]
73 Fast Food Bracket: The Final Four! | So Good // Apr 12, 2010 at 5:55 pm
[...] the bracket below for full results of the voting on each match-up so far and click HERE to see the original bracket and read the post explaining the seeding and [...]
74 KFC Double Down: The Apocalypse is Upon Us | So Good // Apr 13, 2010 at 11:03 pm
[...] you are probably thinking “waaaaaaa? Eick, you are the guy who invented Meat Madness and the Fast Food Bracket! surely if anyone lives and dies for this kind of thing it’s you [...]
75 Fast Food Bracket: The Final Vote | So Good // Apr 19, 2010 at 12:28 pm
[...] us. 32 food chains entered the ring for an all out brawl known as the Fast Food Bracket. Click HERE to see how it all began. There were surprises, upsets, and perhaps the most shocking final four [...]
76 So Good Exculsive: Governor Tim Pawlenty Talks Spam, Eating on the Road and His Favorite Foods | So Good // May 6, 2010 at 3:40 pm
[...] on the road, Pawlenty mentioned three different chains that made the Elite 8 of So Good’s Fast Food Bracket. Noting that a few years ago his answer would have definitely been Taco Bell, he says lately [...]
77 david // May 19, 2010 at 1:25 pm
one, twice-hyphenated word>>>> In-N-Out ….sorry that you don’t live in the wild West…i’ll have mine Animal with grilled, ty
78 trey // Aug 5, 2010 at 11:55 am
im thinking about creating my own fast food bracket i need help
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