Franchise Brands Dominate USA Today's Best Fast-Casual Ranking

In its annual “10Best” poll, readers of USA Today have named franchise brand QDOBA Mexican Eats its choice for Best Fast-Casual Restaurant. “Just about everything on the menu at QDOBA, from the guacamole to the flame-grilled vegetables, is made fresh each day,” writes USA Today to illustrate the No. 1 ranking.

Franchise brands dominated the top-ten winners, with Dickey’s Barbecue Pit and MOD Pizza falling into No. 2 and No. 3, and Panera Bread, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli, Five Guys and Au Bon Pain rounding out the list:

1. QDOBA Mexican Eats
2. Dickey's Barbecue Pit
3. MOD Pizza
4. Chipotle Mexican Grill
5. Portillo's
6. Panera Bread
7. Moe's Southwest Grill
8. McAlister's Deli
9. Five Guys
10. Au Bon Pain

Read the full 10Best writeup here.