The Best American Restaurant Chains

This list includes famous restaurant chains from throughout the United States. Restaurant chains offer a familiarity through their decor and menu throughout all of their locations. As such, they tend to be most popular in areas where one would find travelers or tourists. From fast food, to drive-thrus, and even some sit-down franchises, there are a variety of restaurants on this list, each serving different international cuisines or their own takes on American classics.

The idea of chain restaurants is widely credited to Harland Sanders, more famously known as "Colonel Sanders." By "franchising" out his secret recipe, restaurants that served his food had an advantage as travelers knew what to expect. His restaurant, KFC, is now one of the largest in the world. Today, nearly every cuisine imaginable has a restaurant chain attached to it.

Vote up your favorite chain restaurants below, or vote down those you'll never go back to again. Looking for more of a sweet treat? Check out lists of the Best Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Chains. Cook up some mediocre Italian food at home using this list of Olive Garden recipes, and take a look at other delicious lists like, the Best Japanese Foods and the Best Brain Foods.