Which fast-food restaurant has the best drive-thru service?

Published: October 9, 2012 

You grip the steering wheel, roll your eyes and scream.

"How long does it take to make a hamburger?!?"

If the scenario sounds familiar, you're not alone. Drive-thru frustration is likely one of the most common forms of food-inspired rage. Heck, even Weird Al sang about it.

But while it's easy to lump all drive-thru service into a giant ball of anger, research suggests there are differences in service levels.

Which fast-food restaurant has the quickest drive-thru? Wendy's, according to results of a study commissioned by QSR magazine. The news wasn't as good for Burger King's drive-thru, which posted the slowest average service time.

(QSR magazine focuses on "quick-service and fast-casual restaurant industries," by the way.)

So, back to the good news for Wendy's. Getting your order quickly is great, but many fast-food aficionados will likely agree that speed isn't the only thing that characterizes a quality experience. It's one thing to get AN order quickly. It's another thing to get YOUR order quickly.

Enter the "accuracy" category. This one's a little more complicated, because it considers accuracy with or without an order confirmation board. Bottom line: If you want an accurate order, Chick-fil-A is likely your best bet, the research suggests.

Once again, bad news for Burger King: It's your worst bet for accuracy, if you believe this research.

As a former McDonald's drive-thru employee, I understand the perils of the job. As a fast-food customer, I understand the unrivaled pain of ordering and reaching into your bag 20 minutes later to find something you definitely did NOT request.

Weigh in: Which fast-food restaurant has the best drive-thru service? Which one has the worst?

Order Reprint Back to Top

Find a Home

$198,950 Columbus
4 bed, 2 full bath, 1 half bath. Completely re-invented, ...

Find a Car

Search New Cars
Ads by Yahoo!