Brandwave

Mad Mex vs Salsa's Fresh Mex:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Mad Mex had more branded searches than Salsa's Fresh Mex among Mexican chains in Australia. Mad Mex had about 27,100 branded searches, while Salsa's Fresh Mex had 6,600. Mad Mex made up 5.3% of all Mexican chain searches we track, and Salsa's Fresh Mex accounted for 1.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about Mexican chains, Mad Mex appeared in all three answers and Salsa's Fresh Mex in none.

Among Mexican chains in Australia in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Mad Mex, about 4 searches for every 1 for Salsa's Fresh Mex

Mad Mex 27.1K searchesSalsa's Fresh Mex 6.6K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Mad Mex, mentioned in every answer we collected

Mad Mex in 3 of 3Salsa's Fresh Mex in 0 of 3

Who does AI recommend more?

Mad Mex, the only one of the two named

Mad Mex first in 3Salsa's Fresh Mex never named

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Top Mexican chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Mad Mex appeared in all three answers. Salsa's Fresh Mex did not appear in any of the three answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Guzman y Gomez1st
  2. Zambrero2nd
  3. Mad Mex3rd
  4. Taco Bell4th
  5. Salsa's Fresh Mex–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Guzman y Gomez3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Zambrero3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Mad Mex3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Taco Bell1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Salsa's Fresh Mex0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

See every answer about Mexican chains

3 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best Mexican fast food chain in Australia?”

    1. 1Guzman y Gomez
    2. 2Zambrero
    3. 3Mad Mex

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which chain in Australia makes the best burritos?”

    1. 1Guzman y Gomez
    2. 2Mad Mex
    3. 3Zambrero

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the most popular Mexican restaurant chains in Australia?”

    1. 1Guzman y Gomez
    2. 2Zambrero
    3. 3Mad Mex
    4. 4Taco Bell

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “mexican restaurant”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “burritos”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 23, 2026.

Is Mad Mex or Salsa's Fresh Mex more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Mad Mex and Salsa's Fresh Mex by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five Mexican chains we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.

Mad Mex and Salsa's Fresh Mex among Mexican chains in Australia, by month

Share of searches by month for Mad Mex, Salsa's Fresh Mex. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthGuzman y GomezZambreroTaco BellMad MexSalsa's Fresh Mex
Oct 202542.8%35%15.6%5.8%0.77%
Nov 202549%32.7%12%5.4%0.88%
Dec 202544.5%36.4%13.3%4.9%0.8%
Jan 202647.8%32%14.3%5.3%0.7%
Feb 202644.9%36.7%13.5%4%0.81%
Mar 202644.8%36.7%13.5%4%0.98%
Apr 202639.9%39.9%14.7%4.4%1.1%
May 202641%41%12.3%4.5%1.1%
Jun 202639.4%39.4%14.5%5.3%1.3%
Jul 202637.7%37.7%17%6.2%1.5%
Aug 202640.6%40.6%12.2%5.5%1.1%
Sep 202639.4%39.4%14.5%5.3%1.3%

How has the Mad Mex and Salsa's Fresh Mex comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Mad Mex was ahead of Salsa's Fresh Mex in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mad Mex’s share of searches among Mexican chains in Australia moved from 5.8% to 5.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 27.1K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Salsa's Fresh Mex’s share of searches among Mexican chains in Australia moved from 0.77% to 1.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 6.6K.

How did search popularity change for Australia Mexican chains in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Salsa's Fresh Mex in Australia rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 6.6K in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Mad Mex in Australia fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 40.5K to 27.1K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Mad Mex’s and Salsa's Fresh Mex’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Mad Mex

1 branded search term

  • mad mex

Salsa's Fresh Mex

1 branded search term

  • salsas fresh mex

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among Mexican chains

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