---
title: "Casual dining chains in the United States: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the sit-down restaurant chains people in the US eat at. Share of Search among Texas Roadhouse, Chili's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Olive Garden, Applebee's, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Cheesecake Factory, Cracker Barrel, Red Lobster and TGI Fridays, the casual dining chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-casual-dining-chains"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Casual dining chains in the United States: Which are searched most?

Compare the sit-down restaurant chains people in the US eat at. Share of Search among Texas Roadhouse, Chili's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Olive Garden, Applebee's, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Cheesecake Factory, Cracker Barrel, Red Lobster and TGI Fridays, the casual dining chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Casual dining chains
- **Market**: United States
- **Brands compared**: 10
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Texas Roadhouse, 19.6%

## Which brand is most popular in search among casual dining chains in the United States?

- In September 2026, Texas Roadhouse was the most searched among casual dining chains in the United States, with an estimated 7.5M branded searches, 19.6% of all searches for the ten we track.
- Chili's is in 2nd place, 2 percentage points behind at 17.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Texas Roadhouse’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States decreased from 20.6% to 19.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chili's’ share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States decreased from 18.4% to 17.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Buffalo Wild Wings’ share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States decreased from 13.8% to 13.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Olive Garden’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States increased from 11.2% to 13.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Applebee's’ share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States decreased from 12.3% to 11.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Cheesecake Factory’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States increased from 6.2% to 7.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Red Lobster’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States increased from 4.1% to 4.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Texas Roadhouse’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States peaked at 24.1% in March 2026 and was lowest at 19.6% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chili's’ share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States peaked at 20.5% in November 2025 and was lowest at 16.6% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Buffalo Wild Wings’ share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States peaked at 13.8% in October 2025 and was lowest at 10.7% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Olive Garden’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States peaked at 13.1% in September 2026 and was lowest at 8.7% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Applebee's’ share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States peaked at 14.3% in May 2026 and was lowest at 11.2% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, LongHorn Steakhouse’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States peaked at 8.9% in March 2026 and was lowest at 6.9% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Cheesecake Factory’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States peaked at 7.2% in September 2026 and was lowest at 5.5% in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cracker Barrel’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States peaked at 5.6% in November 2025 and was lowest at 3.9% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Red Lobster’s share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States peaked at 5.8% in May 2026 and was lowest at 3.8% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Olive Garden rose from 5th to 4th among casual dining chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Applebee's fell from 4th to 5th among casual dining chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cracker Barrel and TGI Fridays held steady: their share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top casual dining chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions, Texas Roadhouse, Chili's, Olive Garden and The Cheesecake Factory appeared every time. The Cheesecake Factory was recommended most often, coming first in two out of three answers. Texas Roadhouse was second, and Olive Garden was third. Buffalo Wild Wings, which ranked third in searches, was not mentioned at all.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The Cheesecake Factory | 1st | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Texas Roadhouse | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Olive Garden | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Chili's | 4th | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| LongHorn Steakhouse | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Cracker Barrel | 6th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Applebee's | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Red Lobster | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| TGI Fridays | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 |

## Every AI answer about casual dining chains

- Asked ChatGPT "Which casual dining chain is the best in the US?": 1. Texas Roadhouse, 2. The Cheesecake Factory, 3. Olive Garden, 4. Chili's, 5. LongHorn Steakhouse
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best sit-down restaurant chains in the US?": 1. The Cheesecake Factory, 2. Texas Roadhouse, 3. Olive Garden, 4. LongHorn Steakhouse, 5. Chili's, 6. Cracker Barrel
- Asked ChatGPT "Which restaurant chain in the US is best for a family dinner?": 1. The Cheesecake Factory, 2. Olive Garden, 3. Texas Roadhouse, 4. Cracker Barrel, 5. Chili's

Not named in any answer: Buffalo Wild Wings, Applebee's, Red Lobster and TGI Fridays.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Texas Roadhouse vs Chili's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/chilis-vs-texas-roadhouse): 19.6% against 17.6% Share of Search.
- [Texas Roadhouse vs Buffalo Wild Wings: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/buffalo-wild-wings-vs-texas-roadhouse): 19.6% against 13.1% Share of Search.
- [Texas Roadhouse vs Olive Garden: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/olive-garden-vs-texas-roadhouse): 19.6% against 13.1% Share of Search.
- [Texas Roadhouse vs Applebee's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/applebees-vs-texas-roadhouse): 19.6% against 11.8% Share of Search.
- [Chili's vs Buffalo Wild Wings: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/buffalo-wild-wings-vs-chilis): 17.6% against 13.1% Share of Search.
- [Chili's vs Olive Garden: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/chilis-vs-olive-garden): 17.6% against 13.1% Share of Search.
- [Chili's vs Applebee's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/applebees-vs-chilis): 17.6% against 11.8% Share of Search.
- [Buffalo Wild Wings vs Olive Garden: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/buffalo-wild-wings-vs-olive-garden): 13.1% Share of Search each.
- [Buffalo Wild Wings vs Applebee's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/applebees-vs-buffalo-wild-wings): 13.1% against 11.8% Share of Search.
- [Olive Garden vs Applebee's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/applebees-vs-olive-garden): 13.1% against 11.8% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United States casual dining chains in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Buffalo Wild Wings overtook Applebee's to rank 3rd among casual dining chains in the United States, with 13.1% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Olive Garden overtook Applebee's to rank 4th among casual dining chains in the United States, with 13.1% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Chili's gained share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States, from 16.6% to 17.6%.
- In September 2026, Texas Roadhouse lost share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States, from 22.6% to 19.6%.
- In September 2026, Applebee's lost share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States, from 13.5% to 11.8%.
- In September 2026, LongHorn Steakhouse lost share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States, from 8.3% to 7.2%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Cracker Barrel in the United States fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 2.2M to 1.8M in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for TGI Fridays in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 368K to 301K in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Texas Roadhouse | 19.6% | 7.5M | -18.2% | Texas Roadhouse |
| 2 | Chili's | 17.6% | 6.7M | 0.0% | Chili's |
| 3 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 13.1% | 5M | 0.0% | Buffalo Wild Wings |
| 4 | Olive Garden | 13.1% | 5M | +22.2% | Olive Garden |
| 5 | Applebee's | 11.8% | 4.5M | -18.2% | Applebee's |
| 6 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 7.2% | 2.7M | -18.2% | LongHorn Steakhouse |
| 7 | The Cheesecake Factory | 7.2% | 2.7M | 0.0% | The Cheesecake Factory |
| 8 | Cracker Barrel | 4.8% | 1.8M | 0.0% | Cracker Barrel |
| 9 | Red Lobster | 4.8% | 1.8M | 0.0% | Red Lobster |
| 10 | TGI Fridays | 0.79% | 301K | 0.0% | TGI Fridays |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Texas Roadhouse | 9.1M | 20.6% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Chili's | 8.2M | 18.4% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 6.1M | 13.8% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 12.3% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Olive Garden | 5M | 11.2% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 3.4M | 7.5% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | The Cheesecake Factory | 2.7M | 6.2% | 7 |
| Oct 2025 | Cracker Barrel | 2.2M | 5% | 8 |
| Oct 2025 | Red Lobster | 1.8M | 4.1% | 9 |
| Oct 2025 | TGI Fridays | 368K | 0.83% | 10 |
| Nov 2025 | Texas Roadhouse | 11.1M | 22.8% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Chili's | 10M | 20.5% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 6.1M | 12.6% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 11.2% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Olive Garden | 5M | 10.3% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 3.4M | 6.9% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Cracker Barrel | 2.7M | 5.6% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | The Cheesecake Factory | 2.7M | 5.6% | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | Red Lobster | 1.8M | 3.8% | 9 |
| Nov 2025 | TGI Fridays | 368K | 0.76% | 10 |
| Dec 2025 | Texas Roadhouse | 11.1M | 23.6% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Chili's | 8.2M | 17.4% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 6.1M | 13% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 11.7% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Olive Garden | 5M | 10.6% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 3.4M | 7.1% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | The Cheesecake Factory | 3.4M | 7.1% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Cracker Barrel | 2.2M | 4.8% | 8 |
| Dec 2025 | Red Lobster | 1.8M | 3.9% | 9 |
| Dec 2025 | TGI Fridays | 368K | 0.78% | 10 |
| Jan 2026 | Texas Roadhouse | 11.1M | 23.8% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Chili's | 8.2M | 17.6% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 6.1M | 13.1% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 11.8% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Olive Garden | 5M | 10.7% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 3.4M | 7.2% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | The Cheesecake Factory | 3.4M | 7.2% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 3.9% | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | Red Lobster | 1.8M | 3.9% | 9 |
| Jan 2026 | TGI Fridays | 368K | 0.79% | 10 |
| Feb 2026 | Texas Roadhouse | 11.1M | 23.8% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Chili's | 8.2M | 17.5% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 11.8% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 5M | 10.7% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Olive Garden | 5M | 10.7% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 4.1M | 8.8% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | The Cheesecake Factory | 3.4M | 7.2% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Red Lobster | 2.2M | 4.8% | 8 |
| Feb 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 3.9% | 9 |
| Feb 2026 | TGI Fridays | 368K | 0.79% | 10 |
| Mar 2026 | Texas Roadhouse | 11.1M | 24.1% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Chili's | 8.2M | 17.8% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 11.9% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 5M | 10.9% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Olive Garden | 5M | 10.9% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 4.1M | 8.9% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | The Cheesecake Factory | 2.7M | 6% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Red Lobster | 2.2M | 4.9% | 8 |
| Mar 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 4% | 9 |
| Mar 2026 | TGI Fridays | 368K | 0.8% | 10 |
| Apr 2026 | Texas Roadhouse | 9.1M | 22.6% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Chili's | 6.7M | 16.6% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 13.6% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 5M | 12.4% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Olive Garden | 4.1M | 10.1% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 3.4M | 8.3% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Red Lobster | 2.2M | 5.5% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | The Cheesecake Factory | 2.2M | 5.5% | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 4.5% | 9 |
| Apr 2026 | TGI Fridays | 301K | 0.75% | 10 |
| May 2026 | Texas Roadhouse | 11.1M | 23.7% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Chili's | 8.2M | 17.5% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Applebee's | 6.7M | 14.3% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 5M | 10.7% | 4 |
| May 2026 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 4.1M | 8.7% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Olive Garden | 4.1M | 8.7% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Red Lobster | 2.7M | 5.8% | 7 |
| May 2026 | The Cheesecake Factory | 2.7M | 5.8% | 8 |
| May 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 3.9% | 9 |
| May 2026 | TGI Fridays | 368K | 0.79% | 10 |
| Jun 2026 | Texas Roadhouse | 9.1M | 22.6% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Chili's | 6.7M | 16.6% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 13.6% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 5M | 12.4% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Olive Garden | 4.1M | 10.1% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 3.4M | 8.3% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Red Lobster | 2.2M | 5.5% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | The Cheesecake Factory | 2.2M | 5.5% | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 4.5% | 9 |
| Jun 2026 | TGI Fridays | 301K | 0.75% | 10 |
| Jul 2026 | Texas Roadhouse | 9.1M | 22.6% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Chili's | 6.7M | 16.6% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 13.5% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 5M | 12.4% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Olive Garden | 4.1M | 10.1% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 3.4M | 8.3% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | The Cheesecake Factory | 2.7M | 6.8% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 4.5% | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | Red Lobster | 1.8M | 4.5% | 9 |
| Jul 2026 | TGI Fridays | 301K | 0.74% | 10 |
| Aug 2026 | Texas Roadhouse | 9.1M | 22.6% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Chili's | 6.7M | 16.6% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Applebee's | 5.5M | 13.5% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 5M | 12.4% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Olive Garden | 4.1M | 10.1% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 3.4M | 8.3% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | The Cheesecake Factory | 2.7M | 6.8% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 4.5% | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | Red Lobster | 1.8M | 4.5% | 9 |
| Aug 2026 | TGI Fridays | 301K | 0.74% | 10 |
| Sep 2026 | Texas Roadhouse | 7.5M | 19.6% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Chili's | 6.7M | 17.6% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Buffalo Wild Wings | 5M | 13.1% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Olive Garden | 5M | 13.1% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Applebee's | 4.5M | 11.8% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | LongHorn Steakhouse | 2.7M | 7.2% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | The Cheesecake Factory | 2.7M | 7.2% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 4.8% | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | Red Lobster | 1.8M | 4.8% | 9 |
| Sep 2026 | TGI Fridays | 301K | 0.79% | 10 |

## What is being compared

- **Applebee's**: Measured on the search terms “applebee's” and “applebees”, summed into one figure.
- **Buffalo Wild Wings**: Measured on the search term “buffalo wild wings”.
- **Chili's**: Measured on the search terms “chili's” and “chilis”, summed into one figure.
- **Cracker Barrel**: Measured on the search term “cracker barrel”.
- **LongHorn Steakhouse**: Measured on the search term “longhorn steakhouse”.
- **Olive Garden**: Measured on the search term “olive garden”.
- **Red Lobster**: Measured on the search term “red lobster”.
- **Texas Roadhouse**: Measured on the search term “texas roadhouse”.
- **TGI Fridays**: Measured on the search term “tgi fridays”.
- **The Cheesecake Factory**: Measured on the search term “cheesecake factory”.

- [Applebee's](/demand/us/brands/applebees)
- [Buffalo Wild Wings](/demand/us/brands/buffalo-wild-wings)
- [Chili's](/demand/us/brands/chilis)
- [Cracker Barrel](/demand/us/brands/cracker-barrel)
- [LongHorn Steakhouse](/demand/us/brands/longhorn-steakhouse)
- [Olive Garden](/demand/us/brands/olive-garden)
- [Red Lobster](/demand/us/brands/red-lobster)
- [Texas Roadhouse](/demand/us/brands/texas-roadhouse)
- [TGI Fridays](/demand/us/brands/tgi-fridays)
- [The Cheesecake Factory](/demand/us/brands/cheesecake-factory)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among casual dining chains in the United States?

In September 2026, Texas Roadhouse was the most searched among casual dining chains in the United States, with an estimated 7.5M branded searches, 19.6% of all searches for the ten we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Casual dining chains in the United States: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-casual-dining-chains

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-casual-dining-chains. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.