Mexican fast food chains in the United States:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Taco Bell was the most searched mexican fast food chain in the United States, accounting for 52.2% of all searches among the nine chains we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Taco Bell, Chipotle Mexican Grill, QDOBA and Del Taco showed up in every answer. Chipotle Mexican Grill was recommended most often, coming first in two out of three responses.
Taco BellShare of searches 52.2%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
Chipotle Mexican GrillShare of searches 28.7%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
QDOBAShare of searches 5.8%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
El Pollo LocoShare of searches 3.8%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
Del TacoShare of searches 3.2%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
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Top mexican fast food chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions, Taco Bell, Chipotle Mexican Grill, QDOBA and Del Taco appeared every time. Chipotle Mexican Grill was recommended most often, coming first in two out of three answers. Del Taco was second, and Taco Bell was third. El Pollo Loco, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Taco Bell3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Chipotle Mexican Grill3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- QDOBA3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Del Taco3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Torchy's Tacos2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Freebirds World Burrito2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Moe's Southwest Grill1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Taco John's1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers- El Pollo Loco0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about mexican fast food chains
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which Mexican fast food chain is the best in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best burrito and taco chains in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Where can I get the best fast food burrito in the US?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“mexican fast food”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“burrito places”
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 United States on October 22, 2026.
Which mexican fast food chains do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each mexican fast food chain by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine mexican fast food chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Taco Bell, Chipotle Mexican Grill, QDOBA, El Pollo Loco, Del Taco, Moe's Southwest Grill, Torchy's Tacos. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Taco Bell | Chipotle Mexican Grill | QDOBA | El Pollo Loco | Del Taco | Moe's Southwest Grill | Torchy's Tacos | Taco John's | Freebirds World Burrito |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 50.9% | 28% | 6.9% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 0.75% |
| Nov 2025 | 51.7% | 28.4% | 7% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.76% |
| Dec 2025 | 48.9% | 32.9% | 5.4% | 3% | 3.6% | 2% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.72% |
| Jan 2026 | 48.5% | 32.6% | 6.5% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.72% |
| Feb 2026 | 47.5% | 32% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.86% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.1% | 32.3% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.71% |
| Apr 2026 | 51.1% | 28.1% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 1.1% | 0.75% |
| May 2026 | 50.9% | 28% | 6.9% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 0.75% |
| Jun 2026 | 51.3% | 28.2% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 0.76% |
| Jul 2026 | 54.4% | 24.5% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 50.9% | 28% | 6.9% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 0.75% |
| Sep 2026 | 52.2% | 28.7% | 5.8% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.63% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 52.2% | 13.6M | 0% | +1.3 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 28.7% | 7.5M | 0% | +0.7 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 5.8% | 1.5M | -18% | -1.1 points | |
| 4, moved from 5th to 4th | 3.8% | 1M | 0% | +0.1 pointsmoved from 5th to 4th | |
| 5, moved from 4th to 5th | 3.2% | 823K | -17.7% | -0.6 pointsmoved from 4th to 5th | |
| 6, moved from 7th to 6th | 2.1% | 550K | 0% | +0.1 pointsmoved from 7th to 6th | |
| 7, moved from 6th to 7th | 2.1% | 550K | -18.3% | -0.4 pointsmoved from 6th to 7th | |
| 8, held 8th | 1.4% | 368K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 9, held 9th | 0.63% | 165K | -17.9% | -0.1 points |
52.2%
Held 1st. 13.6M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.3 points.
28.7%
Held 2nd. 7.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.
3.
QDOBA5.8%
Held 3rd. 1.5M estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -1.1 points.
3.8%
Moved from 5th to 4th. 1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
5.
Del Taco3.2%
Moved from 4th to 5th. 823K estimated branded searches, -17.7% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.
2.1%
Moved from 7th to 6th. 550K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
2.1%
Moved from 6th to 7th. 550K estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.
1.4%
Held 8th. 368K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
0.63%
Held 9th. 165K estimated branded searches, -17.9% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among mexican fast food chains in the United States?
9 brands
In September 2026, Taco Bell was the most searched among mexican fast food chains in the United States, with an estimated 13.6M branded searches, 52.2% of all searches for the nine we track. Chipotle Mexican Grill is in 2nd place, 23.5 percentage points behind at 28.7%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taco Bell | 50.9% → 52.2% | 54.4%Jul 2026 | 47.5%Feb 2026 | 1st |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill | 28% → 28.7% | 32.9%Dec 2025 | 24.5%Jul 2026 | 2nd |
| QDOBA | 6.9% → 5.8% | 7%Nov 2025 | 5.4%Dec 2025 | 3rd |
| El Pollo Loco | 3.7% → 3.8% | 4%Jul 2026 | 2.9%Jan 2026 | 5th → 4th |
| Del Taco | 3.7% → 3.2% | 4%Jul 2026 | 3.1%Jun 2026 | 4th → 5th |
| Moe's Southwest Grill | 2.1% | 2.2%Jul 2026 | 1.6%Jan 2026 | 7th → 6th |
| Torchy's Tacos | 2.5% → 2.1% | 2.9%Feb 2026 | 2.1%Nov 2025 | 6th → 7th |
| Taco John's | 1.4% | 1.5%Jul 2026 | 1.1%Mar 2026 | 8th |
| Freebirds World Burrito | 0.75% → 0.63% | 0.86%Feb 2026 | 0.63%Sep 2026 | 9th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Taco Bell’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States increased from 50.9% to 52.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chipotle Mexican Grill’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States increased from 28% to 28.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QDOBA’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States decreased from 6.9% to 5.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Del Taco’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States decreased from 3.7% to 3.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Taco Bell’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States peaked at 54.4% in July 2026 and was lowest at 47.5% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chipotle Mexican Grill’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States peaked at 32.9% in December 2025 and was lowest at 24.5% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QDOBA’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States peaked at 7% in November 2025 and was lowest at 5.4% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, El Pollo Loco’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States peaked at 4% in July 2026 and was lowest at 2.9% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, El Pollo Loco rose from 5th to 4th among mexican fast food chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Del Taco fell from 4th to 5th among mexican fast food chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Moe's Southwest Grill rose from 7th to 6th among mexican fast food chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Torchy's Tacos fell from 6th to 7th among mexican fast food chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Taco John's and Freebirds World Burrito held steady: their share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for United States mexican fast food chains in September 2026?
8 changes
In September 2026, Taco Bell gained share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States, from 50.9% to 52.2%.
In September 2026, Chipotle Mexican Grill gained share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States, from 28% to 28.7%.
In September 2026, QDOBA lost share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States, from 6.9% to 5.8%.
In September 2026, Del Taco lost share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States, from 3.7% to 3.2%.
In September 2026, El Pollo Loco rose from 5th to 4th among mexican fast food chains in the United States.
In September 2026, Moe's Southwest Grill rose from 7th to 6th among mexican fast food chains in the United States.
In September 2026, Torchy's Tacos fell from 6th to 7th among mexican fast food chains in the United States.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Freebirds World Burrito in the United States fell 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 201K to 165K in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
- Taco Bell vs Chipotle Mexican Grill: compare popularity
- Taco Bell vs QDOBA: compare popularity
- Taco Bell vs El Pollo Loco: compare popularity
- Taco Bell vs Del Taco: compare popularity
- Chipotle Mexican Grill vs QDOBA: compare popularity
- Chipotle Mexican Grill vs El Pollo Loco: compare popularity
- Chipotle Mexican Grill vs Del Taco: compare popularity
- QDOBA vs El Pollo Loco: compare popularity
- QDOBA vs Del Taco: compare popularity
- El Pollo Loco vs Del Taco: compare popularity
- Compare any of these brands
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