Chipotle Mexican Grill vs Taco John's:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Chipotle Mexican Grill had more branded searches than Taco John's among mexican fast food chains in the United States. Chipotle Mexican Grill had about 7.5 million branded searches, while Taco John's had 368,000. Chipotle Mexican Grill made up 28.7% of all mexican fast food chain searches we track, and Taco John's accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mexican fast food chains, Chipotle Mexican Grill appeared in all three answers and Taco John's in one. Chipotle Mexican Grill was mentioned before Taco John's in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Chipotle Mexican Grill, about 20 searches for every 1 for Taco John's
Who does AI mention more?
Chipotle Mexican Grill, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Chipotle Mexican Grill, named ahead of Taco John's in every answer
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Top mexican fast food chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Chipotle Mexican Grill appeared in all three answers. Taco John's was mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT answers. Chipotle Mexican Grill was listed before Taco John's in every answer.
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.
Is Chipotle Mexican Grill or Taco John's more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Chipotle Mexican Grill and Taco John's 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 Chipotle Mexican Grill, Taco John's. 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% |
How has the Chipotle Mexican Grill and Taco John's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Chipotle Mexican Grill was ahead of Taco John's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chipotle Mexican Grill’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States moved from 28% to 28.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 7.5M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Taco John's’ share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States held steady at 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 368K.
How did search popularity change for United States mexican fast food chains in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Chipotle Mexican Grill gained share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States, from 28% to 28.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Chipotle Mexican Grill’s and Taco John'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.
Chipotle Mexican Grill
1 branded search term
- chipotle
Taco John's
2 branded search terms
- taco john's
- taco johns
Other head-to-heads among mexican fast food chains
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