Del Taco vs Torchy's Tacos:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Del Taco had more branded searches than Torchy's Tacos among mexican fast food chains in the United States. Del Taco had about 823,000 branded searches, while Torchy's Tacos had 550,000. Del Taco made up 3.2% of all mexican fast food chain searches we track, and Torchy's Tacos accounted for 2.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mexican fast food chains, Del Taco appeared in all three answers and Torchy's Tacos in two. Del Taco was mentioned before Torchy's Tacos in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Del Taco, about 50% more searches than Torchy's Tacos
Who does AI mention more?
Del Taco, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Del Taco, named ahead of Torchy's Tacos in every answer
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Top mexican fast food chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Del Taco appeared in all three answers. Torchy's Tacos was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Del Taco was listed before Torchy's Tacos 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 Del Taco or Torchy's Tacos more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Del Taco and Torchy's Tacos 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 Del Taco, 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% |
How has the Del Taco and Torchy's Tacos comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Del Taco was ahead of Torchy's Tacos in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Del Taco’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States moved from 3.7% to 3.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 823K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Torchy's Tacos’ share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States moved from 2.5% to 2.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 673K to 550K.
How did search popularity change for United States mexican fast food chains in September 2026?
2 changes
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, Torchy's Tacos fell from 6th to 7th among mexican fast food chains in the United States.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Del Taco’s and Torchy's Tacos’ 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.
Del Taco
1 branded search term
- del taco
Torchy's Tacos
1 branded search term
- torchy's tacos
Other head-to-heads among mexican fast food chains
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