El Pollo Loco vs QDOBA:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, QDOBA had more branded searches than El Pollo Loco among mexican fast food chains in the United States. QDOBA had about 1.5 million branded searches, while El Pollo Loco had 1 million. QDOBA made up 5.8% of all mexican fast food chain searches we track, and El Pollo Loco accounted for 3.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mexican fast food chains, QDOBA appeared in all three answers and El Pollo Loco in none.
Who do people search for more?
QDOBA, about 50% more searches than El Pollo Loco
Who does AI mention more?
QDOBA, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
QDOBA, the only one of the two named
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Top mexican fast food chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, QDOBA appeared in all three answers. El Pollo Loco 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.
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 El Pollo Loco or QDOBA more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for El Pollo Loco and QDOBA 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 QDOBA, El Pollo Loco. 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 El Pollo Loco and QDOBA comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- QDOBA was ahead of El Pollo Loco in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, El Pollo Loco’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States moved from 3.7% to 3.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QDOBA’s share of searches among mexican fast food chains in the United States moved from 6.9% to 5.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.8M to 1.5M.
How did search popularity change for United States mexican fast food chains in September 2026?
2 changes
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, El Pollo Loco rose from 5th to 4th 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 El Pollo Loco’s and QDOBA’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.
El Pollo Loco
1 branded search term
- el pollo loco
QDOBA
1 branded search term
- qdoba
Other head-to-heads among mexican fast food chains
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