El Pollo Loco vs Taco John's:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, El Pollo Loco had more branded searches than Taco John's among mexican fast food chains in the United States. El Pollo Loco had about 1 million branded searches, while Taco John's had 368,000. El Pollo Loco made up 3.8% 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, Taco John's appeared in one of the three answers and El Pollo Loco in none.
Who do people search for more?
El Pollo Loco, about 3 searches for every 1 for Taco John's
Who does AI mention more?
Taco John's, mentioned in 1 of 3 answers, El Pollo Loco in 0
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Top mexican fast food chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Taco John's was mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT 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 Taco John's more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for El Pollo Loco 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 El Pollo Loco, 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 El Pollo Loco and Taco John's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- El Pollo Loco was ahead of Taco John's 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, 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, El Pollo Loco rose from 5th to 4th among mexican fast food chains in the United States.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using El Pollo Loco’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.
El Pollo Loco
1 branded search term
- el pollo loco
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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