Best fast food restaurant crowned in new national ranking — and it’s from California

They’re the leaders of the fast food nation.

The best fast food in the US is not served at Burger King or other big-name chains. Instead, that high-octane honor goes to a Golden State grease depot many outsiders haven’t heard of — Tex-Mex chain Del Taco.

At least, that’s the verdict rendered by USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards, in which editors joined forces with a panel of experts to nominate their top selections in the fast food category. These were then voted on by readers to determine the winners.

Del Taco took the crown, beating out multinational giants like McDonald’s (7th place) and rival Taco Bell (No. 6), whose star has been tarnished somewhat by its association with the diarrhea-inducing Cyclospora outbreak.

Devotees have cited the regional chain’s diverse and well-executed menu, which combines Mexican-inflected favorites like burritos and quesadillas with fries, burgers and other American standbys.

“Del Taco is the best fast food option out there,” raved one Del Taco die-hard on Reddit. “Value menu is ACTUALLY value, with most items being 1-1.50$ and the taste range is extensive.”

They added, “It has desserts, drinks, and most of their tacos (actual taco menu is just value tacos remixed) on that bitch. So good for broke college students like me.”

Another poster fawned, “Once I tried Del Taco, I’ve never gone back to Taco Bell once.”

A fan-favorite was the salty and crispy crinkle-cut fries, which were notably ranked the best in the nation among fast food depots, according to the 10Best list.

Along with retaining their umami and crackle, fans noted that these squiggly spuds offered a lot of bang for your buck.

“One thing I love about Del Taco is they don’t skimp on the fries, even for a small,” exclaimed one devotee on Facebook.

And move over, Chick-fil-A — the Tex-Mex chain is gunning for the morning meal scene as well.

USA Today readers and experts ranked Del Taco third in the fast food breakfast category after Southern Chain Biscuitville and Farmer Boys.

Served in the morning — rather than all day — the menu features breakfast burritos and tacos, hash brown sticks, donut bites, as well as iced and hot coffee.

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