What's The Most Ordered Fast Food Item In America?

Has the burger's time in the sun come to an end? Recent data would seem to indicate the humble yet dependable slab of Americana on a bun has been usurped as the most ordered fast food item in the United States. But, as so many things seem to be at this current moment in time, that statistic is both entirely true and somewhat incorrect.

The data platform Statista found that pizza, not burgers, was the fast food item of choice for more Americans during the first quarter of 2023 (despite the fact that, for some, pizza chains don't qualify as fast food establishments). A full 29% of respondents said that pizza was their grab-and-go item of choice. Statista also cited a second, separate survey which had 28% of respondents stating they order pizza from a fast food restaurant once a week while 10% ordered it more than once a week. A whopping 31% said that fast food pizza was on their plates at least once a month.

But it's here where the Statista info goes all pear-shaped, as our friends in England might say, since the same survey also found that burgers were ordered more frequently than pizza. So, what gives?

Let's begin by saying: No one is perfect. Conducting surveys is a difficult business, especially on the level Statista seems to work. Surveys, while a fast and easy way to cull data, are notoriously fallible for a number of reasons, chiefly (and most obviously) because people don't always answer questions honestly.

The meat of the matter (pun intended) is that burgers and pizza occupy a place of great importance in the hearts of Stateside fast food consumers. On average, their numbers appear to be comparable to each other, though apparently not sizable enough to rate side-by-side mentions.

There are many great burgers at chain restaurants, but we aren't limited in our choice of pizza, either. In fact, we at The Takeout have a ranked list of the best (and worst) chain pizza restaurants for you to peruse. If we're unable to conclusively say which fast food item is most frequently ordered in the U.S. of A., we can at least take solace in the fact we can order as much of both from as many locations as we wish.