Dive Brief:
- Full-service and casual dining customer satisfaction scores are tightly clustered, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index 2026 restaurant rankings. Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn Steakhouse are tied for top sectoral customer satisfaction scores with 82 points out of 100.
- Olive Garden scored third place with 81 points, the next six brands tied at 79 points and three brands had 78 points. The lowest-performing chain was First Watch, which scored 72 points in its first ACSI inclusion.
- The clustering of brands at the upper end of the range is partly explained by small, but significant, improvements in key sectoral metrics. Satisfaction with order accuracy, beverage and food quality and the helpfulness of waitstaff all improved in 2026 relative to 2025, according to ACSI.
Dive Insight:
Broad full-service performance metrics uniformly improved compared to last year, likely reflecting the efforts undertaken by many full-service chains to capitalize on the price-weariness of many QSR consumers by offering more experiential dining options.
There was relatively little change in the standing of individual brands. The biggest changes were 3% increases in satisfaction at Buffalo Wild Wings, The Cheesecake Factory and Denny’s, and a 3% drop for IHOP, which lagged behind sister brand Applebee’s in terms of same-store sales growth over the last year.
Outback Steakhouse and Cracker Barrel, which underwent major operational changes over the last year, saw consistent scores. Outback spent the last year investing in food quality and a brand turnaround, but saw flat scores, suggesting more time may be needed to improve customer satisfaction.
Over the last 10 months, Cracker Barrel was embroiled in consumer and political furor over changes to its branding, but customer satisfaction declined by only 1%, according to ACSI. That steady satisfaction could indicate the importance of consumer reaction against the brand has been overstated.
Chili’s, the unambiguous winner of the casual dining sector in recent years, saw a 1% gain, but increased complaints — possibly as a result of its dramatic sales gains — kept it out of the top tier of brands in terms of satisfaction.
“Chili’s has simplified its menu to streamline operations while communicating its value proposition compared to both FSR and QSR brands,” the report said. “The chain’s higher complaint rate is a reason Chili’s lags the ACSI leaders and can be a function of trying to meet the expectations of varied customer segments.”
The sector-wide emphasis on operational performance and customer experience identified by ACSI is in keeping with analyst predictions. At the turn of the year, experts told Restaurant Dive that the winners in the casual dining segment would be brands that looked beyond simple, price-point value promotions meant to take share from QSR. Instead, a general focus on on-premise experience, holistic value and hospitality would be key growth drivers.
