Update: Voting for the Fast Food Bracket FINAL is now closed.

Dairy Queen (37%) defeats Wendy’s (34%) and Sonic (29%).

Congratulations to Dairy Queen. After more than 50,000 total Fast Food Bracket votes, they now hold the title of top Fast Food chain in America as voted on by So Good readers.

The final vote is upon us. 32 food chains entered the ring for an all out brawl known as the Fast Food Bracket.  Click HERE to see how it all began.  There were surprises, upsets, and perhaps the most shocking final four vote ever, as Sonic and Dairy Queen somehow managed to tie with EXACTLY 4,267 votes each.  Due to this extremely unlikely turn of events, we have what should prove to be a hilariously awesome THREE-WAY vote to determine who is the best fast food chain in America.

For the Finals match-up #1 Wendy’s takes on #3 Sonic and #4 Dairy Queen in this epic vote.

No instant run-off voting in this one folks, we vote this week and then it’s all over but the whining, even if the margin ends up being 34%-33%-33%, the chain with the most votes will be crowned champion.

Voting will be open until 1 pm FRIDAY. The polling application has been set so that readers can vote once every 12 hours.

Who do you think deserves to win? Predictions on who will win?

[poll id=”105″]

265 Responses

  1. HTown

    c’mon people. i have to drive far to get to a DQ then it is a crap shot to see what i get good/bad. sonic, well they are getting better but slowly…and then there is wendy’s, always there for me with good friendly service and they are always the same, never changing as far as taste. I always know i am going to get good hot food. i can tell some horrible stories of the others as they are never the same twice. i like knowing the food is going to be the same every time. thanks wendys!!!! p.s. I LOVE YOUR ROOTBEER FLOATS~

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  3. margot

    For those who truly do not know what DQ has to offer grill wise……grill burgers, chicken strip baskets, fried and grilled chicken sandwiches, fish sandwiches, shrimp baskets, iron grilled turkey-club-BLT- or ham sandwiches. reg and foot long all beef hotdogs with or without chili and cheese, fries, mushrooms, onionrings, BBQ beef sandwiches, chicken quesadillas, flamethrowewr Then you add the treat side. I would say that is pretty unbeatable.

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  4. BGizzle

    Sonic pissed me off advertising for a good 4 years before we saw a couple locations pop up in a major metropolitan area.

    I like the place… but don’t show me ads on all the major networks, all week long, for years on end without letting me buy the product. Fuck.

    Out of spite I’d vote DQ.

    I really only like the Spicy Chicken at Wendy’s but it nearly made me choose them too. Pretty good face off in my opinion.

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  5. Mary

    I forgot to add or DQ makes their own burgers fresh each day they don’t use frozen patties. They also have some great fried mushrooms yummy that would be in Woodward

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  6. Ed

    @ Mary

    Wendy’s doesn’t use any frozen beef.

    Otherwise, the way I see it, every DQ I’ve ever been to only serves ice cream. Seems most people are commenting about the ice cream. Their ice cream alone is not a reason for DQ to win.

    And I’m not just saying this because I am a manager at Wendy’s.

    Sonic should be the only competition for Wendy’s in this bracket and obviously Wendy’s is currently topping Sonic.

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  8. Wendy'sIsMyNumber1

    Well, I think Wendy’s is defeated if it ends tonight… which is less then a hour..

    No worries, Wendy’s is still number 1 to me, even if a ‘Fast food’ restaurant poll says its second.

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  9. BACN8R

    @FAST FOOD JUNKIE

    i love in-n-out burger too but they already bowed out earlier in the tournament. i think they mostly suffered in this competition from not being nationwide.

    i suppose i should be glad i don’t have to choose between in-n-out and Wendy’s here in VA!

    I like DQ also, but 9 times out of 10 I’d go to Wendys instead.

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  10. Lexi

    O.k. first of all Dairy Queen does sell food if you haven’t noticed. Second of all, Sonic’s food is nasty, Wendy’s is awesome! If Dairy Queen would have not have been the best in advertising all of this, I would most definitely pick Wendy’s for sure. But one question, I thought Wendy’s did use frozen beef? I guess not, although i don’t really care because their food is AWESOME!

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  12. ashley

    wendys… single double triple fries chili potatoe(cheese bacon chili chives sour cream butter) side salad ceasar salad(ranch ceasar honey mustard oreinatal reduced ranch thousand island chipotle ranch) chicken BLT salad Chicken ceasar salad Mandarin chicken salad southwest taco salad homestyle chicken sand. grilled chicken sand. spicy chicken sand. chicken club with swiss cheese and applewood thick cut smoked bacon with any of the 3 chicken just listed. Baconator single double triple. bacon deluxe single double triple. chicken nuggets spicy nuggets. honey bbq wings sweet and spicy asian wings chipotle wings. fries. jrbacon. jr cheeseburger. jr hamburger. double stack. double junior cheese deluxe. crispy chicken. crispy chicken deluxe. triple stack. twisted frostys (m&ms. cookie dough. oreo. coffee toffee frosty.) milkshakes ( strawberry. vanilla. chocolate. coffee shake.) chocolate or vanilla frosty from 6 oz to 40 0z. coke diet coke dr pepper sprite mellow yellow un sweet tea sweet tea root beer lemonade white milk chocolate milk dasani bottled water. ice cream floats example coke float. spicy homestyle or grilles chicken wraps and right now we have a fish sand.
    i work there hope i didnt forget nuthin but my friends thats choices and lots of them!! frosty are awesome!

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  13. Rose

    Wendy’s is the best fast food around!!!!!!!!!!
    (Use to like Burger King but ever since I saw that video of an employee taking a bath in the sink at the Burger King where he worked…can’t eat there anymore.)
    Go Wendy’s–Go Wendy’s!!!!

    Reply
  14. Aubrey King

    I love Wendy’s…I could eat a #1 combo every day! But at DQ I can have a burger, fries AND a vanilla & chocolate cherry dipped ice cream cone! YEAH!

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  15. John

    Every single time I have gone to Wendy’s I have left disappointed, from being charged for the wrong order (And not being given the difference back) to long wait times and overpriced, underportioned food to a case of mild food poisoning. I have since vowed to never go back. Sonic, I’m unable to comment on, as there exists not a single establishment by that name in Canada (Or, at least, BC) thus leaving me with my fast food location of choice: Dairy Queen. This is not without merit of its own however, as the DQ near me is always staffed by friendly employees with prompt and efficient service, delicious (flame-broiled) burgers with ample toppings, shakes that crush the straw, and blizzards thick enough to hold upside-down for more than a minute.

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  16. Marina

    So, all of you who complained about getting soggy or cold fries at a Wendy’s… You do realize that on the off-chance that your fries are cold (which is impossible, really, since if they aren’t all used within five minutes they are tossed out a new batch is cooked…) All you have to do is say ‘Hey, can you cook me some fresh fries? It takes 3 minutes, so unless you’re too impatient, you have no excuse for complaining. Honestly, isn’t it the same at all fast food places?

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  17. john fleming

    im a diehard wendys fan i eat their every chance i get and aint found a restaraunt that can beat their tasty foood and value of their costomers so go wendys hit them hard.

    Reply
  19. BT Mesker

    A three way? Really? Ya know, in basketball, when the teams are tied at the end of the game, they go into this thing called overtime. Ya might have thought about doing that. Just extend the voting period a little so more folks can vote and you have a clear cut winner. Then we wouldn’t have this idiocy. Anywho, I’m pulling for Wendys. Service is always fast, and the food is always delicious. DQ is alright, but like others have said, I don’t really think of it as fast food. And Sonic, well I’ve never actually eaten at one, though we do have a few around here…. somewhere.

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  20. Rebecca

    I’ll go to DQ any time over Sonic or Wendy’s in our town. The service at Sonic and Wendy’s is TERRIBLE, and I don’t like their food much better. When I ask my children, which place they’d rather go, they’d choose Dairy Queen over the others, hands down.

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  21. Yummy

    Dairy Queen is THE best place and IS fast food-Their hamburgers & Fries are hands down better! The fries are NOT greasy or over salty…
    Plus DQ has the yummy ice cream as well!

    Reply
  22. Mickey

    Wendy’s has 6650 locations, Dairy Queen has 4,600 locations in the US, and Sonic has 3,500 locations in 44 states.

    All Wendy’s and Sonic locations sell fast food as their primary menu item. Dairy Queens are predominantly independently owned and they have wide latitude about what they serve. As a result, a significant number of Dairy Queens offer only desserts on their menu (no fast food) since that is what they’re famous for and what the majority of people go there to order.

    Corporate quality standards for Dairy Queen are fairly low resulting in some really great locations and some that would qualify as a regrettable experience.

    Sonic has corporate quality standards that are higher than Dairy Queen resulting in a more consistent experience.

    Wendy’s has a much higher set of corporate quality standards which results in a more predictable and consistent good experience.

    McDonald’s still rules the day when it comes to corporate quality standards. You may have issues with McDonald’s menu, but going in one location is virtually identical to every location. Only recently have certain mega-franchisers within the McDonald’s community been able to step a little outside the mold of the established McDonald’s menu. At several locations in Orlando you can order custom made omelette’s, etc with a full time chef on staff for those locations to come up with not only new offerings, but presentations that look like they were prepared by Emeril.

    Within the three in this particular race, Wendy’s would have to get my vote… but only slightly above Sonic.

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  23. jaki

    Dairy Queen is fine if you are not in a hurry. And if you go inside to beat the line out side it is faster but there is a unbleievable odor…………Wendy’s can’t keep their chocolate frosty machine working it has been broken for at least a year. There fore, I vote for Sonic expecially their diet limeaids and Happy Hour.

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  25. Sharona

    I’ve never seen a Sonic. they must be by the big city of Milwaukee, not north of I90/94. Never had there food.

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  26. JS

    Waaaaay back to Al’s comment
    “Al // Apr 19, 2010 at 4:03 pm
    *Laughs.I thought you guys said Wendys blows Sonic and Dairy Queen out of the water?Those of you that did.”

    I was prob one of those that did. LOL – the statement has no bearing on whether others know good food when they see it :p

    Reply
  27. nicole

    you idiots fail to ever mention sonic also has icecream! stop hating on dq its fast food! just like sucky sonic

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  28. Scott

    Wendy’s chili sucks, it’s all beans and onions. And what, NOT HOT SAUCE. And “chili sauce does not count, it’s not even hot, Please.

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  29. Deanna

    Hmmm, I go to all 3 of these places & there are good & bad with all of them. I like DQ because I can get chicken strips, chicken fried steak, tacos, burgers, hot dogs and of course the wonderful blizzard. Wendy’s has good burgers, fries, but a nugget is a nugget. Hate the cups. Sonic has decent food as well & I do like being able to get breakfast food any time of day. DQ & Sonic both have happy hour, but DQ goes 2-5pm & instead of 1/2 price, it’s 79 cents any size. DQ & Sonic both use styrofoam cups that keep your ice from melting & you don’t have to deal with the cup sweating. All 3 places have quite pricey salads – too bad. I like getting chili & baked potatoes at Wendys in the winter. So, instead of hating each other because our opinions differ, just go where you like. Good grief!

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  30. Deborah

    Wendy’s is the best by far!!!

    I love the option that the children can have yogurt or the fruit instead of fries. My child will eat all of his food there. He picks at his food at all other places. Plus I always have the chili with hot sauce instead of the fries 🙂 The fries are the only thing that I really don’t like from there.

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  31. StacyJay

    DQ all the WAY !!

    Just because some stores don’t carry food doesn’t mean that dq doesn’t.

    they have chicken, burgers sml and lrg. queso and iron grill sandwhiches , hot dogs, salads, chili cheese hotdogs and chicken sandwhiches, and even a chili burger .

    I wish people would stop comparing their bad time at one of the 3 fast food places. instead of just comparing them as a whole, or just the ones they live by and how many.

    When it comes to dairy queen try thinking of if it a different way, why you food took so long. Perhaps it was made fresh . perhaps there higher quality items take longer to make.

    I don’t know about some of you but i like it when my order takes a while at least then i know it hasn’t been sitting there all day.

    Also like that they do more than just hand you, your food they go that extra mile to know you or actually ask how your day has been. or when your kid drops there ice cream they will just give you a new one even though there losing money just to make sure your kid has a smile on there face. ****DQ Is A Family Fast Food Restaurant *** Thats why DQ gets the vote 🙂 They Show PRIDE in there work the one i live by actually won the PRIDE ( Personal Responsibility In Delivering Excellence ) award a bunch of times and they have them up in there lobby so you can see them . We have i think 8 dq’s around here and they all deliver food 🙂 and the 7 owned by i think its jim and sherry ? Are doing a fantastic job i seen them a couple of time when doing inspections i had to ask a cashier what was going on and he nicely told me they get inspected every month, just to make sure they are delivering excellence in every part of the store i found that to be way cool. i’ve never even seen any other store get inspected.
    I think the kitchen nightmares show should go to the dq in nampa, ID . they would pass with filing colors i think i’m more afraid of going to a regular restaurant then fast food.

    and who can’t beat buying a blizzard and getting another for 25 cents we were in line two night ago at the nampa one the line went past a McDonald, sonic, and jack in the box, and still everyone went Dq not just for ice cream . and even though the lines went on for about two blocks we were only in line for 7 to 8 mins 🙂 if thats not fast food i don’t know what is. and all the employees were really nice and having a great time even though they were SLAMMED !!!

    Reply
  33. StacyJay

    they also have fish sandwiches, wraps , and shrimp baskets Mmm….fry and onion rings … not to mention there hundreds of ice cream choices DQ Really is Something Different !!!!!

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  34. Harvey Henkelmann

    Go DQ!!!

    All hail the Blizzard! (and their burgers ain’t bad either) 😉

    Reply
  35. Alli

    DQ has AWESOME prices, whereas Wendy’s is OK with prices and Sonic is just RIDICULOUSLY expensive. Sonic’s portions are huge, on SOME items, but they’re always sloppy when I get them. DQ offers pretty much the widest array of tastes from flamethrower burgers, to Moolattes, to fried mushrooms, to DILLY BARS! What other fast food place makes ice cream cakes??

    Even if this is a “fast food bracket” the fact they carry such a variety of desserts doesn’t mean people are ONLY voting for their ice cream. They also flame-broil their burgers. Their fries are to die for.

    Wendy’s & Sonic’s fries are always dry and it’s a toss-up whether you get them crispy or not. DQ has it all!

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  36. Alli

    And I’m pretty sure the plural for “Frosty” is “Frosties,” not “Frosty’s,” which implies that the Frosty has some kind of possession of something :/ Sometimes I just go down these forums to see how many people misspell stuff like “their, they’re, and there,” or the all-too-familiar “your” instead of “you’re.” They’re as different as night and day, don’t you think night and day are different? Scalawags 😛 lol

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  37. Wendell

    Rumor in Facebook comments is that DQ reported the links Wendy’s and Frosty posted as abusive. Classy.

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  38. larissa

    I have to honestly say DQ has got some of the best fastfood in our town. It is always served hot and tastes fresh. They have a variety that no other fast food place in our town has. You can get hotdogs, chicken, hamburgers, shrimp and there are different kinds for each. Love the fries and the extra variety of drinks and of course ice cream!

    Wendy’s is ok their french fries here suck, and anything fried tastes awful. Their chicken sandwiches are good, the chili is nice since no one else offers it.

    We don’t have a sonic but the last one I ate at the burgers were so greasy I didn’t care for them at all.

    Overall DQ gets my vote because of the quality of food they offer, and this does not include the ice cream!

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  39. Ashley

    Wendy’s has quite possibly the worst tasting food of any place I have ever eaten. The only good thing on their menu is their Frosty.

    We don’t have a Sonic here, but their slushies look so good.

    As for DQ, they hands down win because of their ice cream. And are infact fast food, you can get the same meals there are any other restaurant. Let’s face it DQ has quite possibly the most amazing hot dogs known to man. And their other food is pretty damn god too.

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  41. Steve

    @MG

    Your way off there are over 5700 Dairy Queens and only 3500+ Sonics in the U.S.

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  43. WendysIs#1

    @Steve

    Why are you telling us something that isn’t completely true?
    Have you been all over the world and counted how many restaurants Wendy’s or Sonic has? I doubt it.

    Anyways, the reason DQ is winning is because people from DQ keep slamming Wendy’s… And cheating maybe because of double voting?

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  44. Lindsay

    Well I hate to burst your bubble but all of the dq’s in my area sell food, so yes it is a fast food restaurant…believe me i know cause i work there and it sucks

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  47. Suzanne

    I can’t believe all the Wendy’s followers-WHERE’s the beef? The only thing good they have is a frosty, Sonics’ “ice-cream”, melts way too fast and tastes horrible, I for one am thrilled that DQ won, they have the whole package and deserve the win.

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  48. DJ mark

    @DQRulesSonicSUCKS: LOL how pathetic that you put THAT much stock in a contest like this on a no-name website. the site’s author didn’t even make as big of a deal out of it as you did. so sad..

    Reply
  49. Wendy'sRocks

    Haahaa.
    ‘they now hold the title of top Fast Food chain in America’

    Just in America that is for sure, in Canada and every where else Wendy’s is the best… Go ahead DQ fans go fill your faces with ice cream, just remember DQ will make you fat.

    Reply
  50. Scott

    Maybe Wendy’s and Sonic should lowering the sodium content in their food, if they want to be good.

    Reply

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