Fans say it's the absolute best way to start your morning

This Is the No. 1 Fast-Food Breakfast Spot in the U.S.—And It’s Not What You’d Guess!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (and arguably the most delicious), but sometimes it can be the hardest to squeeze into your busy schedule. That’s just one of the reasons we’re so incredibly grateful for our favorite-fast food breakfasts. From Egg McMuffins to Croissant’wiches to breakfast burritos, they come in clutch when you’re in a rush—and even when you’re not.
Of course, there’s a lot of competition for the title of “the best fast-food breakfast spot,” but only one restaurant can truly reign supreme. Lucky for us, we don’t have to do any of the legwork and can instead simply reap the rewards. That’s because USA Today’s 10BEST Awards just crowned a champ … and the winner might surprise you.
Keep reading to find out which restaurant chain earned the top spot in this best-breakfast showdown—and which other fast-food chains were hot on its heels.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more food news, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.
How did USA Today determine the best fast-food breakfast?
USA Today‘s 10BEST series starts with the expertise of a panel of six experts who work together to make a list of their top choices. In this case, that was a collection of their favorite fast-food breakfasts, both savory and sweet. Editors took those picks, then turned them over to USA Today‘s readers, who voted on which restaurant makes the best fast-food breakfast. The end result? The USA Today Reader’s Choice for the best fast-food breakfast.
Which fast-food restaurant has the best breakfast?
The winner is … Biscuitville! Wait, what? That’s an actual fast-food restaurant? We are here to say that it is, but if you’ve never heard of it, there’s a very simple reason: This southern fast-food chain is located in only three states—North Carolina (where it originated), South Carolina and Virginia. But believe it or not, it’s the third year in a row that it’s earned this honor from USA Today.
Since it may be new to you, we’ll give you a little overview of the beauty that is Biscuitville. Its menu offers a sprawling assortment of—you guessed it—biscuits! Customers can choose from dozens of biscuit sandwich combinations for both breakfast and lunch. Not feeling like a sandwich? Not a problem. Biscuitville also offers egg platters, pancakes, homemade sweets, and sides like hash-brown casserole and grits. Plus, the chain has plenty of drinks, including coffee, tea and Southern Punch, a massive 20-ounce lemonade with a blue-raspberry flavor and actual peach pieces. (Yum!) With such a robust menu cooked to southern perfection, what’s not to love?
Fun fact: Virginia, in particular, is known for its love of biscuits. During our sister publication Taste of Home‘s quest to find each state’s top comfort food in this year’s annual “America the Tasty” edition, ham biscuits were the hands-down favorite in this state.
Does Biscuitville have plans to expand?
Yes, but probably not in the way that you’re now hoping after reading all about it. Biscuitville is in the midst of opening a new location in South Carolina. While that doesn’t necessarily help get fresh, hot biscuits into the hands of hungry breakfast seekers across the country, it’s a step in the right direction. Hopefully, the breakfast chain will branch out into other states in the near future.
What other fast-food breakfast spots rounded out USA Today’s list?
Biscuitville may have come out on top, but there are still plenty of other excellent fast breakfast spots for those who aren’t in the Carolinas or Virginia. Here are the fast-food chains that rounded out the top 10:
- Biscuitville
- Del Taco
- Jack in the Box
- McDonald’s
- Chick-fil-A
- Hardee’s
- Burger King
- Bojangles
- Wendy’s
- Cinnabon
Were there any surprises this year?
There were definitely some movers and shakers on the list this year—specifically, Burger King, Bojangles, Wendy’s and Cinnabon all made their big debut. Who’d they knock off the top 10? Dunkin’, Whataburger, Krystal and Farmer Boys.
And as you may have noted, national chains didn’t rank the highest on USA Today‘s list. Aside from Biscuitville, there’s Del Taco at No. 2, which is located in 17 states but mostly in California; Jack in the Box, which has a strong presence in the western U.S., especially in California, Arizona and Texas; and Bojangles, another southern chain that has its headquarters in North Carolina.
What’s not a huge surprise? The domination of Biscuitville. This breakfast chain also earned the No. 1 spot last year and the year before that. In fact, the top four breakfast spots all held onto their 2024 ranks. Then, Chick-fil-A moved up two spots, from seventh in 2024 to fifth in 2025, while Hardee’s remained in sixth place.
All in all, it’s a great reminder that a chain doesn’t need to be the biggest to be the best—at least not when it comes to breakfast.
RELATED:
- Here’s Why Only Some McDonald’s Locations Serve This Breakfast Favorite
- Good News! McDonald’s Will Now Offer This Breakfast Item Nationwide
- Here’s the Surprising Reason Why McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Has a Golden Color
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Source:
- USA Today 10Best: “Rise and shine with the 10 best fast food restaurants for breakfast”