The Absolute Worst Fast Food Chain in America Has Almost 3,000 California Locations

In some alternate universe, you are an early bird who’s up in the kitchen whipping up some incredible breakfast full of good stuff like eggs, fresh fruit and whole grains. Heck, you’d like to be a late rising pigeon that at least has time for a bowl of cereal or can remember to throw a granola bar in your purse on the way out the door. 

But you’re not. You have your morning routine calculated down to the second of when you have to pull out of the driveway to make it to work and of course, you’ve factored in time to grab a coffee. There are plenty of drive-thru options to get your obligatory cup of caffeine, but not many of them offer both quality coffee and quality food. 

READ MORE: America's Least Favorite Grocery Store Has 26 Locations and 280 in California

Go somewhere like Black Rock Coffee Bar and you’ll have your pick of baked goods like croissants, scones, bagels or muffins. Dutch Bros might offer you muffin tops or granola bars. McDonalds has alright coffee, but a great selection of breakfast foods.  So what’s that leave? 

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According to Comic Stadium, which ranked 40 American Fast Food restaurants from worst to first, it leaves the restaurant what they rank as the absolute worst fast food restaurant in America. Which restaurant is that? We’ll give you a hint. It’s got more than 70 locations in Idaho and almost 3,000 in California. 

We never really considered them a “fast food restaurant” but when you think about the size of their breakfast menu, they kind of are. This set of rankings says that the worst fast food restaurant in the country is Starbucks!  Their food menu has come a long way. According to the timeline on their website, Starbucks initially started offering yogurt parfaits and fruit salads in 2004. Other food options like their oatmeal in 2008. Bistro Boxes followed in 2011. 

Today, you can find everything from a chicken, maple butter and egg sandwich to a crispy grilled cheese sandwich served on sourdough on the menu. The Starbucks app shows 62 different food options from sandwiches, to bakery items to snacks and more. That sounds pretty impressive for a restaurant that really got its start as just a coffee house. So what does Comic Stadium have against their menu? They think they’re an afterthought next to the coffee menu and said:

These items, suitable for a quick bite, lack the substance and appeal of actual fast food fare.

They’re not wrong. Sometimes the texture of the breads that make up their breakfast sandwiches are weird and often, the previously frozen meats aren’t quite the right temperature. But will we STILL buy the sausage, cheddar and egg sandwich on those mornings where our stomachs are rumbling while we’re there to pick up a non-fat, no-water chai tea latte? Absolutely. Judge us if you must, but even the “worst fast food restaurant” in America will do in a pinch.

Who Ranked #1?

This will shock absolutely no one. It’s a restaurant chain that has more than 270 locations in its home state (California) and caused incredibly long lines when they opened the first of three Idaho locations. Yup…you guessed it. In-N-Out Burger ranked as the #1 best fast food restaurant in America.