Fast-Food Drive-Thru Times, Ranked (We Bet You Know the Slowest)

Fast food is supposed to be fast (it’s in the name!), but we all know that’s not always the case. Even when we hit up the drive-thru, which should be the pinnacle of convenience, we’re often waiting in our cars for what feels like forever with the kids whining in the backseat.

Some fast-food chains are better than others at getting cars through the drive-thru quickly, according to the latest annual drive-thru study by Intouch Insight. The company uses timed data collected by mystery shoppers at 11 different fast-food chains nationwide to determine which chains consistently have faster drive-thrus. Here are the results, ranked by the average total time it took shoppers between getting in the drive-thru line to leaving with their food. 

Chicken fans probably won’t be surprised by the slowest.

Average Total Time:4 minutes, 16 seconds

For a second year in a row, Taco Bell is the fastest drive-thru in the study. On average, it takes 4:16 to get through the entire line from start to finish. It also had the fastest average service time, the amount of time it took the shopper to order and receive their food. That means it shouldn't take too long to get your Caramel Apple Empanadas when they return soon.

Average Total Time:4:19

Though second place was much further behind first place last year, KFC is only an average of three seconds slower than Taco Bell in this year’s study. At 4:19, it’s a big improvement over KFC’s time last year, 5:03. That’s pretty impressive for getting a hot bucket of fried chicken right in your car.

Average Total Time:4:43

Though not everyone is up for Arby’s roast beef sandwiches, you can get them pretty fast in the drive-thru, at least. Arby’s takes the spot for the third-fastest drive-thru at 4:43, also an improvement over last year.

Average Total Time:4:47

Dunkin’ is someplace you run to in the morning, hoping to get your coffee and donut in hand fast. Luckily, they deliver on that goal pretty well, coming in at fourth place on this list with a 4:47 average drive-thru time. Unfortunately, Dunkin’ also scored last in the friendliness of service category. Yikes.

Average Total Time:5:02

Wendy’s is the fastest of the big burger chains at just over 5 minutes total for a drive-thru trip. Weirdly, it had the third-fastest service time, which means a lot of your drive-thru time at Wendy’s is just waiting to order.

Average Total Time:5:39

Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are owned by the same parent company and operated in similar ways. Whether you have Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s just depends on your location, so the chains were grouped together for the sake of this study. There was a big jump in average total drive-thru time for this sixth spot at 5:39. In both 2023 and 2022, the chain took third place in that category, so it’ll take more time to get your Frisco breakfast sandwich than it used to.

Average Total Time:5:39

Burger King is just slightly slower than Carls Jr./Hardee’s: 339.13 versus 338.64 seconds, respectively. The chain’s famous “have it your way” slogan doesn’t ring true all the time, though. The order was only accurate 88% of the time, according to the shoppers. Last year, they came in second in that category.

Average Total Time:6:10

At Raising Cane’s, drive-thru orders take over 6 minutes on average, a full 31 seconds longer than BK. This is the first year that the chain is part of the study, so we don’t have previous data to compare it to. But considering the Cane’s menu doesn’t have much variety, 6:10 seems like a long time to wait.

Average Total Time:6:16

You’d figure that the most quintessential American fast-food restaurant would have the drive-thru down pat, but it doesn’t. McDonald’s came in second from last in average total drive-thru time at 6:16. What may shock you, though, is that the chain was tied for first place in order accuracy, with 93% of the shoppers’ orders exactly what they asked for. Color us surprised.

Average Total Time:7:59

Did you guess correctly? Chick-fil-A is the slowest drive-thru this year. It takes almost 8 minutes from start to finish. What’s interesting, though, is that most of that time is spent just waiting for your turn to order, which should not surprise anyone who’s ever seen those huge Chick-fil-A drive-thru lines that often spill onto the street. 

When you calculate the fastest total time by car (calculated by dividing the average total time by the average amount of cars in line), Chick-fil-A actually comes out on top, and has for the last two years. People just love that fried chicken, and don’t mind waiting for it.

Most Accurate: Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s (tied)

Highest Quality Food: Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s (tied)

Friendliest Service: Chick-fil-A

If all you care about is speed at the drive-thru, then Chick-fil-A isn’t for you. But if you prioritize quality food, friendly service, and accuracy, then Chick-fil-A is the way to go, according to the survey.