7 Fast Foods Gen Z Just Can’t Seem to Live Without
A chicken sandwich with extra pickles, a box of crispy tenders, or a burger that needs no introduction. Sometimes the best fast-food order is the one you’ve known for years. Other times, it starts with a mouthwatering video that makes you reconsider your usual order.
Gen Z seems to have room for both. According to YouGov’s 2025 research, familiar chains such as McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, and Subway rank prominently in young consumers’ restaurant purchase intentions. Meanwhile, a 2025 DoorDash survey found that 74% of Gen Z respondents had ordered a restaurant item after seeing it go viral on social media.
So, which familiar foods deserve a place in the conversation? These seven aren’t a scientific popularity ranking, but they have compelling connections to Gen Z’s restaurant preferences.
Chicken sandwiches
There’s something wonderfully straightforward about a chicken sandwich. Take a breaded chicken fillet, tuck it inside a bun, add some pickles, and you’ve got a meal that doesn’t need an elaborate introduction.
Chick-fil-A’s original sandwich follows that familiar formula, featuring a pressure-cooked chicken breast, dill pickle chips, and a toasted, buttery bun.
The chain has also made a strong impression on younger consumers. YouGov’s August 2025 analysis ranked Chick-fil-A second among quick-service restaurants for Gen Z purchase intent, behind McDonald’s.
An earlier Piper Sandler survey from fall 2023 also placed Chick-fil-A first among favorite restaurants for surveyed teens, with a 16% share.
Neither finding identifies the sandwich as Gen Z’s favorite menu item. Still, the brand’s standing makes this familiar chicken creation an obvious contender.
Chicken tenders and nuggets
Some fast-food meals invite you to sit down with a fork. Chicken tenders practically invite you to grab another piece before you’ve finished the first.
Their breaded exterior and finger-food format make them a natural match for dipping sauces. Nuggets offer a smaller variation on the same familiar idea.
There’s research behind including this category, too. A December 2024 analysis from Revenue Management Solutions identified chicken tenders among the chicken options associated with Gen Z preferences.
Raising Cane’s offers a recognizable example with its Box Combo, which includes four chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Cane’s Sauce, Texas toast, coleslaw, and a drink.
The dipping possibilities might be half the conversation, but the chicken remains the main attraction.
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Tacos and burritos
A familiar taco today, a burrito with different additions tomorrow. Few fast-food categories make it quite so easy to stick with an old favorite while changing the details.
Taco Bell has built its menu around tacos, burritos, sauces, and customizable options. Customers can keep an order straightforward or experiment with different combinations.
That variety comes from an established name in Gen Z restaurant research. YouGov placed Taco Bell fourth in its 2025 quick-service purchase-intent rankings, giving it a score of 8.7.
A separate May 2025 analysis from The Harris Poll also explored the brand’s connections with Gen Z, including nostalgia and limited-time menu offerings.
Of course, that doesn’t mean every new Taco Bell creation becomes an instant sensation. Sometimes the familiar taco is perfectly capable of holding its own.
Burgers
Chicken might attract plenty of attention, but don’t count out the humble burger just yet.
A soft bun, a beef patty, cheese, and familiar toppings remain central to the American fast-food experience. McDonald’s offers plenty of recognizable examples, including its McDouble, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, and Double Cheeseburger.
And the research suggests established burger chains still have a place in Gen Z’s restaurant plans.
McDonald’s topped YouGov’s 2025 quick-service purchase-intent rankings with a score of 21.6. Wendy’s, Shake Shack, and Burger King also appeared among the top ten.
Those figures measure interest in the restaurant brands rather than individual burgers. Nevertheless, they show that the familiar burger chains haven’t disappeared from the conversation.
Sometimes, all the menu experimentation in the world doesn’t make a classic cheeseburger any less appealing.
Pizza
Pizza has one particularly useful quality: it can be the center of a meal without requiring everyone to agree on the same toppings.
One person wants a familiar cheese pizza. Someone else prefers a specialty creation. Domino’s offers both specialty pizzas and build-your-own options, allowing customers to approach the same meal differently.
The chain appeared among YouGov’s top ten quick-service brands for Gen Z purchase intent in 2025, receiving a score of 4.9.
Older research provides another interesting connection. Knit’s 2022 Gen Z Restaurant & Dining Report associated pizza with weekends in 35% of its aggregated video responses.
That doesn’t mean 35% of Gen Z orders pizza every weekend. It does, however, offer a glimpse into the occasions people associate with it.
And when a group can’t agree on dinner, discussing pizza toppings might be easier than choosing entirely different meals.
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Wings, especially boneless and breaded options
Wings bring something different to the chicken conversation. Instead of concentrating on a sandwich or a container of tenders, the attention shifts toward wing styles, flavors, and how you assemble an order.
Wingstop is a useful example. Its menu features wings and ordering options that let customers put together selections for delivery or carryout.
Its standing with Gen Z is also notable. YouGov’s 2025 research placed Wingstop first in its casual-dining purchase-intent category, with a score of 12.3.
Meanwhile, Revenue Management Solutions identified breaded and boneless wings among the chicken formats associated with Gen Z preferences.
That doesn’t establish one winning sauce or flavor. It simply gives wings a stronger research connection than a passing social media trend. Besides, choosing the wing style is only the beginning. Deciding on flavors can become its own little debate.
Subs and sandwiches
Not every fast-food favorite needs a burger patty or a basket of fried chicken.
Sometimes, a sandwich packed into a long roll is exactly the kind of order someone wants. Subs offer a different eating experience, with fillings, bread choices, and additions taking center stage.
Subway remains one of the most recognizable names associated with that format. Its menu includes various sandwiches and options for customizing an order.
The chain also ranked fifth in YouGov’s 2025 quick-service purchase-intent analysis among Gen Z consumers, earning a score of 8.2.
That result doesn’t reveal which fillings younger diners prefer or whether customization motivates their choices. But it does establish that Subway remains relevant in this generation’s restaurant considerations.
In a conversation dominated by chicken and burgers, the familiar sub deserves its moment.
