Top Casual-Dining Destinations Ranked

Repeat business is essential to any restaurant’s survival. So, when customers have a myriad of choices of where to dine, how do some eateries manage to keep them coming back, time and again?

That’s the central question that Market Force Information sought to answer in its new study on the casual dining sector. Its underlying survey drew responses from 3427 U.S. consumers, of which just under 70 % were female and a similar figure had a household income of $50,000 or above. Results were categorized to produce the Customer Loyalty Index (CLI), a composite measure of overall satisfaction, likelihood to recommend and likelihood to return.

Based on those parameters, here are the top 10 casual restaurant brands:

1. Logan’s Roadhouse
2. Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
3. Texas Roadhouse
4. Mellow Mushroom
5. Longhorn Steakhouse
6. Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse
7. Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
8. Waffle House
9. First Watch
10. The Keg Steakhouse

“Customer loyalty isn’t just about a single visit—it’s built on consistently delivering the fundamentals of the guest experience,” said David Murray, Market Force’s Senior Director of Customer Experience Strategy at Market Force. “Logan’s Road House success this year proves that when brands deliver value, atmosphere, and operational consistency, customers reward them with advocacy and share of wallet.”

Note: Cracker Barrel, whose recent attempt to update its image drew widespread criticism that led to the chain backing away from at least some of that effort, just barely missed making the list’s top 10, coming in eleventh.

Click here to register to see the full report.