America Votes Taco Bell Best Mexican Restaurant of 2018

Taco Bell has plenty of fans, but perhaps we didn’t realize just how many, as the famous fast food chain has claimed the top spot of all Mexican restaurants in a new survey.

The results are in from the Harris Poll’s 30th annual EquiTrend Study, which tries to identify “the strongest brands across the media, travel, financial, automotive, entertainment, retail, restaurant, technology, household and nonprofit industries” based on votes from consumers. The survey primarily targets three factors, which include familiarity, quality, and purchase consideration, and the highest is given the Brand of the Year title. For the category of Mexican Restaurant, Taco Bell took home the top prize.

That might be a little baffling, but when you consider two out of the three factors, it makes a bit more sense. Taco Bell is one of the most readily identifiable fast food chains, and while there are other Mexican chains out there, few are nearly as familiar to consumers as Taco Bell. It’s also in a less crowded market than burger chains, and thanks to its relatively price-friendly menu it also probably ranks high in the purchase consideration category.

Harris Poll monitors over 3,000 brands, and 80 companies took the top spot in the brand of the year survey. You can view all of the results below.

Animal Welfare – Nonprofit Best Friends Animal Society
Burger Restaurant – Five Guys Burgers & Fries
Car Audio – Bose In-Vehicle Audio
Casual Dining Restaurant – (TIE) The Cheesecake Factory and Texas Roadhouse
Chicken Restaurant – Chick-fil-A
Coffee Shop – Krispy Kreme
Coffee Maker – Keurig Coffee Makers
Computer Manufacturer – Microsoft Computers
Cruise Line – (TIE) Disney Cruise Line and Royal Carribean International
Department Store – Kohl’s Department Stores
Digital Camera – Canon Digital Cameras
Disability Nonprofit – Autism Society of America
Economy Hotel – Microtel Inn & Suites
Environmental Nonprofit – National Wildlife Federation
Extended Stay Hotel – Home2 Suites by Hilton
Factual Entertainment – History Channel
Footwear Store – DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse)
Full Line Automotive – Honda Vehicles
Full Service Airline – Hawaiian Airlines
General Entertainment – AMC Television Network (American Movie Classics)
Greeting Card – Hallmark Greeting Cards
Hardware & Home Store – The Home Depot
Health Nonprofit – (TIE) St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children
Home Entertainment Electronics – Bose Home Entertainment Electronics
Ice Cream & FroYo Shop – Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop
International Aid Nonprofit – Food For The Poor
Internet Radio Service – Pandora Internet Radio
Investment – The Vanguard Group
Kids TV – Disney Junior Television Network
Life Insurance – AXA Life Insurance
Luxury Automotive – Lexus Vehicles
Luxury Department Store – Nordstrom Department Stores
Luxury Hotel – Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Major Appliances – KitchenAid Appliances
Media Streaming Device – Amazon Fire TV/Fire Stick
Mexican Restaurant – Taco Bell
Mid-Market Hotel – Hampton Inn & Suites
Military & Veteran Serving – Nonprofit Paralyzed Veterans of America
Mobile Payment – PayPal
Multi-line Insurance – AAA Insurance
National Bank – Capital One
News Service – BBC News
Off-Price Retailer – TJ Maxx Stores
Online Auto Shopping – Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com)
Online Bank – Barclays Online Bank
Online Home Search – Zillow.com
Online Job Search – Indeed.com
Online Travel Service – TripAdvisor
Package Delivery – UPS (United Parcel Service)
Pay Cable TV Network – HBO Television Network
Payment Card – Visa
Pizza Chain – Blaze Pizza
Premium Hotel – Marriott Hotels
Printer – HP Printers
Property and Casualty Insurance – GEICO Auto & Home Insurance
Real Estate Agency – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Rental Car – Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Sandwich Shop – (TIE) Panera and Subway
Smartphone – Apple iPhone Smartphones
Smartwatch – ASUS ZenWatch Smartwatch
Social Networking Site – YouTube
Social Services Nonprofit – Ronald McDonald House Charities
Sporting Goods Store – DICK’S Sporting Goods
Sports TV – ESPN Television Network
Super Regional Bank – BB&T Bank
Tablet Computer – Apple iPad Tablets
Tires – Michelin Tires
TV Network – PBS Television Network (Public Broadcasting Service)
TV News – The Weather Channel
Upscale Hotel – Courtyard Marriott
Value Airline – Southwest Airlines
Video Streaming Subscription – Netflix
Virtual Personal Assistant – (TIE) Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri
Wireless Carrier – Verizon Wireless
Youth Nonprofit – Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)

So, do you agree with the survey? Let us know what your favorite Mexcian restaurant is and if Taco Bell should’ve won in the comments!