Olive Garden is the most popular casual dining restaurant with Americans in 2025, with 19% having dined at the Italian-themed restaurant in the past 90 days, according to a new report from YouGov. 

YouGov’s State of the plate: US casual dining report 2025 finds Olive Garden leading the highly competitive restaurant category, especially middle class Americans. The Darden Restaurant-owned brand rated top for fast service, fresh food, accurate orders, and customizable menu options. 

Drawing on surveys of 9,400+ American adults conducted for YouGov’s new QSR CategoryView solution, the report reveals that 66% go to a casual dining restaurant at least once per month. Of those diners, 51% spend more than $100 per month, and 28% spend more than $200. 

“Casual dining is a fast-moving, high-pressure category—and marketing leaders are feeling that pressure more than ever,” says Mark Fantino, SVP and Head of Commercial at YouGov America. “With CMO tenure at a low, success depends on being able to cut through the noise and prove what’s working, fast. YouGov helps marketers keep pace with shifting consumer preferences, brand perceptions, and campaign performance in real time—so they’re not just reacting, they’re anticipating. In a world where marketing is expected to deliver both brand equity and measurable growth, that clarity is mission-critical.”  

The report found that: 

• Chili’s Grill & Bar is winning over young diners, with 23% of those aged 18-29 visiting the Brinker International-owned brand in the past 90 days. 
• Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar is the most popular brand in the Northeast and Midwest, with 20% of Americans in each region having visited in the past 90 days. 
• Texas Roadhouse rated highest for great tasting food with a net agreement score of 31.0%, ahead of Olive Garden (30%) and The Cheesecake Factory (25%). 
• The Cheesecake Factory rated highest for innovation with a net agreement score of 8%, beating out Texas Roadhouse (7%) and Chili’s (4%). 
• Quality of food (78%) is the top reason why Americans select a casual dining restaurant, ahead of good service (62%) and value (51%). 
• A clean dining area (65%) is the most important feature for diners, ahead of a short wait for a table (55%) and value/discount menus (44%). 
• Frequent weekly diners are more likely to consider features like in-restaurant TVs (64% more likely), mobile ordering (36% more likely), and alcohol / bars (27% more likely) to be important drivers for restaurant choice. 

State of the plate: US casual dining report 2025 draws upon online surveys of 9,400 Americans aged 18+ between November 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025, as part of YouGov’s QSR CategoryView solution. QSR CategoryView is updated monthly and provides a comprehensive view of trends across Fast Food, Casual Dining and Specialty Dining. Brand tracking surveys provide an up-to-date view of consumer perceptions of 75+ restaurants across a variety of brand health metrics and attributes. For more details on the study’s methodology, please see the full report. 

The full report is available here.