6 Drive‑Thru Chains Customers Say Have Gotten Way Slower

Drive-thrus were made for busy people who are on the move and want quick, easy cuisine without getting out of their cars. But in the last few years, a lot of customers have said that their favorite chains are too slow, making a simple stop turn into a long wait that cuts into lunch breaks and errands. Drive-thru speed assessments and consumer feedback say that some restaurants have slow service because of long lineups, confusing menus, staffing problems, and trying out new technology. Here are six large restaurants with slow or declining drive-thrus, according to regulars. The causes of these delays and client feedback are also included.

1. Chick‑fil‑A

People still love Chick-fil-A for its good food and friendly service, but the drive-thru pace is often slower than at other big chains. A survey of all drive-thrus in 2025 found that Chick-fil-A had the longest average wait time of more over seven minutes, which is much longer than many of its competitors. This is despite the fact that Chick-fil-A often had the fastest service per car at busy locations. Customers report excessive delays due to busy times and long lines, even though staff works efficiently at the window. The drive-thru is often slower than expected due to the brand’s popularity, the menu’s complexity, and the constant presence of multiple cars in each lane.

2. Wingstop

Based on customer surveys, Wingstop is one of the slowest drive-thru businesses. It is well known for its chicken wings and sides. A 2025 study of people who eat at drive-thrus often revealed that most of them thought Wingstop was very sluggish to serve. This is probably because fresh wings take longer to prepare than simpler assembly chain meals. It usually takes longer than chains that keep their food warm and put it together quickly because wings have to be cooked to order and sauces have to be put on right before serving. Customers say long lineups and slow service at busy dinner times can make a short journey difficult when they’re hungry.

3. Culver’s

People often become angry at Culver’s because the drive-thru service is slow. They are known for their butter burgers and frozen custard. In the same 2025 study, about half of regular customers said the drive-thru was slow. Customers said that complicated order preparation and the need to pay attention to freshly cooked food were two things that made it take longer. Different places have different speeds of service. Some restaurants are better at handling rushes than others, but guests generally say that lunch and dinner peaks cause long waits that try their patience more than restaurants with simpler menus.

4. Church’s Chicken

From 2025 on, Church’s Chicken drive-thrus also got a reputation for having poor service. More over half of the regular customers who were asked said the wait was too long. Fried chicken dishes, which take longer to cook and bread fresh when ordered, naturally require longer to serve than burgers or sandwiches, which can be made ahead of time and held for a short time. When weekends are busy and certain franchisees don’t have enough workers, this often makes drive-thru exits slower, which consumers complain about, especially when they’re used to faster lines nearby.

5. McDonald’s

McDonald’s is a huge company that serves millions of people every day, but a lot of consumers think that its drive-thru service isn’t as fast as it used to be. Feedback and comments from the industry show that even while things have gotten better, large menus, intricate ordering, and heavy drive-thru traffic can still hold things down, especially during the day. Some customers report that wait times are greater than they thought they would be for a brand that has always been known for being fast. Peak hours can still be difficult despite modern technology and digital order processing. Long lines at busy metropolitan eateries are frustrating.

6. Wendy’s

Wendy’s has tried out automated ordering systems in its drive-thrus, incorporating AI technology at select locations. However, customers have had mixed and sometimes bad reactions. customers say that AI order bots can get orders wrong, cut customers off in the middle of a phrase, or make them repeat themselves, which makes the procedure take longer than talking to a person. Some customers think that Wendy’s drive-thru is slower than those of competitors who use traditional order taking, which makes it tougher to get through fast during popular dinner times. This is because of technical problems, staffing challenges, and high peak traffic.