50 Best Fast Food Restaurants in Riverside

“amazing food, amazing service, amazing experience!! found this place looking for vegan options & decided to go based on the google reviews. even with the pre-notion that they had 4.9 stars, my expectations were far surpassed! i didn’t catch the name of the guy who took our order but he was lovely & had great energy. for being a completely vegan spot, my socks were knocked right off. best chicken burger i’ve ever had. even my dad who eats real meat was throughly impressed. would definitely go again. 10/10“

“First I'd like to thank the lovely Charlene for a nice greeting as soon as I walked in the door. I instantly felt her positive energy. That's a big time win for me. To me there's nothing worse than a feeling of not being invited in or the stress of working fast food. Been there, done that. God bless our hard working ladies, juggling life, family and relationships.
Excellent service, 👍
A clean bathroom. 👍
Consistently reliable food. 👍
Carl's, my inner fatboy was well taken care of this morning with the Western Angus burger.....oof! One comatose inner fatboy coming right up! lol....“

“Drive thru the drive Thur .it was 💣“

“I was extremely surprised by how sweet and well the young girl who attended me at drive thru was. I will now make sure this is my new spot for breakfast before work, much better hospitality than others around. Good job! Of course, the burrito I grabbed was good also, could just use a tad more salt, but not an issue.“

“My kids loved this pizza and they are picky! Haha! Highly recommend!!!“

“you guys need to turn up the grill . I just got a burger and it was very pink . van buren In N out love the burgers when cooked enough.“

“Excelentes hamburguesas las mejores de California“

“I love Carls...and the super/famous stars have always been my go to, but for some reason the last few times I've been here the burgers have had all mayonnaise instead of the spread it's supposed to have which makes the famous star a famous star.“

“Great Food, employees are super nice“

“Stopped by Chinatown Fast Food on my lunch break from Kaiser and was seriously impressed. This spot serves up exactly what you want from a classic Chinese takeout joint—hearty portions, bold flavors, and fast, friendly service.

I grabbed the 2-item combo with fried rice, spicy orange chicken, and beef with mushrooms. The chicken had that sweet-heat crunch, and the beef was tender and loaded with mushrooms and veggies. The fried rice rounded it all out—simple, satisfying, and super filling.

The place is clean, quick, and easy to find in the plaza. You’ll see the bright red “CHINATOWN” sign right between USA Water and CTV Repairs. Inside, the food is hot, ready, and served up fast. Great lunch option if you’re nearby!“

“Great food and friendly staff! 👌🌮“

“The burger was delicious 👍“

“I'm a chicken lover and raising Cane's have some of the best fried chicken strips I ever had in my life. The customer service was really nice and friendly in the store itself was exceptionally clean. I highly recommend raising Cane's Chicken in Riverside“

“We took my son to get his favorite meal (Mac and cheese) after a difficult doctors appointment, and when the manager noticed him through the car window, she came and gifted him and new little cow plush! he was so happy and she really made his day. thank you ❤️“

“The breakfast burger wasnt the best tbh I think it’s because bbq sauce and eggs just don’t mix it was my first time getting it so i didn’t know but my son loved his food which was chicken tenders and some hash brown things but the manager took my order he was very professional and nice and the tables were very clean“

“in door dinning now let's go“

“╭━━━⚠️ 𝘐𝘔𝘗𝘖𝘙𝘛𝘈𝘕𝘛 𝘕𝘖𝘛𝘐𝘊𝘌 ⚠️━━━╮ 💥 𝙄𝙈𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼𝙏𝙀 𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝙍𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙍𝙀𝘿 💥“

“Honestly how could I give this or any other in n out less than five stars. I’ve only heard of one in n out in Utah that didn’t have very good food. Of course the food here is served hot and fresh. The service is fast and the employees are friendly. If there’s a long line here don’t turn away because it will most likely go 2 or 3 times faster than what you think. It’s right across the street from Home Depot, McDonald’s, and a gas station, and right off the 91 freeway on Madison Street. There is a secret menu to know about at this restaurant. You can ask for a Neapolitan shake to get strawberry chocolate and vanilla mixed in. You can ask for animal style fries or a burger to get your onions grilled. You can get a protein style burger to get your hamburger bun replaced by lettuce. Animal style fries comes with cheddar cheese and grilled onions and thousand Island dressing. They are amazing! There’s way more to the list. Maybe look up that secret menu on Google.
Edit and update: 7-31-2025
The drive-thru was packed and it took about 20 to 25 minutes to get my food. I'm surprised mainly because it usually doesn't take that long at In-N-Out. Could have been a difficult order they had to deal with. But I've never had to wait so long. And the french fries had a hollow weird kind of texture. The burger was great though. My son usually likes the french fries and he didn't eat them this time and actually said they were different. I thought he was imagining that. Then I tried the fries myself and noticed the same thing.
I'll come back and try again. Maybe it was just an off night. Thank you In-N-Out for doing your best to stay consistent.“

“pasele pasele si hay los mejores estilo rosarito .......Y KE SE TEKITO ............“

“Came in fir the once a year Venison sandwich, amazing, now just have to wait another year to get spoiled again!“

“Was great Dinning experience friendly Clean love my Arlington Del Taco Riverside California :-)“

“Perfection, without a doubt recommend. This is the quality food you deserve to it, not that burnt msg noodles and dried up orange chicken from panda express. Panda will have limits to scoops but here, oh you will eat good because those big scoops are actually worth the price.“

“Solid little place. Decided to try for the first time. Staff was very friendly. Just your typical dinner place.

Had the chili fries and the cheese burger.

Chili cheese fries and Onion rings where among the best I've had in the area.

Place was not busy at all so no wait. I liked the place so I do hope they get some now business though.“

“Staff is courteous, helpful and kind when I go in with my severely autistic grandson, who is prone to having meltdowns, and the women's bathroom is always clean (as is the rest of the restaurant).“

“Cobb salad is my favorite“

“So me and my nephew where craving some burgers and decided to get some Carl's Jr. After careful deliberation of which place had the best flavor, quality and satisfaction I’m super happy that we went with this location. I got the Big Carl. It was juicy, with a nice cheesy classic cheeseburger flavor. I’d say it is a better version of In and Out. Now my nephew got the BBQ western which had an amazing smoky charbroiled flavor which each bite. So if you’re looking for a burger that is packed with bold and deep BBQ flavor this would be a great option. Now the star nuggets tasted average. And the fries should have been asked to be cooked well done. They were not crispy enough for my taste but…they were just ok. Nothing special. The service was great and the burgers are always juicy. Thank you Carl’s Jr for a job well done.“

“the only place I know where you can still get an Orange Julius.“

“My family and I love George’s, We tell all our friends and family about what a great place to eat it’s been for the last 25 years. I have never had a complaint until the last 3 months with my favorite chili cheese fries. Whoever is make the chili now is over doing it with the pepper 🌶️ It’s too hot and no enough chili for the mountain of fries Please go back to the original recipe and portion size. I would rather pay more and be able to enjoy flavor and enough chili to cover my fries. Thank you.“

“Stopped in to get some lunch. 4 people close to $60. Burgers, drinks & fries while dining in. Burgers were tasty and average size. A little short on the fries. Free refills on the drinks. The place was clean & customer service was helpful. They do offer a public restroom. There is a drive-thru window available. The parking lot is small in size. With 2 handicap spots in front of the entrance.“

“staff was very friendly and efficient with customer service! Food on time and Of course Delicious! 😁🤗“

“The Team Leader Adrienna was very personable and professional. Felt very welcome“

“This location is one that really does the mobile order in advance right. I order, show up, walk in, and the food is either hot and ready or only a short wait. They also have enough staff to actually serve customers. Bakers, Jack in the box, and the former Del Taco always are running lean. Other than that the food is good like any Carl's should be.“

“Everyone is awesome and the food is on pointt“

“Lee's Sandwhiches in riverside not only has the best coffee in town but the best employees. Everyone is greeted nicely and their orders are served quickly. If you have a chance swing by to pick up a coffee but if your hungry I suggest the "combination."“

“This is the hands down the best flame broiler I've been to the food is freshly made & if you haven't tried it yet come to this one & if you enjoy the flame broiler already you know how good it is but I'm telling you this one is awesome don't know but you have to try it #1“

“This has been one of my favorite food places all time since I was a kid.I can't say enough about it.This one was especially good.People are nice drive through is always very quick and food is always really good. everybody loves the delicious one.“

“I love this place the graveyard shift is always so nice every Sunday on my way to the airport I stop like clockwork and the girls always so sweet and my orders always right never any issues and whoever's working in the back is making good food“

“A great change of pace and the service was top notch!!“

“Traveling, this was my first visit to this location for a favorite wrap sandwich and then a chocolate milkshake. I engaged w/ 4 young people working there. Their courtesy and sincere helpfulness was refreshing! Hats off to the manager whoever you are. Thankyou for good food and outstanding service!“

“Classic A frame wienerschitzel. Needed my chili fix and stopped by this location. Went window service, as the small drive thru was full. Walk up counter and eating area was immaculate with no trash or riff raff. Service was prompt and courteous. No problems using my coupons. Order was perfect, food was perfect, price couldn't beat. Will come to this location again“

“Overall my diablo burger was pretty freaking delicious but my gf didnt like hers but then again she got a breakfast burger at like midnight so let's count half of her opinion lol .. But the only thing that made it not be a 5 ⭐ was the worker made us wait like 10 to almost 15 mins at the intercom when there was only one car at the window.“

“This place has nice clean restrooms and has stalls for added privacy incase you got to go number two if you know what I mean maybe even number 3 if your live life to edge type dude highly recommend this place

Kid-friendliness: They should ban all children i hate to hear the cries of children while enjoying a good meal

Wheelchair accessibility: I'm paralyzed from neck to toes so anything is a painstaking process“

“Dairy Queen is pretty solid when it comes to satisfying that ice cream craving, especially on a hot day. I love their light-tasting ice cream and the Blizzards are always delicious — my personal favorite is the Strawberry Cheesecake. It's got just the right balance of sweet and creamy with a nice chunky strawberry twist.

Before the change in ownership, they used to have a delicious Rocky Road Blizzard with a marshmallow center that I really miss. Unfortunately, they no longer carry it and won’t take special requests for it, which was a bit disappointing.

This location can get quite crowded during hot weather (understandably), so expect it to be a bit crowded. Because there is limited seating inside, I usually sit outside, which is a nice option. Parking is free, but it fills up quickly when it gets busy. I don’t mind parking a bit farther away, especially since the lot is a little tight when it's packed.

The staff are pretty cool and always do the Blizzard flip, which is a fun gimmick to see. They also offer an inexpensive cold dog treat if you ask, which is a bonus for dog owners. Also, they serve really good ice cream cakes, which are excellent. The last time I bought a cake, I wanted an image printed on it, but their machine was down. Luckily, they let me bring my own image, and they made it work — great customer service in that moment.

If you're in the mood for a cold, creamy treat, Dairy Queen definitely hits the spot!“

“I got a taco that had “you’re amazing” written on it and it made my day“

“Great sandwhich. Spicy deluxe. Medium fries, mac and cheese, with drink. Love the sauces. I liked how clean it was inside the restaurant. They also had a play place for the kids, which my 4 year old loved. The only thing I hate about this location is the parking. Then you have to walk a bit to the front of the building to go inside. Not bad, but sometimes its a bit annoying in the heat. Overall, I liked this location.“

“I've been coming to this location for years now. The quality and freshness seems to be getting better. I'm assuming they just hired the young man named Diego, he is a very helpful and knowledgeable worker. I had trouble with the card reader and he was able to fix it right then and there. I hope to see him build his way up in his career at Wienerschnitzel.“

“My most favorite burger joint! My husband & I go once or twice a week. Everyone who works there is so kind & friendly & all the food that we order is always hot & fresh. They always give generous portions for a good price. & We love that there is so much to choose from on the menu. Still havn't tried everything yet lol. Goldstar has a great atmosphere & I look foward to coming everyweek. I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! ??“

“I enjoyed being able to order in person. Still upset about how hard it is to order seltzer reliably, the unsweetened iced tea is a good go to, but still don't appreciate the lack of fiber options or unsweetened drinks.

Vegetarian options: Could use more vegetarian and vegan options, specifically romaine lettuce and seasoned tvp, no hydrogenation. Seriously, I can make a tasty blend of tvp+black beans with just pepper and carne asada powder plus sauce; very simple. Romaine is quite cheap, and while not calorie dense, shouldn't be expensive to acquire. Could attract more business especially if marketed towards bodybuilding. Just a suggestion.“

“just yakked in the bathroom five times, thank god there wasn’t a mirror because i didn’t wanna look at myself. also the structural integrity of the carls jr bag is quite impressive. i vomited thrice into one while waiting in line for the bathroom and it didn’t leak a drop. i still don’t believe it.“

“This is one of those restaurants that makes you want to try everything on the menu. The food was vibrant, the service was quick, and the atmosphere felt welcoming. I loved how the chef came out to check on the tables—it shows a real passion for the craft. Definitely a step above your average local spot. Already planning to return and bring friends.“