UK cities with the best and worst drive-thrus

Recent research conducted by Select Car Leasing has revealed a unique insight into the most convenient addition to our country’s fast-food joints – the drive-thru.

So, roll down your window, prepare to shout your order, and feast on this list of the best and worst the UK has to offer.

How were the rankings decided?

The list looks at two key areas a successful drive-thru performs well in. The first is speed. Drivers on long, or short, journeys want burgers, and they want them now. The second, is customer service. We want our food quickly, but a friendly and polite service is a must have.

Reviews from drive throughs of the most populous UK cities were searched for positive key words such as ‘good service’ and ‘quick’, and negative key words such as ‘long queues’ and ‘slow’ to give us our list.

Top 10 cities for drive-thrus

9. Liverpool – 1.1/10⭐

8. Manchester – 2.2. /10⭐

7. Birmingham – 3.3./10⭐

6. Cardiff – 4.4/10⭐

5. Leeds – 5.6/10⭐

4. Glasgow – 6.7/10⭐

3. Sheffield - 7.8/10⭐

2. London – 8.9/10⭐

1. Bristol and Leicester - 10/10⭐

Bristol and Leicester tie at the top

With an incredible score of 10 out of 10, drive-thrus in Bristol and Leicester are ranked first. From Costa Coffee to KFC, Bristol and Leicester have you covered with every fast-food option you could need. McDonalds and Burger King are the highest rated in these areas.

The city with the worst drive-thrus

With a disappointing score of 0/10, Edinburgh is the worst place for drive-thrus, with KFC coming bottom of the pile when it comes to speed and service.

So next time you’re on a junk food jolly around Blighty you’ll know which areas to avoid, and which are a safe bet. If not, you could also park up and head inside – but we'd rather go hungry.