Columbus, Ga. — Chick-fil-A ranks No. 1 among 27 fast-food and casual dining chains in Columbus for health inspection scores, earning a perfect 100 on all 13 inspections between Jan. 1, 2025, and Oct. 20, 2026. Papa John's finished second with a 99.9 average, followed by Domino's at 99.1.

At the bottom, Popeyes and Bojangles tied at 90.1. Even so, every chain on the list averaged an A.

The rankings come from Georgia Department of Public Health inspection records and cover chains with at least two Columbus locations and at least six inspections during that period. Individual restaurants occasionally received B or C grades.

Across all Columbus restaurants, the average inspection score was 96.8, based on 2,367 inspections since Jan. 1, 2025. Ten of the 27 chains beat that citywide average.

All 27 Columbus restaurant chains ranked

Rankings use the average of every routine inspection score for each chain during the period. The table also shows how many inspections were reviewed, the lowest score at any location and how many perfect 100s the chain earned.

Chick-fil-A: 13 inspections, 13 perfect scores

Chick-fil-A stands out because none of its four Columbus locations scored below 100 during the period. It is the only chain in the rankings with an average of exactly 100.

Papa John's came close, with 12 perfect scores in 13 inspections at five locations. Its lowest score was a 99.

Domino's ranked third with six perfect scores in eight inspections. KFC followed with eight perfect scores in 13 inspections, and Panda Express rounded out the top five with five perfect scores in six inspections.

The chains with the most inspections

Burger King and Waffle House had the most inspections in the rankings, with 33 each. Burger King averaged 97.7 across 10 locations and earned 18 perfect scores, the most of any chain. Waffle House averaged 95.5 across nine locations, with nine perfect scores.

McDonald's had 30 inspections at 10 locations, a 95.2 average and 11 perfect scores. Subway also had 10 locations and averaged 95.6 across 18 inspections.

Bigger chains give a broader picture, but one location with a low score can still pull a chain's average down.

The lowest individual scores

Although every chain averaged an A, some Columbus locations scored below 90. The lowest was a 75 at the Popeyes on Midland Commons Boulevard in October 2025.

The Midland Commons Boulevard Popeyes received two C grades during the period: a 75 in October 2025 and a 79 in March 2026. The Captain D's on Victory Drive scored an 80 in September 2025 and a 79 in April 2026.

Each score is a snapshot of one visit, not necessarily a restaurant's conditions today.

What Georgia's inspection grades mean

Georgia restaurants get a letter grade based on their inspection score:

• A: 90 to 100
• B: 80 to 89
• C: 70 to 79
• U: 69 or lower

The gap between the top and bottom chains was 9.9 points: Chick-fil-A at 100, and Popeyes and Bojangles at 90.1.

The rankings measure inspection results only, not food quality, prices or customer service.

How to check your favorite Columbus restaurant

You can look up any restaurant's full inspection history free at columbustimes.com/restaurants. Search by name to see every score since 2022, the grade and the date.

That matters because a strong chain average doesn't mean every location scored the same. Popeyes and Bojangles tied for the lowest average, for example, but Popeyes' lowest single score was a 75, while Bojangles' was an 80.

For Columbus diners, the big picture is good news: all 27 chains kept A averages, even when individual restaurants slipped below that level.

How we did this

The Columbus Times analyzed Georgia Department of Public Health food service inspection records for Muscogee County, collected in its restaurant score database. The review covered inspections from Jan. 1, 2025, through Oct. 20, 2026, the most recent inspection in the data.

Chains qualified only if they had at least two Columbus locations and at least six inspections. Rankings use simple averages of every routine score; tied averages share a rank. Locations were matched by the name on each state permit.

Sources: Georgia Department of Public Health (ga.healthinspections.us); The Columbus Times restaurant score database (columbustimes.com/restaurants).