Move over, McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A: some of the most buzzworthy fast-food chains in America are regional favorites that many diners outside their home states have never encountered.

Tasting Table food experts have spotlighted a group of local restaurant chains with the potential to go nationwide. Their picks include spots with intensely devoted customers, inventive takes on comfort-food staples and menu items that are difficult to find anywhere else.

The list runs from an unapologetically offbeat taco destination in Buffalo to a beloved Cincinnati chain known for piling chili onto spaghetti. Burgers, barbecue, biscuits and ice cream also make the cut.

Plenty of regional fast-food brands have passionate supporters, but these 10 have built the sort of cult status that could turn them into America’s next major chain.

Mighty Taco – Buffalo, New York

Anyone who has visited Buffalo has likely heard a local make the case that Mighty Taco is a must-try meal.

Founded in Buffalo in 1973, the Mexican-inspired fast-food restaurant has stayed primarily rooted in Western New York despite its decades-long popularity.

Fans on Reddit readily concede that Mighty Taco is not fine dining, but that is hardly the point. One called it the kind of food that “scratches a very specific itch,” while another said it was not especially great but “isn’t BAD” — and perfectly satisfying when the craving hits.

For newcomers, the Super Mighty is a favorite introduction, combining beef, sour cream and hot sauce. One devoted customer even questioned why anyone would opt for Taco Bell instead.

Braum’s – Oklahoma and the Midwest

Braum’s is the rare chain where the grocery aisle is almost as important as the drive-thru.

Founded in Oklahoma in the 1960s, it operates restaurants and stores across Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri and Arkansas, selling everything from burgers and breakfast to its famous ice cream and dairy products.

For many fans, though, the milk is the real star. ‘Braum’s milk is the best milk you can buy,’ one Redditor declared, while another said they would visit Braum’s exclusively to buy it.

The chocolate milk has its own following, with one customer saying it tastes like ‘melted chocolate ice cream.’

Swensons Drive-In – Ohio

Pull up to a Swensons in Ohio and you are stepping into a fast-food tradition that dates back to 1934.

The Akron-born chain still operates as a classic drive-in, with servers taking orders and bringing food straight to customers’ cars. 

Its Galley Boy burger, made with two patties and signature sauces, is the standout.

One Redditor who said they had worked as a server recommended the Polaris, New Albany and Hilliard locations, praising their kitchens and service. 

Their other piece of advice? Add Cajun seasoning to ‘literally anything hot.’ But there was no hesitation over the best part: ‘the milkshakes.’

Skyline Chili – Ohio

Ask Cincinnati residents about Skyline Chili and you may get the same reaction you would expect from someone defending their hometown sports team.

The restaurant was founded in 1949 by Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides and became famous for Cincinnati-style chili served over spaghetti, usually topped with a mountain of shredded cheese.

It is a dish that outsiders can find baffling – but locals are fiercely protective of it.

One Redditor said they ate Skyline all three days of a work trip to Cincinnati, while another described a homemade version as so good they were ‘never going back to regular chili.’

Biscuitville – North Carolina and Virginia

Biscuitville may be regional, but its breakfast credentials are anything but small. The chain traces its roots to 1966 and now operates across North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. 

The chain’s biscuits are made fresh throughout the day, with Southern staples including country ham, steak and Cajun-spiced chicken biscuits, as well as its popular hashbrown casserole.

A recent Reddit thread saw one fan call Biscuitville ‘the highest quality fast food period,’ while another said it was the place they missed most after leaving North Carolina.

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And there is some serious outside recognition too: Biscuitville recently won USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice award for best fast-food breakfast for the fourth consecutive year.

Cook Out – The Southeast

Cook Out started in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989 and has grown into a Southern fast-food powerhouse with hundreds of locations.

The chain is now pushing further south, with its first Jacksonville, Florida, restaurant opening on Beach Boulevard as part of its expansion into the state. 

Its appeal goes well beyond burgers and barbecue. The chain is famous for its enormous selection of milkshake flavors – with dozens to choose from – and trays that let customers combine multiple sides with a main dish.

The shakes are so thick they have become a Reddit talking point in their own right. 

One customer complained they were almost impossible to drink through a straw, prompting a defense from another who said the thickness was precisely what made them good.

Macayo’s Mexican Food – Arizona

For more than 75 years, Macayo’s has been serving Mexican-American food in Arizona, beginning in Phoenix in 1946.

The restaurant became known for dishes including enchiladas, chimichangas and its distinctive take on Southwestern Mexican food.

But this is one chain where the online reaction is decidedly mixed. Some Phoenix Redditors say the quality has slipped over the years, while others remain nostalgic for what they grew up eating.

That may make it less universally loved than some of the other picks – but its long history and devoted Arizona following make it a regional name worth knowing.

Lion’s Choice – Missouri

Missouri’s Lion’s Choice has built its reputation around one thing: roast beef sandwiches.

The first restaurant opened in Ballwin, Missouri, in 1967, and the chain became known for thinly sliced roast beef piled onto toasted buns, alongside its famous natural-cut fries.

It has remained primarily a Missouri phenomenon, making it precisely the kind of regional brand that can inspire homesickness among former locals.

For fans, the appeal is simple: hot roast beef, fries and a fast-food experience that feels distinctly different from the national burger giants.

Ted’s Hot Dogs – Buffalo and beyond

Ted’s has been a Buffalo institution since 1927, when Greek immigrant Theodore Spiro Liaros opened the first stand.

Its charcoal-grilled hot dogs, footlongs, burgers and onion rings have earned the chain an unusually passionate following – and it has even expanded beyond New York, with locations in Arizona.

A Reddit post about discovering Ted’s in Buffalo attracted hundreds of upvotes, with one customer calling it a ‘Buffalo staple’ and another declaring: ‘Best dogs in the state!!’

One fan’s wife from New Jersey even called it the best hot dog she had ever eaten.

Wood Ranch – California

Wood Ranch brings a slightly more polished approach to barbecue, with its first restaurant opening in Southern California in 1992.

The chain specializes in slow-cooked meats, including ribs and tri-tip, alongside sides such as baked beans, peanut coleslaw and garlic rolls.

It has developed a particularly loyal following in California, with one Redditor calling it their favorite barbecue chain and saying it beats better-known names such as Lucille’s and Famous Dave’s.

The chain is now slowly pushing outward, with a Gilbert, Arizona, location planned for fall 2027.

MINNEAPOLIS — Aaron Judge’s return has eased the pressure on Ben Rice to carry the Yankees’ offense by himself.

Now, Rice is filling a different high-profile job: setting the tone from the leadoff spot — and looking increasingly dangerous doing it.

In recent weeks, Rice has begun to resemble the force who drew comparisons to Judge during the opening months of the season. His resurgence has arrived at an ideal moment for the Yankees, with the regular-season race tightening and the club eyeing a postseason run.

Rice went 2-for-3 with a walk in the Yankees’ 8-3 series-opening victory over the Twins, delivering the go-ahead two-run hit in the eighth inning. Since Aug. 19, he has reached base at least twice in 16 of 23 games while batting .333 with 14 RBIs. He has also homered three times over his last nine contests.

The Yankees moved Rice into the everyday leadoff role against right-handed pitching on Aug. 31, replacing Trent Grisham. With his ability to get on base and supply power, Rice appears positioned to keep that assignment as October approaches.

“I think he went through a stretch where he really started to square up a lot of balls,” manager Aaron Boone said before Monday’s game. “Then, coming off that, the walks started showing up. I think he’s doing a really good job controlling the strike zone, which is usually something he does well. He’s had some stretches this year where that hasn’t been the case, but right now, I feel like he’s really controlling the zone. And, obviously, there’s always the threat of power in there.

“Benny seems to be in a really good place right now, hopefully at exactly the right time to be at his best.”

Rice went deep in consecutive games against the Mets over the weekend, including a leadoff homer on Sunday. That gave him 38 home runs this season, tying Astros slugger and AL MVP favorite Yordan Alvarez for second in the American League. Only Rays standout Junior Caminero has more.

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His production has been especially important in a Yankees season shaped by Judge’s absence of more than three months, even though Rice endured a dip while the star outfielder was sidelined.

When Judge last played on May 31 before testing revealed a broken rib, Rice was hitting .306 with a 1.056 OPS and 17 home runs in 54 games. Over the next 66 games, the first baseman/designated hitter batted .204 with a .727 OPS and 16 homers. A largely productive July kept that stretch from looking worse, as opposing teams appeared more willing to pitch Rice carefully without having to account for Judge batting immediately before or after him.

But around mid-August, Rice began to catch fire again, which along with Grisham’s struggles bumped him back into the leadoff spot, where he has spent stretches over the last three years (10 times in 2024, 21 in 2025 and Monday marking his 25th time there in 2026).

“I love it,” Judge said. “Great at-bats, he can pop a homer like he did [Sunday] to start off the game for us, or he’s going to give you a 9-, 10-pitch at-bat. When he’s leading off like that, I want him getting the most at-bats. It’s just fun to see him develop this whole year, going from being a 4-hitter, 3-hitter, 2-hitter, leadoff guy for us. … I love having him hit in front of me.”

If the Yankees can get Judge and Rice clicking at the right time heading into the playoffs — along with Cody Bellinger and Luis García Jr. bringing the more contact-oriented approach with thump in the top half of the lineup — it will give them a formidable top four.

“Last year, [Rice] really came of age at this level and established himself as a force, as someone to be reckoned with,” Boone said. “Then this year, I think has ratcheted it up even more and become one of the better hitters in the game. He’s obviously had a great season on balance. I think he’s done a great job of, he’s obviously had some real hot stretches. Had a stretch where he struggled a little bit, but kind of weathered that storm too.”

Nick Reiner is due in court Tuesday to face murder charges in the deaths of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman is expected to announce new case developments at a news conference outside the Los Angeles courthouse shortly before Reiner’s scheduled pretrial appearance.

The judge could also set a trial date during Tuesday’s hearing.

Reiner, 33, has remained jailed without bail since December on two murder counts.

Authorities say Rob Reiner, the acclaimed film director, and Michele Reiner were fatally stabbed at their home in Los Angeles’ affluent Brentwood neighborhood on Dec. 14. Their son was arrested within hours of the killings and formally charged two days later.

A grand jury indictment unsealed last month added an allegation that Reiner lay in wait before the killings. He has entered not guilty pleas to every charge filed against him.

The indictment moves the case significantly closer to trial, allowing prosecutors to bypass California’s preliminary hearing process, which typically brings evidence into public view.

Under California law, an allegation of lying in wait asserts that a suspect concealed themselves or waited for victims in order to carry out an ambush, a claim prosecutors use to establish premeditation. If a jury finds Reiner guilty of murder and finds the lying-in-wait allegation true, he could become eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not yet said whether they will pursue that punishment.

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“This case is absolutely headed for trial,” legal expert Neama Rahmani said. “I think there’s no world where Nathan Hochman and the district attorney’s office offers any type of discount. This is a potential death penalty case.”

Reiner is represented by a public defender and is seeking access to more than $500,000 that he says is owed to him through a trust fund. He has said he wants to use the money to pay for his defense.

Just last month, Nick’s older brother, Jake Reiner, spoke exclusively to ABC7 in his first sit-down interview since his parents were killed.

He talked about the night of his parent’s killings, his brother’s arrest, his parent’s humanitarian work and how he’s been trying to move forward since the tragedy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The names of jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial will remain sealed indefinitely after the presiding judge pointed to safety risks and the intensely polarized public interest surrounding the case.

In an order issued Monday, Judge William Sullivan said the public is ordinarily entitled to access jurors’ names. But he determined there is a “real and present” danger to those who served, ordering that the full list remain impounded unless the court later decides otherwise.

Sullivan said his decision was influenced by instances in which jurors and details of their private lives had been identified without their consent.

“Some of the empaneled jurors have come forward and spoken to the media after the declaration of a mistrial on September 4, 2026. However, the majority of the jurors, deliberating and alternates, have maintained their anonymity, despite multiple requests to give statements,” Sullivan wrote. “The Court concludes that there is a risk of immediate and irreparable injury should the list be made available to the public at this time.”

Clancy, 36, was tried on three first-degree murder charges stemming from the January 2023 deaths of her children: 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan. The children were found strangled inside the family’s home. Sullivan declared a mistrial on Sept. 4 after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision, with jurors divided 11-1.

Paula Devlin, 65, one of the jurors who has publicly identified herself, rejected claims that the panel’s deliberations were affected by bias in comments to News Media.

“We didn’t know what was going on outside of that room, but we knew that we had a chance to get a conversation started that could change something, that could maybe stop this from ever happening again,” Devlin said. “I think that’s one of the reasons why we feel — or I feel — so strongly about this is that I hope that no other woman or husband has to go through this.”

Devlin said there were “holes” in the prosecution’s case after reviewing the evidence.

“In the biggest piece of the whole case, the whole thing was based on mental health. How can you have bias if only women can go through postpartum depression? Only women can go through postpartum psychosis. Only women can deliver a baby. That’s not biased. That’s just a fact,” she said.

Clancy is due back in court on Sept. 29 for a status hearing, at which more information about the future of her case may be revealed. The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office hasn’t made a decision on whether the case will be retried.

Tiger Woods has returned to the driving range, marking his first public practice session since his DUI arrest in Florida earlier this year.

Footage shows the golf legend working through shots at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey on Tuesday morning.

It was Woods’ first known range appearance in months following his March 27 arrest in Jupiter Island, Florida.

The 50-year-old recently entered a no-contest plea and reached an agreement with prosecutors that includes a five-year driving ban.

Following the arrest, Woods received court approval to travel to Switzerland, where he spent several months at a rehabilitation facility.

Woods has not competed in a professional tournament since the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon, where he failed to make the cut.

Woods changed his plea during a court appearance in early September, a move that prevented the case from proceeding to trial.

According to police, Woods was driving at a high speed along a beachside road when his Land Rover clipped a tractor-trailer truck and rolled onto its side, causing about $5,000 worth of damage to the other vehicle. 

He was able to crawl out of the car without any injuries before later admitting to officers he was looking at his phone and changing the radio at the time of the collision. 

A Breathalyzer test did not reveal any alcohol in Woods’s system, but he refused a urine test, according to police.

The Sheriff’s report obtained by the Daily Mail said deputies found opioids in his pocket and he showed signs of impairment.

A previous hearing was held on August 4, following a July ruling that allowed prosecutors to obtain Woods’ hospital records that were connected to the crash. 

Martin County circuit court judge Darren Steele approved an agreement between the State Attorney’s Office and Woods’ legal team that allowed prosecutors to request records from the hospital that treated the PGA legend following his crash.

Back in May, Steele approved a similar agreement granting prosecutors access to Woods’ prescription medication records from his Palm Beach pharmacy between January 1 and his March crash.

Prosecutors and Woods’s attorney have agreed to a protective order that limits the release of any hospital or prescription records to the State Attorney’s Office, law enforcement, state experts and the defense.

Woods was closing in on a return to golf and was widely expected to compete at The Masters in the days before the crash.

The 15-time major champion’s legal problems have since been put into perspective by Vanessa’s cancer diagnosis. She revealed her bout with an unspecified form of breast cancer back in May. 

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The March crash marked the fourth major driving-related incident of Woods’s adult life. 

Five years earlier, when Woods rolled another SUV down a steep embankment in California, he did not face any accusations of driving under the influence. Instead, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department claimed Woods was driving at around 80mph, nearly twice the legal limit, at the time of the crash. 

Witnesses told TMZ that Woods appeared agitated and impatient while leaving a golf tournament parking lot in the moments before the crash.

Woods was never charged in 2021, but he wasn’t so lucky in 2017, when he was found by Jupiter police about 15 miles from his home. Officers said they found him unconscious in his Mercedes-Benz, which was parked awkwardly on the roadside at around 3am.

Upon closer inspection, they noticed damage to his vehicle.

Woods didn’t have any alcohol in his system, but later tests found the active ingredient for marijuana, two painkillers, Vicodin and Dilaudid, the sleep drug Ambien and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax.

He later claimed he had been self-medicating for pain caused by his fourth back surgery and insomnia. Woods did not specifically address the marijuana issue and he wasn’t found with the drug in his possession.

Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving and received a year of probation, a $250 fine and was ordered to undergo 50 hours of community service. He was also banned from drinking alcohol during the probation.

In July 2017, Woods completed a private program to address his dependency on painkillers.

‘I will continue to tackle this going forward with my doctors, family and friends,’ he tweeted at the time. ‘I am so very thankful for all of the support I’ve received.’

Woods’ most notorious car crash took place in 2009, when he rammed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant, tree and several hedges near his home.

He was treated for minor injuries and received a ticket for careless driving, but while he thanked his then-wife Elin Nordegren for getting him out of the car, there were lingering doubts about the story. After all, it was only days earlier that the National Enquirer claimed he’d had an affair with Rachel Uchitel, a 9/11 widow and New York nightclub manager.

The alleged details of the November 27, 2009 crash were ultimately included in the best-selling biography by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian, titled Tiger Woods.

Bill Gates has warned that governments around the world are dangerously unprepared for the global challenges posed by artificial intelligence, adding his voice to a growing chorus of technology leaders urging faster action as AI capabilities accelerate.

The 70-year-old Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, long regarded as an advocate for AI’s potential, said in a new Reuters interview that the technology could also eliminate jobs, fuel cyberattacks, deepen economic inequality and become addictive for users.

“I don’t think any government is nearly as deep on this as they have to be…Governments are way behind on this one,” Gates said. His comments came after several prominent tech executives called on President Trump and world leaders this week to work together on tougher AI industry safeguards.

Gates said he has raised his concerns in conversations with Trump and members of his administration. He also hopes to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year as he pushes for international cooperation on AI regulation.

Comparing artificial intelligence to a threat from science-fiction films, Gates said the technology could force countries to find common ground. “There’s all sorts of movies where some aliens are coming, and magically the US and China and everybody comes together to solve the problem,” Gates said. “AI is kind of like this alien intelligence. It’s here, and we better do like it shows in those movies.”

Fresh concerns about the dangers of advanced AI emerged over the weekend after Jacob Coxon, a researcher formerly employed by Anthropic and OpenAI, left his position and warned that artificial intelligence “could kill us all by the end of the decade.”

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei later released a lengthy essay urging competing AI companies to ease the pace of development. He cited concerns over recursive self-improvement, or RSI, a scenario in which AI systems become capable enough to enhance themselves independently. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX founder Elon Musk supported Amodei’s appeal.

Even with those warnings, Gates stressed that AI could bring major benefits, particularly by helping improve living conditions for some of the world’s poorest communities.

The Gates Foundation on Tuesday committed at least $1 billion over the next two years to broaden access to AI worldwide and examine how the technology can be used to reduce social inequality. The initiative is part of the nonprofit’s previously announced plan to spend $9 billion each year.

The funding will support partners working in education, health care and agriculture. It will also go toward strengthening the data used to train AI systems, with the goal of helping large language models function in every language spoken around the world.

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“For health it’s hard to overstate what the potential is,” said Gates, who called out the ability to help frontline health care workers and discover new drugs and vaccines.

Gates also acknowledged public backlash over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying it has not had any effect on his foundation’s work.

“In terms of having access to government leaders, or you know, journalists being willing to interview me, I don’t see any diminishment,” he said, adding that requests to work with the foundation on reducing child deaths and ending malaria has not reduced “even one iota.”

In sworn testimony to Congress in June, Gates admitted to having affairs with two Russian women, claiming Epstein had tried to use the infidelity to blackmail Gates into reconnecting after they cut ties.

Gates testified that he was introduced to Epstein in 2011, three years after the disgraced financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution and four years after Epstein reached a controversial non-prosecution agreement.

Gates said the relationship ended by December 2014.

The Microsoft co-founder and some staffers at the Gates Foundation had been named in the Department of Justice’s Epstein files – a trove of hundreds of thousands of files showing the sex criminal’s communications with powerful pols, celebs and financiers.

Gates has not been accused of any crimes and has apologized for his relationship with Epstein, calling it a “grave error in judgment.”

An external review at his foundation found no payments to Epstein or links to criminal activities.