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Have You Heard of America's Best Rated Tex-Mex Restaurant? According to this survey, it's not what you'd expect it to be.

By Lindsay Friedman

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Taco Bueno

Have you ever heard of Taco Bueno?

Apparently the food chain with its "Muchachos," the franchise's signature burrito, is the most popular Tex-Mex chain in America, beating out Chipotle and Taco Bell, according to Vice's Munchies.

Related: 'Creating Smiles and Stories' for Customers Is Just One of This Mega-Franchisee's Goals

The claim is based on a quick service restaurant survey of 10,000 people launched by industry research group Market Force Information.

According to People, Taco Bueno has 178 locations in seven states, all of which are in the south or west: Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma. Its menu features the Wholotta platter, its largest option with a beef chilada covered with chili and queso, a beef taco and Muchacho, a side of queso in a tortilla chip cup, rice, refried beans with sour cream, guacamole and chips. If you're able to take on the monstrous platter, you'd consume a whopping 2,500 calories.

Related: Franchise 500: Taco Bueno Franchise Information

Founded in 1967, its fans call themselves the "Buenoheads."

Taco Bueno's popularity could also be a result of some of the recent struggles big burrito competitor Chipotle has had in the past year. Chipotle suffered a number of E. coli outbreaks and has struggled to regain consumers' trust.

Lindsay Friedman

Staff writer. Frequently covers franchise news and food trends.

Lindsay Friedman is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

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