The American Fast Food Chain That's More Beloved By Our Northern Neighbors In Canada

If you've ever gone on a road trip through Canada, you've probably passed by dozens of A&W locations –- and if you're lucky, popped in for a Teen Burger. Unlike in the United States, where the brand is just one of many fast-food burger chains, A&W is a big deal in Canada.

Despite having only a fraction of the United States' population, Canada has more than twice as many A&W locations. Known for its ice-cold root beer, a lawsuit over aged vanilla in bottled soda, and an orange-sweater-clad bear mascot, Rooty, A&W is one of the most popular fast food chains in Canada, with approximately 1,050 nationwide, making it almost as ubiquitous as McDonald's, which has just over 1,400 stores across the country. Canucks love A&W, and for good reason –- the Canadian locations are all Canadian-owned and tastes delicious.

Thanks to the 2025 trade war between the United States and Canada, A&W has become even more popular up north. Canadians have shared their love for A&W online and encouraged others to embrace the chain as an alternative to American fast food burger chains like McDonald's and Wendy's. After all, it's well documented on Reddit that A&W tastes better up North.

To understand why A&W in Canada is different from the United States, you need to know its history. The fast food chain can trace its beginnings to 1919, when Roy W. Allen started a roadside root beer stand in Lodi, California. In 1922, Allen teamed up with his root beer stand employee, Frank Wright, and A&W was born, becoming one of the first franchised fast food restaurant pioneers in the United States in 1926.

The company continued to expand both domestically and internationally, arriving in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1956. However, in 1972, Unilever purchased all of the Canadian franchises, officially separating A&W Canada from its U.S. and other international locations.

So, while you'll find ice-cold root beer and Rooty's smiling face at locations on both sides of the border, A&W Canada is essentially a completely different entity, with unique menu items that you won't find stateside, like poutine, Canada's unofficial national dish and the cult-favorite Mozza Burger, which is topped with bacon and real mozzarella cheese. In addition to burgers and chicken, A&W in Canada offers an extensive breakfast menu.

The brand has also been vocal about using grass- or vegetarian-fed beef, pork, and chicken — all of which are humanely raised on local family farms (or select, quality ranches), which may explain why their signature burgers allegedly taste better than the American versions. This is undoubtedly the case with the Teen Burger, an ultra-juicy bacon and cheese burger made with cheddar cheese and something called "teen sauce" (a mayo that's well seasoned with a punch of mustard), which has been called "pretty much the perfect fast food burger" (per Reddit). Strong words that may require a trip over the border.