This is part of NRN’s Consumer Picks special report, produced in partnership with WD Partners. The study rates top restaurant chains in the limited-service and full-service segments based on customer preferences. Visit Consumer Picks on NRN.com for more information. For the full report, including detailed rankings on the more than 100 chains, pick up the Sept. 5th issue of Nation’s Restaurant News.

As the largest segment in the restaurant industry, casual-dining restaurants are often the go-to pick for consumers looking for a night away from their own kitchen, a place to celebrate with family and friends or a familiar location to have a quiet meal.

Some of the largest chains in foodservice, from Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar to Outback Steakhouse, make up the industry’s casual-dining segment, which utilizes a full-service operating model, holds various price points and sells alcoholic beverages.

In the inaugural Consumer Picks study from Nation’s Restaurant News and WD Partners, the casual-dining survey field included 33 restaurant chains. Consumers frequenting a casual-dining restaurant said they find food quality the most important attribute of dining out, followed by cleanliness, service, value and atmosphere.

• Learn more about Consumer Picks methodology
• Visit the Consumer Picks homepage

In addition to the 33 casual-dining restaurants ranked by consumers, the Consumer Picks larger full-service segment also included Ruth’s Chris Steak House and McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants — two fine-dining establishments. The results of those two chains can be found in the full Consumer Picks special report in the September 5th issue of Nation’s Restaurant News. The magazine also outlines the foodservice industry’s additional full-service sector, family dining.

Here, check out a sneak peak of the top 10 casual-dining restaurants, beginning with consumers’ No. 10 pick, BJ’s Restaurants.

Next: BJ's Restaurants