What is really important to Americans when they go out to eat?

Most of us think that when we go out for lunch or dinner, all we want is a good meal. But restaurant expert Linda Hirneise with J.D. Power and Associates said what we actually want is a good meal coupled with good service.

J.D. Power and Associates has just done its very first study of customer satisfaction at national restaurant chains.

Among casual dining places, Olive Garden did very well. That company wins praise for the consistency of its meals, also for taste, portion sizes and presentation. Hirneise said the customer service at Olive Garden is very good, too.

Other high scorers in the casual category include Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill.

The findings show that the customer experience -- and not brand image or propensity to be loyal -- is the most significant driver of commitment.

Olive Garden ranks highest in both the West and Midwest regions. Outback Steakhouse ranks highest in the segment in the Northeast region

Carrabba's Italian Grill ranks highest in the South, receiving top ratings for environment.

As for fast-food or "quick service" chains, the winners are Panera Bread, Chick-fil-A and, in the western states, Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza.

Panera Bread ranks highest among quick service restaurants in the Midwest and Northeast regions. Chick-fil-A ranks highest in the South. Papa Murphy's Take N' Bake Pizza ranks highest in the West.

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But what about McDonald's? Hirneise said Mickey D's did not do very well, scoring "on the bottom rung" for customer satisfaction.

Highly satisfied customers visit restaurant chains more frequently, recommend them more often and spend more money compared to customers who experience low levels of satisfaction at quick service and family/casual dining chains.

The study investigates overall customer satisfaction with major chain restaurants in the quick service and family/casual segments across four regions: Midwest, Northeast, South and West.

Overall restaurant satisfaction is based on customer dining experiences in four factors that are closely rated in importance: environment, 24%; meal, 30%; service, 26%; and cost, 21%.

Quick service restaurants are those where food is inexpensive, ordered at a cash register (or selected from a food bar) and paid for prior to the meal. Family/casual restaurants are those where food is moderately priced, ordered and served to seated customers during lunch or dinner, paid for after the meal, and in many cases, also catered to children.

The 2004 Restaurant Satisfaction Study assesses the levels of customer satisfaction across more than 100 major restaurant chains with establishments in the United States 71 for family/casual and 36 for quick service. The study is based on responses from nearly 55,000 customers who dined at a restaurant between May 2004 and August 2004.

Click here to view the full study.