Chipotle is once again America’s favourite Mexican restaurant chain, according to a new study.

It seems the burrito chain is finally making a comeback following an E. coli outbreak that sent its sales plunging for more than a year, according to the study by Market Force Information.

Prior to the outbreak, Chipotle topped the list of Americans’ favourite Mexican chains.

But it lost that spot to little-known Tex-Mex chain Taco Bueno last year.

This year, Chipotle’s back on top.

“After a rough couple of years that included an E. coli outbreak and a hit to its stock price, Denver-based Chipotle once again leads the Mexican food category, a position it shared with Qdoba in the 2015 study before landing second behind lesser-known Taco Bueno in 2016,” Market Force said in a statement. “Moe’s Southwest Grill took second place this year, while El Pollo Loco ranked third, Qdoba fourth and Taco Cabana fifth.”

The study also found that Chipotle’s efforts to improve its customer service has been paying off.

The chain took first place for food quality, cleanliness, and curb appeal, and tied for first with Qdoba and Moe’s for service speed.

In the most recent quarter, Chipotle reported revenue of $US1.03 billion and same-store sales declines of 4.8%.

Chipotle’s stock has lost nearly 50% of its value since the outbreak in fall of 2015.

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