Equivalent places do exist in most US towns, though they're a bit further from the highway. The cuisine doesn't change as rapidly, but there are regional differences.

Sadly, quality varies considerably. People go to the big chains because they're a known quantity. A fair number of those mom-and-pop restaurants don't make from scratch. They heat up what comes off the Sysco truck or the warehouse club. The Internet makes it a bit easier to find a restaurant with real local character, though reading the reviews is kind of an art form: they'll get a lot of praise for generic, boring food and few reviewers will recognize a gem when they find it.

The US can't match the food culture in Italy, but with a bit of knowledge you can eat well here.

I fairly regularly drive through Europe from the UK to Italy, and (along with Switzerland) Italy has the best roadside food I've ever seen in the world. Even the crappiest looking gas station has healthy and tasty food!