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.