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A McRib is seen at a McDonald's restaurant. The sandwich with a cult-like following is about to make a comeback.
The McRib, the elusive sandwich that has inspired a cult-like following, is back.
McDonald's Corp. plans to announce Monday that the boneless barbecue pork sandwich that is not always available in stores will be sold at all U.S. locations through Nov. 14.
It's usually up to local franchises to determine when and if they want to sell the McRib, except in Germany, the only place where it's available perennially. But McDonald's said the response was so great last November when it made the McRib available nationally for about three weeks — the first time it had done so since 1994 — that it decided to bring it back this year. The company declined to give specific sales numbers.
The sandwich, which is dressed with onions, pickle slices and barbecue sauce, was introduced nationally in 1982. With 500 calories and 26 grams of fat, it's slightly trimmer than the Big Mac, which has 540 calories and 29 grams of fat. And just like the Big Mac, the McRib has become a popular McDonald's offering.
There are Facebook groups like "Bring Back the McRib!!!" There are Twitter tags, where posts range from "Lucky me, the McRib is back" to "If you eat McRibs, you need to re-evaluate what it is you actually want in life." There's even the McRib Locator, a website where true believers can report McRib sightings, and even truer believers can take a road trip when one shows up within driving distance.
If the McRib is so popular, why not just offer it all the time? McDonald's likes to stoke the enthusiasm with an aura of transience.
"Bringing it back every so often adds to the excitement," said Marta Fearon, McDonald's U.S. marketing director, who added that she's not sure if the McRib will reappear in stores every fall.
And how can it be called a McRib if it doesn't have any bones? Said Fearon: "That gives it this quirky sense of humor.".
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I love these things! I went into a McDonald's on a road trip a few years ago when McRibs had returned to most stores. Apparently I had managed to find one of the few stores whose owner had opted not to carry McRibs. And, apparently the employee hadn't been around much. I asked if they had McRibs. She replied, sort of chuckling, "No honey. We don't have ribs!"
When this sandwich first came out in the 80's, I really liked it (minus the onions, of course) but when I got one that had a bite or 2 of grissle, that was the end of my McRib cravings. I haven't eaten one since. There are other sandwiches that I think are far better. What I don't get is why they keep discontinuing it & re-introducing it. Either keep it or do away w/it. I think it's a lot of hype and the sandwich is not all that good.
Just can't figure out what makes this subject worthy of a news report to begin with.
That describes about 80% of the stuff on MSNBC. ;-)
Why is this site giving free advertising to the McDonald's Corporation?
Dear MSNBC,
You have hit a new low in journalistic integrity. That Mc Donalds is bringing back some pressed meat with bar-b-que sauce on it is not news under any circumstances. I realize you're not actually journalists anymore. You're just the celebrity promo people, but really this is pathetic.
McRibbs are just nasty. What in the world are they made out of, anyway? Kangaroo or maybe horse meat? I am sure it is meat they couldn't find any other way to sell to us bozos.
Upon further review, this was initially a report done by the AP. What used to be news reporters are just a bunch of cut-and-pasters everywhere these days.
I guess AP stands for "Associated Pinheads" now.
@MaxPeck58.....................................
There are Facebook groups like "Bring Back the McRib!!!" There are Twitter tags, where posts range from "Lucky me, the McRib is back" to "If you eat McRibs, you need to re-evaluate what it is you actually want in life." There's even the McRib Locator, a website where true believers can report McRib sightings, and even truer believers can take a road trip when one shows up within driving distance.....
I think they tried to explain why in the story.
It's processed and compressed meat with a sauce on it. You are much better off making your sandwich at home minus all the chemical treatments to McD's food to give them flavor. Yuo are what you eat at McD's. McCRAP!
I understand that the McRib is made of "McMeat," with artificial McColoring and McFlavoring added to McWood chips to come close to replicating real food.
I'm trying to avoid Lysteria tainted Melons, Lettuce and Spinach and whatever is next on the list....the McRibs give me a little more variety of cooked to death processed food....if you don't like it , don't buy it....That health food will kill you quicker than McDonalds...which takes decades
You might need a little alka-selzer or pepto, but what the hey.....
GRUMP" YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO KNOW WHAT "CEATURE" THE MCRIB IS MADE OUT OF. AND FRANKLY I'M AFRAID TO FIND OUT MY SELF! I keep thinking of charalton heston screaming something at the end of a really depressing 70's scifi movie!
Is this really news worthly? Just saying
Mcrib isn't that good. I had it for the first time last year to see what all the hype was about and I wasn't impressed. Big Mac and other sanwiches are much better.
Initially, I read this as "adds to the excrement", which makes sense given how I feel about McDonald's "food".
Half of everyone who dies in the US each year dies of heart disease, but heart disease is virtually nonexistent in countries without McDonald's and other garbage food. If you want to eat McDonald's - go ahead - but consider that your McRib sandwich or Big Mac, even in moderation, will make you sick and kill you. Most people think it won't but you can't beat the statistics...kind of like when high school students are asked if they are above average and 60% say "yes".
I am with Patty, This is newsworthy How?
edandbunny,
I said the same thing at #1.2 and #1.7, but yet I keep following this thread.
Living in TX must have exposed me to TRS. (Tony Romo Syndrome)
It's a good topic for McDummies i guess. ;)
Barfo! You think non-beef hotdogs are made up of weird ingredients....
Yuch. I'll pass on the McPounds.
Yuk, keep it. I'm lucky to live where I can get Whataburger's A.1. Thick & Hearty Burger instead! Now that's good eatin'.
You said it... there is nothing like a Whataburger as for hamburger chain food goes!
Try "Five Guys"
I have... its okay, but still not a Whataburger.
Oh wow, really? The Mc Rib is disgusting.
I grew up on Whataburgers. I like mine with mayo and no mustard. I lived in San Diego for awhile in the late 70's. there was burger joint thre calle Doodle Burgers. Put Whataburger in the shade. I loveMcRibs from McD's and that is about it except the sausage mcmuffin with eggs and cheese. What dont they sale McRibs all the time. They piss me off when they don't
I love Whataburgers. I won't drive 75 miles to get one, but I'll stop there if I pass by on my way to somewhere else.
But, I still love McRibs, too. Is there a rule that says you can't like both?
Ahhh yes, getting a Whataburger for breakfast... I miss that. Will be in Texas next month, and will be making multiple visits. I remember stopping one Thanksgiving Day in Tyler, TX to have a Whataburger. So good! Who needs turkey? :)
Johnny Rockets makes a great burger and the chocolate shakes and fries makes it complete heaven. Then of course, I have to practically run a marathon to work it off but sometimes it's so worth it.
I don't waste my time at McDonalds or any fast food joint. That type of food is just plain gross and makes me feel sick afterwards. If I'm going to indulge it's going to be with real food not mystery meat.
Try the Green Hatch Chile burger on Texas Toast at Whataburger. It's so good you won't care that you can actually feel your blood flow decreasing
All I can say is "GROSS!"
I was thinking the exact same thing. Mystery meat sandwich!
It's awful. If you think this is BBQ you'll drink kerosene.
It's NOT barbecue. It's a McRib. Totally different.
Miker - I'm pretty sure the article called it a "boneless bar-b-que pork sandwich"
I would say "It's not food, It's a McRib. Totally different".
I still like 'em! To each his own. (I must not be the only one. . . )
Take a pile of pig parts, mold it into a pretend short rack, throw on some bad bar-b-que sauce and there you have it.
Mmmmmmm Yummy
yummo pig parts. :P
Yes pig lips and anuses how delightful.
That's how you fool Americans to eat that junk, get leftover pork parts and drown it in BBQ sauce. Essentially that's what the McRib is.
I'll eat a Pig's A$$ if you cook it right!
'The McRib is back' One question... Why?
Because they make MILLIONS in sales off of that crap tastic sandwich.
Bad economic times call for bad food. No coincidence that the McRib was introduced in 1982. The number of McRibs sold was a component of the Misery Index.
Just joking. It's actually not bad when there is nothing else.
It is the worst pandering of corporate America to an un-educated consumer.
When my daughters turned 5 they asked me to stop bringing them to fast food places fo a quick meal. I gladly obliged.
McDonalds buns actually had to be altered to a lower sugar content because they had to be listed as pastry.
These McRibs and even their chicken nuggets aren't even whole pieces of anything, they are a slurry formed into bizarre shapes.
"McDonalds buns actually had to be altered to a lower sugar content because they had to be listed as pastry."
Where did that gem come from?
If you ever saw a Mcrib without the BBQ sauce you would probably say:
What the hell is that and what is it made of.
McRibwithout bones are not real, just like a McTurd without corn is not real!
Never been a fan of the McRib, I'd rather just hit up a local BBQ place and pay a couple bucks more.
There's a little shack in Mountain City, TN named after you, Mike's Barbecue. It is fantastic.
Mike: If I wanted good BBQ, that's exactly what I'd do. But, if I want a McRib, it's not really a question of price. That's like saying you'd rather pay a few dollars more to get real Mexican food than to go to Taco Bell. Everybody knows Taco Bell isn't real, authentic, gourmet Mexican. But, sometimes that's not what people want.
I assume you'd want a McRib because you had a craving for BBQ....if that's the case, go into a BBQ place and get a pulled pork sandwich or whatever to go. Is it the drivethru that makes the difference to you?
No one chooses Taco Bell over real mexican places because they prefer Taco Bell, they do it because of convenience and cost.....
Not so, Mike. I've got a Lawlers' right down from the house and a DreamLand just a short drive from home. There are several other darn good places scattered around my area. When I crave good BBQ, I can get it. Sometimes, however, I just crave a McRib.
Same for Mexican. If I want good Tex-Mex, I've got a Rosie's Cantina and a more authentic Mexican-run place within minutes of home, plus at least 3 taco wagons that I know of. But, about once a year or so, I just get a hankering for some Taco Bell junk. It's not that I "prefer" Taco Bell. It's a question of craving it for no particular reason.
We've got great burger joints, too, but I still occasionally crave White Castles. Not every meal needs to be a gourmet dining experience.
Interesting, I crave types of food, like Mexican, then I go to the most appropriate place given the situation. Plenty of time to sit down and eat, I'm going to a real Mexican place. In a rush, it's Taco Bell. I get where you are coming from, but I can't say I've ever craved a specific fast food joints offerings.
Different strokes I 'spose.
You, sir, have clearly never had a White Castle slider!
Ironically, I just had my annual Taco Bell fix this past weekend, and let me tell you - speed and convenience was NOT a factor. I thought I'd starve before we got our order! And, I'm pretty sure I could have had an authentic tamale off the local wagon for less money. . .
"Welcome to White Castle, what do you crave?"....I will say I crave them but only because I don't have one near me, so I have only had them once, while on vacation. It was marvelous. :-P
I am particularly given to cravings for Church's fried chicken with at least one of those plump, juicy jalepeno peppers (I believe they're jalepenos) per piece of chicken!
I absolutely love them!
YUM! I had one last week. I usually don't eat at Mickey D's, but this sandwich is just a treat.
You must be accustomed to eating crap or low quality food.
I'm accustomed to eating MREs off the hood of a HMMWV. Compared to that, a McRib is pretty damn good. Especially if I get to eat one while sitting down and not wearing a kevlar helmet and ballistic vest with LBV.
Snobs irritate me.
Miker-3057253
I've eaten MREs before and I'd rather eat the vegetarian boxes than separated pig meat drenched in BBQ sauce anyday.
Sensationalists irritate me.
Plenty of snobs have eaten MREs before. They're widely available for sale to civilians in addition to being issued to Majors Burns and Hoolihan.
ok, according to you I'm a snob. I guess I should take your suggestion and eat an MRE in the most crime ridden area with bullets flying around to help prove whatever point you were trying to make.
http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/getnutrition/nutritionfacts.pdf
McRib Nutritional Info:
500 calories, 240 calories from fat, 26 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 980 mb sodium, 44 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 22 g protein, 11 g sugars
You know, when I go to McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut, I don't go for my health. I cook healthy at home, but when I eat at fast food restaurants, it's all about taste. I get disappointed when I order the KFC original, and it is NOT the original which was dripping with grease and the meat falls off the bone.
I haven't eaten fast food since 2004.
Dear Brian:
You're probably the smartest one in the group. I heard at one time that McDonalds was slaughtering diseased cows.
You're not allowed to make your own choices any more. All the little whiny *ss soccer mom types who feel they know more than you and what's better for you than you do and need to be protected rather than making their own decision have stolen the day.
"...Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience..."
I'm not that worried about the fat and cholesterol, etc. It's not like I eat this stuff more than once every few weeks. If that much.
Just one more step in our decline. I imagine the big fansof the McRib also think the movie "Zookeeper" is cinematic brilliance.
What's the matter? Can't our companies just put a little pork and barbeque together and sell this sandwich if they think it's really that sought after. Why do we have to wait on Germany to obtain it? However, we have enough cholesterol in our diets as it is. The CULT of the heart attack zombies is back. This is very bad.
A McRib that sits too long under the heat lamp will be the cause of the Zombie Apocalypse. True story.
Dear Gelbreuz:
You're funny but so right!
No doubt. Look around. The zombie apocalypse has already started.
Dear Brian:
They tried to attribute the zombie apocalypse to cell phones, or at least Stephen King tried to say this in one of his books. Maybe he's right, or another culprit (McDonalds) has been overlooked as the real cause.
I want to open "RAPTUREburgers!" Tastes SO GOOD, burger disappears, leaving only the wrapper! lol
Dear Chopswell in BrrrOAK:
Sounds great! It sounds like zero cholesterol. I didn't know the angels were watching over your burger.
If you've already got congestive heart failure and an implanted defibrillator, have at it!
The rest of us may want to think twice...
They are AWESOME!!!
For the naysayers: you just don't get it. It has never been about the quality of the BB-Q or the meat. It is a fast-food sandwich with a specific flavor and presentation. If you don't like it, so be it, just move on and let those of us that do like it celebrate it's return.
Well said! Right on.
I had one last week hoping that they had gotten better since the last time that I had one.
They haven't. They're still horrible!
These things need to come with more sauce on them. And McDonald's needs to invest in a better tasting BBQ sauce for that matter. I too bought into the hype of last years McRib and i was so disappointed when i got my hands on one. When the sandwich was finished all that was left was regret. Marketing is a funny thing, they make it seem like you're missing out on something great if you do choose to pass on the fast food craze. But when you fall off the wagon of healthy eating once in a while all you do is question "was it really worth it?"
Why can't McD's just do a simple pulled pork sandwich? At least you KNOW it's what it is--and not a conglomeration of pig parts slurry, molded to 'appear' to have ribs sticking out!
No thanks! The idea of what they concoct that sandwich of makes my stomach turn!
it does sound easy at first glace to just make a pulled pork sandwich ... however smoking the pork takes anywhere between 10 and 16 hours then there is the need for a smoker .. wood .. proper ventilation .. more fire extinguishers .. etc etc etc ... its probably cost prohibitive ... so we get the mc rib which may cost 50 cents to actually make they can't cost much if you can get a second for a buck when you buy a value meal
tremedously vomit-y piece of make believe food.
Bottom line. Nobody gives a crap
I haven't been able to eat ANY beef for over 10 years now. Always end up on Prednisone steroids even from a burger. Being beef intolerant makes it a living hell (especially when traveling) to try and eat at any fast food restaurant.
Please don't point out the chicken alternatives because I've eaten so much damned chicken I'm sure I'll start to cluck any day now and it's all deep fried crap anyway. The McRib has been my savior.
I can now once again eat something at McDonalds that doesn't make me sick for weeks on end. I get them to make me a Big Mac using the McRib meat without the Bar-B-Q sauce. My only trouble is trying to explain that to a half brain dead McDonalds employee. Some understand my request and some just get a blank stare in their eyes as there is no "Button" on their register for that.
Thinking outside of the box must be discouraged at Fast Food restaurants.
The McRib is definitely thinking outside of the box and I thank McD's for it.
If I were meat intolerant, I think I would jump off a bridge...bravo for dealing with it the way you are.
It's a shame when some brain-dead, beef (and generally!) intolerant, (male equivalent of a) prima donna complains about not getting individualized service at fast-food restaurants.
I'm sure you'd receive your idea of decent service if you ate at places where you didn't receive your order through a window.
What part of the term "fast food restaurant" confuses you?
Barbara please don't try to defend fast food workers. Recently I was in Burger King for breakfast on a business trip and I simply wanted an English muffin with egg and cheese, no meat. You would have thought I asked the lady (in her 40's mind you) to build a particle accelerator out of spare pinball machine parts.
Have it your way! Unless there are no pictures on the register for me to push.
Mike757,
Having built a particle accelerator out of spare pinball machine parts (it's on the shelf next to my cold fusion reactor), there's a reason Radio Shack does not sell food.