The McRib is an iconic yet elusive piece of fast food culture. Since its introduction in 1981, its sporadic availability has caused much discourse. Its tender pork patty and tangy barbeque sauce have left community members craving it during its absence.
McDonald’s fans are divisive about the sandwich. Some treat it as the fast food chain’s most magnificent offering, while others consider it the most wretched flavor ever to grace their taste buds.
“That sandwich was the worst thing to be laid upon my tongue, I will never again be eating the McRib,” Ollie Schumacher said.
John Grasso’s opinion on the McRib is very different. “It’s amazing. It should be on the menu year-round. I would buy it all the time, just like everyone should. It is so delicious.”
Others consider it more or less mediocre and don’t feel as passionately about it.
“There wasn’t anything special about it, it wasn’t good or bad, but it was closer to bad than good, but that’s okay,” Robin Shafer said.
The McRib’ initial stint on the menu lasted from 1981 until 1985 when it was removed due to poor sales. 4 years later it returned to the menu in 1989 and remained until 2005. From 2006 onward it has remained a special seasonal offer on the menu.
Over the years, McDonald’s has advertised the coming McRib season as the last. The “McRib Farewell Tour” is often a term thrown around, but like clockwork, the McRib makes its grand return every year.
Although the sandwich has developed a cult following, even during its season, its popularity remains limited. McDonald’s employee Olin Bilak said the McRib has never matched the popularity of other menu items such as the McNuggets or Big Mac, even during this McRib season. While the community may be small, McRib fans truly love this sandwich. Casual McDonald’s enjoyers don’t seem to care for the special menu item as much.
Even during the McRibs’ off-season, a few dedicated fans ask about it and voice their desire for it to be a menu item year-round.
The McRib is not the only example of a specific item on the McDonald’s menu that has gained a cult following. Another prominent example is the McDonald’s Snack Wrap. The community rallied behind the Snack Wrap so much that it will return as a permanent menu item in 2025.
Another example is the Szechuan Dipping Sauce. In 1998, McDonald’s released Szechuan Sauce as a part of a marketing campaign with Disney to promote the film Mulan. After the sauce was used as a plot point in an episode of the animated Adult Swim series Rick and Morty, McDonald’s temporarily brought the sauce back to the menu in 2018 and 2022.
Unique instances like these have shown the strength of the McDonald’s community and the people’s passion for the foods they love.
The McRib has found itself in the unique company of items like the Taco Bell Nacho Fries. The Nacho Fries were also at one point a seasonal item on the Taco Bell menu, but after the community showed how much they loved them, the Nacho Fries found their way onto the full-time menu. This is a prime example of how community passion can influence menu offerings.
Who knows? Maybe one day, we will live in a world where, once again, people can enjoy a
McRib on a warm summer day.
For many people, food is an integral part of life and culture. Food brings people together, whether it’s a home-cooked meal with a recipe passed down through generations or a seasonal rib sandwich at their favorite fast-food restaurant.
Whether it eventually finds its way onto the full-time menu or remains a seasonal treat, the McRib is a spectacle and testament to the unity of a devoted community. As winter comes and goes every year, the McRib is there with us. And if you find yourself missing it during the off-season, pop over to Germany or Luxembourg, where McDonald’s most mysterious menu item is available year-round.
