McDonald's Has A Big Announcement For McRib Fans

McRibs are McBack... but this time, the longtime fan favorite will be at all 14,400 stores starting December 2, according to a company news post and CNN. The post says, "That's right... for a limited time, McRib regulars and 'first-timers' across the country can soon get in on the McRib magic with seasoned boneless pork slathered in smoky, tangy barbecue sauce, topped with slivered onions and tart pickles." But sorry folks, it's not forever. Note: "limited time."

McRibs have been a highly anticipated seasonal offering with a cult-like following since 1982, and McDonalds knows this — and capitalizes on it (via Mental Floss). Seasonal items generate a huge amount of buzz and create a reason for customers to visit a store, which is precisely why McDonald's keeps the menu item around only for short bursts. McRib season doesn't last long. According to one of a number of sites dedicated solely to tracking down the elusive sandwich each year, McRib Locator, the ribby goodness stuck around for only about a month last year.

In years past, the McRib has only been offered at select stores (thus, McRib Locator), so the nationwide release this year is a welcome reprieve for McRib-starved fans ravaged by the woes of 2020. And for the uninitiated with a new sandwich coming to town: McRibs are not really ribs. They are pork patties shaped into a shape resembling a small rack of ribs, swimming in a nameless sauce (via The Week). Technically, the patty is a "restructured meat" product. And as Time reminded us back in 2011, there are 70 ingredients in this sneaky sandwich.

This doesn't seem to bother the 5,000-plus who liked the fast food giant's tweet about the upcoming return. But as with any highly anticipated fast-food release and promotion, there are those who clap back. Take this reporter, @SonnyBunch, who called it "disgusting in a way that few other fast foods are disgusting and I am disgusted that you pigs even pretend to like it" in a recent Tweet. Or the workers' rights group, Fight for 15, who would like to remind us that fast food workers "continuously suffer actual physical danger due to inadequate workplace protections from coronavirus pandemic. McRib is back." Enough said.