Fans can be very forgiving of musicians when their farewell tours don’t stick (The Who, Cher, and Elton John come to mind). But will they be as forgiving of a fast-food farewell tour that doesn’t stick? McDonald’s is betting they will be. Last year, it sent the McRib, which showed up intermittently on its menu, on its own McRib Farewell Tour. At the time, we questioned if it was gone for good or just a marketing ploy.
We can’t say for sure if it was a marketing ploy, but we now know that the McRib was not gone for good. The sandwich is back for, as the chain says, “a limited time only.”
McDonald's Brings Back the McRib Sandwich Again
“It turns out not everyone was ready to say goodbye to the McRib after last year’s Farewell Tour,” a representative from McDonald’s USA told us. “While it won’t be available nationwide, some lucky fans may find their favorite elusive saucy sandwich at their local McDonald’s restaurants this November.”
The History of the McRib
The McRib showed up on McDonald’s menus in 1981, in part to add a menu item for the franchises that weren’t able to get the super-popular, recently added Chicken McNuggets. There just wasn’t enough chicken available to support the immediate demand. The McRib wasn’t the most popular item, and once McNuggets were readily available and the price of pork went up, it disappeared from menus in 1985.
But we know that many discontinued fast-food items pop back up from time to time—such as the McDonald’s Spicy McNugget—and the McRib has come and gone frequently since 1989.
Not the First McRib Farewell Tour
"Like any true farewell tour, we're hoping this isn't a 'goodbye' but a 'see you later.' Because as our McRib stans have experienced time and time again: you never know when — or if — the McRib is coming back," McDonald's said in a press release announcing the 2022 Farewell Tour.
It turns out, since 2005, McDonald’s has been sending the McRib on farewell tours, and it's now rivaling The Who for the number of times fans have wondered if they’ll ever see it again. In 2005, "QSR," a magazine dedicated to quick-service restaurants, announced that McDonald’s was having a McRib Farewell Tour, and customers would have “their last chance to experience the sizzling boneless pork rib patty topped with pickles, onions and tangy BBQ sauce on a special McRib bun.”
But the McRib returned in 2006 with another farewell tour and in 2007 with yet another. With the advent of social media, its seemingly yearly return created larger fan bases for the sandwich. Our own Chef John even created a copycat recipe of the McRib, with far fewer ingredients, to give fans a version of the sandwich when it's unavailable.
At this point, we’re not sure which number the Farewell Tour 2022 was. We still can’t say for sure, but we think the evidence is stacked pretty high that it might have been a marketing ploy. And if fans flock to McDonald’s this November to get their hands on the McRib, this might not be the last year the sandwich is offered, either.
FAQs
After a long wait, and the pleading of McRib fans for years, McDonalds Canada has announced that the McRib will be coming back nationwide starting January 30th, 2024!
What date is the McRib coming back? ›
Based on the stores that were able to share a date, it appears most locations that will offer the McRib will be offering it starting around November 13, 2023. Past store optional releases have shown that generally stores that offer will begin selling around the same time, with some markets up to a week or so later.
Is the McRib ending for good? ›
Yes. Here's when and where you can get it. If you missed the 2022 McRib “farewell tour,” we have some good news: McDonald's cult classic sandwich is coming back. "It turns out not everyone was ready to say goodbye to the McRib,” McDonald's said in a news release this week.
Why did the McRib get discontinued? ›
Sales were mediocre, however, and it was removed in 1985 as McDonald's executives determined that pork is not eaten frequently enough in the United States to stay on the menu. After several years, it returned for a promotion. It is more popular in Germany and Luxembourg, where it remains a permanent item.
What is the McRib meat made of? ›
According to McDonald's, McRibs are primarily made of ground boneless pork shoulder emulsified with water, spices, dextrose sugar, and preservatives to refine its flavor and texture.
What is the new sandwich at McDonald's 2024? ›
04.16.2024
The Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy is inspired by soul food flavors of the South, with a bold, creamy and spicy Cajun ranch sauce, applewood smoked bacon and crisp crinkle cut pickles, all served on a warm toasted potato roll. It's the spiced-up touch the OG McCrispy didn't even know it needed.
How many calories are in a McRib? ›
520 Cal. 520 Cal. The McRib starts with seasoned boneless pork dipped in a tangy BBQ sauce, topped with slivered onions and tangy pickles, all served on a toasted homestyle bun.
Why is the McRib seasonal? ›
We like to change up our menu throughout the year by offering some limited time only items, like our Shamrock Shake® in the spring. The timing of the McRib return can vary from year-to-year, but most recently, it debuts in the fall.
Is the McRib back in Illinois? ›
A notable − perhaps notorious − McDonald's sandwich is making its way back onto the menu in Illinois, but only for a limited time. The McRib sandwich has come and gone from the restaurant's menu over the years. In 2022, though, the sandwich resurfaced for what was described as a "Farewell Tour."
Is the McRib back in Florida? ›
TAMPA, Fla. — It's back — the saucy, oftentimes elusive McRib has returned to the Sunshine State. Last year, many McRib lovers mourned as the sandwich made its "farewell tour" across the country.
The patty was unseasoned, and the overwhelming taste was just of BBQ sauce. Even the onions and pickles couldn't compete with that amount of BBQ sauce. While it certainly wasn't bad, I can't say it was good, either. Personally, it just isn't a sandwich that I would wait 10 years to get my hands on again.
Why is the McRib not a regular menu item? ›
Before its fake retirement tour, the McRib made intermittent and unannounced appearances on McDonald's menus nationwide. It was a business strategy that the company built partly around the pricing for the pork scraps that make up the popular sandwich and partly to keep up the mystique of the dish.
What fast food sandwich has multiple farewell tours? ›
The McRib has had at least three other farewell tours. It's been on and off menus since 1981. In November 2023, the iconic barbecue slathered pork sandwich is returning to select restaurants.
Is McRib back forever? ›
Turns out that 2022 "farewell" tour was a lie. The McRib is rising from the ashes once again. On Friday, McDonald's confirmed to Today.com that the McRib, a sandwich it swore was done forever in 2022, is coming back to select restaurants in November 2023.
Why did McDonald's stop making pizza? ›
McPizza was discontinued in almost all restaurants by 2000 because the eleven to sixteen-minute cook was out of sync with the restaurant's reputation for fast service." Pizza has remained a challenge for not just McDonald's but rivals like Wendy's and Burger King.
Why does the McRib keep disappearing? ›
Obviously, people are only going to pay so much for a McDonald's pork sandwich, but it's more than the cost of ingredients that results in the McRib fading away year after year. It's also a clever marketing trick by McDonald's to create a sense of urgency in customers when it does come back.
Is McRib healthy? ›
“The McRib, however tasty and in demand, would not be considered a health food,” says Gina Keatley, a certified dietitian-nutritionist practicing in New York City. “This sandwich has about half the maximum daily amount of total fat, is high in calories for a sandwich, and has a ton of sodium and carbs.”
Does the McRib use real ribs? ›
McRibs are not real rib sandwiches. They are chopped-and-formed-pork sandwiches with barbecue flavors. The flavor in my sandwich was right, but it was completely missing that ground-pork texture.
How many chemicals are in the McRib? ›
5. The entire McRib sandwich contains about 70 ingredients — including a flour-bleaching agent used in yoga mats.
Why does the McRib come and go? ›
That's why the release dates for the McRib seem random to the average person. It's the pork prices that dictate the sandwich's return. Then, the company just hypes the situation up as if there isn't a greater factor at play.
The patty was unseasoned, and the overwhelming taste was just of BBQ sauce. Even the onions and pickles couldn't compete with that amount of BBQ sauce. While it certainly wasn't bad, I can't say it was good, either. Personally, it just isn't a sandwich that I would wait 10 years to get my hands on again.
How much does a McRib cost in Canada? ›
It acted more as a lubricant for the meat rather than as a flavour enhancement, which is a shame. My next point of contention is the price — after tax, this sandwich costs $7.22, and unlike other sandwiches, the McRib felt quite insubstantial and did not fill me up.
Is the McRib in Vancouver? ›
McDonald's iconic McRib sandwich is back in Canada after a decade-long wait - Vancouver Is Awesome.
