McDonald’s fans were shocked to discover which cut of meat the chain uses for its McRib.
The McRib, seasoned boneless pork dipped in spicy BBQ sauce and topped with chopped onions and pickles, is making a sporadic and limited time return to the fast food chain’s menu.
It has built a cult following over the years and its current return, which kicked off on November 29, was anticipated by many.
Although the meaty treat is made from pork, it is not actually a rib, but a pork shoulder, a fact that has outraged some fans.
“It’s spam!” one unamused consumer wrote on Reddit after discovering the type of meat used.
“I hate the McRib, ugh,” another criticized, while a third said this explains the “horrible taste of the thing.”
Others, however, were more willing to overlook the mismatched name: “I don’t really care what’s in it, if it doesn’t make me sick and it tastes good, what’s the problem?” wrote one.
“This doesn’t affect my opinion of the McRib at all; McRibs have always been great,” another agreed.
The McRib returns to the fast food chain’s menu sporadically and for a limited time
McDonald’s knows the McRib brings customers to restaurants and drive-thrus – helpful at a time when it’s trying to boost sales, which fell in the summer for the first time in years.
McRib – which has been described as the “fast food sandwich that went viral before viral was a thing” – debuted nationally at the UCooS in 1982.
It was discontinued in 1985 after low sales, but then returned in 1989 and was widely available in the US and other countries until 2005.
It was then reintroduced periodically until it disappeared again in 2012 for eight years. It didn’t return until December 2020, when it came back for a limited time.
At the time, it was an effort to lure customers back after the pandemic left dining rooms sparsely populated or closed.
The McRib is an elusive prize for fans who scour the internet for reports of it popping up in limited locations for a short time.
In the past, the McRib has been credited with bringing in customers and boosting sales for the chain.
For example, a ‘farewell tour’ for the cult favorite in November 2022 resulted in double-digit sales growth.
McDonald’s knows the McRib brings customers to restaurants and drive-thrus
Bosses said this would be the last time the McRib was sold. But it also returned in November 2023.
“Bringing back the McRib for a limited time will stimulate some interest and footfall for McDonald’s at a time when performance is declining,” retail expert Neil Saunders, managing director of Global Data, recently told DailyMail.com.
But he explained that McDonald’s only sells it for a limited period of time — rather than having it permanently on the menu — because “the increase is usually only temporary.”