The McRib Returns to McDonald's — But American Customers Will Have to Wait

Wilder Shaw is a staff writer at Cheapism covering food, specializing in taste tests and fast food. He has over a decade of food-writing experience, and his work has appeared in Thrillist, The Washington Post, L.A. Taco, Time Out, and numerous other publications.

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Grip It and Rib It

Few fandoms show up in fast-food as intense as the fandom behind the McRib, the cheekily seasonal McDonald’s sandwich sensation. It’s back now, and as always for a limited time, but it’s not where you might expect.

McRib Ingredients
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What’s in a McRib?

The idea behind the McRib is incredibly strange, because the fiction of this sandwich is that you’re eating a baby back rib on a sub roll. Except it’s boneless, somehow. The McRib consists of a rack-of-ribs-shaped pork patty, onions, pickles, and BBQ sauce on a long, specialty bun. 

Pedestrians passing in front of a Mc Donald's restaurant on the main street of London, United Kingdom
nrqemi/istockphoto

Where Is the McRib Currently?

Chasing the McRib is like chasing Carmen Sandiego, but right now we’ve found our culprit in the U.K. Why do the Brits deserve it more than we do? 


Apparently they haven't seen it since 2016. Fair enough.

Mcdonalds drive thru service
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When Will the McRib Arrive in the U.S.?

McDonald’s hasn’t said squat about when the McRib is gonna hit stores in the States. Earlier this summer, the president of McDonald’s USA was seen on "Today", saying it would be back this year. 


Reports have begun to trickle in from across the country, suggesting that the time is nigh. McDonald's restaurants in Topeka, Kansas say they're gearing up to sell the McRib beginning Nov. 25 and locations in Springfield, Illinois indicate it may be on menus by mid-November.


As per usual, the McRib will likely only be available for a limited time. So grab it while you can. (Apparently, Germany and Luxembourg have managed to keep the McRib on the menu permenantly.)

McRib McDonald's
McRib McDonald's by Jerry Huddleston (CC BY)

When Was the Last Time the McRib Was Around?

The McRib is constantly waving goodbye as though it’s leaving for the last time, but we all know it’s a big liar. In November 2022, it announced a “Farewell Tour” which we all knew then was completely bogus. Now it’s confirmed. 

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