94 replies to this topic

[Toliver]

I can't believe a year has flown by already.
Mickey D's has their Monopoly promotion going on now which means the McRib will soon follow.

[Toliver]

The Los Angeles Times has a story on the McRib obsession:
McRib's brief return has fans buzzing

The sandwich consists of a pork patty pressed into the shape of ribs. It's served on a hoagie-style bun with onions and pickles. McRib has 500 calories — 240 of them from fat — and 980 milligrams of sodium, according to the McDonald's website.

The nationwide promotion marks the first time in 16 years that the sandwich has been available at every U.S. McDonald's at once. The company is also holding a contest for the best tale (tall or otherwise) about hunting for or eating McRibs. The winner will get a free trip to Germany, where the sandwich is always on the menu.

Lucky Germans...

[Alex]

Today's Grand Rapids Press/milve.com has an amusing article about the McRib.

The company's coy marketing strategy, its decades-long tease, has resulted in a cult developing around the sandwich, whose enthusiasts travel vast distances based on Internet leads. It even inspired a parody on "The Simpsons," though it occurred in season 14, not very well-positioned on the bell curve of "Simpsons" quality, so a person can be excused for having missed it.
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Somehow I've managed to get this far in life without eating a McRib. By which I mean I've never been drunk near a McDonald's that was selling it.
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I visited Grand Rapids' Michigan Street McDonald's location...which, interestingly, shares a driveway with the parking lot of a medical school. Now that's synergy for you.
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Intrepid follow-up research on Wikipedia reveals that it's a patty made of ground pork, and also some not-very-comforting information about its calorie count (500), fat content (26 grams) and quantity of sodium (oh, dear).

[Toliver]

Intrepid follow-up research on Wikipedia reveals that it's a patty made of ground pork, and also some not-very-comforting information about its calorie count (500), fat content (26 grams) and quantity of sodium (oh, dear).

I'd guess the fans of McRibs don't really give calories, fat grams and sodium much weight (no pun intended) in their decision to consume it. I could see a problem if it was a regular menu item and you ate them with regularity. But it's a once-a-year item. I see no harm no foul with eating one once in awhile.

[Lindacakes]

I had my first McRib yesterday, I'd missed them the first times around entirely, since I don't eat at McDonalds unless I'm on a road trip.

I liked it. I thought it was mighty tasty. I assume it's pork parts held together with meat glue and covered with sickly sweet sauce to hide its ugliness. You can kind of see inside without washing the sauce off, and what you see asks you to look out the car window instead, over at the crows that are eating castoff french fries.

You kind of have to hand it to them with the advertising thing, if they got me to actually turn around on the highway and buy one to try it. And I can't for the life of me figure out why because I'm also the sort of person who will do exactly the opposite of what everyone else does . . .

[sandra]

Not really "around teh corner" but the McD in Hammonton, NJ (route 30 near 206) had them two days ago - If you're going to AC, you could pass by... ;)

[jsmeeker]

I got my 2010 McRib fix a few weeks ago.

[ChrisOC]

The Ocean City (NJ) McD has them. At least they did last week.

[Toliver]

The return of the McRib was supposed to be only for 6 weeks. But the last news item about the McRib I read is that individual franchises have the leeway to extend that deadline. However, if it hasn't disappeared off the menu of your local Mickey D's, it soon will. The only McDonald's that offer the McRib year-round are those in Germany.
During the six weeks of McRibs, McDonald's sales were up almost 5% which was attributed to the return of the seasonal sandwich.

[Octaveman]

I guess I'm in the minority because I think they're disgusting. I had my first one the last time they came out in my area and I tossed it after two bites. Good gawd it was aweful.

[Toliver]

Signs proclaiming "The McRib is Back!" are all over my local McD's.
Has anyone bought one yet?
My problem is that I haven't been around a McD's during a mealtime. My timing is off. Gotta work on that.

[jsmeeker]

not yet..


They are available at the McDonalds near me. I pass by it every day going to work. And then coming home from work. Right at dinner dinner time... I'm sure I'll eventually get one.

[ScoopKW]

I guess I'm in the minority because I think they're disgusting. I had my first one the last time they came out in my area and I tossed it after two bites. Good gawd it was aweful.

You may be in the minority, but you're not alone. I wouldn't eat one if you paid me. But then again, we've basically boycotted the place since... I dunno, the 90s sometime. We call McDonald's "Scottish food" after that line from the underrated movie "Time After Time" (1979).

H.G. Wells: This is delicious, far superior to that Scottish place I breakfasted.
Amy Robbins: Scottish?
H.G. Wells: McDonald's

So, when road tripping, I'll ask my wife, "What do you want to eat."

The usual reply is, "Anything but Scottish food."

[ChrisOC]

No sign of any here in Ocean City

[Toliver]

I just read an online article stating that they will be on sale through Nov. 14th.
I was able to finally taste one this past weekend. The unctuous porkiness was as good as I remembered. I am curious though...it seemed a wee bit smaller/shorter than I remember. Am I imagining this or did they slightly downsize it?

edited for spelking

Edited by Toliver, 24 October 2011 - 09:43 AM.

[CaliPoutine]

I guess I'm in the minority because I think they're disgusting. I had my first one the last time they came out in my area and I tossed it after two bites. Good gawd it was aweful.

You may be in the minority, but you're not alone. I wouldn't eat one if you paid me. But then again, we've basically boycotted the place since... I dunno, the 90s sometime. We call McDonald's "Scottish food" after that line from the underrated movie "Time After Time" (1979).

H.G. Wells: This is delicious, far superior to that Scottish place I breakfasted.
Amy Robbins: Scottish?
H.G. Wells: McDonald's

So, when road tripping, I'll ask my wife, "What do you want to eat."

The usual reply is, "Anything but Scottish food."

I wouldnt eat one either( if you paid me or if I was starving on a deserted island). Just the thought of it makes me feel ill.

[jsmeeker]

I got my fix yesterday.

[IndyRob]

I had one today for lunch. It seems like they changed the bread from what I recall (your typical supermarket hoagie bun). Now it's more like the bread Arby's uses for their French Dip. A dry (but not crispy) exterior with cornmeal residue. This made the whole thing seem a bit too dry, despite the potentially messy slathering of BBQ sauce.

I think that if they added some coleslaw (or something) and returned to the softer bun they might have something. For me, a Big Mac works because the just-average meat only has to play a supporting role to other layers/flavors/textures. But here we have only molded pork, BBQ sauce, some grated onions, and a couple of pickle slices, and dryish bread.

Meh.

[Toliver]

I believe this weekend is the last weekend the McRib will be offered by most McDonald's.
Eat up!

[gfweb]

The best thing I can say is that McRib is the least disgusting non-breakfast food at McDs. Still disgusting, but better than the rest, I guess.

[threestars]

Saw a McRib in Hong Kong last week. Thought of trying it but I changed my mind.

[crinoidgirl]

I've had three of them this McRib season. I love the fat. And the bbq sauce is actually not half bad.

eta: The new bun is a little too hard, though.

Edited by crinoidgirl, 15 November 2011 - 07:52 AM.

[Toliver]

I really like the fact that the onion in the McRib is a chunky onion. They are thickly sliced/cut, not diced. I can't think of another McDonald product that uses similar onions.
Logically, I would think the corporate mentality would be to use the onions they're already using on other McDonald's products (like the diced onion on the Quarter Pounder) to save on having to source differently sliced onions. A good example of this mentality is Taco Bell and how every "new" Taco Bell product just uses the same ingredients used in every other Taco Bell product but they are just reconfigured.
Has anyone else noticed the chunky onions?

[Toliver]

When I left on my yearly Christmas vacation a week or so ago, I saw that the McDonald's here in town and in San Diego were still selling the McRib.
So now the question is have they become a regular unannounced menu item or are they still seasonal, albeit longer than usual?

[Blether]

There's an article here that clumsily misuses the term 'arbitrage' but identifies (see the chart that's a few screen-heights scroll down) a link between McRib availability and the market price of hogs.

[heidih]

I actually watched a FN program about McD around the world in 2011 and they stated that the McRib was a standard year round menu item in Germany - much favored after a night of too much booze

[Toliver]

Sorry to break the sad news to y'all:
"McDonald's eyes the McRib for December"

McDonald's...is delaying the debut of the meaty treat this year to bump up its December sales numbers...

Normally it's reintroduced every year in October.
Will Autumn ever be the same without the McRib?

[Toliver]

McRib television commercials have appeared locally so it looks like McDonald isn't waiting until December for the McRib's debut this year.

[radtek]

I took the hit last year in another forum. I don't eat fast food normally much less McDonalds (shudder) but remembered that the McRib was tasty back in the 80's. So one was ordered and duly consumed. Pictures taken. Results posted.

It wasn't half bad but after the first couple bites it was pretty bland actually. Needed more sauce and onions. I'd rather have a $0.20 bowl of Ramen.

[jsmeeker]

I haven't seen if my local McDonalds has the McRib on the menu yet. But I did see them advertising an egg nog shake!