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10 Things About McDonald’s McRib That You Need To Know Now
The McRib is by far one of the most exclusive and beloved items to ever hit McDonald’s menu. It’s got everything: the flavor, the shape, and most importantly, the sauce. It’s basically heaven on earth in sandwich form. You might think you already know everything about this delicious concoction, but we’re here to tell you 10 Things About McDonald’s McRib That You Need To Know Now!
10. It’s Back… Again!
Attention everybody, no, this is not a drill; this is not a test; this is real. The moment everyone’s been waiting for has finally arrived: the McRib is back. One of the most anticipated and loved limited-time menu items has been back on McD’s menu since December 2nd and will remain there until further notice – or until they run out. So we suggest you save your celebratory dance for later and head on over to your local McDonald’s as fast as humanly possible to make sure you get your hands on one. However, this anxiously awaited sandwich is only available at 10,000 locations out of 14,000, so you might have to drive just a little bit to get one, but still, it’s back! That’s all that matters! People either despise the McRib, or fall head over heels for it, there is no in-between. And if you’re one of the latter, this is your chance! This year marks the first time since 2012 that the McRib is available nationwide. Because as you know, it kind of seesaws back and forth, but now, it’s at 95% of the restaurants, so let’s just say your chances are even higher of coming across one of these almost mythical sandwiches. What are you waiting for? Go on, get one! Quick before they disappear again!
9. A McRib For Free?
Yes, the McRib is back, but that’s not even the best news of all. It’s hard to imagine something even more exciting than the McRib coming back, I know, but hold onto your seat because this might just be the game changer. Not only can you now enjoy this tasty sandwich anytime you want, but you could even get one for free! McDonald’s has launched the “Shave 4 McRib Sweepstakes,” a campaign in association with No-Shave November. All you have to do is post a picture of yourself – or your uncle, your sister-in-law, or even your cousin’s roommate’s cleanly-shaven or baby-smooth face – even a facial mask will do – on your public Twitter or public Instagram profile using #Shave4McRibSweepstakes and tag @mcdonalds. By doing so, you could win one of the 10,000 codes for free McRib sandwiches through McDelivery, and help raise money for cancer research at the same time. This promotion plays on the fact that barbecue sauce and beards are not a good mix, which is kind of fair. Sauce and beards don’t mix.
8. Canada Wants It Too
Okay, Canadian fans, don’t freak out. You know how we said the McRibs was available nationwide? Well, we meant in the U.S., so… no, it’s not coming to Canada… At least not for now! Although it seems a little unfair that only Americans get to enjoy the delicious, tangy McRib, McDonald’s has confirmed that it would not hit the Canadian menu this time around, claiming that they are still “always looking for new flavors and menu items,” though. But still, what about the McRib? Why can’t it just cross the border and be enjoyed by our friendly neighbors to the North? Don’t they deserve a taste of happiness as well? And the worst part is, they can’t even pop over the border to try one because all non-essential travel between the U.S. and Canada is still not allowed. This unfortunate and sad occurrence has not stopped Canadians from taking over the Internet by Tweeting and creating petitions expressing their anger and disappointment, and for good reason. We’re sorry, Canada, we really are. Perhaps your perseverance will pay off, and McDonald’s will cave and grace you with the McRib once again. So close, yet so far.
7. It’s almost 40 Years Old
Who said that when you turn 4o, you stop being fun? Well, if that’s the case, then the McRib is definitely the exception to the rule. Introduced into our lives in 1982, this tasty delicacy has been in the fast-food hall of fame for almost 40 years! How time flies! It seems just like yesterday. Thanks to its flavorful, southern charm, the McRib has been able to keep us on our toes and made us wait patiently – or not – for its highly anticipated unknown return. However, its popularity wasn’t always high. Back when it first came out, people didn’t exactly go as crazy over this seemingly weird looking fake rib sandwich. It wasn’t very, let’s say, appealing to people, so the McRib was removed from the menu only 5 years later and the world almost lost the deliciousness that is the McRib forever. This kind of old, yet kind of a new menu item is an icon in the McDonald’s universe and will probably – or hopefully – keep making random appearances 40 years from now.
6. Flintstones Rib
Can you imagine a world with no McRib? I mean, really think about it? What if it had been pulled forever? No more excitement when you hear its finally coming back, no tasty barbecue sauce, no special treat? It seems like a pretty dire world. But thanks to a very popular movie from 1994, hope was restored in the world and the McRib was brought back for good – sort of. The Flinstones played a very important role in the reintegration of the McRib on McDonald’s menu. After an on-and-off relationship with the menu, the McRib eventually earned its special place in people’s hearts when the the live-action Flintstones movie came out. McDonald’s highlighted the similar appearance of the McRib with the rack of ribs that topples the Flintmobile, which drove fans nuts! Everybody wanted to get a taste of the Flintmobile’s “slab o’ ribs”! The film’s star Rosie O’Donnell even appeared in a promotional commercial and the Flinstones characters were printed on the packaging. Literally doing everything to make sure people knew the connection between the two. And so, just like that, the McRib was back stronger than ever and to this day, still creates that inexplicable hype whenever it’s return is announced. ” Well, well, well, how the turn tables…” (Please keep this in – The Office S05Ep3)
5. McRib Locator
Now, if you’re a hardcore fan, you probably already know about this. Heck, the whole world probably knows about it, even those who don’t particularly fancy McRibs. But what you might not know is how it even came to be in the first place. We’re talking about the McRib Locator. You know, that super useful website you use to track down your favorite pork sandwich whenever you’re craving one? It’s basically a million-dollar idea. You spot one at a Mickey D’s location, then you put in it the system to let others know where the goods are. You just click on a store location and if it has a checkmark, you’re good to go. Brilliant really, and highly practical. Well, you might be surprised to hear that the McRib Locator did not come from McD’s, but rather from a super mega fan of the sandwich. Alan Klein simply wanted to help his fellow Mcrib enthusiasts find and savor what they craved the most, and so, the universe surrounding the McRib was revolutionized forever. It became the number one online destination to get “insider’ information on the McRib and helps keep people in the loop. Sure, these days with social media on the rise, it’s easy to find quick information and to know exactly where you can find a McRib without even looking for one, it’s all over Twitter! But isn’t it way more fun to just use the real deal tracker? Yes, McDonald’s has a lot of devoted fans, but it’s pretty amazing how particularly huge the fanbase is for this one single menu item.
4. Thank You, Chicken McNuggets
McDonald’s is the second biggest purchaser of chicken in the world, so it’s safe to say they buy a lot of chicken. The majority of that chicken goes into the production of McNuggets, which is easily one of the most beloved menu items from the chain. The McNuggets have been going strong and steady since they were introduced in the late 1970s and people have been going crazy over them ever since. So much so in fact, that all the hype around these little nuggets caused a very real and very serious chicken shortage in 1979. The demand for chicken was skyrocketing and McDonald’s found themselves in a bit of a pickle. They couldn’t supply enough Chicken McNuggets for all the demand. They had to come up with a new product that involved absolutely no chicken. So they scrambled to come up with a new idea, and the rest, as they say, is history. Obviously, today, there is no chicken shortage anymore, They’ve got chicken McNuggets coming out the wazoo! Maybe that explains why the McRib is no longer a regular on the menu. It was born out of pure necessity and now that we don’t need it anymore, it’s gone. But we do need it! It’s still delicious! It deserves it’s spot, right up there next to the chicken nuggets it helped out in the past. And to that we still say: Thank you chicken McNuggets for indirectly creating the McRib.
3. Pork ETC
While the McRib is advertised as being a “pork rib,” that’s not totally accurate. Ever heard of false advertisement? Well, the McRib is a perfect example of something pretending to be something that it’s not. Before you get all testy, no, it’s not kangaroo meat. People need to stop with that urban legend. It started as a rumor and then somehow gained traction. Either way, it’s not true. There are no roos in your precious McRib. Now that that’s out of the way, the McRib still isn’t technically a rib. It’s basically pork shoulder mixed with restructured meat products. Yum. The meat is chopped, seasoned and then formed into the shape of a rib rack. The whole process takes about 45 minutes, and then they flash-freeze it. Very misleading, indeed. But why a rack of ribs? Why not just shape it round and call it a McPork or, maybe even, a BigOink? Apparently, the shape is very intentional and doesn’t have a real reason behind it. Its creator simply thought a rack of ribs looked “fun” and original and thought it would attract more people to try it out. Probably also because you might ask less questions if you think you’re eating ribs instead of a “mystery” meat. But that’s not all that’s in the McRib. There’s a whopping 70 ingredients, of which 40 of them are just in the bun – one being a very disturbing flour-bleaching agent also found in yoga mats. OK, maybe not exactly the kind of McRib you signed up for. But, hey, still tastes amazing, right?
2. The Report of the Week Review Brah
Most of you might have heard of famous 23-year-old Youtuber John “ReviewBrah” Jurasek and his channel “The Reports Of The Week”, on which he reviews fast food, frozen food, and energy drinks. His opinion on new and fancy new products is always highly anticipated by his fans, who most of the time rely on his words to determine if something is worth it or not. You see where this is going right? Review Brah finally got around to try out the newest version of the McRib and posted one of his most anticipated videos to this day. It wasn’t his first time reviewing the McRib, but after being absent on the nationwide scale for almost 10 years, this called for a special celebration. He started his review by stating how the year 2020 has been pretty shaky and rough for a lot of people and that this new McRib could be just the thing that turns everything around – and ya, we hope so too. “This is monumental. Momentous. Earth-shattering. Life-changing.” After getting his hands all saucy and commenting on the mess, he takes a bite – and another, and another and finally, his verdict is in, telling us he “still likes it – that he’s a fan and would easily say this is a sandwich worth getting.” He did say it was a little drier than the other past McRibs, but the tanginess of the sauce makes up for it. He ranked it a 7.5/10 and said it met his expectations. If he says it’s good, then we believe him!
1. It’ll Probably Never Be Officially On The Menu
Yes, you love the McRib. It’s a sandwich enjoyed and beloved by many all around the world. So, why is it not always on the menu? Why be in this constant game of hide-and-seek and play on our emotions? Well, for a lot of reasons. First of all, the McRib’s sudden reappearance always coincides with the price of pork. When the prices go down, McDonald’s seizes the opportunity and starts selling the McRib again. The second reason is that the sales would not be as important if it were on the menu all year-round. By making something available only for a short amount of time, it creates that hype and excitement which pushes people to buy more and more – and quickly before it’s gone again. And by selling it in only a few locations at a time, the feeling of exclusivity takes over and puts the McRib in even higher demand. Lastly, absence makes the heart grows fonder, and McDonald’s knows that all too well. By bringing it back about once a year and depriving us of it until further notice, we end up missing it and longing for its return even more, which inevitably drives up the sales. We’re suckers for the McRib, we can’t help ourselves. We’re probably never going to be lucky enough to see the McRib on the permanent menu, so we’ll have to go along with McD’s shenanigans for as long as it takes. However, while the McRib is an elusive, scarcity in the United States, if you happen to be passing through Luxembourg, Germany and stop by a McDonald’s, they have it all year long. Lucky dogs.
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