The fan-favorite McRib is finally back at McDonald’s, but for those in the United States, there is bad news: it’s UK only for now. And, so far, customers in the UK that have tried it have all said the same thing.
Initially pulled from the menu way back in 2005, the McRib has been one of the most requested returns. It made brief returns in the US in 2022 for a “farewell tour”, and then again in 2023.
The chain has played into the hype and rumors, which started back in the summer after McDonald’s US President Joe Erlinger confirmed McRib would return at some point in 2024.
In the UK, there were leaks, and then the app “glitches”, sending millions of users a notification that read “McRib_test.notificiation_16.10.24” – and sure enough, as of October 16, 2024, McRib is back, in the UK at least.
It’s only going to be on the menu for a limited time, but the exact end date hasn’t been announced.
So far, it’s had the intended effect, with fans flocking to the chain to try out a classic, either for the first time ever, or their first time in over a decade.
While there is plenty of excitement, though, there have been some disappointments about the lack of sauce, at least compared to the promotional materials.
@McDonaldsUK how can you call this a McRib??? When that’s the advertisement photo and there’s a dribble of sauce on the actual sandwich? Not happy. pic.twitter.com/LUwlVWgRHx
— issy (taylor’s version) (@isabellapoppy23) October 16, 2024
Popular UK food YouTuber, Bald Foodie Guy, was also left disappointed, although he did praise the size of the pork pattie. “I was expecting the pork pattie, like I said before, to be covered in sauce,” he concluded.
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“It definitely needs more sauce, more pickles, and more onion in it.”
Another UK customer asked the same: “Where is all the sauce? Where is all the intense flavor?”
@McDonaldsUK you have disappointed me. Where is all the sauce. Where is all the intense flavour. The returning McRib is a poor effort. We McRib fans have waited so long for this. It's like star wars episode 1 all over again. #McRib pic.twitter.com/TUDoOkgjw0
— Simon Alexander Esq. (@fettmaster) October 16, 2024
When is McRib coming to the US?
While you might be jealous of UK customers right now, fear not, as McDonald’s has said the McRib will be back on US menus this year too.
McDonald’s US President Joe Erlinger told the Today show back in July, he could only confirm that it would be some point later in 2024.
Given there’s only a couple of months left of the year, there can’t be too long to wait.
But, if the UK version is anything to go by, US consumers may be hoping for a bit more McRib sauce to be present when it does relaunch.
