McDonald's McRib Returns to Select U.S. Cities This Month
The cult-favorite sandwich will be available starting Oct. 27 in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.
McDonald's is bringing back its popular McRib sandwich for a limited time, with availability beginning Tuesday, Oct. 27. However, the sandwich will only be offered in select cities across the United States.
Confirmed locations for the McRib's return include Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Dallas. The fast-food giant also noted that the sandwich will be available in St. Louis, Seattle, and Cleveland. Customers are encouraged to check the McDonald's app for specific location availability.
The fast food chain teased the return with a cryptic social media post on X, formerly Twitter, stating, "Are u a mcRib bc ur really playing hard to get."
While official locations have been announced, customers have reported sightings of the McRib in various other cities nationwide, according to McRib Locator, a website dedicated to tracking its availability. Reported locations include San Antonio, Charlotte, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Scottsdale, Arizona, El Paso, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio.
The McRib's return to the U.S. follows news that the sandwich will also be available in United Kingdom restaurants by the end of October, after a nearly decade-long absence there.
First introduced in 1981 as a limited-time offering in Kansas City, the McRib was developed by René Arend, who also created Chicken McNuggets. The sandwich features a boneless pork patty, barbecue sauce, slivered onions, and pickles on a hoagie-style bun.
Arend explained in a 2010 interview that the McRib was created partly due to a shortage of chicken following the success of the McNuggets. He was inspired by pulled pork sandwiches he had eaten in Charleston, South Carolina. The sandwich was initially removed from the menu in 1985 due to low sales but returned in 1989 and remained a menu item until 2005.
Despite a "Farewell Tour" in 2005, McDonald's brought the McRib back for limited periods between 2007 and 2012. Since 2014, the chain has reintroduced the sandwich annually for brief periods. Last year's offering also included the return of the Holiday Pie.