McDonald’s has created some of the most iconic items in fast food history.
But the fast food chain has one that leaves fans waiting with bated breath.
And McDonald’s brought back one fan favorite that has fans lining up at the drive-thru.
Fans celebrate the return of the McRib to the McDonald’s menu
The McRib has built a cult-like following, unlike any other sandwich in fast food history.
McDonald’s is celebrating the holiday season by bringing the McRib back for a limited time.
Starting December 3, the beloved sandwich will be on sale at participating locations for a limited time.
The sandwich consists of a boneless pork patty slathered in a tangy BBQ sauce topped with pickles and slivered onions and served on a toasted homestyle bun.
McDonald’s even released a holiday jingle to celebrate the return of the McRib season.
McDonald’s Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Tariq Hassan said that the return of the McRib has become an event in and of itself.
“The McRib is more than a sandwich – it’s a part of culture, it’s a legend, it’s an event,” Hassan said in a statement. “McRib SZN is a holiday unto itself, so we wanted to embrace that spirit and give fans an even bigger way to celebrate this year with A Whole Lotta McRib Sauce.”
For the first time ever, McDonald’s is releasing a half-gallon jug of A Whole Lotta McRib Sauce for $19.99 for sale at www.wholelottamcribsauce.com while supplies last.
McDonald’s is selling jugs of McRib sauce for the holidays. The cult-favorite sandwich returns to menus Dec. 3 for a limited time https://t.co/O6dhwtbARY pic.twitter.com/HKvdEt17xp
— Restaurant News (@NRNonline) November 20, 2024
Some have joked that the McRib Sauce jugs are a scheme to sell off surplus inventory before RFJ, Jr. becomes HHS Secretary.
Either way, many fans are excited about the news considering this is the first time that McRib has been on sale since 2023.
The McRib has become a cult favorite over the years
McDonald’s first introduced the McRib in 1981 but was removed from the menu in 1985 after it initially flopped with customers.
The sandwich has been coming on and off the menu since 1989, which helped build its cult-like following.
McDonald’s had a farewell tour for the McRib in 2022 but its popularity keeps returning it to the menu periodically.
The McRib and its sporadic appearances on the McDonald’s menu have turned it into a cultural phenomenon.
NBC Today show weatherman Al Roker is a huge fan of the McRib and orders it whenever it’s available.
He joked with McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger this summer that the McRib should become a permanent item on the menu this summer on the Today show.
The McRib has become a pop culture phenomenon after being referenced in TV shows like The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and Family Guy.
A 2003 episode of The Simpsons featured a parody of the McRib called the Ribwich served by the show’s fast food restaurant Krusty Burger.
Homer Simpsons and fellow fans of the sandwich travel around the country following the release of Ribwich in a parody of Deadheads, fans of the band The Grateful Dead who followed the band’s tour.
Fans of the McRib will want to get their fix now because there’s no telling when the beloved sandwich will make its next appearance on the McDonald’s menu.