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McDonald's adds McRib to menu in UK, annual comeback in US expected in 2024

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McDonald's adds McRib to menu in UK, annual comeback in US expected in 2024

There's good news for the McRib cult devoted to the McDonald's sandwich. Signs suggest U.S. restaurants will put the McRib back on the menu in the coming weeks.

McDonald's has brought the McRib sandwich back to the menu in the UK – wait for it. But it could soon be available in U.S. restaurants.

The popular (at least for some) menu item typically appears in the fast food chain's U.S. restaurants in the fall. The McRib returned to some U.S. locations last fall and before that in 2022, while McDonald's called it a “farewell tour” of the sandwich.

Earlier this week, the McRib was available in restaurants across the UK for a limited time, The Independent reported on Wednesday. While it has been unavailable in the UK since 2016, the sandwich is a regular menu item in Germany and Luxembourg.

“It’s more than just a sandwich; It's a phenomenon. “We've heard our fans loud and clear – the petitions and pleas from fans on social media – and after almost a decade of anticipation, we're delighted to bring back this iconic menu item,” said Thomas O'Neill, head of menu at McDonald's UK , in a press release: The sandwich is also available in Ireland for a limited time.

“Knowing how popular the McRib was, we had little choice – we had to make it happen,” he said. “It was time to take courage and satisfy the cravings of McRib enthusiasts across the country.”

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When is the McRib coming back to the USA?

We don't know for sure, but there are signs that the McRib is about to return.

Back in June, Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA, told The Today Show that the sandwich was “coming later this year. It will be back.” Some places have recently joined the McRib's resurgence.

McDonald's restaurants in Topeka, Kansas, are expected to begin selling the sandwich the week of Nov. 25, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported Wednesday. The McRib is expected to be available by January 2025, reported the Capital-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The McRib is set to return to Springfield, Illinois, in mid-November, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register, also part of the USA TODAY Network, which quoted two local business leaders on the issue.

Also already on the McRib return menu: The Greater Ozarks area will get the sandwich on Wednesday, Nov. 27, a McDonald's spokesperson told the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader on Wednesday. The News-Leader is also part of the USA TODAY Network.

McDonald's did not immediately respond to an inquiry about its 2024 McRib plan in the United States

What is the McRib?

The McRib is a pork patty shaped like a ribeye made from pork, water, salt, dextrose and – get this – would you believe it, rosemary extract? It's served on a bun with barbecue sauce, pickles and onions and weighs 520 calories.

The McRib was invented by McDonald's chef Rene Arend, who also created Chicken McNuggets in 1979. However, it emerged from University of Nebraska professor Roger Mandigo's development of restructured meat for the military. The sandwich made its debut in Kansas City, Kansas in 1981 before becoming available nationwide the next year.

The McRib, which was on the McDonald's menu from 1989 to 2005, is the most popular fast food discontinued, according to online gaming website Spin Genie, which analyzed Google search data to find out what fast food items people were searching for. The McRib received far more searches from July 2023 to June 2024 than its closest competitors, including Chipotle Carne Asada, Domino's Brooklyn Style Pizza and Taco Bell's Enchirito.

After being off the menu since 2012, the McRib has been on the menu annually since 2019.

Fancy a McRib? You can monitor the unofficial McRib Locator tool online.

McDonald's Chicken Big Mac Is available

You may not be able to get a McRib yet, but there's another limited-time menu item at House of Ronald, the new Chicken Big Mac: two tempura-breaded chicken patties served on a Big Mac bun with Big Mac sauce and cheese , lettuce and cucumber slices – but no onions.

While you're at McDonald's, you can round up your purchase in honor of the 50th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), which provides health care to families with sick and injured children. Some local McDonald's restaurants are offering promotions, including in Missouri, where restaurants donate a penny to local RMHC homes for every pound of fries purchased.

To drum up interest in rounding up McDonald's purchases for RMHC, NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace will have a special logo on his fire suit and a custom design on his car at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 27.

The sticker on the driver's side of his car will represent an RMHC family from his home state of Alabama.

Featuring: Greta Cross, Claire Grant and Tim Hrenchir.

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