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The cult-favorite McRib sandwich officially returned to certain McDonald's on Tuesday, marking another comeback for the legendary limited-time menu item that has divided fans for over four decades.
The tangy barbecue sandwich — seasoned boneless pork slathered in sauce and topped with pickles and onions on a toasted bun — has been tracked by fans since its debut in 1981.
Internet sleuths on Reddit claimed they first spotted a McRib promo sign alongside other upcoming McDonald's items, and fan site McRib Locator later claimed the nationwide comeback was set for Nov. 11, according to reports. It also comes slightly earlier than the holiday slot the meaty menu item typically gets.
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"The mysterious McRib is making an appearance at this McDonald's starting today," some local McDonald's locations posted online.
"Don't experience FOMO — come get yours today because the McRib won't be around forever!"
McDonald's cult-favorite McRib sandwich officially returns to select U.S. locations for a limited time. (David Paul Morris/Getty Images)
McDonald's senior marketing director Guillaume Huin confirmed on X that the McRib would be available at "most" U.S. locations, calling it the brand's "most-mentioned limited-time product online."
Participating cities include Miami, Dallas, Cleveland, St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles, Axios reported.
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As of Monday night, some customers were already finding the sandwich available to order in the McDonald's app across multiple regions, according to the outlet, while others said online that they'd purchased one last week.
Recent listings on McRib Locator, which crowdsources sightings, prices and receipt photos to confirm where the sandwich is being served, show prices ranging from $5.49 in Atlanta to nearly $7 in Seattle. On Reddit, an Oregon resident reported getting one for $4.99, while others slammed high prices.
The McRib has been a McDonald's legend since 1981. (David Paul Morris/Getty Images)
Nonetheless, some fans were McLovin' the news.
"I got one yesterday and almost cried out of happiness," one person said on Reddit.
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"I'm always looking forward to the McRib time of year," added someone else.
In a Reddit group dedicated to McDonald's, a user said, "I love this news and my cardiologist will not."
It's "mystery meat at its finest."
"If you like saucy BBQ and simple sandwiches, the McRib is, in my opinion, good," another Redditor wrote. "But the sauce, for me, is pretty high in sodium. Or during a few iterations it has been. So, I have to keep in check how many I eat."
Other people were less enthusiastic about the news. It's "mystery meat at its finest," someone said in the Reddit community New Fast Food.
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Another said the McRib is good in the way that a TV steak dinner is good.
"No, it's not actually good, but there's something craveable about it that makes you want one every once in a while."
Internet sleuths were first to spot McRib promo signs, confirming what fans suspected for weeks. (iStock)
Others argued it's all "hype and disappointment" — or that it is not as good as it used to be.
The McRib's periodic returns, which are often referred to as "farewell tours," have become part of its years-long mystique ever since it was first pulled from menus in 1985 due to low sales, according to reports.
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Some analysts point to pork-shoulder cost fluctuations as part of why the sandwich comes and goes. When pork prices drop — typically in the fall, after the summer grilling season — it becomes cheaper for McDonald's to produce the McRib.
And McRib's appearances have taken on a life of their own beyond fast food.
The limited-edition sandwich has become a love-it-or-hate-it tradition among McDonald's customers. (iStock)
Market watchers and crypto traders have jokingly dubbed it an omen, claiming that Bitcoin and the S&P 500 have rallied after past McRib comebacks, Huin said in his X post.
"Funnily enough and entirely independent of McDonald's involvement, the McRib has recently found new meaning on the internet within the trading and crypto community, as some claim Bitcoin and S&P 500 tend to perform well after the McRib makes a comeback, particularly in 2017, 2020, 2021."
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"Coincidentally, when the McRib returned to stores in December 2024, Bitcoin hit a new all-time high," he added.
The company hasn't said how long it'll stick around this time. Fox News Digital reached out to McDonald's for comment.
Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital.
