Name: David Luea
Location: Boston, MA
We see you made a YouTube video about your search last year. What inspired you to make the video?
The McDonald’s McRib is not only a sandwich that’s known for being delicious and hard to find, it has become a legend over time. There is a reason why so many people praise this gift from the pork gods. Not only is it incredibly mouth-watering, but because when somebody ACTUALLY finds it, it’s like discovering the Holy Grail! It’s a thing of beauty and I can’t imagine our world without it. No matter where I go, I have to check out the McDonald’s to see if they have the McRib.
When I found out about the “McRib Locator”, I was in shock! I thought, “This has to be one of the best inventions ever!” Then last year, when the news broke that the McRib was going to be released nationally for the first time in 17 years, I knew that I just had to check out the MRL (McRib Locator) and see if any have been spotted in my neck of the woods! Lo and behold, there was one 4 miles away from my apt. in Boston. I grabbed my camera, double checked the location, and set out to record my journey of The McRib Hunt.
When did you have your first McRib?
I first had one as a child back in the early 90’s when that Flintstones movie came out. I believe I had to go to “Roc Donald’s” to get it though. I don’t remember much about it, except that I loved it and wish they had it on the menu all the time!
How many McRibs did you have during the 2010 season?
I must have had about 25 of these amazing pork patties. I even tried to take a picture of each one I consumed and gave them each a rating on a 5 stars system. Most were 5 stars.
What do you eat during the off-season?
When McRibs aren’t around, I have to go McDouble. The flavors are amazing and by far the best bang for my buck!
What is the furthest distance you have driven to have a McRib?
It was almost 2 months ago when my girlfriend and I went to Europe for our summer vacation. We flew into Brussels, Belgium and the next day went on a road trip through France and into Germany. Last year I learned from the McDonald’s McRib Legends Contest that Germany was the only place in the world that sold McRibs all year round. So, without much hesitation, we knew we had to check this factoid out! When we reached Saarbrücken, Germany, it didn’t take long to realize that McDonald’s was right! The very first McDonald’s we went into HAD THE MCRIB! This was the first one I had since January 1st 2011 and to my surprise, I actually enjoyed the German McRibs better! My only regret was that I didn’t get one for the road.
How do you order your McRib (extra onion, no pickle, etc)?
No pickles, EXTRA sauce.
Favorite McRib Story/Memory?
Besides discovering its existence in Germany, it would have to be the very first time I had one since being a child. I was in Las Vegas with my girlfriend Lisa, and it had been so many years since I last ate a McRib, I had almost forgotten about it. We were playing Blackjack on the north end of the Vegas strip when we stumbled upon a McDonalds near the Slots-of-Fun casino. There was something on the sign I couldn’t quite make out. It appeared to be a sandwich that looked familiar, yet something foreign to the average Mickey D’s menu. When I realized what it was, I think my heart stopped pounding for a second and suddenly the Las Vegas strip became silent. I looked over at Lisa, and she knew that this was important to me and we needed to go get that McRib! Ordering it was like a dream, I had almost forgot how to say, “I would like a McRib, please.” It was as if it had almost left my vocabulary. When I finally took my first bite, I looked at it like Richard Dreyfuss’s character did to that pile of mashed potatoes in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, “This means something!” I knew then and there, that my love for the McRib was rekindled.
What makes you a great McRib fan?
Not only do I enjoy the sandwich more than the average foodie, but I enjoy spreading the love of the McRib to everyone I meet. I’ve made a short documentary of my journey to find the McRib, entitled “The McRib Hunt” (sequel to be released this Fall), entered a short story in McDonald’s “Legends of the McRib” contest, traveled across the globe to Germany to enjoy a McRib in the off season, and I am an active member of the McRib Locator community.
Do you have a website/twitter site?
The McRib Hunt – http://youtu.be/UfnWRkIxUjE
Legend of The McRib – http://youtu.be/w9C_XxqvYTo
How does your family view your McRib love?
They fully support me, especially my girlfriend, Lisa! She understands my love of the McRib and knows that if there’s any chance for me to eat a McRib, she’ll go out of her way to make me happy J My brother, Joe, has even made a McRib video after watching mine, and films his first taste! (http://youtu.be/66Ge8b1pmNE)
Anything else you would like to share?
I would like to leave a little piece of advice for avid MRL users: Always double check a McRib sighting by calling the McDonalds before you set off on your own McRib Hunt. The chances that it’s still there after a week are slim. These things are so good, that once a sighting is posted, McRib lovers will flock to that location and clean them out! I learned the hard way a few weeks ago by driving almost 3 hours west of Boston, just to discover they were out of them.
To all my McRib peeps out there, “Viva McRib!”
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Would you like to be the McRib Locator Fan of the Week? Send in your reasons why you deserve to be the McRib fan of the week to contact@mcriblocator.com (Subject: Fan of the Week), and you might be selected next!