Happy October! It is that time of year when we start thinking about if the McRib sandwich will be back anywhere in the United States. Below is what we now about the 2023 McRib season thus far.
Today.com is reporting that they have had confirmation from McDonald’s that the McRib WILL BE BACK in November 2023! While this is great news, they have been told that the McRib will be back at limited participating locations instead of a nationwide release. No specific information as provided to how long the promotion would last. That said, we expect it will be longer than the limited release last year. Earlier, Snackolater had reported the McRib will be back as well. There was however some confusion to their information as the image shared had a past release date.
We will soon be starting our efforts to track the availability to which locations will potentially offer the McRib. As employees typically have a more limited release plan, calling too soon can result in conflicting results. Now that we are in October, we are getting close enough that we have more certainty to the information collected. More details about the 2023 McRib release in the US will be shared as we have them.
Don’t forget as the McRib returns to share where you had a McRib on our webpage! With a more limited release again this year, fans in McRibless markets will be looking to make travel plans.
I have been thinking about how quickly this season has been and decided to take a look back at previous decade to see if this will be the shortest McRib season we have recorded.
For this exercise, I focused on confirmed Fall McRib season sightings. I consider the Fall Release months to be September through February. Also for simplicity, I rounded duration to half months. Keep in mind that this data is not specifically availability nationwide, but rather any availability in the US.
Year
Duration (Months)
2012
3
2013
4.5
2014
4.5
2015
5
2016
4
2017
3
2018
3
2019
4
2020
2
2021
4.5
2022
TBD (Currently ~1.5 month)
Average
~ 3.75 Months
McRib Fall Season Availability 2012 – 2022
It would appear that if McRib sales stop now, we will indeed have had the shortest McRib season of the past decade. Long time McRib fan Robert B. reported that his store thought they would reach their promotional end date of December 3rd, so we know some locations had planned to exceed the national November 20th release date.
If you are already starting to think about what a limited release might mean, back in 2017 we compiled some information about which states were most likely to bring the McRib back when releases are not nationwide.
How you can help
As we close in on the end of the 2022 season, please be on the lookout for the McRib. With the potential for a limited, or perhaps no, release next year, some fans are going to really want to grab a last McRib meal. If you find the McRib, please drop a report on our map. If you purchase the sandwich, please send us a receipt showing the date, store, and price of the McRib sandwich at your location. Thank you in advance!
We are now reaching the final days of the 2022 McRib release season in the US based on the advertised November 20th marketing completion date. At this point in the season, components of the sandwich start to run out. Stores are left to find creative ways to deliver some form of the McRib. We have our first reported incident from Danny P where his McRib was served on a hamburger bun. While better than no McRib, these late season builds are always entertaining to see. If you find a “last chance” McRib build, please share your photo with us. It may be interesting to others to see how each stores solves this problem.
Danny P sent us this photo of a McRib offered on a hamburger bun
Merchandise
The McDonalds McRib merchandise sale arrived and sold out of all products very rapidly. November 15th those lucky enough to make purchases are seeing shipping details being sent. Personally, my order shows an arrival of November 19th. This gives me under a day to show off my McRib related items before the McRib is gone from menus for the year.
Creative McRib Builds
We asked on Facebook for some unique McRib customizations, and here are a a few of the responses we received.
Mike Peters and the McRib PizzaJoey Ferrigno McRib With BaconJason Long Spicy Chicken McRibJaime Ortega McRib With American CheeseGreg Oreiro McRib With Onion RingsAndre Moberg McHappyFamily : McChicken, Filet-O-Fish, 2 Burgers, and a McRibNikölai Suszczewicz McRib MacTitu Doan Double McRibSean Sanchez McRib Egg Sandwich
Looking to 2023 in the US Market
There are a lot of questions regarding if the McRib will be leaving US Markets forever as the current marketing would suggest. Some conversations have suggested the issue is that the McRib sauce is hard to maintain. Some store managers have said from the start that they were certain this was the end, while others say it is unlikely to be the case. I still am leaning toward next year the McRib will return. However, I think the 2023 release may be a more limited scale of stores offering the sandwich.
Globally
It appears that now Germany and Malta are the only other global markets where the McRib is still available. While the McRib is on a farewell tour in the US, there is no indications it will be leaving menus in Germany. Perhaps an uptick in flights to Germany will be noted if the McRib does not return in the US for 2023.
How you can help
As we close in on the end of the 2022 season, please be on the lookout for the McRib. With the potential for a limited, or perhaps no, release next year, some fans are going to really want to grab a last McRib meal. If you find the McRib, please drop a report on our map. If you purchase the sandwich, please send us a receipt showing the date, store, and price of the McRib sandwich at your location. Thank you in advance!
The US McRib release day is here! During lunch and dinner hours, fan should now be able to find a McRib at most if not all US locations. We have already had confirmations in 47 states, and reports in all 50. McDonald’s is advertising the McRib will be on menus through November 20th, 2022. We will be looking for your help late November to find locations still with availability so fans can grab one more McRib before the season completes.
Many locations this season have had more of a stealth release. These locations have no McRib related advertising space on menu boards, no advertising on windows, and only available upon request. With the nationwide release today we should see the McRib shown in the mobile app, store kiosks, and advertised. While not uncommon for the McRib to have a more quiet arrival for a few days, I can not recall so many locations quietly preparing the McRib for such a prolonged period ahead of the release date.
Facebook advertisement photo2022 McDonald’s Webpage listing for the McRib2022 McDonald’s sandwich detail for the McRib
As noted earlier, McDonalds is advertising this season that this is a “Farewell Tour” for the McRib. Through conversations with fans reporting the McRib (thank you!) we know that not all locations are promoting this “Farewell Tour”. At some locations the store manager is certain this is the end of the McRib. At other locations the managers do not think that this can truly be the end. A suspicion I have is that this could indicate that next season we MIGHT see a more limited release as we have had in the past. Time will tell!
If you have not yet watched, there is a viral video on YouTube where a McDonald’s employee shows how the McRib is prepared at stores. It is an interesting video of what goes on behind the scenes at stores. The process is not all that surprising, and follows the same process burgers at McDonald’s use other than the rest in sauce at the end. One difference in preparation compared to the past appears to be with the BBQ sauce at assembly time. Today it appears the McRib patty is submerged in the BBQ sauce before serving, however in the past you would see the McRib patty flipped in the BBQ sauce multiple times when being served.
Globally
It does not appear much has changed since our last update. McRibs appear to still be on the menus in Germany, Malta, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. The one change is that it appears the McRib is still available in Guatemala if you order with their mobile app. We had earlier thought that they had ran out of McRibs as they had removed their promotional material about the McRib from their webpage.
How you can help
As we get closer to the release date, please be on the lookout for the McRib and report the return when it is on menus in your area. We know that the locations that are first to offer the McRib are generally the first to see it go. It is much appreciated having help from fans like you to help other fans find the sandwich. If you find the McRib, please drop a report on our map, and then if you purchase the sandwich please send us a receipt showing the date, store, and price of the McRib sandwich at your location.
This week marks the more official kick-off to the 2022 season! October 26, 2022 will see many locations that have been planning to offer the sandwich bring the McRib to the menu. Here is an example from Nashville supporting this release date.
Our hard launch is 10/26, national advertising starts a few days after. Restaurants can opt to sell prior if desired.
— McDonald's of Nashville – Gray Family (@McD_Nashville) October 20, 2022
While we wait for this day to arrive, many locations have started their soft launches for the McRib this year. Much like my personal experience, many fans are reporting that the McRib was available upon request, however there was no signage for the McRib yet nor was the sandwich available on the mobile app or via the in-store kiosk. Expect promotional materials prior to the 26th, in fact my local store put up signage today.
McRib Reports in the US as of October 23, 2022.Confirmed McRib Reports in the US as of October 23, 2022.
Farewell Tour?
Will this be the end of the McRib?
The more interesting item this season is that many locations are promoting the McRib this year as a “Farewell Tour”. Some fans are indicating that after talking with the store manager that their manager has been told this is the last year for the McRib. Some have signs that say “Enjoy it like it’s your last” or “This could be your last bite”, which are a bit disturbing in the sense of the McRib being gone, or perhaps even more as some have suggested a more threatening tone.
More promotion of this “Farewell Tour” can be found on the McDonald’s site. I suspect we will start seeing more material as the nationwide release gets closer. Notice that their posting is also showing November 20th as the end of the nationwide campaign.
McRib description from the McDonald’s Site as of October 23, 2022
Purely speculation at this time, however this promotion could be a hint that next year will NOT be a nationwide release. We are not that far removed from the less favorable McRib years where only select sales groups decided to offer the McRib, sometimes at the dismay of individual store owners.
This could also be a sales strategy to see if this will drive even more sales of the McRib this year. In previous years, McDonald’s has utilized the McRib offering as a way to round out their quarterly numbers. We have been told in the past the McRib was going away, only to see the sandwich return in some form the following year if limited or even smaller (McRib JR). This makes it hard to believe the sandwich would be on the way out the door, even if the Hamburglar was behind this scheme.
Globally
McRib season is unfortunately coming toward an end in Central America. Guatemala ended their promotion this past week. The McRib remains on the menu for now in Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Based on how long Guatemala offered the McRib, it will not be long before it leaves Central America for the season.
Malta is still going strong with their McRib offering. They recently shared this all too real scenario for fans of the McRib.
Germany is a year round fan of the McRib, however we also had a report and confirmation there this past week.
German McRib courtesy of Ben and Trish
How you can help
As we get closer to the release date, please be on the lookout for the McRib and report the return when it is on menus in your area. We know that the locations that are first to offer the McRib are generally the first to see it go. It is much appreciated having help from fans like you to help other fans find the sandwich. If you find the McRib, please drop a report on our map, and then if you purchase the sandwich please send us a receipt showing the date, store, and price of the McRib sandwich at your location.
We currently see the McRib on menus in parts of Central America, Malta, and where it remains on menus year round in Germany. Will we see something in October in Japan, Australia, or Canada? I continue to monitor to see if we might see a return in other markets globally.
United States Notes
Following the first week of October internal store conversations that we mentioned previously, we now know that the McRib is returning at participating US locations the last week of October. I called around to numerous stores to see if I could find a more specific date for release. Nearly all stores I spoke with were willing to confirm either “end of October” or “last week of October”. There is one location in Florida that is indicating a return around October 18th. While having a more definite date is great, the best news from my calling was that it appears this will again be a nationwide release. Places I called that historically have opted out of selling the McRib plan to have the sandwich this season.
How you can help
As we get closer to the release date, please be on the lookout for the McRib and report the return when it is on menus in your area. We know that the locations that are first to offer the McRib are generally the first to see it go. It is much appreciated having help from fans like you to help other fans find the sandwich. If you find the McRib, please drop a report on our map, and then if you purchase the sandwich please send us a receipt showing the date, store, and price of the McRib sandwich at your location.
