Fan of the Week – Christopher Harrell

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  • Name: Christopher Harrell
  • Location: Denton,TX
  • When did you have your first McRib?
    It must have been when they first went national in 1981. I was 7 years old and had just moved to a new city where I saw them (and had one) for the first time.
  • How many McRibs did you have during the 2010 season?
    The season is still going here!
  • What do you eat during the off-season?
    I don’t actually eat a lot of fast food. I make a special occasion of it during the McRib season.
  • What is the farthest distance you have driven to have a McRib?
    373 miles once, from Austin to Texarkana. Where I was living did not have them yet, but where the rest of my family lived did.
  • How do you order your McRib?
    I typically order them as they come, but I’ll ask for a mustard packet. Or of course, I’ll order a double McRib (or 3) on the right occasion.
  • Tell us about ordering a double McRib. How did the McD’s react to this? Do you order it this way all the time?
    The last time, the cashier hesitantly said, “I *think* we can do that.” Then she fiddled with the cash register until it worked. I’ve been told they can’t do it, and I’ve had people ask me if I was serious. Mostly it is surprise followed by them defensively telling me it will cost extra. I don’t always order the doubles, but it should totally be a regular option.
  • Favorite McRib Story/Memory?
    I had been living in a part of the country that doesn’t have the same high profile market saturation of fast food that the majority of the country enjoys. While on vacation from there, I saw a giant billboard announcing the return of the McRib I immediately pulled into the nearest McDonald’s.
  • What makes you a great McRib fan?
    Being from the South, I love pork BBQ and the McRib is the closest any fast food comes to that, so while I don’t often eat fast food, I splurge every McRib season.
  • Do you freeze McRibs? How many? How do you decide when to eat them?
    I don’t freeze them, but I have tried several recipes to replicate them. Some good, some… not so good.
  • How does your family/friends view your McRib love?
    They’re indulgent if not entirely understanding of it.
  • What else?
    I once saw a “Rib Sandwich” in a convenience store and added it immediately to my purchases. When I got back to the car, I opened it up and took a bite. We had to immediately pull over and throw it away. The rest of our drive, the car smelled like the foulness that was that sandwich. Just before we threw it out, we checked the ingredients list. The first ingredient was “pork water.” Not pork, not water, no comma, just “pork water.” I now heartily recommend against imitations.

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    Thank you Christopher for being our January 21, 2011 McRib Fan of the Week! Here’s to double stacked McRibs. Let us know if you try a triple!

    If you would like to be featured as McRib Fan of the week, please email us at weather@kleincast.com with subject line “McRib Fan Friday!”

    Fan of the Week – Joey (aka: Mr. McRib)

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  • Name Joey Erwin
  • Location Simpsonville, SC

  • When did you have your first McRib? Mid-80’s, I think.
  • How many McRibs did you have during the 2010 season? I have had 47; they still had them as of December 28 in Simpsonville! ——–edit: on Thursday the following was posted on Joey’s Facebook page:

    “I had to wait a few days for McRib #55; but it was worth braving a little ice and snow! I’m back at my “home” McD’s #31897 today. It’s good to see the familiar smiles that always greet me here!”
  • What do you eat during the off-season? I am a fan of meatloaf and fried bologna sandwiches in the off-season. Oh, wait, that’s actually two separate things. Meatloaf is my favorite dinner (with sweet peas and mashed ‘taters). My favorite lunch in the off-season is the classic fried bologna sandwich (“meat” bologna, not beef) on Texas toast, with mayo, ketchup, lettuce, and provolone cheese.
  • Did you have a McRib on Christmas? Did not have McRib on Christmas, but was thinking of McRib as I ate a “traditional” dinner with my family.
  • What is the farthest distance you have driven to have a McRib? Have not had to go far since they seem to run out of them everywhere else before Simpsonville. Am I the only guy in Simpsonville eating McRibs?! Not that I am complaining, just curious…
  • How do you order your McRib? I order mine with “Xtra sauce” to make sure they get enough on there. Sometimes they don’t get the McRib fully submerged in the sauce, and sometimes they are downright dry if I don’t ask for “Xtra sauce.”
  • Favorite McRib Story/Memory My favorite McRib story is that I got invited to the McRib national launch event in Times Square in 2010! I got to meet other legendary McRib fans (more legendary than I am, in my honest opinion), and I got to meet some of the folks behind the legend itself. Second to that would be my first McRib, which I had while sharing a meal with my Daddy. Good times all around.
  • What makes you a great McRib fan? I am a great McRib fan because I really LOVE McRib. I only started keeping count of how many I eat because people seem to be interested in that. It’s like asking me how many times have I kissed my wife; not that the two events are equal in value, of course. But you know what I mean.
  • Do you have a website/fanclub site? My friends at work created the “Mr. McRib” group for me before I had my own Facebook account.
  • Do you freeze McRibs? Some folks have suggested I stockpile McRibs and keep them in the freezer for the off-season. I’m like, “really?” Not that it could not be done, but, to recycle an idea I heard from another fast food joint, “There’s nothing fresh about a frozen McRib.” Next time someone suggests that, I will suggest they bring a giant bucket of sand and ocean water home from the beach with them so they can enjoy the beach in the off-season.

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    Thank you Joey for being our January 14, 2011 McRib Fan of the Week! Here’s to many more McRibs!

    If you would like to be featured as McRib Fan of the week, please email us at weather@kleincast.com with subject line “McRib Fan Friday!”

    Fan of the Week – Evan Levy

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    In no particular order (other than who we receive information from first), we are starting our McRib Fan Friday!

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  • Name: Evan Levy

  • Location:East Northport, New York

  • When did you have your first McRib? – I remember it well, back in 1981. I was 9 years old & would regularly walk up to my local McDonalds on Grand Avenue in Baldwin. They were giving out FREE SAMPLES of the McRib!! An employee was in the restaurant with a tray of McRibs cut into slices with toothpicks in them. It was like cocktail hour with hand passed hors d’oeuvres at McDonalds!! I was instantly hooked on the special bun & tangy BBQ sauce flavor. I would go in & get a sample then exit & come back in through a different entrance to get another(as if they didn’t recognize me!)…Needless to say, I was very impressed with the McRib.

  • How many McRibs did you have during the 2010 season? – I’ve had approximately 40 from October 18th until, well, last night!

  • What do you eat during the off-season? – I really don’t eat McDonald’s when the McRib isn’t there. I stick mostly to home cooked meals…although I did visit “Melt” in Cleveland this past summer & boy was that good stuff!

  • Did you have a McRib on Christmas? – Actually yes I did! After enjoying Christmas dinner at my Mother-In-Law’s my wife & I went through the drive-thru on our way home; got a fresh batch to bring home. Had one that night & then another the next day…

  • What is the farthest distance you have driven to have a McRib? – No crazy road trips for a McRib but I do make a point of checking the local McDonald’s when I travel. I was visiting my Father-In-Law in San Diego a few years back & they had the McRib there – I got one every day for the week that I was there.

  • How do you order your McRib? – I had never customized my order until this year. Now I order them with extra sauce & extra pickles. Two pickles is just not enough to cover that big sandwich..

  • Favorite McRib Story/Memory? – Probably just seeing the look on the face of the guy preparing them in the back when my order for 15 of them came through! He thought there was a mistake on his order board until I confirmed it for him – that was the first batch I bought to go in my freezer for the “off-season”.

  • What is the story behind the McRib costume? – Well it was Halloween. I like to make my own costumes & have them be relavent to what’s happening in my life at the time. I was at the peak of my obsession for the saucy goodness that had come back into my life on a regular basis & wanted to let everyone know what was consuming my thoughts each day. I LOVE MCRIBS!!!

  • What makes you a great McRib fan? – Well, I get one every chance I get, I’ve turned on a bunch of people to it(including my wife & kids!) and I’ve spread the word through Facebook. Let’s also not forget about the previously mentioned fact that I WAS A MCRIB FOR HALLOWEEN!!

  • Do you freeze McRibs? How many? How do you decide when to eat them? – Yes I do. I currently have 20 of them in my freezer & will do my best to hold off from eating them until some special occasion arises that is worthy of cutting into the reservoir.

  • Do you have a website/fanclub site? – Not yet but I don’t think it can get any better than the McRib Locator!

  • How does your family view your McRib love? – Since I’ve turned them on to it they are more accepting of it. Before they tried it they were a little concerned over my crusade to find the little bugger..:-)

  • I was thrilled to see the national return of the McRib. Living in NY made it very difficult to get my hands on one which is what lead me to check McDonald’s locations whenever I traveled. I’ve signed online petitions calling for the full-time return of the McRib to the menu and I will always keep an eye on the McRib Locator for more information regarding my favorite fast-food sandwich, the beloved McRib. The McRib has become more than just a sandwich though. It has reached cult status & I feel that if it returned to the menu full-time the aura of it could be tarnished a bit. I will always love it though & will continue to get them whenever I can.

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    Thank you Evan for being our January 7, 2011 McRib Fan of the Week! We will never forget the guy who sported a McRib costume… and we all wish we had the sauce to do it ourselves!

    If you would like to be featured as McRib Fan of the week, please email us at weather@kleincast.com with subject line “McRib Fan Friday!”

    McRib Fan of the Week

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    We had a wide range of stories from amazing fans over the 2010 McRib season. Some of these stories show true dedication to the McRib, and others show why the McRib has such a large following. As such, we thought we would share a few of these stories by selecting a McRib Fan of the Week. We will have a few questions, and hope to provide a picture of the fan in mention.

    Would you like to be the McRib Fan of the Week? Email us at weather@kleincast.com to make your case as to why you deserve to be the McRib Fan of the Week. We hope to carry this on throughout the year so there are still slots open, and check back to see if you are the Fan of the Week!

    McRib season ends in Burnsville, MN

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    My wife has been working pretty hard on a few projects. After completing a grueling evening of work, she announced that she wanted to go to McDonalds. We bundled up (6 degrees out) and we and our two dogs jumped in the car and headed off to the nearest McDonalds. Cautious not to get our hopes up now that McRib season is in extra innings, we saw the always welcome McRib sign in the window at the McDonalds. We pulled up to the drive through to make our order. While not on the menu, we asked if the McRib was available, and were told that it was and our order was set.

    Happy that we would be able to enjoy perhaps what would be our last McRib, we went to the first window to pay. The cashier was having a discussion with another employee. After they completed their conversation, the cashier informed us that he had just been told they were OUT of McRibs. We resorted to ordering a Filet-o-Fish.

    Thus brings a conclusion to the McRib season here in Burnsville, MN. We will miss the late night runs for McRibs, although look forward to the next time it shall return…whenever that may be.

    Alan