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The case of the disappearing McRib
Fast food giant McDonald's is bringing back a sandwich -- the McRib -- that gained cult acclaim over the last three decades, in a move lauded by fans known to travel great distances in the hunt for the coveted treat.
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HOST: Today, you can get a McRib at McDonalds once again. The molded pork patty sandwich with onions, pickles and special sauce returns for a few weeks every year.
But this time the McRib is selling at every McDonald's instead of just select locations.
Marketplace's Eve Troeh reports.
"Is it back?"
Eve Troeh: That's what I heard when I said "McRib" at the office -- from Marketplace engineer Nathan Ruyle.
Nathan Ruyle: I have a childhood attachment to the McRib. I need to go seek it out.
The McRib has been a kind of holy grail...
Male voice from "The Simpsons": Sir, are you alright?
Homer Simpson: I have eaten the Ribs of God.
Homer Simpson once joined a band of Ribheads to roam the land in search of one.
McDonald's created the McRib in 1981. Sales were weak, so it became a sporadic special.
Alan Klein: Pretty elusive and it typically comes back in November based on what I see.
Alan Klein made an online McRib Locator. How far has he driven to get one?
Klein: About four hours.
Four. Hours.
Morningstar analyst RJ Hottovy says McDonald's thinks the grassroots hype has reached critical mass.
RJ Hottovy: The product has spread due to word of mouth and I think it's probably long overdue to be a national product at this point.
But in six weeks, the McRib will disappear. Only the mystery will remain.
I'm Eve Troeh for Marketplace.
HOBSON: And while we're on the subject of McDonalds, San Francisco's board of supervisors has passed a law that bans restaurants from giving away toys with unhealthy kids meals.
The law says if you want to give away a toy the meal can't have more than 600 calories and it has to contain fruits and vegetables.
For the record, the McRib clocks in at just under 500 calories. But that doesn't include the fries.
It is a nostalgia product--kind of like "whutzelbrod" in Ste Genevieve at Christmastime, which, by the way, you can't even buy any more; you have to know someone who will bake the traditional holiday German bread for you! Yes, the McRib "meat" does taste like sawdust, but when I saw the ad on TV last night, I knew I was going to make a trip to McDonalds to get one -- for old time's sake!
Erik, I did ask the analyst at Morningstar about this theory that the McRib appears when pork is cheap. He says McDonald's is savvy about taking advantage of low commodity prices to push certain products, but he says pork prices have been holding steady, so that's not likely the case here.
Maybe this is just some modern day folklore, but I have heard that the McRib is only offered when McDonald's can get the absolute lowest price for the pork, maximizing their profit while they have it available. Admittedly, I know very little of pig farming, but since this is always available about the same time every year, this explanation makes sense on the surface. Any thoughts, Eve?
I think the problem is that you're comparing the product to what ribs should taste like. A McD burger doesn't taste like a burger, it tastes of sawdust and circus animals- which is likely what it was made of. I think as the story reports, this is largely nostalgia product. I would buy Crystal Pepsi tomorrow if they offered it. Or even OK Cola. Which as a 11 year old, I loved.
I was raised in Oklahoma, Land of the Red man and some of the best Bar-B-Que ever and I have been mystified by this product. I tried one about 10 years ago and found it so bad that I tossed most of it away. It is a "rib" shaped piece of mystery meat soaked in a liquid nothing like B-B-Que sauce & covered with freeze dried onions. But then who goes to Mcdonalds for Bar-B-Que?
