One of McDonald’s most beloved menu items may be retiring for good. When it returns to menus later this month, the McRib, the mouth-watering pork sandwich that has come and gone from the menu, will be embarking on a “Farewell Tour,” seemingly signaling that the dish is set to be permanently removed from the McDonald’s menu.
The Golden Arches announced Monday that the sandwich is set to return to McDonald’s restaurants nationwide for a limited time beginning Monday, Oct. 31. However, on Twitter and in a press release, the beloved fast food restaurant chain encouraged fans to act fast, announcing, “We have good news, and we have bad news. The elusive McRib is finally back…BUT this could be your last chance to get it.” McDonald’s went on to reveal, “The iconic sandwich is embarking on a ‘Farewell Tour.” For those unfamiliar with the term, a farewell tour in the fast food world is typically a dish’s final outing before disappearing from the menu permanently, and it seems McDonald’s is hinting that this could be the case for the McRib.
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Boasting a slice of seasoned boneless pork slathered in tangy barbecue sauce and topped with slivered onions and tart pickles, the McRib originally debuted in 1981 as “a regional favorite” in Kansas City, Kansas, though it did not reach international fandom until 1994, when it was brought back in honor of the theatrical release of the live-action Flintstones film. The dish went on to remain a staple of the McDonald’s menu in the ’90s and early 2000s, even going on to appear on menus in Germany, New Zealand and France. However, the McRib’s time on the permanent menu eventually came to an end, and McDonald’s launched three farewell tours for the sandwich in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The sandwich returned to the national menu from 2010 to 2012, after which it disappeared until 2019.
While the McRib’s 2022 return is being dubbed a “farewell tour” by McDonald’s, it doesn’t necessarily mean the McRib will officially be entering retirement. In a press release announcing the fan-favorite menu item’s return, McDonald’s seemed to hint that this farewell tour good be like the three previous ones, sharing, “Like any true farewell tour, we’re hoping this isn’t a ‘goodbye’ but a ‘see you later.’ Because as our McRib stans have experienced time and time again: you never know when – or if – the McRib is coming back.” So it seems plausible that the McRib could eventually return sometime in the future. Fans will ultimately have to wait and see if the McRib disappears for good or if it is once again brought back.
The McRib is set to return to McDonald’s locations nationwide on Oct. 31. Fans will have until Sunday, Nov. 20 to order the McRib, after which it will once again disappear from the menu.
