McDonald’s Stirs Outrage With Fans After McRib Tweet Tease

The McDonald’s Twitter account made a playful joke about the McRib, opening a can of worms. The fan-favorite menu item has not made a major return yet, so fans were disappointed to see the Golden Arches bring up the sandwich without announcing it is coming back. It was last brought back nationwide in October 2019 and now only occasionally pops up at isolated McDonald’s. Fans have to use McRibLocator.com to find reports of McRib sightings.

“It’s always ‘when is the McRib coming back’ and never ‘how are you doing person who runs the McDonald’s account,’” reads the tweet published on the McDonald’s Twitter account. This inspired some banter between other corporate entities trying to get in on the joke. “I’ve never felt more seen. Like, I don’t know when House of the Dragon is premiering,” HBO’s social media team wrote. “Unrelated: When is the McRib coming back?” This prompted McDonald’s to respond with a meme reading, “I know nothing, HBO” in place of “You know nothing, Jon Snow.”

The McRib made nationwide comebacks in October 2018 and October 2019, but McDonald’s has not said anything about it coming back in October 2020. The sandwich, first introduced in 1981, rarely ever comes back on a nation-wide basis, which makes it a coveted rarity for McDonald’s fans. Of course, that is all part of McDonald’s plan. Just like Starbucks and Dunkin’ use the limited-time factor for Pumpkin Spice flavors to bump sales in the fall, McDonald’s keeps the McRib a coveted item so fans rush out whenever it becomes available.

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One person thought the McRib joke was funny, but that did not make missing it any easier. “I would be honored to be asked when the McRib is coming back,” one person wrote.

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“I can never stop thinking about how someone said the McRib only ever comes back when the government wants us to forget they did something shady,” one Twitter user wrote. A person had the perfect response, writing, “Then it should have been available for the past 3-1/2 years non-stop.”

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One person noted that dollar stores sell something very similar to the McRib, a “BBQ Rib Sandwich.” However, many disagreed with this Twitter user. There’s just no substitution for the real thing.

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One person noted that a McRib sandwich would probably help the McDonald’s social media manager who feels bad. Another person bluntly replied, “Sorry, I just REALLY love that McRib.” 

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“But seriously, when is the McRib coming back? I need meat mechanically pressed into the shape of a rib and doused in bbq sauce to know there is a god,” one person wrote. “Hope you’re doing well, person who runs the McDonald’s account. I too question the return date of the McRib,” another added.

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One person genuinely tried to cheer the McDonald’s social media manager up by sharing a photo of a deer. Another person said they didn’t care about the McRib, they just want them to “bring back the snack wrap!”