Some McDonald's menus get McRib back – but not US restaurants, yet

McDonald's has brought the McRib sandwich back to the menu – wait for it – in the United Kingdom. But it could be coming to U.S. restaurants soon, too.

The beloved (at least by some) menu item usually makes an appearance at the fast food chain's U.S. restaurants in the fall. The McRib returned to some U.S. locations last fall, and before that in 2022, during what McDonald's deemed the sandwich's "farewell tour."

Earlier this week, the McRib hit restaurants in the U.K. for a limited time, The Independent reported on Wednesday. While it hadn't been available in the U.K. since 2016, the sandwich is a regular menu item in Germany and Luxembourg.

“It is more than just a sandwich; it’s a phenomenon. We have heard our fans loud and clear – the fan petitions and pleas on social – and after almost a decade of anticipation, we are thrilled to bring back this iconic menu item," said Thomas O’Neill, the head of menu at McDonald’s U.K., in a press release. The sandwich is also available for a limited time in Ireland.

“Knowing how well-loved the McRib is, we had very little choice – we had to make it happen," he said. "It was time to step up and satisfy the cravings of McRib enthusiasts across the country.”

Pharmacy deserts: More pharmacy closures leave consumers in pharmacy deserts without access to medications

When will the McRib come back to the US?

We don't know exactly, but there are signs of the McRib's imminent return.

Back in June, McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger told The Today Show the sandwich "is coming later this year. It will be back." Some locations have recently chimed in on the McRib's resurgence.

McDonald's restaurants in Topeka, Kan., are expected to begin selling the sandwich the week of Nov. 25, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported on Wednesday. The McRib is expected to be available through January 2025, reported the Capital-Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

The McRib is slated for a mid-November return in Springfield, Illinois, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register, also part of the USA TODAY Network, which cited two local general managers on the issue.

Also already on the McRib return map: The "greater Ozarks area," which gets the sandwich on Wednesday, Nov. 27, a McDonald's spokesperson told the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader on Wednesday. The News-Leader is also part of the USA TODAY Network.

McDonald's did not immediately respond to a request on the 2024 plan for McRib across the U.S.

What is the McRib?

The McRib is a pork patty, shaped to resemble a rack of ribs, made from pork, water, salt, dextrose and – get this – would you believe, rosemary extract? It's served on a bun with barbecue sauce, pickles and onions, and weighs in at 520 calories.

The McRib was invented by McDonald's executive chef Rene Arend – who also created Chicken McNuggets in 1979. But it arose out of University of Nebraska professor Roger Mandigo's development of restructured meat for the military. The sandwich made its debut in 1981 in Kansas City, Kansas before becoming available nationally the next year.

The McRib, which was on the McDonald's menu from 1989-2005, is the most popular discontinued fast food, according to online gaming site Spin Genie, which analyzed Google search data to see what fast food items folks have looked for. The McRib got far more searches from July 2023-June 2024 than its closest competition including the Chipotle Carne Asada, Domino's Brooklyn Style Pizza and Taco Bell's Enchirito.

After being a menu no-show since 2012, the McRib has made an appearance annually starting in 2019.

Got a hankering for a McRib? You can monitor the online unofficial McRib Locator tool.

McDonald's Chicken Big Mac is available

You may not be able to get a McRib just yet, but there's another limited-time available menu item in the House of Ronald, the new Chicken Big Mac: two tempura battered chicken patties served on a Big Mac bun with Big Mac sauce, cheese, lettuce and pickle slices – but no onions.

While at McDonald's you can round up your purchase to honor the 50th anniversary of the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), which provides health care for families with ill and injured children. Some local McDonald's restaurants will have special promotions, including in Missouri where restaurants will donate a penny to local RMHC houses for every pound of fries purchased.

To generate interest in rounding up McDonald's purchases for RMHC, NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace will have a special logo on his fire suit and custom design on his car Oct. 27 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The driver side decal on his car will represent a RMHC family from his home state of Alabama.

Contributing: Greta Cross, Claire Grant and Tim Hrenchir.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: McDonald's adds McRib to menu in UK, annual US comeback likely in 2024