The McRib Is Back for a Limited Run—Here’s a Food Editor’s Review of Her First-Ever Taste

The famous sammy stars seasoned boneless pork, doused in barbecue sauce and topped with slivered onions and pickles, on a toasted bun. The pork patty is designed to resemble a miniature rack of ribs. (Fun fact: The meat restructuring that makes the patty possible was initially developed by the U.S. Army as a method for giving low-cost meat to troops.) For the first time ever, customers were also able to buy limited-edition jugs of the McRib sauce this year for $20—and they promptly sold out.

Full disclosure: My expectations were low. I’m admittedly not a saucy barbecue (or sweet meat) kind of girl. That said, I love pork and made a point to remain objective in my taste test. On the ride home from the drive thru, I was pleased by the sandwich’s savory, sticky scent. The smell sort of reminded me of the boneless spare ribs I get from my local Chinese takeout spot.

In terms of appearance, the sandwich was as messy and haphazardly assembled as expected. But looks aren’t everything and we’re dealing with fast food, so I readied a stack of napkins and dug in.

The first thing I noted was the feel of the bun. It’s soft, but rather fragile. The top tore in spots just from being held, while the bottom had quickly turned soggy before I even got a chance to take a bite.

The pork was…porky. I wished it was a touch saltier. Its texture was very much like a burger, but from the looks of it, it was more like a giant chicken nugget than a ground pork patty. (Interestingly enough, I found out the McRib was invented by the same chef who created McNuggets.)

As for the coveted sauce, I thought it was pretty one-note sweet. Despite hints of black pepper, I wished it was tangier and a touch smoky or spicy. I’m not a huge fan of McDonald’s pickles (Popeye’s wears the crown there, IMO), but I was very grateful for the vinegary contrast they provided. The onions offered pleasant crunch; as much as I love the minced McDonald’s onions that are on their basic burgers, the sliced white onion that comes on the QPC offers better texture and sharper flavor.

The TLDR? It’s a razor-thin notch above cafeteria lunch. Was it inedible? No—I added hot sauce and devoured it. Is it worth $11.55 for a medium combo? I think not. This sandwich is lucky that its reputation precedes it and that many of us will pay a premium for a taste of simpler times (and to keep FOMO at bay).