McDonald’s Will Bring Back The McRib Once Again

It seems fast food chains have now taken a page out of the pop music playbook. Just as major stars from Ozzy Osbourne to Jay-Z have announced their retirement just to bounce back, McDonald's announced they will once again bring back the "retired" McRib sandwich this fall.

"The sandwich is slated to return to select locations in November, along with a tidal wave of enthusiasm ... and confusion from fans of the meaty creation," Mashed explained.

Why the confusion? Well, last October McDonald's brought back this popular sandwich. However, they often labeled the 2022 limited-time offer as a "farewell tour." Although some customers took last year's branding seriously and rushed to their local golden arches to grab this pork sandwich, many others didn't bite, so to speak. McDonald's had a similar farewell to the McRib tour in 2005, and then there it was back again in 2006. The McRib was first introduced in 1981.

Let's step back and rip off the bun for a moment. What exactly is this famous fast food sandwich that always makes headlines?

McDonald's details it by saying, "The McRib starts with seasoned boneless pork dipped in a tangy BBQ sauce, topped with slivered onions and dill pickles, all served on a toasted homestyle bun." If you are unaware, this is a boneless pork that has the look of baby back ribs. It has approximately 520 calories. It also has quite a passionate following. In fact, there is even a McRib Locator site that allows you to track down where to grab this sandwich. They also state the price of the sandwich ranges from $3 to $6.99 depending upon which franchise you visit, and in which state.

Last week, a McDonald's spokesperson spoke on the decision to bring back the McRib and told Today.com that, “It turns out not everyone was ready to say goodbye to the McRib after last year’s Farewell Tour.” At this time, no official date has been relayed as to when you can expect the McRib to be available.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) recently shared a study that details the top fast-food chains in the country based on customer satisfaction. While I agree with the top choice, the others are questionable. And hey, taste is subjective. I'm something of a fast-food restaurant connoisseur.  So, here I will re-rank the country's top five fast-food restaurant chains based on personal experience. (Hence, "Definitive" in quotes in the headline.)

First, let's examine the numbers in this report, as there are certainly some valuable points to consider. It appears as if their customer satisfaction entails 11 important factors. These include areas such as the accuracy of food orders, staff courtesy, and cleanliness. Another important measurement these days is the efficiency of the chain's app.

The ACSI report is based on 16,250 customers who were surveyed. Their top five looked like this:

Technically "other" landed at number three, but for the sake of top brands, that is the top of the list.

While I do like the variety in cuisine displayed in ACSI's list, I am surprised at many of the names I see there. To create this ranking, I did follow and considered the customer satisfaction criteria previously laid out in the survey. Though I am a drive-thru-first type of person, I will quickly peel out of the parking lot if I detect the joint doesn't look like it takes cleanliness seriously. Regardless of how much I am craving that chicken sandwich. In other words, those scored questions are legit measurements.

It's worth mentioning that I travel quite a bit as well. Whether taking my kids to a weekend lacrosse tournament or heading south to visit family, a fast-food meal is often all I have time for. Nonetheless, I don't just stop for anything, and I do aim for the healthiest option possible (most of the time).

So, imagine I just pulled off a magical interstate exit where all of these fast food restaurants had an open establishment. I'm considering the criteria points ACSI has laid out, and looking for a quality meal. Here is my official re-ranking of the top five fast-food restaurant chains in the country.

*Side-note, the ACSI also includes statistic results on full-service chain restaurants. That is not applicable to my ranking, but Chili's is the clear number one, with all the rest being second.

I'm a pizza enthusiast, let's just get that out of the way. Remember, this ranking is for fast-food chains so that local brick oven establishment that you love doesn't count here. Pizza Hut represents nostalgia for me. That deep dish out of the cast-iron pan has consistency. Plus, there's the individual size that easy to eat in the car. If this location happens to be one of the old school hut style designs with the lunch buffet, then it would rank even higher than five.

ONLY for the fries and coke with crushed ice. If McDonald's did not have these two items, it would not be on the list and I would never go here. These are the only two menu items I ever order, and each time I have the same reaction where I appreciate how good and consistent the fries are.

I think this is the only fast-food establishment where I order vegetables. That has to be worth something. Fresh peppers in a burrito any day of the week. If my wallet is feeling crazy, I'll throw a mound of their guacamole on any order. Plus, there's nothing like getting one of those fresh chips that is folded over three others and accidentally smothered in extra salt.

I really want to put Jersey Mike's here but it is not on the ACSI survey (perhaps since there aren't as many of them). Wendy's takes this spot due to the little things they offer. The nuggets are best "traditional" nuggets in the game. Plus, the baked potato with appropriate toppings is a subtle curveball to fast-food world that has the ability to serve as the secret weapon. The frosty is always reminds me of "Mr. Deeds" which means I have to get it (and it's delicious).

No surprises here. It holds strong as the king of the fast food mountain in my definitive list. That #1 chicken sandwich meal is clutch every time. Add in their own style of nuggets and it's no wonder why Chick-fil-A always has a line. Furthermore, I find each location has very professional and well-trained staff. The real bonus point here is that I recently discovered the chicken biscuit breakfast sandwich. Needless to say, Chick-fil-A is the only of these fast-food establishments I can hit for any meal of the day.