I used to eat them regularly when they were available and never understood why they didn’t offer them year round. It’s called marketing, and I have to hand it to McDonald’s for creating a demand for such a mediocre product.
I eat healthy these days so now I wouldn’t touch a McRib, or anything else from McDonald’s, with a ten-foot pole.
It is pork shoulder. I’ve enjoyed the few McRibs that I’ve eaten.
It’s not a sandwich that I order often. I prefer going to a barbecue restaurant instead.
I used to buy a quarter pounder for lunch. I don’t enjoy them as much now. I only order it a few times a year. My trips to McDonald’s are infrequent.
Like the OP, it’s been many years since I had one. My vague recollection is that it wasn’t bad, but certainly not memorable, and today I’d be put off by the mystery meat that consisted of cheap parts of a pig squeezed into the shape of a patty. I’d much rather have a decent burger, and it wouldn’t be from McDonald’s.
The meat is extruded thru the same process as Chicken McNugguts, just with different leftover mystery protien scraped from the meat processing factory’s floor, and in a different final, pressed form. The sandwich is just a vessel for delivery of cheap, HFCS-laden BBQ sauce. But hey, it’s the free market at work!
I’ve made McRib shaped patties from ground pork from the grocery store. Cook, top with pickle slices, onion, and BBQ sauce on a toasted bun. A nice alternative to the endless hamburgers.
I’ve been eating at McDonald’s probably on a weekly or biweekly basis for most of my life, and even worked there for three summers, and I’ve never had a McRib. The thought of one grosses me out: something about the extruded boneless meat that is then shaped into something resembling pork ribs.
Wow. It’s not just me. That was exactly me for like five or six years ago before I said, “wait, why am I doing this again?” and quit. Hah. I thought I was the only one.
For me, they’re really no different than the Boneless BBQ Rib Hoagie available at a Speedway gas station year round. I had one a few months ago and thought … wait … why am I doing this again?
If they’re to your taste, go nuts, but the appeal is the availability, not the item itself.
The last time I recall vaguely even liking one was well before I left puberty. I tried one again in my 30s and literally never touched one again.
So it’s basically scrapple with BBQ sauce?
Get one. Try it. Never again.
I had two back around 2008 or so just to see what was up. Yep, it sucks. Never again.
One of these things is not like the other. 
I once saw an African-American comedian discuss the McRib in his monologue. He stated, “Any black person knows that if it ain’t got bones, it ain’t ribs. It’s just Spam with delusions.”
I don’t eat red meat anymore but when I did I tried a McRib once or twice. I think the draw is the sauce (which is different than anything else McDonald serves) and the consistency of the ‘rib type meat’ - again, just different than normal McDonald fare. And of course the, ‘golly, we can only produce them a couple times a year’ marketing.
Here’s what I know about the McRib. It gives me the trots something awful. Like I said I only tried it a couple of times. A third bout of dysentery wasn’t my idea of a good time.
Is a $3 sandwich worth eating? Are you hungry and standing in a McDonalds?
McDonald’s food sucks. And the portions are too small.
I had one once a couple decades ago. Thought it was OK. Not sure what I would think now, but I doubt I will ever be convinced to try another since I rarely eat fast food now.
It’s not red meat. It’s “Pork, the other white meat.” Haven’t seen that slogan in awhile.
My wife wanted a ribeye the other day so I went to Longhorn Steakhouse and got hers carry out. I decided to try something different so I got their ribs. I must say, for a non barbecue place it was quite good. The sauce reminded me of Sweet Baby Rays, my favorite.
As mentioned before, On-Cor does it at a fraction of the price:
Thanks, everyone! Sounds like it’s NOT something I want to waste my limited appetite on.
Weirdly, I crave burgers. My Ozempic usage has made it tough to eat enough protein, but somehow a “good” burger is usually something I can chow down on. One from a better place - e.g. that cooks them to order - I may not finish, but I’ll enjoy it and won’t feel queasy afterward. I had a Big Mac a few weeks ago and wolfed the whole thing down.
Every couple of years, my partner craves one of these abominations. He generally makes it about a third of the way. I usually take a bite before he throws it away, and it always tastes as bad as I expected.
Back when I was in the States, that was me with KFC. I liked it when I was a kid, and would get a hankering for that nostalgic appreciation. I’d go get some, and be reminded it’s greasy and terrible, and would tell myself I didn’t know what I was thinking, never again. Fast forward four or five years…