McRib returns Oct. 27 to select U.S. cities — here's how to find out if yours is included

The McRib is back — but whether you can actually order one depends entirely on your ZIP code, and sometimes on which specific McDonald's you walk into. The boneless pork sandwich returns to select regional markets on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with McDonald's confirming availability in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Cleveland, Seattle, and St. Louis. The chain has not announced a nationwide rollout, an end date, or a price.

Welcome back, legend!— Guillame Huin, Senior Marketing Director, McDonald's

McDonald's issued two separate statements naming participating markets, and the lists don't perfectly match. USA TODAY reported that the first statement named Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Dallas. A subsequent release from the company cited Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, and St. Louis among participating cities. Philadelphia appeared on the first list but not the second — though because the later statement used the phrase 'cities including,' that doesn't necessarily mean Philadelphia was dropped, according to foodworldnews.com. No complete roster of participating markets has been released by the company.

The return comes earlier in the fall than recent years. According to USA TODAY, the McRib was available only in select markets beginning in mid-November in 2025, while the prior year it came back across the country. McDonald's has not announced a nationwide date for this cycle. The McRib last returned nationwide on Dec. 3, 2024, according to USA TODAY.

Even within confirmed cities, not every restaurant will carry the sandwich. Most McDonald's locations in the United States are run by independent franchisees, which is why the McRib can appear at one location and not at a nearby one, according to foodworldnews.com. McDonald's has advised customers to use its app to check whether a specific restaurant is serving the sandwich before making the trip.

Some areas may see it even earlier. According to USA TODAY and Complex, the Columbus Dispatch reported an Oct. 26 start date for Columbus, Ohio, while KDKA Radio reported similar plans for the Pittsburgh area. Those reports come from local outlets, not a national McDonald's announcement. Fan reports on the McRib Locator website — a fan-run tracking site — also noted sightings in San Antonio, Charlotte, Overland Park, Kansas, and Clovis, California, though McDonald's has not confirmed those locations.

The sandwich is built around a boneless pork patty coated in tangy barbecue sauce, finished with onions and pickles on a toasted roll. It was invented in 1981 by René Arend, a Luxembourgish-American chef, and was discontinued as a permanent menu item in 2012. According to the New York Post, as cited by Fox News, it has been offered as a limited-time item on an annual basis since 2020.

McDonald's has not announced a suggested retail price for this run. Prices are set by individual franchise restaurants and vary by location, so the cost in one city may differ from another. The app sometimes includes deals on limited-time items, and it remains the most reliable way to check both availability and price at a specific location before going.

The McRib's return lands as fast-food chains are competing harder for cost-conscious customers. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index data, as cited by foodworldnews.com, show that prices for food eaten away from home climbed 3.5% in the year ending in September, while grocery prices rose just 1.8% over the same period. Limited-time items are a common strategy chains use to drive traffic without making permanent menu changes.

Why it matters — For the millions of McRib fans across the U.S., this is an earlier-than-usual but geographically limited window to get the sandwich — and without an end date or complete city list from McDonald's, the app is the only reliable way to know if your location has it before you go.

Sources differ on Whether Philadelphia is a confirmed participating market: Philadelphia included in participating markets (foxnews.com (citing McDonald's first statement via USA TODAY)) vs Philadelphia not listed in later McDonald's statement naming markets (foodworldnews.com)

Reported by foxnews.com, rollingout.com, usatoday.com, foodworldnews.com