McRib Taste Test - I'm Not Lovin' It

"OMG!  The McRib is back!"

"Gotta get my McRib on...it's the best!"

"Must....eat....McRib...before...gone."

I've read far too many Facebook posts about the wondrous taste of the McDonald's McRib sandwich in the last week.  I've never tried one, figuring it could never match the hype.  It's not like it would become my favorite McD's meal, topping my two cheeseburger extra value meal with sweet and sour sauce for dipping french fries, right?  I don't see how a patty of mystery ingredients pressed into a pork rib shape and covered in BBQ could elicit such outspokenness from college educated adults on my news feed.

Never one to turn away from digestible curiosity and family pressure, I took the plunge to find out for myself.  $3 to $4 later the McRib was mine.  I made sure to order my go-to extra value meal as a backup just in case this 450-calorie, 890-mg of sodium(!) godsend chock full of 24 grams of fat didn't make my mouth water.  What better way to undo the exercise I enjoyed and calories I burned than a McDonald's dinner.

Let's begin with what techie fanboys call, unboxing the goods.

Nothing says temptation like "TANGY TEMPTATION" IN ALL CAPS.

 I quickly learned that some of the sandwich's charm is its messiness.  I should've asked for it to be sliced in half my way.  Oh, that's Burger King's tagline.

Nothing like an uninspiring first impression.  Just a bun with BBQ sauce and the mystery "meat".

Bite #1 was just okay.  The meat had little pork-like flavor, the BBQ sauce was good and sweet, but nothing worthy of fanaticism.  The bread was dry, but who eats anything from McDonald's for the bread?

Oh, so there really are onions and maybe two pickle slices in there somewhere. 

Halfway through the McRib and I was finished.  There was no discernible flavor to the meat, the BBQ sauce was too sweet after a few bites, and as usual for a McD's sandwich there were far too few pickle slices.  The McRib failed its test.

 McDonald's knows you give your customers what they want, even if it's to offer a bland sandwich every few years.

 When the McRib isn't widely available again after this month, remember that I chose to throw half of mine away.  Like anything hyped beyond belief, the McRib is nothing special.  My two cheeseburgers with french fries in sweet and sour sauce never tasted so good.

If you want a sandwich that matches the hype, go for a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich combo with a frosty.  Add some McD's fries with sweet and sour sauce and you're good to go.  Even better, it's always available.  OMG!  THIS IS THE BEST FAST FOOD SANDWICH EVER!