Is the McRib available? What it is and why McDonald's is being sued

McDonald's boasts of millions of served customers, but some now claim the restaurant chain is duping customers who purchase the in-demand McRib sandwich.

The facade of the McDonald's restaurant and the drive thru area are featured on Concord Pike in Wilmington on July 3, 2025. The restaurant reopened in June following a fire in early 2024.

McDonald's CEO went as far as to tell Business Insider the McRib sandwich is "the GOAT of sandwiches," but not everyone agrees.

Here's why McDonald's is being sued over one of its flagship sandwiches.

Why is McDonald's being sued?

McDonald's is the target of a class-action lawsuit which asserts McDonald's is not using prime pork in its McRib sandwich as advertised, but instead uses low-grade portions and scraps.

"Despite its name and distinctive shape — its meat patty has been deliberately crafted to resemble a rack of pork ribs — the McRib does not contain any actual pork rib meat at all," read a portion of the lawsuit. "Instead, its meat patty is reconstructed using ground-up portions of lower-grade pork products such as pork shoulder, heart, tripe, and scalded stomach.

"The name 'McRib' s a deliberate sleight of hand," the text of the lawsuit continued. "By including the word 'Rib' in the name of the sandwich, McDonald’s knowingly markets the sandwich in a way that deceives reasonable consumers, who reasonably (but mistakenly) believe that a product named the 'McRib' will include at least some meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat, which commands a premium price on the market. McDonald’s does this despite knowing that the sandwich in fact does not contain any meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat—indeed, none at all."

McDonald's responds to McRib lawsuit

"This lawsuit distorts the facts and many of the claims are inaccurate,” McDonald’s USA said in a statement to and subsequently published by Newsweek. "Food quality and safety are at the heart of everything we do – that’s why we’re committed to using real, quality ingredients across our entire menu.

"Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S. We’ve always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them."

McRib in Delaware

There are 38 McDonald's restaurants in Delaware, according to data aggregator ScrapeHero, and you can use McDonald's restaurant locator tool to find one nearest you.

Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Is the McRib available? What it is and why McDonald's is being sued