McRib

The most successful disappearing act in fast food. A boneless pork patty pressed into the shape of a rack of ribs, soaked in sweet, tangy barbecue sauce, with onions and pickles on a long roll. Taken seriously it is a slightly ridiculous sandwich. That is not how anyone takes it: people track its return dates, drive between towns to find it, and buy three at once.

McDonald’s executive chef René Arend, the same man behind the Chicken McNugget, developed the McRib in the early 1980s, reportedly because chicken supply could not keep up with McNugget demand and the chain needed another new product. It launched in 1981, sold poorly and was pulled a few years later. Bringing it back only for short runs turned a flop into an event.