McDonald’s cult-favorite McRib is now facing a federal courtroom test in Chicago, where a new class-action complaint says the sandwich’s name and rib-shaped patty fool customers into thinking they are biting into real rib meat instead of a dressed-up pork mash-up.
The suit says the chain’s marketing, along with the iconic rack-of-ribs look of the patty, pushes customers to pay premium prices for what the complaint describes as a restructured pork patty, not actual rib cuts.
The case was filed Dec. 23 in U.S. District Court in Chicago and seeks class-action status on behalf of McRib buyers nationwide, according to CBS News Chicago. Named plaintiffs include Dorien Baker of Chicago, Peter Le of Baldwin Park, Calif., Charles Lynch of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Darrick Wilson of Washington, D.C. The matter is listed as Le v. McDonald’s Corp., No. 1:25-cv-15609, per AllAboutLawyer.
What the complaint alleges
The 45-page complaint paints a far less romantic picture of the McRib than the nostalgic ads do. It contends the patty is assembled from lower-grade pork parts, specifically naming pork shoulder, heart, tripe, and “scalded stomach,” and then molded into a rack-of-ribs shape.
The filing calls the sandwich’s riblike form and its “McRib” name a “deliberate sleight of hand” meant to mislead reasonable consumers, according to The Independent. The plaintiffs say they would not have bought the sandwich, or would have paid less, had they known what was actually in the patty, and they are asking for restitution and court orders to change how the product is presented.
McDonald’s responds
McDonald’s is not exactly taking that lying down. The company says the lawsuit “distorts the facts” and insists the McRib is made with “100 percent pork,” a spokesperson told The Independent.
The fast-food giant points to its published ingredient list, which describes the sandwich as boneless pork with barbecue sauce, onions and pickles, and says it remains committed to food quality and transparency.
Pricing, nutrition and cult status
The plaintiffs are also leaning on the McRib’s pricing and aura of scarcity. Reporting cited in the complaint shows the sandwich averaged about $5.63 in December 2024 and climbed as high as $7.89 in some locations, putting it above many regular menu items, according to Yahoo News.
CBS News Chicago notes that McDonald’s lists the McRib as a 520-calorie sandwich made from seasoned boneless pork topped with BBQ sauce, onions and pickles. The complaint argues that in the frenzy of the McRib’s limited-time runs, those details do not fully cure what plaintiffs say is the misleading impression created by the “rib” name and appearance.
Legal claims and what comes next
The lawsuit stacks up several causes of action, including fraudulent omission or concealment, fraudulent misrepresentation and negligent misrepresentation, and asks the court to halt McDonald’s current naming practices and award damages to McRib buyers, according to AllAboutLawyer.
To decide whether McDonald’s crossed the line, courts will look to the familiar “reasonable consumer” standard, weighing whether the marketing is likely to mislead an average customer. That question, and whether the answer is the same for everyone in the proposed class, will be central to any fight over class certification. The National Law Review explains that in false-advertising class actions, proving that the challenged statements were materially important to purchases and that customers relied on them in a common way is often pivotal.
For now, this case is just getting warmed up. McDonald’s still has to formally answer the complaint, and the parties are expected to battle over class certification and any motions to dismiss in the coming months, BlackEnterprise reports. If the lawsuit survives those early rounds, it could be many months of discovery before the parties get to settlement talks or a ruling on whether the McRib dispute can proceed as a nationwide class action.
