The McDonald’s McRib sandwich has managed to gain a following that would rival that of the Beatles in the ‘60s, but this summer, the sandwich is getting some competition. Burger King is announcing its 2013 summer menu items Thursday, and they will include a limited-time BK rib sandwich.

Beginning May 21, Burger King will start selling its version of the McRib. The BK sandwich is almost a carbon copy of the McRib with a boneless pork product slathered in a tangy sauce topped with sweet pickles.

“Our guests have grown to look for a variety of options,” Eric Hirschhorn, vice president of global innovation,” told USA Today. “It’s not just about beef anymore, but other proteins like chicken and turkey and pork.”

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This isn’t the first pork product the King has offered. In 2010, the fast food chain put Fire Grilled Ribs, an on-the-bone item, on the menu, but it never caught on.

The new BK rib sandwich was tested in Shreveport, La., before hitting a larger market. Retail prices for the sandwich will vary, but should be sold around $3.49 a la cart and $5.59 as a meal.

Other items on the new summer menu include the return of the Memphis pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato fries and Carolina BBQ sandwiches and a new BBQ chicken salad. The new items, including the rib sandwich, will be available only through the summer.

McDonald’s seems to have enough confidence in its own McRib not to care about the competition.


“We know our customers love McRib, and we won’t disappoint them,” McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud told USA Today. “It will be returning.”

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