‘Rick and Morty’ fans get one-day Szechuan treat from McDonald’s

Rick Sanchez and Chicago-area fans of the cartoon character’s namesake “Rick and Morty” show got to rejoice on Saturday — for a half-hour, at least.

McDonald’s brought back Szechuan sauce for a super-limited time at four restaurants around the city, in a promotion inspired by the show’s anti-hero and his fixation with the spicy sauce.

The return didn’t last long, with only a lucky few getting a taste. The four Chicago locations serving the sauce sold out in just a few hours.

At the Lincoln Park McDonald’s at 2400 N. Lincoln Ave., supplies lasted less than 30 minutes.

“We were so busy, the line was all the way out the door,” employee Kenneth Lollar said.

Eager customers arrived more than an hour before workers started slinging the sauce along with screen-printed “Rick and Morty” posters at 2 p.m.

Five hours after they sold out, a steady stream of customers were still coming in hoping for a taste. They had no such luck.

“It went so fast,” Lollar said. “I didn’t even get a chance to taste it myself.”

The Szechuan was also served up at Chicago McDonald’s restaurants at 1951 N. Western Ave., 180 W. Adams St. and 5200 S. Lake Park Ave., in addition to locations in Evanston and Romeoville.

The Oak Brook-based fast-food chain announced the sauce’s brief return last week to promote its new buttermilk crispy tenders.

“Rick and Morty” fans had petitioned for the sauce to be brought back, and it was highlighted in the show’s season premiere in April.

In the show — which is TV’s top-rated comedy for 18- to 34-year-olds — time-traveling scientist Rick Sanchez admitted that his sole motivation in life is “finding that McNugget sauce” — and that the cult show would continue as long as it takes until he finds the sauce.

Previously, a fan of the show who found an old packet of the sauce sold it on eBay for more than $14,000.