Thanks for the input, I'm going to try individual beef ribs sometime but not right now.
So I opened up the package of "beef ribs" which were somewhat still frozen together. As I pulled them apart and set them down I thought:
"hmmm...shouldn't beef ribs have bones?" and then
"why would a beef rib be marbled and cut like a steak?" and finally.
"I may not be the smartest man alive but I know a strip steak when I see one"
I took them back over and told him congrats, you're having strips tonight! I still don't have the complete story as to why they thought they had beef ribs.
My pork ribs OTOH were excellent that night.