As I approach middle age, birthday don’t have the same meaning so much anymore. As a kid it meant eating cake and a partying until we couldn’t stand up. As a young man it meant drinking booze and partying until we couldn’t stand up. But one thing that binds all birthdays between those points together has always been the birthday freebie.
These days they’re the best thing about having a birthday. Now that I have pesky things like bills and responsibilities the idea of having someone give me something I want — usually food — simply for being born is a unique thing in my life and really brings back many of the best memories from my childhood.
It is for this reason, among others, that it is time for a 2020 round-up of birthday freebies. Most of these can be had by simply walking in and showing an ID of some sort. To make it more fun I suggest yelling loudly and firmly, “It’s my birthday!” just in case there are any random freebies sneaking around somewhere.
For some of these plans need to be made ahead, so it never hurts to hint to a spouse, sibling, office fling, or another loved one that you’d like to go to one of the below on your birthday. Or, if you’re like me and have no shame, you can just do it yourself. Some might say that I’m no fun but I won’t be able to hear them over my free pancakes, so it doesn’t matter.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a big one. We’ve combed the web to make sure that at least some of these will be available to you no matter where you live. So keep scrolling, make a list of your own, and consider this our birthday gift to you. Just don’t call us cheap.
The Birthday Freebies List:
4 Rivers Smokehouse: free Treat/Dessert
99 Restaurant & Pub: free gift
Acapulco Restaurant y Cantina: free two-item birthday combo
Aquarium Restaurant: free $25 reward
Arby’s: free 12oz. milkshake with any purchase
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels: free pretzel
Azteca Mexican Restaurants: free entree
Back Yard Burger: BOGO free combo meal coupon
Bagger Dave’s Burger Tavern: free $5 Bagger Bucks
Bailey’s Sports Grille: free burger or sandwich
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill: free Taco
Bakers Square: free slice of pie with any adult entree purchase
Barnes & Noble: Kids get a free cupcake for their Birthday
Baskin Robbins: free 2.5 oz scoop and $3 off an ice cream cake
BD’s Mongolian Grill: free meal
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s: free dessert with the purchase of any entree
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream: free scoop of ice cream plus $3 off an ice cream cake
Benihana: free $30 Voucher for Your Birthday
Bennigan’s: free Dessert and B1G1 Entrée
Big Boy: free Birthday Dessert
Big Daddy’s: “free Birthday Meal
Biggby Coffee: free grande beverage
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse: free pizookie
Black Angus Steakhouse: free meal
Bloom – free $10 off $10 Purchase coupon for your birthday!
Blue Pointe Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill: Up to 50% off your birthday meal
Bob Evans: free kids meal on their birthday w/ purchase of a regular adult entree
Bonanza Steakhouse: BOGO free coupon for one steak or buffet
Bonefish Grill: free Bang Bang shrimp or Coconut Pie
Bonjangles: free biscuit with purchase and free birthday biscuit
Borders Rewards: free Coffee or Tea on Your Birthday!
Boston Market: free individual dessert with purchase of any create your plate meal
Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza: free flatbread
Bravo Cucina Italian: free birthday reward
Bristol Seafood Grill: free entree on your birthday (up to $25)
Bruegger’s Bagels: free bagel and cream cheese
Bruster’s: B1G1 Waffle Cone for Your Birthday!
Bubba Gump Shrimp: free $25 Birthday Reward
Buca di Beppo: free Dessert on Your Birthday
Buffalo Wild Wings: free dessert
Buono’s Pizza: free pizza or entree (up to $10)
BuurgerFi: free birthday shake
C.B. & Potts Restaurant & Brewery: free mud pie
Cafe Express: free special dessert
California Pizza Kitchen: free dessert
California Torilla: free burrito
Captain D’s: free Fish Dinner!
Caribou Coffee: free medium drink
Carrabba’s Italian Grill: free dessert w/ purchase of an entree
Carson’s American Bistro: Up to 50% discount
Champps Kitchen & Bar: free dessert
Charley’s Crab: free birthday voucher
Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse: free $10 birthday voucher
Cheeseburger in Paradise Bar & Grill: free fun stuff
Chick -fil-A: free Birthday Reward
Chuck E. Cheese’s: Birthday freebie!
Church’s Chicken: free piece of chicken
Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant: free dessert
Cinnabon: free random Cinnabon birthday treat
City Crab & Seafood Company: free meal
Cold Stone Creamery Birthday Club: free Ice Cream Creation
Corner Bakery Cafe: free birthday surprise
Cotton Patch Cafe: free dessert
Country Buffet: BOGO free coupon for an adult dinner buffet
Cousin’s Subs: free drink & chips with sub purchase
Culver’s: free one-scoop sundae
Cups Frozen Yogurt: free frozen yogurt
CVS: $3 ExtraCare Bucks for Your Birthday!
Dairy Queen: free 16-ounce Blizzard on Your Birthday
Dave & Buster’s: $5 Game Credit on Your Birthday!
Del Taco: free premium milkshake
Denny’s: free Grand Slam breakfast
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: free BBQ sandwich
Dippin’ Dots: free Dippin’ Dots
Don Pablo’s: $10 Gift Card free on Your Birthday!
Duke’s Chowderhouse: free entree
Dutch Bros. Coffee: free beverage
Earl of Sandwich: free brownie
Edible Arrangements: free Chocolate Dipped Fruit Box
Einstein Bros Bagels: free egg sandwhich
Erik’s Deli Cafe: free soup or dessert
Famous Dave’s Barbeque: free entree
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill: free $10 off coupon
Firehouse Subs: free medium celebratory sub
Four Rivers Smokehouse: free birthday treat of your choice
Friendly’s: free sundae + 25% off your next purchase
Fuddruckers: BOGO free burger coupon
Glory Days Grill: free dessert
Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard: free gift
Gordon Biersch: BOGO free entree coupon
Grandy’s Buffet: free steak dinner
Great American Cookies: free cookie surprise
Green Mill Restaurant & Bar: free small one-topping Deep Dish Pizza
Habit Burger Grill: free Charburger with cheese
Hometown Buffet: BOGO free adult dinner buffet
HuHot Mongolian Grill: free grill meal + appetizer
Islands Fine Burgers: free kona pie
Ivar’s Seafood Bar: free entree
Jack in the Box: free Tacos Coupon
Jamba Juice: free smoothie or juice
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream: “free single
Jersey Mike’s: free regular sub and 22 oz. fountain drink
Joe’s Crab Shack: free appetizer
Joe’s Crab Shack: free Cake on Your Birthday!
Johnny Rockets: free hamburger with the purchase of any entree and drink
Jreck Subs – free 6 inch sub on your Birthday
Juice It Up: BOGO free 24 oz. smoothie
Keg Steakhouse and Bar: free birthday offer
Kona Grill: free $15 birthday gift
Landry Select Club: free $25 birthday reward
Landry’s: free $25 birthday reward
Logan’s Roadhouse: free $5 off your $20 purchase coupon
Logan’s Roadhouse: free Birthday Gift + More
LongHorn Steakhouse: free dessert
Luby’s Cafeteria: free slice of dessert
Maggie Moo’s: free $5 birthday reward
Marble Slab Creamery: free ice cream
Margaritaville: free appetizer
Marie Callenders: free breakfast
McAlister’s Deli: free $5 coupon
Melting Pot: free chocolate fondue
Menchie’s: free $5 towards a frozen yogurt purchase
Mimi’s Cafe: free crepe cake or croissant
Moe’s Southwest Grill: free burrito
Moe’s Southwest Grill: free Entrée for Your Birthday
Nestle Toll House Cafe: free special birthday offer
Nick-N-Willy’s Pizza: free special birthday offer
Noodles & Company: free rice crispy treat
Not Your Average Joe’s: free entree and dessert
Nothing Bundt Cakes: free Bundlet
Old Country Buffet: BOGO free adult dinner buffet
Old Navy: free Birthday Surprise when you sign up for newsletter
Olive Garden: free dessert or appetizer
Outback Steakhouse: free Dessert!
P.F. Chang’s: free appetizer or dessert
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen: free dessert
Perkins: free Magnificent Seven breakfast meal
Pie Five Pizza: free pizza pie
Pizza Ranch: free $5 birthday voucher
Planet Smoothie: free small smoothie
Portillo’s: free slice of chocolate cake
Pretzelmaker: free birthday offer
Qdoba Mexican Grill: BOGO free burrito
Rainforest Cafe: free $25 reward
Raising Cane’s: free combo box
Red Lobster: free appetizer or dessert
Red Robin: free Gourmet Burger
Romanos Macaroni Grill: free slice of cake
Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion: free dessert
Ryan’s: BOGO free adult dinner buffet
Sam & Louie’s Pizza: free pizza slice
Sandwich Bros of Wisconsin: free Box of Sandwich Bros of Wisconsin
SBarro: free pizza slice with drink purchase
Schlotzsky’s: free small sandwich
Scooter’s Coffee & Yogurt: free drink
Sephora – free gift during your birthday month as a Beauty insider.
Shula’s Restaurants: free entree
Sizzler: free classic burger with fries
SmashBurger: free side or shake
Souper Salad: free 1/2 off coupon
Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes: free birthday offer
Spaghetti Warehouse: free meal
Sprinkles Cupcakes: free cupcake
Starbucks: free handcrafted beverage
Steak ‘n Shake: free Specialty Milkshake
Strickland’s Ice Cream: free dirt sundae
Sweet CeCe’s Frozen Yogurt: free cup of frozen yogurt
T.G.I. Friday’s: free dessert with the purchase of an entree
Taco Bueno: free cheesecake chimichangas with the purchase of any entree
Taco Cabana: free flauta plate
Tasti D-Lite: free medium cup or cone
TCBY: free small frozen yogurt
Ted’s Montana Grill: free dessert
Texas Roadhouse: free appetizer or sidekick of ribs
The Cheesecake Factory: free birthday sundae
Three Squares Restaurant: free dessert with any food purchase
Tommy Bahamas Restaurant : free Dessert on your Birthday
Tropical Smoothie Cafe: free smoothie
Tully’s Coffeeshop: free beverage
Twin Peaks: free birthday meal
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse: free bottle of champagne
Uncle Julio’s Fine Mexican Food: free cajeta birthday dessert
Village Inn: free Slice of pie
Wetzel’s Pretzels: free birthday pretzel
Which Wich: free regular sandwich
Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill: free birthday appetizer
Wienerschnitzel: free corn dog
Wings To Go: free birthday wings
Wingstop: free large fresh cut seasoned fries
World Market: free birthday discount
Wow Bao Hot Asian Buns: free birthday reward
YEAH! BURGER: free $10 birthday reward
Yogurt Mountain: free yogurt on your birthday
Yogurtland: free frozen yogurt on your birthday
Your Pie Pizza: free birthday credit
Zarco Oasis 66: free sub or coffee drink
Zaxby’s: free Nibbler!Zaxby’s: free Kidz Meal!
Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth: free dinner
Zio’s Italian Kitchen: free bruschetta appetizer
Zito’s Pizza: free birthday garlic knots
Zoes Kitchen: BOGO free coupon for an entree
