Birthday Freebies: 50+ Restaurants That Give Free Food

Your birthday is the one day a year when companies compete to give you free stuff. Dozens of restaurants offer free meals, desserts, drinks, and treats to loyalty program members on their birthdays. The key is signing up at least thirty days before your birthday, as most programs require advance registration.

Free Entrees and Full Meals

Denny's gives you a free Grand Slam breakfast on your birthday — no purchase required, no loyalty program signup needed. Just show your ID. IHOP offers a free stack of Rooty Tooty Fresh N Fruity pancakes through their International Bank of Pancakes loyalty program. Cracker Barrel provides a free dessert with any entree purchase through their Pegs Rewards program.

Benihana's Chef's Table program gives you a thirty dollar birthday certificate for dine-in. Red Robin's Royalty program includes a free birthday burger. Noodles and Company gives a free entree. Firehouse Subs provides a free medium sub. These are full meals, not just small treats, making your birthday dinner genuinely free at many establishments.

Free Coffee and Drinks

Starbucks Rewards members receive a free handcrafted drink of any size on their birthday. This includes their most expensive specialty drinks, so go big. Dunkin' offers a free beverage through their DD Perks program. Dutch Bros gives a free drink on your birthday. Caribou Coffee provides a free drink through their Caribou Perks program.

For non-coffee drinkers, Jamba Juice gives a free smoothie through their Jamba Rewards. Tropical Smoothie Cafe offers a free smoothie through their Tropic Rewards program. Many local coffee shops also offer birthday drinks, so check with your favorites.

Free Desserts and Treats

Baskin Robbins gives you a free scoop through their app. Cold Stone Creamery offers a buy-one-get-one creation through their My Cold Stone Club. Dairy Queen provides a free Blizzard through their loyalty app. Nothing Bundt Cakes gives a free bundtlet — their individual-sized bundt cake.

Cinnabon offers a free minibon roll. Krispy Kreme provides a free dozen donuts on your birthday if you're a Krispy Kreme Rewards member. Insomnia Cookies gives a free cookie. Auntie Anne's provides a free pretzel through their Pretzel Perks program.

Free Fast Food

Chick-fil-A gives a free treat through their app — this can range from a cookie to a sandwich depending on your membership tier. Wendy's provides a free frosty through their app. Jersey Mike's gives a free sub with purchase. Panera offers a free pastry or sweet through MyPanera. Sonic gives a free item through their app. Taco Bell offers a free crunchy taco through their rewards program.

How to Maximize Birthday Freebies

Start signing up for loyalty programs at least a month before your birthday. Some programs, like Starbucks, require you to be a member for at least seven days. Others require thirty days. Create a spreadsheet of all your signups and their specific birthday offers. Most birthday rewards are valid for a window of several days to a full month, so you don't have to cram everything into one day. Spread them out and enjoy free food all month long.