FREE Veterans Day Meals and Discounts 2015
Here’s a list of local restaurant freebies and discounts offered in honor of Veterans Day. Most of these offers are available to veterans and active duty military personnel with military identification or proof of service. Please pass this list along to veterans you know!
Find Veterans Day FREE zoo admission offers here. You can also find official Veterans Day events throughout Oregon here.
RESTAURANT FREEBIES
Applebees: FREE meal (limited menu) on November 11 (all active military and veterans with military ID or proof of service)
Arby’s: FREE Roast Beef Classic Sandwich on November 11. Locations.
California Pizza Kitchen: Choose a pizza, full size salad, or pasta from the special Veterans Day Menu. on November 11 (all active military and veterans in uniform, with military ID or proof of service)
Claim Jumper: FREE entrée from (select menu) on November 9 (with official proof of service. Dine-in only) Locations.
Denny’s: FREE Build Your Own Grand Slam on November 11, from 5 am – Noon (all active duty, retired and veterans with valid military ID or proof of military service). Please call ahead to confirm. Locations.
HomeTown Buffet: FREE lunch buffet on November 11 from 11 am – 2pm (all active, reserve, or retired service members with military ID or proof of service)
IHOP: FREE red, white and blue pancakes on November 11 from 7 am – 7 pm (veterans and active duty members)
IKEA: FREE entrée, which includes sandwich, hot dish, or entree salad on November 8-11 (all active, reserve, or retired service members with military ID or proof of service)
Krispy Kreme: FREE doughnut and small coffee on November 11 (all active duty, retired and veterans)
Little Caesars Pizza: FREE pizza or $5 HOT-N-READY Lunch Combo on November 11 (all active duty and veterans with valid military ID or proof of military service)
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants: FREE lunch or dinner entrée (limited menu) on November 8; reservations recommended (veterans with proof of military service)
Menchie’s: FREE 6 oz. frozen yogurt on November 11 (all active duty and veterans with proof of service); Locations.
Olive Garden: FREE entrée (special menu) on November 11 (all active duty and veterans with proof of service. Guests that dine with a Veteran also receive 10% off of their bill as well!); Locations.
Outback Steakhouse: FREE Bloomin’ Onion and a non-alcoholic beverage on November 11 (all active duty and veterans with military ID. Also receive 15% off your purchase from Nov. 12-Dec 31, 2015); Locations.
Papa Murphy’s: $3 off each regular priced pizza for Military ID card holders. Not valid with other discounts.
Red Lobster: FREE Appetizer or Dessert (special menu) November 9-12 (all active, reserve, or retired service members with military ID or proof of service); Locations.
Red Robin: FREE Red’s Tavern Double and Bottomless Steak Fries on November 11 (all active, reserve, or retired service members with military ID or proof of service)
Sizzler: FREE lunch and beverage (limited menu) on November 11 until 4 pm (all active, reserve, or retired service members with military ID or proof of service)
Starbucks: Veterans and active military and their spouses each get a free tall coffee.
Village Inn: FREE stack of buttermilk pancakes, free french toast, or Belgian waffle on November 11. Wednesday is also Free Pie day, and veterans will be able to receive a free slice of pie (all veterans and active military personnel with proof of service). Please call ahead to confirm; Locations.
RETAIL DISCOUNTS
Bed, Bath & Beyond: 10% off discounts for vets and their families. Varies from store to store.
Great Clips: FREE haircut or FREE haircut card for veterans on November 11. Haircut card redeemable through December 31.
JCPenney: 5% off November 4-11 (all veterans and active military personnel with proof of service)
JoAnn Fabric & Craft Stores: 20% off total purchase for veterans or active duty military November 5 – 11
Lowe’s: 10% off (this discount is available year round for most active duty military and veterans)
Home Depot: 10% off for veterans on November 11
Sport Clips: FREE haircuts for veterans and active duty military on November 11
Please call your local establishment to confirm their participation in these promotions. Leave a comment if you know of other places offering freebies for veterans!
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I try to be appreciative, modest and fair about these deals. Hubby will do coffee, lunch, dinner, oil change and hair cut. I go with him to dinner and we always tip on the full prediscounted price. Thank the servers and managers for doing this. And thank other veterans for their service as well.
I actually thought it would be nice to find a homeless vet and take him or her with us,so they can enjoy as well. That would mean more to them than it ever could to me.
Is really nice that there is such a wide variety of places participating, that there is bound to be something offered near by.
My husband and I would love to take his parents (his Dad is a Vietnam vet) out for veterans day but they live in LA. Tho hey we are ‘giving’ them a new grandson for Christmas and that beats a free appetizer any day 🙂
Starbucks is giving Vets free tall coffees (cream and sugar optional, no charge.)
Do these things stretch to the wives of deployed military members? I have a friend who’s husband is deployed. I think that she should be able to show proof of his deployment and also get a free meal. Let’s be real, it is a sacrifice for the entire family when you have someone in the military!
Jodi, I know some places will extend these perks to spouses of deployed soldiers. I have heard of a few spouses that were able to get a free lunch/dinner at places like Golden Corral and Applebee’s last year, not sure if its up to the management and the location but it is worth a try to call ahead and get some info from some of these places. Also, Fred Meyer extends it to spouses as well as long as they have their ID with the, to show proof.
Good luck and please tell your friend thank you for their service!
I definitely agree with Angela. Our wonderful service men & women who serve currently or are veterans (like my husband) absolutely deserve these perks and rewards on this day to honor them. That’s what this holiday is all about!
Most of the military members I know are too humble to even use these perks, so for those that do…get what you can get while it lasts. It’s only a couple days and these companies still make lots of money on these giveaway days.
So thanks for your service and go eat a free meal…or two or three!
I am a veteran as well as my husband, whose a disabled vet. These free meals are not for you to take advantage of. Your not suppose to eat at every place, numerous days.
Kim,
I, too, am a disabled vet (and we are both unemployed right now). Sorry to disagree but I do not believe that I would be taking advantage of these offers even if I were to enjoy 4 free meals at different places (which I probably won’t). Nor can I take advantage of the free B&B offer this year.
I agree Carla. Apparently Kim is now the Disabled Vet Police. I am a disabled vet who had 13 years active service before being wounded in combat. These FREE meals are a gift to us. I live off my disability. If I ‘m able to use this benefit several days in a row, guess what…. I served my country and asked nothing in return. Now, I could use a little something to stay ahead of my depression. Man, I used to eat Soldiers like Kim for breakfast at one time. Stay in your own lane!
What B&B
Jeffrey, most are full now so set a reminder to check next year around mid-October. In Oregon, it appears the place in Depot Bay MAY still have an opening. Here’s the link for all states:
http://www.betterwaytostay.com/current-promotions/bbs-for-vets/
Thank you for your service!
Kim: It would be impossible to eat at every place listed, especially since most establishments offer the free meal on one day only.
And I don’t believe anyone thinks a veteran or active service member could possibly take “advantage” of the free meals. I say, if you are a vet, I hope you get as many perks as humanly possible. I only wish these offers were around for longer so you all could get as many free meals as you can eat. Thank you for your service!
Well stated. So what if someone gets 2 or 3 free meals over the course of a couple of days? I get free birthday meals from various restaurants every year and get anywhere from 3 to 30 days in which to use them. The donors of these freebies are not entirely altruistic; they are banking on the vets or the birthday celebrants bringing paying customers with them. I’m glad to see veterans and current military members get some positive vibes for once; it wasn’t all that long ago that Vietnam vets were often looked down upon by many for their participation.
I have the day off and will be hitting every place possible in a 24 hour period. Don’t worry I will leave a tip.
I am loving all of these comments from our Veterans! I thank you all for your service from the bottom of my heart.
I, too, think these benefits should stretch at least a week so people can get full benefit of the offers. I can’t see how one could take advantage of all these offers; eat all you can eat pancakes at one Denny’s then a grand slam breakfast at another? Going to different Kirspy Kremes to get two or three doughnuts? I can’t see someone wanting more than one Slurpee.
My father was stationed in Germany during the Vietnam war and I’ll be hanging out with him all day tomorrow and hope he gets to “take advantage of” a few of these offers.
We went to McCormick & Schmick’s last night. The place was absolutely packed. The greeter said that every table was veterans except for one small birthday party! We both had salmon which was a $48 discount for us (total bill was $62.00) and it was very, very good. We left a $14.00 tip for Kenneth and will be sending a thank you note to M&S for offering this to veterans.
We are off to get the car washed (at Kaddy’s – free), have lunch at BJ’s, go to the zoo, and have dinner at On the Border. It’s such a special day for us to get these treats since we are both unemployed.
I am a marine corp veteran,who are you to decide when and where a veteran can have a free meal? grow up
The Oregon Zoo will have free admission.
“… free admission on Monday, Nov. 11, for military veterans and active military personnel, as well as family members who accompany them to the zoo. Families of deployed military personnel also will be given free admission…To receive free admission Monday, Nov. 11, visitors must show a military or veteran organization ID, discharge papers or other official military identification; families of deployed military personnel must show an active duty ID. The Zoo Store is also offering a 10 percent discount for veterans, active military personnel and their families, with proper identification.”
http://www.oregonzoo.org/events/veterans-day
Wow! Hubby and I (both veterans) could get free meals from Sunday night and all day Tuesday. Now that’s a score!
Sizzlers “free meal” says it’s on Monday November 12. That is a Tuesday.