Thanksgiving comes early every year for U.S. military veterans in the form of Veterans Day discounts. We just have to be proactive enough to go out and get them. If you don’t plan, you plan to fail.

The outflow of free food and drinks from chain restaurants in the United States has increased over time and now includes gas stations, fast food chains, and even supermarkets. Even if a vet spent all of Veterans Day trying to take advantage of every Tactical Thanksgiving deal, it would be nearly impossible.

Almost.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t attempt this feat or at least take advantage of it as much as possible. (Corporate) America is calling us. Should we abandon her?

Read more: Veterans Day Free meals and restaurant offers and discounts

What you need to know about Veterans Day food deals

Don’t forget, in many cases you can pre-order, carry out, or curbside and have the deliciousness brought to you in just a few minutes. You must call ahead and make sure the giveaways are still going on. If so, place your order and get started with your own personal door urge.

If you’re going to go out into the world, you might as well make the most of it. But to truly maximize your free food day, it’s essential to gather the information, plan accordingly, and act with purpose.

When drawing up this plan, we took a number of important factors into account. First, we only focus on the freebies. Next we look at the timing. What can be redeemed on another day, when are these places open and what can be picked up fairly quickly? We also want to know which offering is the most filling so we can avoid filling up too quickly.

If you are considering takeout, you may want to bring a cooler, as taking the food home first takes time that you don’t have. And we recommend eating some things as quickly as possible: the yield of pancakes decreases, and grilled cheese is the only food that will eventually become its own spoonerism.

Finally, there are a few alternative plays for those who aren’t willing to drive across town but still want to buy some good stuff.

Do you have all that? Good. Now let’s look at our Veterans Day timeline.

Breakfast(s) from Champions

A few breakfast-oriented restaurants have great offerings. Denny’s will begin offering a Build Your Own Grand Slam at 5 a.m. Wendy’s and Village Inn are both giving away breakfast combos.

Starting at 7 a.m., veterans and active duty military personnel can get a free red, white and blueberry pancake combo at IHOP. A little later, starting at 7:30 a.m., Biscuit Belly will give dining veterans a Bacon Egg & Cheese, Sausage Egg & Cheese or a Chicken Biscuit Sandwich, along with a free drink.

Another Broken Egg Cafe offers a Patriot French Toast and coffee for dine-in guests. At White Castle, get a free individual combo meal or a breakfast combo meal when you dine at a participating restaurant.

All that driving around requires caffeine. Coffee lovers can get a free brew at participating Peet’s Coffee locations, or at Starbucks or Casey’s General Stores. Free coffee and a free sweet pastry offered from 6am to 2pm at Kolache Factory.

Related: Veterans Day deals, discounts and freebies 2024

Would you rather pick up in the morning? You can get a free breakfast at Bakers Square. Speaking of takeout, before you head out for lunch, stop at places where you can grab a good deal and save it for later. A Chili 5-Way at Gold Star Chili can be picked up in the drive-thru. Another take-out option is the large wet burrito from Hacienda Mexican Restaurant.

A lunch too far

During lunch the plan starts to become more complex. Veterans who didn’t want to wake up early will now clog the lines and make a quick flight more difficult. There are many time-sensitive offers starting at 1100 and 1400.

TGI Fridays has a special free lunch menu until 3pm, and Texas Roadhouse is offering a free meal or vouchers for meals that can be claimed on other days. Sizzler cooks up to 1600 for vets.

And if you’re a fan of chicken wings, Buffalo Wild Wings has 10 for you for free. And Hooters will offer veterans a free dinner meal from a limited menu. If those don’t satisfy your chicken cravings, stop by Chicken Salad Chick, or grab some Crispy Chicken Sliders from WOB Bar & Kitchen.

Lion’s Choice offers a roast beef sandwich, or you can get a “We Salute You” Pulled Pork Sandwich or Strawberry Fields Salad at Rock and Brews. Complimentary pork sandwiches are also offered by Famous Dave’s, both dine-in and to-go.

Soup for you? That’s on the menu at Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, where veterans get free soup, as well as salad, bread, nacho, dessert bar and iced tea, only when they dine on site.

Chili’s and Applebee’s offer vets free meals from a limited menu, but also offer to-go cocktails. The cocktails aren’t free, but they help take the edge off. Best of all, these places have bar seating, so you aren’t subject to the whims of the hostess.

At Carrabba’s you can enjoy a free appetizer or dessert paired with a free non-alcoholic drink.

Thank you for your (dinner) service

Now that you’ve gotten most of the hectic chain restaurants out of the way, you have a few options for dinner.

At California Pizza Kitchen you can get a starter and a drink from a special menu. Lovers of Italian comfort food can fill their bellies with a spaghetti dinner from Fazoli’s.

Burgers are always in demand and are offered at many places, including In-N-Out Burger (along with fries and a drink). At Red Robin, another popular choice, where veterans and active duty can enjoy a Red’s Big Tavern Burger and a Bottomless Side. Need more options? Try a free Big Cheese burger at participating Boerenjongens; a free burger (or sandwich) at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant; or an American Smashed Burger or Ruby’s Cheeseburger at Ruby Tuesday.

To keep the free food train going, you can go to Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers for a meal card that is valid until the end of 2024 for a combination meal.

Do you have a sweet tooth? At BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, dining veterans will receive a free Chocolate Chunk Pizookie with no minimum food purchase, plus a coupon for a free appetizer if you return near the end of the year.

Finally, the popular Golden Corral will host its Military Appreciation Night on November 11, 2024, from 5:00 PM to closing. This includes a complimentary thank you meal while dining.

Enjoy your meal. You’ve earned it.

— Blake Stilwell can be reached at [email protected]. He can also be found at Facebook, Xor on LinkedIn.

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