Everyone Gets Free Taco Bell Today

It's a great day to forget your lunch. That's because everyone in America (and Canada!) gets free Taco Bell on Tuesday, all thanks to... basketball. More specifically, thanks to the Golden State Warriors' victory over the Toronto Raptors on their...

Lee Breslouer/Thrillist
Lee Breslouer/Thrillist

Today is a great day to forget your lunch. That's because everyone in America (and Canada!) gets free Taco Bell on Tuesday, all thanks to... basketball. More specifically, thanks to the Golden State Warriors' victory over the Toronto Raptors on their home court in Game 2 of the NBA Finals a couple weeks ago. The Raptors ended up winning the championship, but regardless of your team, you've got a reason to celebrate: free tacos.

When and How to Get Free Tacos

Taco Bell is changing up how the free taco frenzy works this year to make it even easier to get your hands on the free food. All you have to do is head to your nearest 'Bell any time between 2pm and 6pm (local time) on Tuesday, June 18, and they'll plop a free Doritos Locos Taco into your hand. Better yet, if you register on the chain's website or mobile app, you can swing by to pick up your free Doritos Locos order at any time throughout the day. You don't even need to bring a coupon or buy anything. But, hey, you may want to just accept the fact that you'll probably end up leaving with at leastan order of Nacho Fries and a fistful of Fire Sauce. One Doritos Locos is probably not enough. 

Of course, you may want to give yourself enough time before heading over in case there's a long line. The deal is sadly not available via delivery services. 

Why Taco Bell Is Giving Out Free Tacos, Anyway

The nationwide taco party is the result of Taco Bell's annual "Steal a Game, Steal a Taco" promotion, which is now in its fourth year. The deal was officially triggered when the Warriors beat the Raptors 109-104 in Toronto in Game 2 of the championship on June 2. In the lead up to the game, Taco Bell promised free Doritos Locos for everyone in America -- and, for the first, Canada -- in the event that the away team wins -- or “steals” -- a game on the home team’s court. The Chalupa maker has also staged a similar promotion during the World Series in recent years.

This is actually the fourth time the Warriors have earned Taco Bell's "Taco Champions" title. They won free Doritos Locos for everyone in America when they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 last year, when they beat the Cavs in Game 3 in 2017, and when they did the same in Game 4 in 2016. The Warriors' dominance as "Taco Champions" should come as no surprise, considering it has -- until this year -- correlated with their dominance on the court. The giveaway itself should also come as no surprise, seeing as a road team win during the Finals isn't exactly uncommon. Getting free Doritos Locos tacos every June is a pretty safe bet as long as Taco Bell runs the promotion. Oh, and maybe some heartburn.

“We're excited to partner with the league for the NBA Finals once again, allowing sports and taco fans nationwide to unite over one thing -- rooting for tacos,” Marisa Thalberg, global chief brand officer at Taco Bell, said in a statement. “Regardless of which two teams make it to the Finals, we look forward to giving all fans, no matter the jersey they prefer to wear, the chance to win with everyone’s G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Tacos), the Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco.”

Basically, the whole point of the deal is to bring fans of the competing teams, general basketball fans, and even non-basketball fans together to root for Team Free Food. Whether you'll end up seeing Warriors fans and Raptors fans bonding over free tacos on Tuesday remains to be seen.

Update: In a surprise twist, Del Taco announced that it too is offering a deal for free tacos at the same time as Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos giveaway. In a tweet just before lunch on Tuesday, the competing chain said customers can get any one of its tacos for free at any time throughout the day by downloading and registering on its mobile app. The surprise move can only mean war, so maybe this Taco Tuesday will go down as the day the War of the Taco Chains was fought. Or something like that.

War or not, you stand to win. You can get two free tacos today if you play your cards right.

More Free Food

Want more free food and food deals? Here's our running list of all the free food you can get right now, as well as the best reward program and gift card deals you’ll find. You're welcome.

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Tony Merevick is Senior News Editor at Thrillist. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.