Everywhere You Can Get Free & Cheap Food During March Madness

Be the GOAT of the food court.

march madness food deals
Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, dining indoors can be dangerous for you and the restaurant's employees. Check the CDC's Food Safety and Eating Out guidelines to understand the risks involved. Consider ordering food to-go or getting delivery to support your favorite restaurants.

It's been a long while since basketball fans got to revel in the annual month of lunacy. March Madness is back in 2021, with the reigning champions dating back to the 2019 tournament. 

There are 63 games ready to flood your TV, and you're going to need some good food to power you through the highs, the lows, and the inevitable destruction of your bracket. Fortunately, you can dig up all kinds of deals that will bring good food to your doorstep at a discount during the games. You'll find deals from Buffalo Wild Wings, Wendy's, Pollo Campero, McDonald's, Qdoba, and a whole lot of other restaurants. There's a lot out there. We've pulled it all together so you can keep your eyes on the game instead of jumping between six different food apps on your phone. 

Here are the best food deals you'll find during March Madness. Be sure to check back often. This list will be updated regularly to make sure all the best deals are easy to track down every day of the tournament. 

Free Food During March Madness

Buffalo Wild Wings
The deal:
If a March Madness game goes into overtime, you can score six free boneless wings. You just have to place an online order within 30 minutes of the game finishing or check into your local BWW through the Blazin' Rewards app. Once you've done that, you'll get free wings in your account the following day. 
When: Through April 5

Wendy's
The deal: 
Jump into the Wendy's app to get buy-one-get-one-free Dave's Single burgers
When: Through March 28

Pollo Campero
The deal:
Pollo is joining the chicken sandwich feud with two new sandwiches. You can get BOGO chicken sandwiches all month.
When: Through March 31

Boston Market
The deal:
You can scoop up a free Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich on any order of at least $20 placed through Grubhub. 
When: Through March 31

Boston Market
The deal:
The rotisserie chain is offering free kid meals. No purchase is required at all. Kids 12 and under can just grab a free one. 
When: For just a little while

Taco John's
The deal:
The launch of its new value menu includes the option to grab a free Chicken, Bacon Guacamole Street Taco when you order any Pepsi product through the Taco John's app. 
When: Through April 5

Joella's Hot Chicken
The deal:
Grab a free Jumbo Tender for National Hot Chicken Day when you purchase a Chicken Plate, Big Sammie, or Salad.
When: March 30

El Pollo Loco
The deal:
If your order hits the $15 mark, you'll get a free order of chips and guac through Grubhub. 
When: March 27-30, April 3-5

food deals during March Madness
Image courtesy of Rubio's Coastal Grill

Pizza Deals During March Madness

Blaze Pizza
The deal:
Every year, Blaze lets pizza lovers grab a customized 11-inch pizza with unlimited toppings for $3.14 on Pi Day. This year, you'll be able to do that for about a month, either in-restaurant or online. You'll find the offer in the Blaze app. If you're not a member, sign up before March 14.
When: Through April 12

Pizza Inn
The deal:
Get a large two-topping pizza for $9.99 or a large three-topping pizza (or specialty pizza) and a medium Chocolate Chip Pizzert for $17.99. 
When: Through May 1

march madness food deals
Photo courtesy of The Cheesecake Factory

Other Food Deals During March Madness

Qdoba
The deal:
It's offering free delivery on days when March Madness games are being played. You'll just have to hit the $15 minimum. 
When: April 3-5

Yoshinoya
The deal:
 Order from Uber Eats to get buy-one-get-one-free Regular Teriyaki Chicken Bowls every night when there are March Madness games taking place. 
When: April 3-5

Wendy's
The deal:
Get a $0 delivery fee on any order of at least $10. 
When: Through April 6

Applebee's
The deal:
Place an order for at least $20 through Grubhub and score free delivery. 
When: Tournament days through April 5

Moe's Southwest Grill
The deal:
Every day that there are March Madness games being played, Moe's Reward members will get double points. 
When: April 3, 5

Schlotzsky's
The deal:
If you're a rewards member, you are going to land some extra points on orders of at least $20 during March Madness. Get five extra points from March 18-22, ten extra points from March 25-30, and 15 extra points from April 1-5.
When: Through April 5

Olive Garden
The deal:
The pasta chain is now offering alcohol delivery with $15 bottles of wine and $10 six-packs. You have to order food to get alcohol, and the deal is only available where local laws permit.
When: Ongoing

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
The deal:
Grab a Pizookie -- basically a gigantic cookie -- for $5 for takeout or delivery with the code "5PIZOOKIE." That includes flavors like Strawberry shortcake, Hot Fudge Brownie, and Salted Caramel. Though, you're not getting that deal through any third-party apps. 
When: April 2-4

Auntie Anne's
The deal:
For March Madness, the pretzel hub has a Free Throw Bucket Special that includes a "Basketball Bucket" full of Pretzel Nuggets or Mini Pretzel Dogs and two medium drinks. It'll run you $21.99. 
When: Through April 5

Auntie Anne's
The deal:
On March Madness game days, you can nab free delivery when you order through the Auntie's website or the alliterative Pretzel Perks app. 
When: April 3-5

B.GOOD, Del Taco, Checkers, D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches, DiBella Subs, Dickey's Barbecue Pit
The deal:
If your order hits the $15 mark on Grubhub, you'll get free delivery. 
When: April 3-5

BurgerFi
The deal:
A $30 order through Grubhub comes with free delivery. 
When: Through April 5

Rusty Bucket
The deal:
There's a March Madness meal bundle that feeds 2-4 for $50. You'll get a Cheese Blanket Nacho, a pizza, an order of wings, and a bucket of beer. (Add $10 if you want those beers to be any kind of craft beer.)
When: Through April 5

Dickey's Barbecue Pit
The deal:
Get free delivery when you order online through the Dickey's site or mobile app when you select the "Doorstep Drop Off" option. 
When: Through September

Jinya Ramen Bar
The deal:
Get a $0 delivery fee through Doordash as long as you hit the $20 order minimum. 
When: Through April 4

Dickey's Barbecue Pit
The deal:
To celebrate eight decades of slinging meat, it's offering something called the Anniversary Meal. You get a Classic Pulled Pork Sandwich with Double Berry Cobbler and a side for $8.80. 
When: Through December 31, 2021

Want More Food Deals?

Here's our huuuuuuuge running list of all the free food you can get right now, as well as the best pizza dealsreward programs, birthday freebiesgift card offersdeals on food for kids, food delivery offers, and alcohol delivery deals you'll find. If you want a little more than, say a free taco, we also have you covered with a long list of meals you can get at fast food chains under $5. You're welcome.

Additionally, we've put together a list of places offering free food to healthcare workers and first responders during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow Dustin Nelson on Twitter.