Everywhere You Can Get Free & Cheap Food for Thanksgiving

Just because it's Thanksgiving doesn't mean you have to cook for yourself.

food deals on Thanksgiving near me
Photo courtesy of Juliann Cheryl/Ike's Love & Sandwiches
Photo courtesy of Juliann Cheryl/Ike's Love & Sandwiches

Life gets complicated. Your tongue gets stuck to a metal pole. The neighbor's dogs break into your house and steal your dinner. Your parents don't get you the exact Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle you asked for. These things happen. (Even if it's Thanksgiving and not Christmas.)

Whether things haven't gone quite as planned or they've gone exactly as planned, there are restaurants open on Thanksgiving that can save the day. There are restaurants with special Thanksgiving meals, and there are drive-thrus slinging burgers to help you on your turkey day drive. Moreover, these restaurants have deals to help you celebrate the holiday at a difficult time. You're going to find deals from restaurants like Steak 'n Shake, McDonald's, Popeyes, and loads of other national chains and local restaurants. 

Here are all places you'll find food deals on Thanksgiving this year. 

Free Food on Thanksgiving

Dunkin'
The deal:
Order Dunkin' through Uber Eats to get a free half-dozen assorted donuts when you hit the $12 order minimum. 
When: November 25-28

Cumberland Farms
The deal
: Grab a free hot or iced coffee for Thanksgiving. That offer also applies to cappuccinos, hot tea, or hot chocolate.
When: November 26

Steak 'n Shake
The deal:
 Everyone—yes, that includes you—is getting a free order of fries at Steak 'n Shake. You'll have to go through the drive-thru, but there's no minimum order. It's open to anyone, at any time.
When: Ongoing

McDonald's
The deal:
 The J Balvin Meal deal gets you a free McFlurry with the purchase of a Big Mac and French Fries through the mobile app. 
When: Ongoing

Food Deals for Thanksgiving

Wendy's
The deal:
Donate $2 to the Dave Thomas Foundation to get a key tag that will land you free Frostys for an entire year
When: Buy through January 31

Mountain Mike's Pizza
The deal:
To celebrate Veterans Days, Mountain Mike's is offering 15% off all large pizzas with the code "378130."
When: Through November 25

Purecane
The deal
: The cane-based sweetener company is offering 45% off your entire order for Black Friday. (You'll get a bonus 5% off if you wait until Cyber Monday.)
When: November 26-29

Auntie Anne's
The deal:
To celebrate the return of its Chocolate Frost drink, Auntie Anne's is offering free deliveries through the Pretzel Perks app. 
When: Monday-Friday through January 1, 2021

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Steak 'n Shake
The deal:
Hit the $10 minimum when ordering through the Steak 'n Shake site or mobile app to get free delivery through the end of the month. 
When: Through November 30

TKK Fried Chicken
The deal: Pick up an Original or Spicy Chicken Sandwich at the Taiwanese fast-food shop, and you'll get a free classic side of medium drink for free. 
When: November 17-30

Mrs. Fields
The deal: Grab the new customizable Heartfelt Holiday Gram for 25% off the original price. 
When: November 22-28

Chili's
The deal: The chain's $5 Marg of the Month is Hennessy's Harvest, which comes with Hennessy Cognac, Lunazul Blanco Tequila, triple sec, and fresh sour. It's available to-go where that's legal.
When: Through November 30

Applebee's
The deal: Order an entrée, and you can add one dozen Double Crunch Shrimp for just a buck. 
When: "For a limited time"

Peet's Coffee
The deal:
Take 20% off everything on the coffee shop's site by using the code "BESTWEEKEVER."
When: November 20-30

Godiva
The deal:
Take home a free 30-piece Goldmark kit when you spend at least $150 at Godiva.com. 
When: November 25-28

Godiva
The deal
: Select items online and in-store will be 50% off. 
When: November 26-27

Peet's Coffee
The deal:
If you're a Peetnik Rewards member you can get a $0 delivery fee on orders placed through the app. 
When: November 20-30

Steak 'n Shake
The deal:
Every weekday features a happy hour where you can snag half-price drinks and shakes. 
When: Monday through Friday, 2-5 pm

Outer Aisle
The deal:
If you order through Amazon, you'll get 20% off its Sandwich Thins and Pizza Crusts. 
When: November 26 - December 2

Usual Wines
The deal:
You're going to be able to trim 21% off any order of at least 12 glasses. Though, that doesn't include subscriptions. 
When: Through November 30

Grass Roots Farmers' Cooperative
The deal:
Take 10-20% off the meat supplier's bestselling products like ground turkey, NY strip, sirloin, ribeye, and more. 
When: Through November 28

food deals near me on Thanksgiving
Photo courtesy of TKK Fried Chicken

Food Gift Card Deals Available on Thanksgiving

Chili's
The deal:
Drop $50 on a gift card and you'll get a free $10 bonus card. The bonus cards are valid from January 1 to February 11, 2021.
When: Through December 31

Noodles & Company
The deal:
Spend $25 on a gift card and you'll get a $5 card for free. 
When: November 18 - December 31

Outback Steakhouse
The deal
: You're going to score a $10 bonus card when you buy a $50 card. That bonus card will be valid from January 1 to February 7, 2021. 
When: Through December 31

Cousins Subs
The deal:
Buy a $25 gift card and you'll get a gift certificate for a free 7.5-inch sub in a bowl. 
When: Through December 31

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
The deal:
Treat others how you'd like to be treated yourself. Buy a $50 gift card for a loved one and BJ's will give you a free $10 gift card. Make it $100, and your freebie is worth $25 and you'll also get a 20% off VIP card. The bonus cards are valid from January 1 to February 13, 2021.
When: Through January 1

Grimaldi's Pizzeria
The deal:
Pass along the gift of future pizza to a loved one. You'll get a $10 bonus card when you buy $50. Though, the cards aren't valid at Grimaldi's Pizzeria To-Go locations.
When: Through December 31

McAlister's Deli
The deal:
For every $25 you drop on gift cards, you'll get a $5 reward card that can be redeemed in January and February of 2021. 
When: Through December 31

Juice It Up!
The deal:
Buy a $25 gift card and you'll get two free smoothies for yourself.
When: Through December 31

Piada Italian Street Food
The deal
: Put $25 on a gift card and you'll get a coupon for a free entrée to use on your next visit. 
When: November 17 - January 4, 2021

North Italia
The deal:
It'll set you up with a $20 complimentary bonus card when you buy $100 worth of gift cards. Plus, 2% of the proceeds on gift card purchases through October 31, 2021, will be donated to FoodCorps. 
When: Through December 31

Carrabba's Italian Grill
The deal:
Buy a $50 card to get a $10 bonus card for free. Pretty straightforward. You'll be able to redeem the bonus card from January 1 to February 7, 2021. 
When: Through December 31

Bonefish Grill
The deal:
A $10 card will wind up in your pocket when you buy a $50 gift card. That freebie will be valid from January 1 to February 7, 2021. 
When: Through December 31

Other Food Deals Available Around Thanksgiving

Pizza Hut
The deal:
Get a large three-topping pizza for $9.99. Pizzas are available for contactless delivery or pickup. 
When: Ongoing

Jimmy John's
The deal: After your first order through the app, you'll be rewarded with a free eight-inch sandwich. 
When: Ongoing

Domino's
The deal
: A 10-piece order of the chain's new Buffalo wings costs just $7.99. They've had wings for a while, but these ones are called "new-and-improved." The latter half of that label is up to you, really.
When: Ongoing

Del Taco
The deal:
The code "DELTACONOW" will get you free delivery with no minimum order through Postmates.
When: Ongoing

Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern
The deal: Kids can grab a book tracker to participate in the restaurant's Bucketeer Bookworms program. After every five books they read, they'll get a free kids meal with the purchase of an adult entrée. 
When: Ongoing

Halo Burger
The deal:
Nab a free QP Burger after your first loyalty visit to the burger chain. 
When: Ongoing

Burger King
The deal: Use the BK mobile app to get BOGO Whoppers.
When: Ongoing

Miguel's Jr.
The deal:
Order through Uber Eats for free delivery. New DoorDash customers can get free delivery with a $15 minimum order. Additionally, if you order through Grubhub, you can get $5 off orders placed from 11am to 7pm. 
When: Ongoing

Uberrito
The deal:
The chain is running a "$5 chicken for pick-up" deal as well as offering a $0.99 kid meal with the purchase of an entrée.
When: Ongoing

Casa Olé
The deal:
Order an entrée and it'll cost you just $0.99 to add a kid meal to your tab. Also, the restaurant is offering double points every day on all pick-up orders. 
When: Ongoing

Qdoba
The deal
: The new Burrito Meal Deal will land you a burrito, tortilla chips, salsa, and a dessert for $9.95. 
When: Ongoing

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
The deal:
Nab a free grilled cheese sandwich for kids when you buy an entrée and get it delivered.
When: Ongoing

B.GOOD
The deal:
The restaurant has expanded its usual kid meal deal. Kids can eat free every day of the week with the purchase of one adult entrée. In fact, you can get two free kid meals for every adult meal purchase. 
When: Ongoing

Penn Station East Coast Subs
The deal:
Order a sub online and you can get a free small sub with the code "PSBOGO."
When: Ongoing

Rubio's Coastal Grill
The deal:
Place an order directly through the Rubio's app or Rubios.com to get free delivery on any order of at least $20. 
When: Ongoing

Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen
The deal:
The restaurant now offers Family Bundles to-go. Entrée options include House-Smoke Baby Back Ribs, Chicken Tenders, and Grilled Salmon. For $24.99, the Bundle also comes with two family-sized sides and a half-dozen Honey Butter Croissants. 
When: Ongoing

Taco Cabana
The deal:
There are a few deals you can snag at Taco Cabana right now. Get two Nutella empanadas for $2.99 (or a dozen for $14.99), $2 margaritas, or a gallon of margaritas to go for $34.99. 
When: Ongoing

Quiznos
The deal:
Get four meals for $29.99. The family meal comes with four 8-inch subs, four bags of chips, and four cookies. Use the very memorable code "8026."
When: Ongoing

Pizza Ranch
The deal:
Any two large pizzas will run you $22. The coupon (if you're not ordering online) can be found on the restaurant's site.
When: Through December 31

Hooters
The deal:
Make a $30 purchase and you'll get $10 off with the code "GET10." Place an order for $50, and you'll wind up with $15 off when you use the code "GET15." However, if you think you've spotted a trend, you'll be disappointed to find out there's no "GET20."
When: Ongoing

Blaze Pizza
The deal
: Get free delivery through Postmates if you hit the order minimum of $15. 
When: Ongoing

Smokey Bones
The deal:
Get a free kids meal with the purchase of any adult entrée. 
When: A limited time

Grimaldi's
The deal:
There's a new $25 meal deal that you can get for carryout. It comes with an 18-inch traditional cheese pizza, a small house or Caesar salad, and your choice of a slice of cheesecake or two mini cannolis. Unfortunately, it's not available at locations in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut. 
When: Ongoing

Taco Cabana
The deal:
If you work in a restaurant, hotel, food service industry, grocery store, big-box store, or drugstore, you can get 50% off your order when you purchase while wearing a uniform or show an ID. 
When: Ongoing

Olive Garden
The deal:
The pasta chain is now offering alcohol delivery with $15 bottles of wine, $10 six-packs, and $3 White Claws. You have to order food to get alcohol, and the deal is only available where local laws permit.
When: Ongoing

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.