Veterans Day Free Meals and Discounts in 2025 (Verified)
Browse our list of confirmed, free meals and discounts offered on Veterans Day 2025.
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Happy Veterans Day to all of those who’ve served or are currently serving. This year, Veterans Day is on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
Every year, numerous restaurants and businesses extend their gratitude to veterans by offering discounts or complimentary meals on Veterans Day, as well as retail promotions, free events, and attractions. We express our heartfelt appreciation to the companies offering veterans a free meal or discount in support of those who serve.
Note: Over the past few weeks, our crews have continued to work to verify the content you see below. Some “verified” are still referenced to 2024 since some companies haven’t announced their Veterans Day deals yet. However, many more are now verified for 2025. Because we update these discounts and their information as the restaurants send them out, there’s a strong likelihood we’ll update this page several times over a single day over the coming days.
11/11 Update: Happy Veterans Day! We’ve spent the past weeks updating and verifying these discounts and deals for Veterans Day. We’ll continue to update the discount lists as we get any announcements from the companies. That said, I’d expect things to be either verified or have new discounts and deals confirmed often within 30 minutes to an hour, so I recommend checking back throughout the day. These updates will also be sent to you via email, so I encourage you to sign up to receive our alerts.
NOTE: If you want to search for discounts near you, use our Veterans Day discount map tool, which helps locate businesses offering discounts and deals in your area.
Please verify participation and bring proof of service. We have done our best to include sources and links to each brand when possible. However, due to local offerings and individual franchises, not all locations may be participating. Please call ahead to verify participation. Additionally, nearly every free meal or discount requires proof of service, such as a military ID, veteran designation on your driver’s license or discharge paperwork. Please come prepared!
2025 Veterans Day Free Meals & Discounts
The following list is for the most popular national restaurant chains offering free meals on Veterans Day.
- Applebee’s
- BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
- Bob Evans
- California Pizza Kitchen
- Chili’s
- Dave and Buster’s
- Denny’s (morning)
- Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers
- Golden Corral (evening)
- Hooters
- Olive Garden
- O’Charley’s
- Outback Steakhouse
- Shoney’s (morning)
- Texas Roadhouse
- Twin Peaks
- Wendy’s (breakfast)
- 54th Street Grill & Bar
Full list of 2025 Veterans Day Meal Discounts
Proof of Military Service
Most companies require some form of military ID or proof of military service. These include:
- A Military ID Card (active/reserve/retired)
- VA-issued Veterans ID Card or a VA Health Care ID card
- Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)
- Drivers License with Veterans Designation
- Photograph in uniform, wearing your uniform (if your service permits)
- Veterans Organization Card (e.g., American Legion and VFW)
- DD214, other discharge paperwork, or another form of identification
- Other restaurants and companies may go by the honor system.
Participation
Always call ahead to verify locations, times, and participation. Many of the listed companies are franchises and may have different policies.
We will do our best to keep this page updated as we find new info, but the only way to guarantee you get your Veterans Day meal is by calling ahead and checking with your location.
Tipping
This one may be a no-brainer, but you should tip your server thoughtfully in a way that reflects the full price of the meal, regardless of whether you eat a free meal or not.
More Ways to Save this Veterans Day
We’ve written multiple posts to share even more military discounts and Veterans Day deals at your disposal.
In addition to paying an appreciative visit to one of the restaurants above, you can celebrate this Veterans Day with Veterans Day Activities, Events and Attractions and Veterans Day Retail Discounts and Special Offers, including free National Park Admission, Amusement parks, and retail and regional discounts.
