12 Restaurant Chains That Give Free Birthday Meals

It's a sad truth that birthdays seem to lose their luster as we get older. Gone are the days of birthday sleepovers, laser tag, and pizza parties. As adults, it's more cocktails and dinner. While it may not be as exciting as those glorious parties from when we were kids, plenty of restaurants want to help you have the very best birthday at a discounted rate.

You're likely aware that some chains offer birthday initiatives, but most tend to be a on the small side. Starbucks, for example, offers a free drink on your birthday, but that's a nice treat; not a meal. Sprinkles offers anywhere from one to 13 free cupcakes on your day, depending on your tier — delicious, but, again, not a meal. But some chain restaurants go for the big win and offer entree sizes for your special day, helping save you a bit of coin. 

Most birthday perks require signing up for rewards, however, so you'll want to do that at least a month in advance. Still, some want you to reach a certain level, so it may require a bit of a financial investment. In any case, these chain restaurants should help rekindle some of that lost magic from your birthday celebrations of yesteryear.

When we think of fast food fried chicken, Chick-fil-A always comes to mind — because it's the perfect spot to grab some tendies and lemonade. But to get that birthday perk, you'll need a Chick-fil-A membership, where, with repeated visits, you earn points for each dollar you spend and a cookie or brownie on your birthday. 

At Chick-fil-A, the more you spend, the more you progress through the different levels. The conversion rate begins at 10 points for each dollar spent. At 1,000 points, you move up to silver for more dessert options for your birthday. At this point, your dollar will equal 11 points and the ability to give the rewards you've earned to your family or friends. Stop in even more often, and you'll earn the red level when you hit 4,000 points, and each dollar will be worth 12 points with a sandwich or nuggets for the birthday reward. 

If you earn 10,000 points, you'll become a signature level member where you'll get a whole entree of your choice for your birthday. In case you're wondering, according to our calculations, that's $873 to get to the highest echelon of reward level, which parses out to about 175 chicken sandwiches. It's a lot of chicken just for a free entree, but if you visit enough, it's a nice little birthday perk.

In our research, we discovered that it's actually fairly difficult to find free subs for your birthday. In fact, some companies that once offered free subs for birthday celebrations no longer honor your special day with a free sandwich. Firehouse Subs' once easy to access birthday perk has become a little complicated, even if it is available to some customers. 

The free birthday sub is only available to those who created a rewards account on January 7, 2024 or earlier.If that happens to be you, you'll need to make a one dollar purchase in addition to your free sandwich. So, grabbing a side and a soda is probably the most reasonable choice here. Be sure to visit quickly, however, because this birthday offer is very short lived. You'll need to use it the day of, day before, or day after your birthday. After that, you'll need to wait until the following year.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're a fan of saucy wings, Hooters has one tasty lunch to share with you. You'll start by joining the HootClub to begin earning rewards for food you already enjoy. Then, on your birthday, you can order 10 wings in your choice of style as a nice birthday reward.

There's a selection of six different wing types to choose from. The Hooters' original is a breaded and tossed wing. If you're looking for something with a bit more intrigue, the smoked flavor may suit your fancy. For a classic Hooters style, go for wings named for Daytona Beach. These are grilled, so they tend to take a little longer to make. Order roasted for some of that baked-in goodness. For wings that feel like basic chicken, the naked variety is what you want, but you'll still get the style of wing sauce of your choice. And for those who really don't like the bone-in effort, there are even boneless wings to sample.

If chicken wings aren't your idea of an entree but rather an appetizer, feel free to share with a few friends and order a separate (paid) entree. However, 10 pieces are substantial enough that we're willing to call this one a meal on the house.

If we're being honest, we miss the old days when you could just excitedly say it was your birthday and get a free meal or some other sweet perk. Now, it feels complicated with many companies, and no restaurant is guilty of this to a greater degree than IHOP. Don't get us wrong, free food is free food, but learning a whole vernacular to get there feels unnecessary.

Rather than having a simple reward given on your birthday, IHOP translates your birthday to something it's calling PanCoins. As if the restaurants are doling out some kind of food-ish bitcoin, these PanCoins can be turned in for real food. Of course, like other restaurants, you'll need to join the rewards program. Then, at the beginning of your birthday month, you'll be given five PanCoins. If you're a frequent visitor, you'll see those added to your other PanCoins. After that, you can cash those in whenever you'd like. 

We recommend using the "coins" for that birthday breakfast of a full stack of buttermilk pancakes. This transaction is a little more convoluted than just flat out getting a free stack for your birthday. However, the theming of the Bank of Pancakes is just tongue-in-cheek enough, we're (begrudgingly) willing to play along.

Like Chick-fil-A, Noodles & Company's birthday celebration is somewhat contingent upon your reward level. So, to earn that free meal, you'll need to do a little work throughout the year. Don't worry, we did the math with Noodles & Company, too.

At the Premier level, you'll earn an entree reward for your birthday. To get there, you'll need to have earned at least 6,601 points. To do this, you'll first have to move through the Classic level and unlock the Signature level at 1,601 points. For a measure of how to do this, we took the macaroni and cheese, which is priced at $7. Since the Classic level has you earning eight points per dollar, you'll need to order the mac 29 times to get to Signature. 

At the next level, you'll order that mac 72 times to earn those 5,000 points you need for Premier. The nice thing is that a mac will be worth more at this point since each dollar amounts to 10 points at Signature. So, buy 101 macaroni and cheese entrees total, spending $707 before tax, and you'll have a free one on your birthday. We should note that unlocking the free entree on your birthday is different from earning one with your points. A regular entree is something you can cash in at 1,500 points.

New Englanders, we have your new favorite birthday dinner, and, we must say, it's a good one. Papa Gino's offers one of the cleanest, easiest to access birthday rewards out there. No tiers. No rewards to cash in. Plus, your birthday reward is good for 30 days. In a time when many companies are requiring that you visit on the actual day or maybe the week of, this is nice to see. While you're waiting to take a bite out of Papa Gino's, you can enjoy a few of the other freebies that have more of a strict timeline.

To cash in on some pizza goodness during your birthday month, join the loyalty program — with your continued purchases, you'll earn points. But no matter how many points you have, you'll always get that free pizza opportunity on your birthday. You'll see that it's been added to your account at the beginning of the month. Then, you have 30 days to use it. Of course, if you're having a birthday party and sharing pizza, you'll probably eat more than one, but one pizza on the house is an excellent way to start. 

Few things in the world are bottomless, but, thankfully, Red Robin hasn't fallen in line with the times and eliminated bottomless steak fries. In fact, here, you can order from a whole collection of bottomless menu items celebrating that bottomless life. Nothing against parmesan broccoli, but we'll probably always go for steak fries, even if we love that they are far from the only option. For even more of a deal, if you plan to make Red Robin a birthday destination, that sandwich could even be free.

It's pretty simple. You'll sign up for Red Robin Royalty Rewards, input your birthday, agree to receive marketing, and validate that your phone number is, well, your number. Then, on your birthday month, you can choose a free burger to enjoy as long as you also spend $4.99 to accompany that burger. Honestly, though, order some of those bottomless fries and a freckled strawberry lemonade, and you'll be all set. Celebrating the youngest members of your family? Kiddos 12 years of age and younger will have their whole kid's meal free. For those children older than 12, adults can add them to an adult account for a birthday reward like the adult one.

There are just some restaurants that immediately take us back to specific a time and place. Sbarro, for one, will forever be the pizza from our favorite mall food court kiosk, just down the way from Forever 21. In any case, if you still have a Sbarro in your nearest mall, be sure to join the rewards program and check back on your birthday for a free slice — well, almost free.

Sbarro Rewards isn't anything too groundbreaking. Buy things, get points; you know the drill. On your birthday, you'll be sent the opportunity to pick up a free slice of pizza. Of course, that slice isn't without its contingencies and requires that you also spend $5 and use it within seven days before or 14 days after your name day. To hit that $5, consider breadsticks and a drink to round out your meal — you could even add dessert to help fill the $5 requirement. It may not be a whole pizza, but an XL slice might help you power through the second half of a birthday shopping spree!

In researching so many birthday rewards, we just love it when the prize is simple. No scrimping, saving, planning. Just sign up, bask in the benefits, and cash in your birthday reward. Some sub locations have odd rule requirements, but that's not the case with Which Wich. Here, for a free wich on your birthday, you'll just need to register with Which Wich's Vibe Rewards. We should note that you'll need the app for these vibes, so register on your phone to get the full benefit. After signing up, be sure you make a purchase with the restaurant in the 11 months leading up to your birthday, and you'll be in. Happy Free Wich Day!

If subs aren't typically your bag, there's a whole bunch of options that extend beyond the "typical" sub as we like to think of them. You could even order a Gyrowich, which includes some elements that mimic a typical gyro. Alternatively, you could swap out your bready wich for one that uses a wrap, lettuce, or even one that becomes a salad.

While some restaurants have several levels to achieve before you reach that almighty free entree benefit on your birthday, Qdoba has just one level to unlock. At Foodie status, where you begin at after joining Qdoba Rewards, you'll earn free chips and queso for your birthday prize. Honestly, this doesn't sound bad, but if you're looking for a more robust meal, you'll need to get to Chef status.

Instead of a defined amount of points based on money, Qdoba goes by visits. So, to hit Chef status, you'll need to visit at least 12 times in a given calendar year. At that point, you'll earn the right to cash in on a free entree of your choice. If you simply must have those chips and queso too, they'll only cost you $2 at this reward level. If you're trying to cram those visits in at the last minute before your birthday, be sure to create an account by the first day of the month — otherwise you won't qualify for a birthday gift for the year. It's probably best to spread those visits out a bit. No need to get sick of burritos before you cash in.

If you love some hoopla on your birthday, Benihana's birthday deal may be ideal for your celebration. For this one, you'll need to register with Benihana's Chef's Table program. You'll answer the typical questions on the form, as well as the ability to add the youngest Benihana fans in your family. There's also a few survey-type questions. Then, at least eight days before your birthday, you'll receive an email with a $30 birthday certificate.

This is a pretty generous offer, but you'll want to note some important restrictions for use. First, you'll need to find a way to print that certificate off. The restaurant will not accept it from your phone. Next, visit Monday through Thursday because the certificate is not eligible for use on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. This must also be a dinner visit, so be sure to plan accordingly. Lastly, bring someone to dine with. The birthday certificate is only good after an initial purchase of $30. This means your check will need to include at least $30 on the tab before the discount kicks in. Please note, however, that your purchases cannot be discounted. To take full advantage, have a check of at least $60 total.

Not a fan of pancakes? No matter. Einstein Bros. Bagels has a delicious breakfast reward for you on your birthday. Like most birthday rewards, you'll begin by joining up with Einstein Bros. Rewards.

Then, on your birthday, you'll get a treat for one free egg sandwich. Of course, the deal is that you'll need to add an additional purchase to use the little reward, but you can accomplish this with a nice sweet for later or even a bagel for a buddy. Add ons like extra eggs, meat, a choice of gourmet bagel, or cream cheese don't qualify for that additional purchase. In fact, you'll need to pay for any of these modifications you choose to make. However, by joining the rewards program, you get free hot or iced coffee, so the extra purchase will need to be a little more than that. Might we recommend bringing in some bagels for the office? It's like those days when you'd bring in brownies to school, but better because, well, it's bagels.