Veterans Day Freebies 2026: Free Meals, Meal Cards & Haircuts
Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and these four brands have published current offers honoring eligible veterans and military members. Options include a free restaurant meal, a card for a later meal and a free haircut.
Check your location, bring the required proof of service and distinguish the pickup date from the redemption deadline. These are military appreciation offers, not free meals for every guest in the party. Visit during the participating location’s business hours.
The quick details
See Ruby Tuesday’s Official Free Meal Offer →
How to get it
- Choose the offer below and read that brand’s current official conditions. Confirm the location participates and check its November 11 hours.
- Bring proof of military service for the restaurants that require it. Ruby Tuesday and Applebee’s list examples such as a military/retired ID, veteran-designated ID, LES, DD214, veterans-organization card or a photo in uniform. Check with your location about acceptable proof.
- For the free Ruby Tuesday or Applebee’s meal, dine in on November 11 and tell your server before ordering. Choose from the qualifying menu and check any extras.
- For Freddy’s or a Great Clips later-use card, visit on November 11 to obtain it. Keep the physical card and note its printed terms and expiry; the later redemption date does not extend the pickup window.
Ruby Tuesday: entrée, Garden Bar and a drink
Eligible U.S. veterans, retired, active-duty and reserve members can receive one Everyday Fresh Meal from any price tier, worth up to $17.99, on November 11. The offer includes the qualifying entrée, Garden Bar and bottomless drink. Show proof of service; Ruby Rewards membership and another purchase are not required.
Dine-in only at participating locations during regular hours. Guam, Hawaii and airport locations are excluded. Extra or premium sides can cost more, and availability is while supplies last.
The main offer buttons in this article open Ruby Tuesday’s official 2026 page.
Applebee’s: free entrée plus a $5 card for later
Eligible veterans, active-duty military, Reserves and National Guard members receive one full-size entrée from the exclusive Veterans Day menu when dining in November 11 with proof of service. Beverage and gratuity are not included. The meal cannot be combined with other discounts.
Qualifying diners also receive a $5 Bounce Back Card, expiring November 29, 2026. It cannot be used on the day issued. The card is single-use; one per party/table/visit when redeemed, with exclusions including tax, alcohol, delivery fees, gift cards and gratuity. Keep the original: photographed or reproduced cards are invalid.
See Applebee’s Official Veterans Day Offer
Freddy’s: pick up a free combo meal card
Veterans and active military who visit Freddy’s on November 11 can receive a free combo meal card, with no purchase needed to obtain it. The card can be redeemed through November 25, 2026.
This is a card-distribution offer: do not assume you can first collect the card on November 25. Ask the restaurant about its pickup procedure and follow the printed card’s redemption conditions.
See Freddy’s Free Combo Meal Card Details
Great Clips: free haircut or a card for another day
Veterans and active military service members can visit a U.S. Great Clips salon on November 11 for a free haircut or a free-haircut card for later. The cards are redeemable through December 4, 2026.
Nonmilitary customers can also visit on Veterans Day to obtain a card to give to a veteran or active military member. That does not make the nonmilitary customer eligible to redeem the military haircut offer for themselves. Check your salon’s hours and current process.
See Great Clips’ Official Military Haircut Offer
Keep the four dates separate
- November 11: dine-in meal offers and the day to obtain the later-use cards.
- November 25: Freddy’s meal-card redemption deadline.
- November 29: Applebee’s $5 promotional-card expiry.
- December 4: Great Clips haircut-card redemption deadline.
Keep each original card and read its conditions. A later expiry is not a promise of later card distribution, and these offers do not automatically cover family members, additional menu items or gratuities.
See Ruby Tuesday’s Official Free Meal Offer →
Checked November 3, 2026. November 11, 2026 claim visits; local business hours; eligible military guests; later-use card dates differ. Official offer details and terms control. Freebie Mom does not reserve inventory, submit requests, register attendees or redeem offers for readers.
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