Freebies for your Birthday!!!

No one wants to pay for themselves on their birthday! It's our god-given right to expect everything to be given to us, without monetary cost or question or delay! It's the one day you get to look around the room and demand they treat you like the queen/king and they might actually oblige, isn't it? Well, at least that's the way we WISH it would work--at least I do. ;) Instead I end up baking myself a cake, blowing out the self-lit candle while hoping it's not a trick candle, and sometimes I make my friends take me out for a meal.  I always hate the inevitable frustration of everyone chipping in a few bucks for the birthday person's mean because it NEVER works out easily or fairly and it usually takes as long to figure out as the meal itself! Well, if you've had those frustrations, too, the read on...

There are about a million places that offer a free dessert with entrée purchase on your birthday. I’m not adding ALL of those to this blog. I’d rather limit it to the more substantial offers, like FREE MEALS or BOGO (Buy One, Get One) offers. Let’s face it, you could probably talk any server at your restaurant of choice into bringing you a scoop of ice cream (albeit the “scoop” at Boca Chica came with fresh pureed strawberries on a warm, flaky sugar-coated fried tortilla—YUM!). But can you talk them into comping your entire meal? Not likely, unless it’s an established birthday special. And this way your friends can breathe easy that there will be no fiasco at the end of the meal--except for their own damage, of course. 

Many of the restaurants require you to sign up for their birthday mailing list or for their email newsletters. One could look at it as a hassle, but it’s getting you a free meal! I would guess if you don’t find your favorite restaurant on this list it’s likely if you go to their website you may find a newsletter/birthday club offered by them as well. I think the biggest problem you’ll have is figuring out which restaurants to limit yourself to, and then making it to the gym enough times afterward!!

**Please let me know if you are aware of any others I've missed. I will add them to this list. I have almost a FULL YEAR to develop this list before my birthday comes by again and I can be the Queen :) **

Restaurant Specials

Benihana’s Japanese Restaurant – They’ll send you a $30 gift certificate valid during the month of your birthday.

Cold stone creamery-free creation by signing up online

BUFFALO WILD WINGS - free dozen hot wings *I’m not confident about this one so call your local joint before you run over for a mouthful of bones.

HOULIHAN'S RESTAURANT - free entrée, must be on their email club

MAGGIANOS - $10 Off purchase of $20 (sign up in advance)

ROCK BOTTOM - free appetizer for Mug Club members

Ruby Tuesday – Free handcrafted burger of your choice (you have to join their birthday club)

Tria - Dine with us the week of your birthday and we’ll give you a complimentary bottle of wine priced at your age.
Pazzaluna - Dine with us the week of your birthday and we’ll give you a complimentary bottle of wine priced at your age.

Old Chicago -- If you are part of their mailing club they send you a free pizza card on your bday

Rinata – (I signed up for their email list while dining one night) $14 off the price of an entrée when you purchase an entrée of equal or greater value (and the expiration date is 3 months after my bday!)

Famous Daves Bar-B-que -- Join the Pigs Club for great deals. Free Meal on Birthday. Multiple locations

Joe Sensors Sports Grill & Bar -- free dinner on your birthday (check specific locations)

Champps – Join birthday club for free cheeseburger or appetizer ($8.99 value)

Noodles & Co. -- has a free meal during your birthday month, see their website sign up for their “noodlegram”

Moscow on the Hill -- Shot of house-made cherry vodka

Muddy Pig -- Free rail drink or tap or domestic beer

Nicollet Island Inn -- Glass of champagne and house-made petit fours

Lake Elmo Inn, Lake Elmo -- Glass of champagne for everyone at the table

Activities and Bar specials

Sneaky Pete's -- Birthday Thursdays On the Thursday of your birthday week, you +3 friends = Free drinks for bday person, No cover, Additional birthday gifts, $2 Budweiser & $3 Svedka drinks.
Acme Comedy Club -- What's better than going to a comedy show?  How about going to a free comedy show?  Acme lets you choose a day during your birthday month for you and up to five friends to attend a show.  All you have to do is fill out a reservation.  It's only good for weeknights, and some shows aren't eligible.  But it's still a great deal.

Rush Creek-- Free golf on your birthday

The Wild Onion --  The Wild Onion has some great birthday specials.  Bring 3 friends and get a free lunch and dessert on the Tuesday of your birthday.  They also offer a Birthday Tuesday special that includes a refillable mug, T-shirt and group photo if you bring 4 friends with you.  Or, come in with 4 friends on the day of your birthday and get balloons and a pound of wings in addition to the free drinks and T-shirt.

The Lone Tree Bar & Grille --  They offer a Birthday Thursday special.  Come in on Thursday during your birthday month and drink free.

Moose Country --  Come in on the Tuesday of the week of your birthday for Birthday Tuesdays.  Come in with 4 or more friends and the birthday boy or girl gets free drinks and a free T-Shirt.  They also offer a birthday lunch special.  And if you come in from 5-9 p.m. on the day of your birthday the birthday boy or girl will get free drinks, a free T-shirt, along with free chicken wings and free group photo.  This also requires a party of 5 or more.

The Shout House in Block E, downtown Minneapolis offers free drinks (rails, beer and a birthday shot) in a refillable mug on the Tuesday of your birthday week if you bring three friends. They get drink specials, too!

CROWN THEATRES - Buy One Movie Ticket, Get One Free (found this one on a few different blogs, but nothing to confirm this)

DAVE AND BUSTERS - $5 game card credit on your birthday, must be registered for their email list

Medieval Times – Sign up in advance and they’ll send you a free ticket (worth $53!) to one of their feast and tournaments.

KQRS: Free Trainwreck, a large drink for three or more people worth $35, at Jersey's Bar and Grill (expires one week after birthday).

Clothing and Beauty Specials

Origins -- Get a free $10 coupon good toward purchase -- I believe you sign up at one of their counters.

The Body Shop -- Join the Body Shop Love Your Body program ($10) and get a free birthday gift worth up to $10 during your birthday month. The trick is that they don't remind you to redeem your reward.

Aveda – Sign up at least 28 days before your bday and get a free Personal Blends Pure-Fume 

Banana Republic – (I’m on their email list) 15% off one purchase during the month of your birthday