100+ Food Deals & Freebies in May 2026

If you love a good freebie, May 2026 is arguably the best month of the year to be a rewards member. Between Teacher Appreciation Week, Nurses Week, Mother’s Day, and the massive National Burger Day promotions, restaurants are practically giving food away to get you through their doors.

Disclaimer: Deals may vary and change; check the brand’s official site or app for details.

May 2026 Food Holidays to Know

Mark these dates! These are the engines driving the biggest discounts this month.

• May 4–8: Teacher Appreciation Week (Peak deals: May 5 & 7)
• May 5: Cinco de Mayo
• May 6–12: National Nurses Week (National Nurses Day is May 6)
• May 10: Mother’s Day
• May 15: National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day & National Pizza Party Day
• May 25: Memorial Day (Military & Veteran focus)
• May 28: National Hamburger Day (The biggest deal day of the month!)

🔥 HOT DEALS THIS WEEK (May 1-7)

• Chipotle: Healthcare professional and teacher sweepstakes
• McAlister's: McAlister’s Rewards Offers
• McDonald's: McValue & App Exclusive Deals

Best May 2026 Freebies (Top Picks)

If you only grab a few deals this month, make it these high-value winners.

• Chipotle: Free Entrée e-Gift Cards. Chipotle is giving away 100,000 free burritos to teachers and 100,000 to healthcare workers via their annual "Burrito E-Card" sweepstakes.
• Wendy’s: $0.01 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. Available with any in-app purchase from May 28 through June 1 for National Burger Day.
• McAlister’s Deli: Free Big Sweet Tea. No purchase necessary for teachers and nurses from May 4–8.
• Whataburger: Free Breakfast Entrée. Teachers get a free breakfast item on May 7 (6 AM to 9 AM) with a valid ID.
• Sonic Drive-In: Half-Price Cheeseburgers. Every Tuesday after 5 PM in the app, plus a special National Burger Day promo on May 28.
• Krispy Kreme: Free Doughnut. Check the app for "Any Doughnut Free" coupons often released during Nurses Week and Teacher Week.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: 20% Off for Teachers. Valid all week (May 4–8) with educator ID at participating locations.
• The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Free Brewed Coffee or Tea. Any size, hot or iced, for nurses with valid ID from May 4–12.
• Sonny’s BBQ: Free Pork Sandwich. For nurses who are rewards members from May 4–6.
• Shake Shack: Free ShackBurger. Usually requires a $10+ purchase for nurses/teachers during their respective weeks in May.

🥤 Fast Food & National Burger Day (May 28)

• Burger King: Free Hamburger with $1 purchase in-app on May 28. Also, Whopper Wednesday ($3.99 Whopper) continues every Wednesday in May.
• McDonald’s: $5 Meal Deal (McDouble or McChicken, 4pc nuggets, small fries, small drink). Plus, Free Fries Friday with $1 purchase in-app.
• Arby’s: BOGO Free Sandwich for National Burger Day (Better Than Burger promo).
• Smashburger: $5 Classic Singles on May 28.
• Wayback Burgers: BOGO Classic Burgers on May 28.
• Habit Burger: BOGO Charburgers for rewards members in late May.
• Krystal: $1 Krystals via app code on National Burger Day.
• White Castle: BOGO Sliders (up to 10) on May 28.
• Jack in the Box: Free Jumbo Jack with any $1 purchase for rewards members on May 28.
• Hardee's/Carl's Jr.: BOGO $1 Burgers for rewards members in the app.

🍕 Pizza Deals

• Pizza Hut: $7 Deal Lover's Menu. Order 2 or more for $7 each (includes medium 1-topping pizzas).
• Papa Johns: Papa Pairings for $6.99. Mix and match select items.
• Pie Five Pizza: Free Personal Pizza for active military/veterans on Memorial Day (May 25).
• Grimaldi’s: 15% Off for nurses and teachers (May 4–8) with ID.
• Peter Piper Pizza: 1-Topping Pizza for $18.48 during Mother's Day week.
• Happy Joe’s: Free Small Dessert Pizza with any large pizza purchase on Mother's Day (May 10).
• Little Caesars: $7.99 Slices-N-Stix app-only deal.
• Dominos: Mix & Match for $6.99. Ongoing promo for carryout/delivery.

☕ Coffee & Drinks

• Biggby Coffee: $1.99 16oz Beverages for nurses (May 6–12) with ID.
• Scooter’s Coffee: Free Medium Drink for healthcare workers on May 5.
• HTeaO: Half Off Cups of Tea for teachers (May 4–8).
• Dunkin’: Free Medium Coffee for teachers on National Teacher Day (May 5).
• Dutch Bros: Double Points Days (Check app for specific May dates).

📱 App-Only Recurring Deals

• Taco Bell: Tuesday Drops. Every Tuesday in May at 2 PM PT, look for $1 items or freebies in the app.
• Subway: BOGO Free Footlong. Use code FREEFL or BOGO50 in the app (Ongoing/Recurring).
• Panera Bread: Unlimited Sip Club. New members often get 2-3 months free if they join in May.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: BOGO Free Boneless Wings on Thursdays and BOGO 50% Traditional on Tuesdays.

🪖 Memorial Day & Military Appreciation (May 25)

• Fogo de Chão: 50% Off for veterans/active duty (10% off for guests) on Memorial Day.
• Golden Corral: Military Appreciation specials (Varies by location).
• Hooters: Free Entrée from a select menu for veterans/active duty.

Pro Tips to Maximize Deals

• Download the Apps NOW: Most May 1st–10th deals (Teachers/Nurses) require you to be a rewards member before the holiday starts.
• Verify Your ID: Use services like ID.me or SheerID ahead of time. Chipotle and Chick-fil-A use these to verify teachers and nurses.
• The "Receipt Hack": Always keep your receipt from a May purchase. Many brands like Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A offer a "survey" on the back for a free item on your next visit.

📲 Best Apps for Free Food in May

1. McDonald’s: For the consistent $1 large fry and meal deals.
2. Taco Bell: For the "Tuesday Drops."
3. Wendy’s: For the National Burger Day 1-cent burger.
4. Burger King: For "Whopper Wednesday."
5. 7-Eleven: For 7Rewards points that stack for free snacks.

Don’t let a perfectly good free burrito pass you by just because you forgot it was Tuesday. Download the DealSeek App to get push notifications the second these May 2026 drops go live!