Veterans Day 2026: Free meals and deals for veterans in Texarkana
Chili's, Texas Roadhouse, Applebee's, Denny's, Golden Corral and more are offering free meals Wednesday, Nov. 11. Here's what's available at Texarkana locations and what to bring.
Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11, and more than a dozen national chains with stores in Texarkana are offering free meals, free coffee, free haircuts and discounts to veterans and active-duty service members.
Most offers are good only at participating locations, many are dine-in only, and nearly all require proof of service. Franchise owners can opt out, so a quick phone call before you go is a good idea.
What to bring: a military ID, VA health or veteran ID card, DD-214, or a Texas or Arkansas driver’s license with the veteran designation. Some chains also accept a photo of you in uniform or a WeSalute card.
Free meals in Texarkana
Applebee’s, 5110 Summerhill Road. Free entree from a special Veterans Day menu, dine-in only. One meal per person; drinks and tip not included. This is the chain’s 19th year running the offer.
Bubba’s 33, 2045 Mall Drive. Free lunch from select entrees until 4 p.m. for active, former and retired military. ID may be required.
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Chili’s, 3415 Mall Drive. Free meal from a limited menu, dine-in only. Choices include Chicken Crispers, Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas, the Oldtimer with Cheese, or soup and house salad. Drinks and tip not included.
Denny’s, 5104 N. State Line Ave. Free Original Grand Slam from 5 a.m. to noon, dine-in only. Bring a military ID or DD-214.
Golden Corral, 3809 Mall Drive. Military Appreciation Night from 4 p.m. to close: free buffet and drink for veterans, retirees, active duty, National Guard and Reserve. Dine-in only, no takeout. Family members pay regular price.
IHOP, 329 E. 51st St. Free Red, White and Blueberry Pancake Combo from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., dine-in only: two pancakes with strawberries, blueberries and whipped topping, two eggs, hash browns, and bacon or sausage.
Little Caesars, several Texarkana locations including 2003 Summerhill Road, 3634 Richmond Road and 4847 Texas Blvd. Free HOT-N-READY Lunch Combo for active duty, veterans and reservists at participating stores.
LongHorn Steakhouse, 3912 St. Michael Drive. Not a free meal, but veterans and active duty get 10% off plus a free appetizer or dessert for the table with an adult entree. Dine-in and call-in orders.
Outback Steakhouse, 3209 Mall Drive. Free Bloomin’ Onion and a Coca-Cola product or domestic draft beer on both Tuesday, Nov. 10, and Wednesday, Nov. 11, dine-in or phone-in to-go. Dine Rewards members also get a free Hero’s Meal they can use from Nov. 16 through May 2, 2027.
Red Lobster, 3002 St. Michael Drive. Free Shrimp and Chips meal for veterans, active duty and reservists, dine-in only, ID required.
Texas Roadhouse, 2041 Mall Drive. The restaurant hands out meal vouchers from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday. Vouchers are good for one of 10 entrees, including a 6-ounce sirloin with two sides, plus a drink, for dine-in or carry-out through May 31, 2027. Bring a military or VA card or discharge papers.
Wendy’s, 3737 New Boston Road and 110 E. 49th St. Free Dave’s Single at participating restaurants.
Chipotle, 2502 Richmond Road. Free chips with guacamole, queso blanco or salsa with a $5 in-restaurant purchase, all day.
Coffee
Scooter’s Coffee, 3107 Richmond Road and 4801 W. Seventh St. Free medium drink all day in store with a military ID, one per guest.
Starbucks, Texarkana stores on both sides of State Line. Free 12-ounce hot or iced brewed coffee for veterans and service members at participating stores. Some listings include military spouses.
Haircuts
Great Clips, Lone Star Plaza, 404 Walton Drive. Free haircut Wednesday, or a free haircut card to use later through Dec. 4. Customers who aren’t veterans can also pick up a free card to give to a veteran.
Sport Clips, Richmond Ranch on Richmond Road. Free or discounted haircuts for veterans and service members with ID at participating stores. Call ahead to confirm.
Shopping discounts
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 1101 Walton Drive. 10% off the entire purchase, in store or online, through Nov. 11, for active duty, veterans, Reserve and National Guard.
Kohl’s, 4101 Gibson Lane. 30% off in store Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 10-11, for military, veterans and their families with valid ID. Exclusions apply.
Tractor Supply, 5001 N. State Line Ave. Members verified through its Hometown Heroes program get an extra 10% off on select “Honoring Heroes” days.
Eyemart Express, 224 Richmond Ranch Road. 20% off glasses for military and veterans. This one runs year-round.
Home Depot and Lowe’s don’t run a Veterans Day special, but both offer a year-round 10% military discount to verified veterans.
Free events and parks
Texarkana Winds Veterans Day concert, Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. at Williams Memorial United Methodist Church, 4000 Moores Lane. The concert is free and open to the public.
Hope Veterans Day Recognition, Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Old Courthouse, 400 S. Washington St. in Hope. A Lions Club fish fry follows, and veterans plus one guest eat free. Everyone else pays $15.
Veterans Day Parade and Extravaganza, Saturday, Nov. 14, downtown Texarkana. The Texarkana Area Veterans Council parade, vendors and family activities run during the day. The Gary Allan concert that night at Front Street Plaza is ticketed, starting at $45.
National parks waive entrance fees for everyone on Nov. 11. Veterans and Gold Star families can also get into National Park Service sites free year-round with a free lifetime pass.
Texas state parks don’t have a free Veterans Day this year; the free day was Nov. 1. But veterans can get a free Texas Parklands Passport at any state park office that waives their entry fee year-round. Disabled veterans rated 60% or higher also get one companion in free. Bring a photo ID and proof of service. Arkansas state parks never charge an entrance fee.
A few tips
Expect lines at lunch, especially at Texas Roadhouse’s voucher hand-out and at Chili’s and Applebee’s. Several offers, including Outback, Texas Roadhouse and Great Clips, give you a card or voucher to use later, which is a good option if you’d rather skip the crowd.
If a store tells you it isn’t participating, the offer is often still good at another location in town or across State Line.
Know of a local Texarkana business offering something for veterans this week? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll add it to this list.