You don’t have to wait for trick-or-treat night to indulge in Halloween goodies. Plenty of restaurants are already serving up spooky sweets, drinks and other limited-time treats. And others are announcing Halloween events that offer fun and freebies.
Here’s where to dine if you need to grab a bite on the way to a costume party, or just want to get in the Halloween spirit. Read on for the best Halloween-themed deals and freebies offered by restaurants this year.
[See: 6 Ways to Treat Yourself on a Budget.]
Applebee’s. Known for its Halloween cocktails, Applebee’s is serving the Dollar Zombie through the month of October. It’s a $1 drink with an eerie blue color that contains rum, pineapple, passion fruit — and a gummy brain garnish.
Baskin-Robbins. If you get sick of candy on Halloween, switch to ice cream. Baskin-Robbins is offering a Celebrate 31 promotion on Oct. 31. Get any regular scoop of ice cream for just $1.50. That’s a reduction from the regular price of $2.79.
Consider ordering your discounted scoop while picking up a Fang-Tastic Monster Cake. Available through Halloween, the bright orange cake is decorated to look like a smiling monster. It can be made with any ice cream flavor of your choice on the inside. The price of this cake varies by location.
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Beef ‘O’ Brady’s. On Halloween, kids in a Halloween costume eat free, according to the restaurant’s Facebook page. Each free kids meal must be accompanied by an adult meal purchase.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Kids eat free on Halloween. Get one free kids meal with the purchase of an adult entree. You must also show a coupon, available on the Bubba Gump website and Facebook page, to get this offer.
Burger King. The Frozen Fanta Scary Black Cherry drink is back for October. Order it with Burger King’s limited-time burger, the Nightmare King, which features a beef patty, a chicken fillet, bacon, mayo and onions on a green bun.
Chili’s. The Great Pumpkin Margarita is a festively orange cocktail that contains Lunazul Blanco tequila, pumpkin spice syrup and Captain Morgan. It’s $5 and available through October.
Chuck E. Cheese’s. October is Chucktober at Chuck E. Cheese’s. Every day of the month, kids in costume can receive 50 free tickets. There are plenty of food and drink specials this month, too, on Chuck E. Cheese’s website. For example, get two large one-topping pizzas and four drinks for $31.99 through Oct. 31.
[See: 10 Fun, Frugal Ways to Spend Your Free Time.]
Dunkin’ Donuts. The Spider doughnut makes its seasonal return. This specialty treat is a doughnut frosted with orange icing, topped with a “spider” made from a chocolate Munchkin doughnut hole. Or enjoy the limited-time Oreo doughnut, which is filled with vanilla buttercream and dipped in a crumbled Oreo cookie topping.
Plus, your costume could win you free Dunkin’ Donuts food or even cash. Put on a Dunkin’-themed costume, and post it on Instagram with hashtag #DunkinDressUpContest. If you win, you could receive a grand prize of $1,000 and a year’s worth of Dunkin’ coffee, or a secondary prize of $100 in Dunkin’ gift cards.
IHOP. The Scary Face Pancake tradition continues for another Halloween. On Oct. 31, kids ages 12 and younger can get a free Scary Face Pancake between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. at participating locations. This offer is for dine-in customers only.
Krispy Kreme. Wear a costume to a participating shop on Oct. 31 and get a free doughnut of your choice. Plus, Krispy Kreme has launched a new seasonal doughnut this year, the candy-covered Trick-or-Treat Doughnut.
Papa John’s. The chain is continuing its tradition of the jack-o’-lantern pizza at participating locations. This novelty pizza costs $11, and to order it, you must use the code JACKOLANTERN when ordering through the Papa John’s website. It’s shaped like a pumpkin, and pepperoni and olives are used to form the smiling jack-o’-lantern face.
Ruby’s Diner. Kids 12 and younger in costume eat free all October. The promo is available from 4 p.m. to close, and you must purchase one adult entree per free kids meal. Because this special runs through the entire month, it’s an opportunity to get a few extra wears — and a few free meals — out of that costume you bought your child.
Companies and products mentioned in this article may be promoted on www.offers.com.
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12 Best Halloween Freebies and Deals From Restaurants originally appeared on usnews.com