Gold Corral has offered free military and veteran buffet meals and drinks for over 20 years. While many restaurants offer free meals on Veterans Day, Golden Corral will offer its Military Appreciation Night promotion on the Monday after Veterans Day weekend.
Golden Corral Military Appreciation Night on Veterans Day
Offer Type
In Store Only
Requirements
Valid Military ID, Proof of Service
Who Qualifies?
Active-Duty, Veterans, Reservists
Category
Golden Corral hosts Military Appreciation Night on Monday, November 13th, from 5 p.m. to close. Active and former military members enjoy a free meal, but it's for dine-in only. A valid military ID or proof of service is required.
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Veterans, active-duty, National Guard and reserve service members can eat free on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, from 5 to close, according to Golden Corral’s website. However, military family members must pay for their meals.
Golden Corral’s website does not list a proof of service requirement. Please don’t abuse the rule if your Golden Corral location uses the honor system on military appreciation night. Claiming you are a veteran just for a free meal cheapens the service and sacrifice of actual service members and veterans.
If you need documentation to prove your military service, you can bring a:
Most restaurants will accept these forms of identification for Veterans Day offers. Some may also accept a photo of you in your uniform or a membership card for the VFW, American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America or another veteran service organization.
Golden Corral Military Appreciation Night Exclusions
Veterans and service members can only eat for free dining at Golden Corral. The restaurant won’t provide free takeout orders on military appreciation night. You may run into an extended wait time due to this requirement, so call ahead to find out if you’ll be able to get in.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, some Golden Corral locations offered vouchers and rain checks on Veterans Day to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s indoor dining capacity limit recommendations.
However, Golden Corral won’t offer rain checks or vouchers in 2023, according to its website. The Military Appreciation Night offer is only valid on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023.
How Golden Corral Supports the Military
In 2019, Golden Corral provided over 300,000 free meals to veterans and service members, according to its website. It has provided more than six million meals since it began celebrating Military Appreciation Night over 20 years ago.
Guests and restaurants combined to contribute over $1.3 million to support local initiatives for veterans in 2019. Over the last two decades, Golden Corral and its customers have contributed over $16 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization.
More Veterans Day Discounts and Offers
More restaurants offering free meals on Veterans Day include Applebee’s, Bob Evans, Chili’s, Little Caesar’s, McCormick & Schmick’s, Red Robin, Ruby Tuesday and Texas Roadhouse.
Here’s this year’s list of restaurants offering free meals on Veterans Day! We’ve also rounded up these 2023 Veterans Day retail discounts and Veterans Day activities, events and attractions.
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Clyde Jones St MBA says
Any involvement with minority military organizations as the immediate Past President of Tuskegee Airmen Travis AFB chapter, w natl 80 chapters become a chapter member. I am also a former Financial Advisor At First Command Financial Fairfield CA near Base, your info would be helpful. ClydeSr MBA for Kt USNavy Legal Officer thanks ???
Mary Lee says
I our golden corals are closed for good in Florence ky area what can we do with our cards since we can’t get too any of the others out of state we got these before we closed I need a reply soon thank you
John C. Davis says
You should know, there are some locations (at least two in Texas and probably more across the nation) that are not honoring this. I tried today in Conroe, Texas, to pick up my card for a free meal later on, but the manager there said he handed out all the cards on Veterans Day and had no intention of honoring this for the whole month. Very misleading.
Ryan Guina says
John, I can understand your frustration. However, I can also understand each store setting limitations on the offer. The website announced there would be a limited number of cards for each location and they would be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This seems to me like a reasonable approach. Otherwise, there are some veterans (or people posing as veterans) who might take advantage of this, and try to get multiple cards throughout the month.
Dara says
My husband and I went to Golden Corral to eat on 1/3/2020 and any other time he always received his veterans discount but today he was told they don’t give that anymore it’s only for active duty as my husband sat and ate his food he felt more and more like he was worthless like he did his duty he didn’t matter anymore I just don’t understand
TJ Fackler says
Golden Corral Rapid City is the only Golden Corral that I’ve been to that does NOT offer s military discount daily.