Military Salute

Veterans Day 2023 deals in Dallas that honor military service members

Veterans and active duty military will get all sorts of deals on November 11.

Photo courtesy of Tarrant Co. Veterans Council

Military servicemembers and veterans typically get discounts at certain places throughout the year, but restaurants and other venues around Dallas-Fort Worth really step it up on Veterans Day to make sure that those who have served know how appreciated they are.

Below are all of the Veterans Day deals Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants, bars, and other vendors are offering on November 11, 2023 (and in some cases, even longer than November 11). Unless otherwise stated, all deals are only for veterans and active-duty military with valid ID.

Bar Louie: Restaurant/bar chain which has five locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer a free Bar Louie craft burger, such as the Bourbon BBQ Burger, GastroBurger, and more. The deal is good for dine-in only on November 11.
Barrel & Bones: Craft bar and smokehouse with three locations in The Colony, Carroltonm and North Dallas, will offer 50 percent off food purchase on November 11.
B&B Butchers & Restaurant: The Fort Worth restaurant will offer a complimentary sandwich, chips, and non-alcoholic drink on November 11.
bb.q Chicken: Korean fried chicken chain, which has seven DFW locations, will offer 25 percent off in-store on November 11 at participating locations.
Black Agave: The Mexican restaurant in Farmers Branch will offer 50 percent off food purchase on November 11.
Bonefish Grill: Seafood restaurant chain, which has locations in Allen and Southlake, will offer a free order of the restaurant’s Bang Bang Shrimp with a soft beverage on November 11. Bonefish Grill gives a Heroes Discount 10 percent off to service members, veterans, and first responders year round.
Bombshells Restaurant & Bar: Texas-based military-themed dining chain which has two locations in Dallas and Arlington, will offer free entrees on November 11; other items will be discounted 20 percent. In addition, families accompanying veterans as well as active service members and accompanying families will receive a 20 percent discount on entrees and other items. Alcoholic beverages are not included.
Bowl & Barrel: Dallas bowling alley/bar will offer a free "Burger in a Bag" on November 11. Active and retired military members and first responders get 25 percent off food year-round.
Cantina Laredo: The Mexican food chain, which has locations in Frisco and Addison, will offer an entrée of their choice up to a $25 value on November 11.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill: Italian restaurant chain, which has three locations in Dallas, Plano, and Hurst, will offer a complimentary dine-in appetizer or dessert paired with a soft drink on November 11. Carrabba’s gives a Heroes Discount 10 percent off to service members, veterans, and first responders year-round.
Cotton Patch Cafe: The casual dining restaurant chain, which has 15 locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer a free Chicken Fried Steak or Chicken Fried Chicken on November 11 for dine-in only orders. In addition, the Texas-inspired restaurant will donate $1 to Homes For Our Troops for every Chicken Fried Steak and Chicken Fried Chicken sold on Veterans Day.
Crisp & Green: The health-conscious chain, which has five locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer a free salad or grain bowl on November 11.
Dairy Queen: The fast food chain, which has locations all over Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer a free medium Blizzard on November 11.
Dallas Veterans Job Fair: Veterans looking for a job can connect with employers at this job fair on November 16 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Dough Bro’s: Italian food chain, which has four locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer 50 percent off food on November 11.
Dunkin: The doughnut chain, which has many locations around Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer a free donut on November 11.
El Chico: Fast casual Mexican food chain, which has four locations in Granbury, Pantego, North Richland Hills, and Rockwall, will offer an entrée of their choice up to a $25 value on November 11.
El Chingon: Fort Worth Mexican restaurant/nightclub will offer no cover charge and a 50 percent discount on their bill, including food, beverages, and bottle services, on November 10 and November 11.
El Fenix: Mexican restaurant chain with 11 locations throughout Dallas-Fort Worth will offer a free meal on November 11, dine-in only. Guests can choose between an Enchilada Plate with a choice of two cheese, chicken, or beef, or the Taco Plate that includes two chicken or beef tacos.
Evan’s Meat Market: The butcher shop in Dallas will offer 15 percent off total orders on Veterans Day. The same deal is available for veterans year-round.
54th Street: Casual dining chain with eight locations across Dallas-Fort Worth, will give $10 off any entree deal on November 11 with the code "Veterans Day.” 54th Street gives active military, healthcare, and first responders 10 percent off year-round.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill: The American restaurant and steakhouse chain, which has locations in Plano and Fort Worth, will offer a free lunch or dinner entrée with the purchase of an entrée of equal or greater value on November 10. The deal is good for dine-in only.
Fish City Grill: Casual coastal restaurant chain, which has 10 DFW locations, will offer a free entrée up to $23.99 in value on November 11.
Ford's Garage: Plano restaurant with vintage Ford Motors auto theme will give 25 percent off meals. Veterans who dine on November 11 receive the discount with up to three guests per table (alcohol excluded).
Golden Corral: Buffet chain with nine locations in Dallas-Fort Worth will host a annual Military Appreciation Night on November 13, featuring a free dinner (buffet & beverage) from 5 pm to closing.
Goodyear Auto Service Centers: The car repair chain will offer a 10 percent discount from November 10-14. The discount can be combined with all current offers. They will also offer "Free Car Care for Vets,” which includes free tire, alignment, brake, fuel system, and fluid checks. The same deal applies at Just Tires company-owned locations. Those who can't make an appointment on those dates can schedule an appointment by November 14 and still receive the discount and free services through November 19.
Grimaldi's Pizzeria: The pizza chain, which has nine locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer 25 percent off on November 10 and 11. If you can't make it those days, they offer 15 percent off for veterans every day of the year.
Half Shells: Coastal restaurant with locations in Dallas and Plano will offer a free entrée up to $26 in value on November 11.
Hat Creek Burger Company: Fast-casual burger chain, which has eight locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer a free Big Hat Burger with valid military ID on November 11.
Hutchins BBQ: Barbecue restaurant, which has locations in McKinney and Frisco, will offer a free meal on November 11. Guests can choose between ½ pound of meat with a choice of two sides or one meat sandwich with a choice of brisket, pulled pork, house-made sausage, or smoked turkey, alongside two sides. The deal is good for dine-in only.
Ice House: Frisco restaurant will offer 25 percent off food and non-alcoholic beverages on November 11.
IKEA: The IKEA in Grand Prairie will offer 15 percent off in-store purchases, up to $3,000 pre-tax, November 10-22. Additionally, veterans can get a free meal in the Swedish Restaurant, November 10-12.
Joe Leo: Dallas Tex-Mex restaurant will offer a free Golden Taco plate on November 11.
La Madeleine: The fast-casual French restaurant chain, which has 22 locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer 30 percent off entire purchases on November 11
Legacy Hall: Plano food hall will give out a $5 "hall pass" to active and retired military with valid IDs. The passes will be available at the Hall Host Desk on the first floor.
Lounge By Topgolf: The golf game-friendly restaurant in Frisco will offer 25 percent off food and non-alcoholic beverages on November 11.
Luckys: Oak Lawn diner will offer an entrée of their choice up to a $25 value on November 11.
Margaret’s Cones & Cups: Frisco ice cream shop will offer 25 percent off food and non-alcoholic beverages on November 11.
McDonald's: McDonald’s, which is everywhere, will offer free meals at participating restaurants on November 11-12. Guests can get a Combo Meal at either breakfast or lunch. The offer is available all day both days through the drive-thru or in-restaurant.
Perry's Steakhouse & Grille: Steakhouse chain with three locations in Uptown Dallas, Frisco, and Grapevine, will offer a free pork chop on November 10 from 10:30 am-5 pm when accompanied by a guest purchasing one lunch or dinner entree, as well as a three-course menu for $39 on November 11 from 4-6 pm. The deals are for dine-in only, and reservations are required.
PJ’s Coffee: Coffeehouse chain, which has eight DFW locations, will offer a free 12-ounce hot coffee or cold brew iced coffee on November 11.
Pokeworks: Poke fast-casual chain, which has seven DFW locations, will offer 20 percent off any order on November 11-12.
Ryder Cup Grille: Restaurant inside Fields Ranch Clubhouse in Frisco will offer 25 percent off food and non-alcoholic beverages on November 11.
Saltgrass Steakhouse: Steakhouse chain with 18 locations across DFW will give 20 percent off to veterans and their guests (valid on parties up to 4) when they dine in from 11 am-3 pm.
Scout: The restaurant inside The Statler will offer a free entrée on November 11.
Sickies Garage: The burger restaurant, which has locations in Irving and Fort Worth, will offer a free Garage Burger or 20 percent off an item of their choice on November 11.
Silver Fox: Upscale steakhouse with locations in Richardson and Fort Worth will offer a $30 discount on their total check on November 11.
Snuffer's: Fast-casual burger chain, which has eight locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer one free burger or sandwich of their choice on November 11. The deal is good for dine-in only.
SPCA of Texas: Dallas Animal Care Center will offer free pet adoptions of adult dogs and adult cats on November 11.
The Swing: The 10-hole golf course in Frisco will offer a complimentary round between 9 am and 3 pm on November 11.
Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe: Mediterranean restaurant chain with two locations in Plano and Southlake will offer a free Chicken Gyro on November 11.
Thirsty Lion Gastropub. Gastropub chain with five locations in Dallas, Irving, The Colony, Addison, and Euless, is offering all active and retired military members with a valid ID a free entrée and a nonalcoholic beverage on November 11
III Forks: The steakhouse in Frisco will offer a free entrée up to a $60 value on November 11.
Twin Peaks: The breastaurant chain, which has 11 locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer a free lunch on November 11. Guests get to pick from choices including a Cheeseburger, Chicken Tenders, Caesar Salad (Chicken or Shrimp), or Chicken Street Tacos.
Whiskey Ranch: The home of TX Whiskey in Fort Worth will offer 10 percent off tickets for their Veterans Day celebration on November 11 with the promo code 2023veteransday, plus 10 percent off at the Ranch Store, including all bottle purchases.
Yogurtland: The frozen yogurt chain, which has nine locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, will offer $5 off online orders of $30 or more (before taxes and fees), November 10-12, using the promo code FALL5.

shopping food-drink lists holidays

Park news

New I-35 deck park in southern Dallas moves closer to spring 2026 debut

Courtesy rendering

Renderings for Halperin Park.

A massive deck park spanning Interstate 35E in southern Dallas is set to open in late spring 2026. Called Halperin Park, the five-acre community space has been under construction since 2017 and will be completed in two phases:

Phase One (finishing in late spring) will include the section from Ewing Avenue to Lancaster Avenue and will feature a pavilion, amphitheater, playground area, interactive fountains, a second level overlooking the Dallas Zoo and the highway, and a large event room for every dining and special events.

Phase Two (to be completed over the next five years) will add the park section toward Marsalis Avenue, with an additional pavilion and extra gathering space.

The project is being developed by the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation and built by the Texas Department of Transportation. Funding comes from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, as well as the private Halperin Foundation, which donated $23 million in 2024 and secured naming rights.

In January, the Dallas City Council approved spending up to $8 million to complete Phase One for spring completion.

The public-private initiative will create $1 billion in economy impact over the next five years, according to a study by UNT Dallas.

Rendering of Halperin ParkCourtesy rendering

A park with purpose
Developers say the park aims to integrate the west side of Oak Cliff, which was somewhat segregated with the construction of I-35 in Oak Cliff in the 1960s, leading to low-income communities and generational poverty.

The project started nine years ago, when the Texas Department of transportation planned a reconstruction of I-35 and began gathering neighbors’ feedback. The result was a plan to widen bicycle and pedestrian lanes in the service roads alongside the highway, and to build a deck over the highway between Ewing and Marsalis avenues, adjacent to the Dallas Zoo. (Similar Klyde Warren Park's "deck park" concept.)

While the project faced some skepticism at first, it later gained momentum as private supporters continued to join.

“Forty percent of the Dallas population lives in South Dallas, yet this segment only accounts for 15 percent of the tax base,” says April Allen, President and CEO of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, citing the opportunity to address the economic equality in the area through the development of the park and all the business it can bring.

Rendering of Halperin Park.Courtesy rendering

Neighborhood pride
For Allen, this project is personal. The Toronto-born executive first moved to Dallas 22 years ago to work at Neiman Marcus, after getting her engineering degree in Canada and her MBA at Harvard. Oak Cliff felt like the right place for her as an intown neighborhood, with a confluency of cultures, local pride and an entrepreneurial spirit, as she describes it. Her first Realtor told her Oak Cliff was “not the right place for her." Instead of choosing a different neighborhood, Allen chose a new Realtor.

She has lived on the same street in North Cliff since, now raising her two kids with her husband, an Oak Cliff native, whom she credits for her further understanding of the neighborhood, its roots and civic dynamics.

Under Allen’s leadership, Halperin Park is focused on a community-first approach that provides support to the neighbors through programs around health and wellness, after-school activities, local food trucks and markets, and educational workshops to help expand homeownership and financial acumen.

To highlight the history and culture of Oak Cliff, they will feature an annual Walk of Fame, lifting up the stories of those who contributed to Oak Cliff history, with the first one happening as part of the inauguration of the park, organizers say.

They will provide their own 24-hour security team to ensure a safe place for families and kids, with clean and well-lit crosswalks.

Given their proximity with the zoo, parking will be available on the East side of the park at the zoo site, with a walkway to the park. They are working on parking options for the West side.

“We want to create a space for community growth and more business in the area," says Allen. "We are already seeing this come to life with projects such as East Dock, and we are excited for future investment that the park will bring."

parks