Kids Eat Free Roanoke
Where Kids Eat Free in Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, Daleville & Catawba, Monday Through Sunday
By Grace McCardle | Updated September 2026
It's 5:40 on a Tuesday, you just got out of the parking lot at Green Ridge, and nobody has thawed anything. Every Roanoke Valley parent knows that exact moment. The good news is that on most nights of the week there's a restaurant somewhere between Salem and Daleville where your kid eats free, which turns a night you didn't plan for into one that costs about what a rotisserie chicken would have.
We went through the deals running across the valley and sorted them by day, because that's how you actually need them, whether you're in Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, or Botetourt County. Almost all of these require an adult entrée, and several cap it at one or two free kids' meals per paying adult, so read the fine print before you promise anybody anything.
One caveat worth saying plainly. Restaurant deals change without notice and nobody announces it. Call ahead if you're driving across town for a specific one. If you find something here that's out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.
AT A GLANCE
- There's a kids eat free or reduced-price deal somewhere in the valley almost every day of the week.
- Most require the purchase of an adult entrée, and many limit it to one or two free kids' meals per paying adult.
- Age cutoffs vary a lot, from 12 and under at most spots down to 2 and under at The Homeplace.
- Friday is the thin day. The everyday spots are your best bet.
Monday
Famous Anthony's, multiple locations. Half-price kids' meals with the purchase of an adult meal.
Green Goat, Roanoke. Kids 10 and under eat free all day with the purchase of an adult entrée.
Gusto Pizza, Salem. Kids 10 and under eat free all day with the purchase of an adult meal.
Outback Steakhouse, Roanoke. One free kids' meal for ages 12 and under with the purchase of an adult entrée.
Pancho's Mexican, multiple locations. Kids 10 and under eat free from 5 to 9 p.m. with the purchase of an adult meal.
Tuesday
Denny's, Roanoke. Kids eat free from 4 to 10 p.m., up to two free kids' meals with the purchase of an adult entrée of $6 or more.
Firehouse Subs, multiple locations. Kids 12 and under get a free kids' meal with the purchase of a medium sub, drink, and chips.
McAlister's Deli, Roanoke. Kids 12 and under get a kids' meal for $1.90 with an adult meal, 5 p.m. to close.
Pizza Den, Salem. Kids 10 and under eat free, two kids per paying adult, and the arcade games are free too. That last part is the difference between eating dinner and eating dinner in peace.
Town Center Tap House, Daleville. Kids 12 and under eat free with an adult entrée, up to two free kids' meals per adult.
Wednesday
The Fishin' Pig, Daleville. Kids eat free from 4 to 9 p.m., one meal from the Lil' Piglet menu with each adult entrée.
Lydia's Italian Kitchen, Salem. Kids 12 and under eat free after 4 p.m. with the purchase of an adult meal.
Thursday
All Sports Cafe, Salem. One free kids' meal from the Little League menu with each adult meal, 5 to 8 p.m.
Fork in the Alley, Roanoke. Kids 12 and under eat free from 4 to 10 p.m. with the purchase of an adult meal.
Friday
Friday is the one gap. We didn't turn up a Friday-only deal anywhere in the valley this round, which makes a certain amount of sense from the restaurants' side. The everyday spots below all still apply, and Golden Corral is the reliable one if you have a table of varying appetites.
Saturday
Famous Anthony's, multiple locations. Half-price kids' meals with the purchase of an adult meal.
Rodeo Chico, Daleville. Kids 12 and under eat free from 2 to 8 p.m. with a paying adult meal.
Sunday
Frank's Pizza, Salem. Kids 12 and under get one free item from the kids' menu with an adult meal. Dine-in only.
Rodeo Chico, Daleville. Kids 12 and under eat free from 2 to 8 p.m. with a paying adult meal.
Everyday
Golden Corral, Roanoke. Kids 3 and under eat the buffet free with each paying adult.
The Great 611 Steakhouse, Roanoke. Kids 3 and under get one free salad bar with each paid adult salad.
The Homeplace Restaurant, Catawba. Kids 2 and under eat free. Worth the drive out 311 on its own, and the line moves faster than it looks.
Mama Maria's, Roanoke. Kids 3 and under eat free from the lunch buffet with a paying adult during buffet hours. Closed Mondays.
Making a Night of It
A few of these pair well with whatever already had you out of the house. Rodeo Chico and Town Center Tap House both sit in Daleville, which puts them ten minutes from the Botetourt orchards if you spent the afternoon picking apples. Downtown, dinner and a Saturday morning at the City Market work as one trip, and the market vendors are worth building the day around. If you're feeding a younger crowd, Pizza Den and Gusto both handle a toddler meltdown better than most, and the same is true of a handful of other spots parents send us. Deep in birthday season, the math on a weeknight deal is the same math that makes a party venue worth booking early. And if you're just looking for what's on this month, the roundup moves fast this time of year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check the day of the week above first, then the Every Day list. Golden Corral, The Great 611 Steakhouse, Mama Maria's, and The Homeplace in Catawba run their deals daily, so there's always something.
Close to it. Monday through Thursday plus Saturday and Sunday each have day-specific deals. Friday has none that we found, but the everyday restaurants still apply.
Almost always. Nearly every Roanoke Valley restaurant on this list requires an adult entrée first, and many cap the offer at one or two free kids' meals per paying adult.
It varies. Most cap it at 10 or 12 and under. A few, including Golden Corral, The Great 611 Steakhouse, and Mama Maria's, cover only kids 3 and under, and The Homeplace limits it to 2 and under.
Regularly, and usually without an announcement. Some are seasonal or run for a set window. Call before you plan a night around a specific offer.
Know one we missed? Send it our way and we'll add it. This page gets updated as deals change, and most of what's on it came from parents telling us where they go.
About the Author
