Free Thinking: Kids Eat Free in and Around Orlando358

Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch - or even a free dinner? Restaurants all over the Central Florida area regularly invite kids to enjoy a meal on the house every week - sometimes even more often.

MONDAYS
Orlando's arresting pizza chain, NYPD Pizzeria offers a kids eat free deal every Monday, which means your little officer gets a free 10" pizza. There's a limit of two free kids' deals per adult and a minimum purchase of $10; call ahead to make sure your local restaurant participates.

Local Texas Roadhouse restaurants in Ocoee, Orlando, and Melbourne offer a weekly Kids' Night featuring games, activities, and a free meal from the "Andy" kids' menu; times vary by restaurant, but they generally start at 5pm or 6pm. Also, don't be surprised if your young'uns come home from school or community events with wooden nickels from Texas Roadhouse that can be redeemed for free meals at any time. The restaurant supplies the tokens to local schools and organizations to use as giveaways.

TUESDAYS
Tuesdays are Kids' Night at Gator's Dockside restaurants throughout the area, which means kids under 12 eat free from 6pm-8:30pm. (One free meal per adult meal purchased.) Most locations also provide entertainment such as face painting, balloon art, and clowns. On Super Tuesday, which is the last Tuesday of each month, each location (with the exception of Gator's Dockside Kissimmee) holds a drawing for a kid's bike. Diners can register for the bike drawing throughout the month, but families must be present during the drawing to win. (Drawings are generally held at 7pm, but check with your local restaurant to confirm.)

The Swamp House River Front Grill in DeBary, located along the picturesque St. John's River, also extends a free-meal deal to families: Every Tuesday, kids 12 and under can eat free all day.

WEDNESDAYS
Shopping for a place to eat Wednesday nights? IKEA Orlando's in-store restaurant serves up free meals to kids 12 and under every Wednesday from 6pm-8:30pm. Even if you visit on a different day, be aware that IKEA's every day menu is ultra-affordable. Breakfast, for instance, is just 99 cents. The store's lower-level bistro sells all-beef hot dogs for just 50 cents. The IKEA restaurant also regularly offers free breakfast deals for everyone in the whole family - keep an eye on their website or direct-mail flyers!

MULTIPLE DAYS
For years, Denny's restaurants nationwide have offered a "Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays" promotion, allowing families to receive up to two free kids' entrees from the kid's menu for each regularly-priced adult entree purchased between 4pm-10pm. But did you know that some locations also extend the promotion to Saturday nights, as well? Check with your local restaurant for details.

Kids five and under receive a free meal from the buffet on any day of the week at any of the five Ponderosa Steakhouse locations in the Orlando area. (One free meal with each adult entree purchased.) Kids ages six through ten can visit the buffet for just $4.59.

Chick-fil-A restaurants frequently offer weekly or monthly kids' nights which vary by location. For instance, the Chick-fil-A at Waterford Lakes Town Center offers a free kids' meal with the purchase of any combo meal every Tuesday from 5pm-8pm. Chat up the folks at your local restaurant to see if they, too, serve up freebie meals. (And feel free to make note of it in the comment section, below.)

If you eat out frequently, you may want to check out the Kid Eat Free Card, which awards a free kids' meal (for kids age 11 and under) with the purchase of an adult meal. The card costs $19.99 and expires 90 days after the first use, and you'll need a card for each child. Before purchasing be sure to check out the list of participating restaurants to make sure your family will benefit from the purchase. Many of the participating restaurants are in touristy areas such as I-Drive or Old Town, and - depending on the age of your child - some participants offer free or low-cost meals even without the card.

KNOW OF SOMEWHERE ELSE TO GO?
Know of more free eats for kids in the Orlando area? Add a comment in the Review box below! And don't forget to check out our other Free Thinking pages to find free events and activities near your home.