Capital Region birthday freebies
Bombers big birthday margarita
You say it's your birthday! Great! Time to milk it for all it's worth. And as it turns out, it's worth a lot.
Lots of Capital Region businesses offer birthday specials, but some of those specials take the proverbial cake. Here's a list of Capital Region birthday freebies to check before you head out to celebrate your b-day.
Bombers
Birthday Special:
Free burrito at the takeout counter and free margarita when you grab a table.
Why:
Bombers offers you more on your birthday than Moe's burritos and don't make you pre-register online to get it.
Requirements:
Photo ID with your birth date.
Birthday Special:
Free small ice cream
Why:
Free ice cream and you have to ask why? The one in Albany is right down the street from Bombers -- so it's easy to stop here after your free burrito or margarita. And B&J doesn't ask you to register in advance like Cold Stone Creamery.
Requirements:
Photo ID with your birth date.
Birthday Special:
Half off of a second dinner entree
Why:
You can treat your friends to a Barnsider steak and their never ending salad and still have money for cake.
Requirements:
Photo ID with your birth date.
Hollywood Video
Birthday Special:
Free rental
Why:
Because Netfllix takes a few days to ship and doesn't offer video games.
Requirements:
Membership
Birthday Special:
2 liter beer served in a giant glass boot.
Why:
Because it's fun, it's delicious, and you can throw peanut shells on the floor. Just don't be a jerk and break the boot. Then your free beer will cost you $40.
Requirements:
Photo ID with your birth date.
Mahar's Public Bar
Birthday Special:
One free beer
Why:
If you have an appreciation for good beer and want to expand your palate, this is the place is for you. The variety they offer is the best in the city and the atmosphere is classy.
Requirements:
Stop in, buy a beer and give them your name before your birthday and they will set up your free account. This account lets you earn rewards, keeps track of what beers you still need to sample -- and grant you a free beer on your birthday.
Belleayre Mountain
Birthday Special:
Ski free on your birthday (if your birthday falls in the off season, they'll assign you a free day).
Why:
8 lifts and 47 trails take you through the 171 acres of the "forever wild" Catskill Forest Preserve.
Requirements:
Photo ID with your birth date. Off-season birthday info can be found here.
Macaroni Grill/Houlihan's/PF Changs/Olive Garden/TGI Fridays/Albany
Pump Station/Buca Di Beppo/Red Lobster/Cheesecake Factory/Koto
Japaneese Steakhouse/The Standard
Birthday Special:
Free piece of cake, cupcake or scoop of ice cream with the purchase of any entree. The bigger chains will have the staff serenade you with what can only be described as a birthday song. That's because the actual song "Happy Birthday" is copyrighted. Yes, really.
Why:
You know exactly what to expect from these places, and their locations are usually very convenient.
Requirements:
Photo ID with your birthday, but very often they'll take you at your word.
Know of any other good birthday specials? Please share.
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Comments
Ahhh, what a great post. I've been meaning to do something like this, but in the chain sense. I like how this is local. What a great idea. Thanks.
... said Kristi on Jul 23, 2009 at 10:40 AM | link
Cool, about 21 days too late for me, but something to keep in mind for next year. :)
... said DH on Jul 23, 2009 at 10:54 AM | link
Elissa Halloran has a, "birthday book," too. I'm not sure what the special is but you'll probably get a nice discount.
... said Leigh on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:04 AM | link
Sweet, this gives me about 4 months to properly plan my birthday to maximize the free stuff!
Note to self: go skiing BEFORE hitting all the places with free booze.
... said Slacker on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:06 AM | link
I'm planning to do at least one of these, maybe two, on my birthday this Tuesday (the booze ones, of course).
Note to self: Alcohol and ice cream don't mix very well, especially at the end of the night. Oh, and you're lactose intolerant.
... said Mark on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:15 AM | link
If you're looking for some retail birthday love, if you're a member of Sephora's Beauty Insider program, it will send you a coupon for a free sample for your birthday (this year, I got 4 small lip glosses). Also, Different Drummer's Kitchen and Pearl Grant Richmans will send you a coupon for some percentage off purchase during your birthday month if you're on their mailing lists.
... said Kate on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:24 AM | link
Just a tip: Bomber's will refuse you a margarita if your birthday is 'tomorrow' but you arrive after midnight - at which point it IS technically your birthday. I was disappointed to find this out.
... said Skye on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:40 AM | link
Of course this gets posted 4 days after my birthday! I did get some sweet freebies from a few of my favorite bartenders in the area though! Love those guys : )
@Leigh: Elissa sent me a nice postcard for $5 off any purchase in her "little store". I love how she does cute stuff like this!
... said kimelodic on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:58 AM | link
And I have been told at Bombers that we are required to order food to get the birthday margarita. Beers aren't enough business for them to do it.
And be prepared for the lovely sulfur smell of the sparkler in your drink! It stinks, but it sure is festive!
... said Mel on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:07 PM | link
This is awesome and I am filled with regret that I will be out of town on my upcoming birthday!
... said Elizabeth on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:12 PM | link
Last I checked, Washington Tavern will give you a free bottle of Champagne on your 21st Bday
... said Brock on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:18 PM | link
That's pretty bull, Skye! My mother insists that I'm not really my new age until the actual time I was born. I thought that was the real, legal deal until I was about 12... And the older I get the more I'm thinking of reinstating that rule...
... said Alison on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:26 PM | link
Washington Tavern gives you a free bottle of champagne on your birthday
... said skip on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:35 PM | link
@Kate, I'm a member of Sephora's beauty insider, and last year they sent me a sizeable bottle (much, much larger than a sample) of birthday cake scented body wash. I wonder what I'll get this year... :)
... said Summer on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:41 PM | link
@Skye: The same thing happened to me! I went in for my birthday margarita in the evening with about 8 other food-buying and booze-drinking friends and was denied my birthday margarita, even though I asked for it after midnight. I had been so excited to get it, but they would not budge.
... said Kelly on Jul 23, 2009 at 2:23 PM | link
Arielle,
Great post - satisfies a curiousity everyone in the capital region has alaways had - "where do i get free @$%& on my birthday?"
I think Wolff's Biergarten has the best one of the list. Experiences with bombers have alway left our gang wanting.
BTW for those chains... I must have gotten my good pal Bozz a free cake and crap song once a month at Friday's for about two years running. Angry Bosnian + poor english + stupid birthday song = Top Notch Entertainment.
... said daleyplanit on Jul 23, 2009 at 4:19 PM | link
Daleyplanit, thanks and I so remember those birthday pranks with Bozz. Fun times! A lot of the chains told me that they still don't ask for ID, which is bizarre. You'd think they would have caught on by now that young folks love to prank each other & get free cake by pretending it's someones birthday. Oh well. Let the pranks continue I guess.
... said Arielle on Jul 23, 2009 at 4:39 PM | link
I love your timing. Thank you.
... said Naomi on Jul 23, 2009 at 6:04 PM | link
I got my free burrito from Bombers a month ago, but I asked in Ben & Jerry's whether they did some sort of free ice cream on your birthday thing and they said no.
You guys forgot Stewart's though. I went to Stewart's afterward to get my free ice cream.
... said Lana on Jul 23, 2009 at 6:25 PM | link
The Pump Station might not do a freebie deal, but they give you 20% off your bill if its your birthday.
... said Ellie on Jul 23, 2009 at 7:18 PM | link
This is quite convenient. My 21st is coming up at the end of August. There's now a very good chance you'll catch me stumbling around the area with this page in tow.
... said Pete on Jul 23, 2009 at 8:10 PM | link
@Lana,
Really? Because I called the Lark street Ben & Jerry's and they told me yes! Weird.
@Ellie
I called the Albany Pump Station & they said they give you free cake. They didn't say anything about the 20% off deal, but if that's true then great!
... said Arielle on Jul 23, 2009 at 8:13 PM | link
Saratoga isn't really Albany but Putnam Market will give you a discount equal to your age on your birthday. We found out quite by accident when my son turned 2 and we got a 2% discount. Apparently, lots of folks bring their grandmother in so they can get a 90% discount.
The food is good too. On Broadway.
... said mommymoppet on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:19 PM | link
Villa Valenti in Sand Lake: Good Italian place, great salad bar. Free entree with purchase of another. You have to sign up for their birthday club or whatever they call it. Then about a month before your bday they'll send you a postcard for the freebie. They say you have to use them within 30 days, but nobody's ever checked that I've noticed.
... said Bobbo on Jul 25, 2009 at 10:34 AM | link
This is a great post. Sadly for me, none of these places are open on my birthday: 12/25. Bullocks.
... said James Frederick on Jul 27, 2009 at 2:31 PM | link
Awesome... thanks to you all I got my Sephora lip gloss and plan to head to Lark street for some free food tomorrow. RIP Elvis.
... said Dawn on Aug 15, 2009 at 4:05 PM | link
The Ivy Spa in North Greenbush gives $20 off any service to all their clients during their bday month...very sweet
... said michelle on Aug 16, 2009 at 9:54 PM | link
To get the margarita @ Bombers you just need to spend $15, it can be food or drink. I've gotten it at midnight of my birthday for two years, but those years were both midweek... Maybe they allowed because they weren't busy?
... said J-Me on Sep 6, 2010 at 10:42 PM | link
You guys never heard of slipping them a fiver? That makes it YOUR birthday at Bombers if they hedge...5 bucks to look the other way? Easy money
... said James on Jun 10, 2011 at 5:48 PM | link
Pinto & Hobbs on Washington does a free fishbowl of long island iced tea!
... said Ariel on Dec 13, 2011 at 1:05 PM | link
Add the Olde English and Graney's Stout to the list... you get a free GIANT teacup full of hard cider or Foster's at the Olde English, and a giant jug (I forget the ounces...maybe 40) of beer at Graney's.
... said Summer on Dec 13, 2011 at 3:55 PM | link
Hmm they are still doing free birthday burritos at the downstairs Bombers? Last year when I asked they said they had discontinued it.
I was able to get a free ice cream from Ben & Jerry's though. But it seemed they weren't really sure what their birthday policy was. Actually they didn't even ask for my ID!
... said D on Dec 13, 2011 at 7:20 PM | link
Free fishbowl of beer mixed with lemonade at the Barrel Saloon on Broadway in Albany. They call it - dirty swamp water. Tasted like a shandy. I had to carefully dump out the approx. 5 scoops of ice because it was way too cold to chug.
Also, Junior's does a free bottle of champagne.
... said Danielle Sanzone on Dec 13, 2011 at 7:49 PM | link