How Dallas Restaurants Are (And Aren't) Honoring Veterans on Veterans Day

via Stars and Stripes

Hook these boys up.

Veteran's Day is one of those holidays that doesn't get as much fanfare as the ones where you get presents or chocolate. Whatever your feelings on United States foreign policy, the men and women in the United States Armed Forces give up a lot, and this holiday is meant to honor those sacrifices. For many restaurants, that means giving veterans and active duty military members free food on Veteran's Day.

Freebies are abundant on Veteran's Day. Dozens of national restaurant chains that will be feeding vets for free today. Krispy Kreme is handing out free donuts and coffee, and Cantina Laredo and Silver Fox are saying thanks by giving veterans and active duty personnel a complimentary entree. Hooters, Red Lobster, Baskin Robbins and Outback Steakhouse also have Veteran's Day offers, so long as you can provide a valid military ID.

When it comes to local restaurants, though, the pickings are much more slim. Norma's Cafe has been giving away free meals to veterans for years, along with Bread Winners, Cafe Brazil, El Fenix, and Snuffer's. According to a list compiled by The Dallas Morning News, Brazilian steakhouse Rodizio Grill is offering a buy one, get one free deal for veterans and their families. This isn't an entirely exhaustive list, but the vast majority of Dallas' locally owned restaurants don't seem to be on the Veteran's Day freebie bandwagon.

There will surely be other Veteran's Day offers posted throughout the day, and others that haven't been well-publicized. Still, the vast majority of the city's locally owned and supported restaurants seemingly don't plan to offer freebies to veterans. Assuming that more Dallas restaurants are having Veteran's Day specials, shouldn't they be doing a beter job of promoting them? What good is a Veteran's Day special if no veterans know that there is a Veteran's Day special?

If our government can't keep our military out of dangerous war zones and provide them with things like decent and quality healthcare, surely Dallas restaurants can step in and make sure they have a decent meal on the one day of the year that many of us even remember veterans and their service. Here's betting they're good tippers, too.