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Get a free regular roast beef at Arby's on Wednesday when you buy a soda.

It's part of the fast-food restaurant's Wednesday freebies special that ends Aug. 26.

Here's the list of what's being offered.

The offer is limited to one per person.

Find the closest Arby's here.

Food for thought: Grab today's News & Record (still a bargain at 50 cents) and turn to A5. There's a buy one entree, get one free coupon for Ruby Tuesday.

It expires June 2.

A reminder that Shane's Rib Shack restaurants are giving away free ribs to the first 100 customers today.

You get a free, 1/2-rack of baby back ribs, a large Coca-Cola Zero, and a numbered “Shaniac” jersey T-shirt regarding your place in line.

In the Triad, there are two restaurants, both in Greensboro: 4217-A West Wendover Ave. and 1410 Westover Terrace, Suite 101-A.

Didn't make the cut? The next 250 customers in line get a buy one, get one free coupon.

We took restaurant reviewer John Batchelor's advice last night in taking advantage of a pretty tasty restaurant deal in Greensboro.

On Thursday nights, tapas orders at the bar/lounge made before 7 p.m. are priced two-for-one at Solaris at 125 Summit Ave. Eleven wines are also half price and Sangria is discounted.

We enjoyed crab cakes ($9.95), sesame seared tuna ($12.95), filet Italiano ($12.95), steak poivre ($12.95), two glasses of wine, strawberry-topped poundcake and a cup of coffee.

The discounts took a good chunk off the bill, turning a $65.17 tab into a more appetizing $40.77.

Restaurant reviewer John Batchelor writes about value menus in the Triad in the second installment of a two-part series for the News & Record's Go Triad magazine:

* Café Pasta and Grill, (305 State St. #A, 272-1308): $3 for drinks using house liquors, $3 wines by the glass and $6 entrees on "336 Tuesdays."

* Rim (219-A South Elm St., 230-2055): From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., any two tapas selections cost $10 (for the pair), or 3 for $20 anytime.

* Solaris (125 Summit Ave., 378-0198): On Thursday nights, tapas orders entered before 7 p.m. are priced two-for-one, and 11 wines are half price as well, along with cut rates on their great Sangria.

* The Madison Park Café (1310 Westover Terrace # 107, 275-3755): Three courses for $20 for orders placed between 5 and 6 p.m. Glass of house wine is included.

"These rank among the best deals as well as some of the most enjoyable food you are likely to encounter," Batchelor writes. "Quality dining does not have to be expensive!"

The article is on page 19 of the magazine, which is an insert in today's News & Record. (Link to first installment here.)

No, not because they were hungry.

A lot of customers were hoping to take advantage of a Kentucky Fried Chicken coupon good toward a free, 2-piece grilled chicken with two sides and a biscuit

WFMY this morning, with the headline "Free Chicken Frenzy," reported police had to block off the entrances to a KFC on Bessemer Avenue during Wednesday dinner hour. (Didn't see a link to the story on its Web site, but it's still early and I might just need another cup of coffee.)

The free chicken promotion drew so much traffic it created backups on the roads in front of the restaurant. The fire marshal also had to intervene, ordering the restaurant shut down.

Not to worry. As WFMY pointed out, customers who left empty-handed aren't out of luck. The ability to print out the coupon expired yesterday, but that doesn't mean the coupon expired (perhaps the mad dash to KFC yesterday arose from confusion about this).

You can then redeem it by May 19 excluding Mother's Day (May 10).

The promotion didn't exactly go off without a hitch at other places, either.

Do I detect a pattern here?

Coupon good toward a free, 2-piece grilled chicken with two sides and a biscuit at KFC.

Must print the coupon (up to four times) by today. You can then redeem it by May 19 excluding Mother's Day (May 10).

As mentioned this morning on WFMY, couple of good deals today in honor of Cinco De Mayo:

Get 5-cent appetizers at TGI Fridays from 4 to 7 with the purchase of a beverage (must sit at the bar).

Whole Foods in Winston-Salem is giving away free fish tacos, peach salsa and non-alcoholic margaritas from 3 to 7.

Cheers.

Baskin-Robbins is selling 2.5-ounce scoops of ice cream for 31 cents tonight as part of a fundraiser for firefighters.

As part of the deal, Baskin-Robbins will be donating $100,000 to the National Junior Firefighter Program.

The deal takes place from 5 to 10 Wednesday.

Roundup of deals found at grocery stores in the Triad. Sales good through Tuesday except for Aldi, where deals end Saturday.

* Pick four meat or seafood packages for $20 at Lowes Foods, which is doubling manufacturers' coupons up to 99 cents (limit 20).

* Milk is $1.99 a gallon at Aldi.

* Ribeye, N.Y. strip, porterhouse or T-bone steaks are $5.99 a pound at Harris Teeter, which is also tripling manufacturers' coupons up to 99 cents (limit 20).

* New York strip steak is $5.99 a pound at Food Lion.

* Bone-in assorted pork chops are $1.48 a pound at Compare Foods.

* Three pounds of Kirkwood frozen chicken breasts for $5.49 at Aldi.

* Buy one six-pack of Coke, get one free at Harris Teeter.

* Buy one 12-pack of Pepsi, get one free at Food Lion.

* Buy one 24-pack of Deer Park water, get one free at Harris Teeter.

* Buy one 2.5-3-pound bag of frozen chicken breast halves or tenders, get one free at Food Lion.

* Buy one Edy's ice cream, get one free at Lowes Foods.

* Get 10 Michelina's frozen dinners for $10 at Food Lion.

* Kellogg's cereal is on sale for $1.99 at Lowes Foods.

* Buy one Breyers ice cream, get one free at Harris Teeter.

* Chicken thighs or drumsticks are 98 cents a pound at Compare Foods.

* Cattlmen's Ranch top sirloin steak is $3.99 a pound at Aldi.

* Eggs are 79 cents a dozen at Compare Foods.

Starbucks isn't feeling particularly perky these days amid widespread store closings and layoffs.

Plan B? Pouring its efforts into its Seattle's Best Coffee chain.

"We believe that the Seattle's Best Coffee brand can play a unique role in helping capture a larger share of the coffee segment by providing options and a variety to a broader spectrum of customers," Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz told the AP in January.

Starbucks, according to the AP article, says the slightly lower prices and milder taste of Seattle's Best Coffee make it an especially viable vehicle for growth.

So does this make sense? Are you buying what Starbucks is selling? Me? I'm partial to stronger-tasting coffee and prefer Starbucks over Seattle's Best, so thanks but no thanks.

And I just drink it black, so for me it's not that expensive anyway.

Carvel is giving away 8-ounce cups of its new Iceberg frozen treat Thursday from 3 to 7.

The company describes it as soda flavors blended with ice and vanilla flavoring topped with a scoop of soft serve ice cream.

Search here for your closest Carvel store.

Ad supplement in today's News & Record mentions some downtown Greensboro restaurants are offering budget-friendly menus. Here's the link (.pdf).

Example: Rim Tapas and Fine Wine Bar at 219-A S. Elm St. has a menu that includes 25 plates that are $8 and under, plus a “pick three” option for $20 each day.

As mentioned in today's Short Order's column, stop in O'Charley's anytime today and get a free strawberry lemonade.

The deal is good only for those who are dining in. Or you can stop in and pick up a coupon for a free lemonade when dining in any other time through Friday.

You can find O'Charley's at 4505 Landover Road (852-5758) in Greensboro and 521 Huffman Mill Road (584-5652) in Burlington.

Dunkin' Donuts will be selling 16-ounce iced coffee at the reduced price of 50 cents Tuesday to benefit Homes for Our Troops, a national, non-profit organization that builds houses for severely injured veterans.

The restaurant chain will donate 5 cents to Homes for Our Troops for each purchased iced coffee.

Ben & Jerry's is giving away ice cream during its annual "Free Cone Day" on Tuesday.

In the Triad, the Ben & Jerry's at The Shops at Friendly Center in Greensboro and the Palladium in High Point are giving out a free cone or cup of ice cream from noon to 8 p.m.

In return, Ben & Jerry's asks that you consider making a donation to charity. Groups that will benefit locally are the Habitat for Humanity of Greensboro and the Habitat for Humanity of High Point Archdale & Trinity.

KFC will offer a free piece of Kentucky Grilled Chicken to customers in its stores on April 27 as part of its "UNFry Day" campaign.

This is part of the fast-food chain's unveiling its grilled chicken to try to win over health-conscious customers.

The slow-grilled chicken apparently drew strong reviews at a KFC restaurant in Louisville, the chain's hometown.

Anyone tried it? Agree? Disagree?

(AP photo)

Besides PF Chang ’s China Bistro (save 15 percent), some other restaurants with locations in the Triad are also providing some tax-day relief at the cash register today:

Chick-fil-A
Order something today and hang onto your receipt so you can get the same order free when you return before April 30. Update: This is select restaurants only, so be sure to check first (the Friendly Center restaurant, for example, is not participating.)

Cinnabon
Stop by Cinnabon from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m today for free bite-size cinnamon rolls (regularly $2.49 for four).

T.G.I. Friday’s
Get a $5 gift card when you spend $15 to $25 today. Earn a $10 card if you spend more than $25.

Go Triad restaurant reviewer John Batchelor writes about three of the area's best local establishments offering value menus in tough economic times.

"I would not presume to try to tell anyone whether this is the time to buy stocks," Batchelor writes. "But I can tell you that, financially speaking, this is a great time to have a meal in an area restaurant."

Batchelor write about Bistro Sofia off Dolley Madison Road in Greensboro, the Undercurrent off Battleground Avenue in Greensboro and Marisol off High Point Road in Greensboro.

The Greensboro locations of Shane's Rib Shack are giving away free ribs to the first 100 customers May 16.

You get a free, 1/2-rack of baby back ribs, a large Coca-Cola Zero, and a numbered “Shaniac” jersey T-shirt regarding your place in line.

The locations are 4217-A West Wendover Ave. and 1410 Westover Terrace, Suite 101-A

Didn't make the cut? The next 250 customers in line get a buy one, get one free coupon.

Go to P. F. Chang's China Bistro restaurant on tax deadline day (Wednesday) and get 15 percent off your bill.

In the Triad, there's a P. F. Chang's at the Shops at Friendly Center in Greensboro.

Carl Wilson has created a Web-only spinoff of his News & Record Short Orders column regarding restaurant deals in the Triad.

As mentioned on WFMY, you can get a medium cup of Caribou Blend coffee for a buck on Mondays.

In the Triad, there's one in the Friendly Center in Greensboro across from Barnes & Noble.

I'd like to add Jasper's Porch to the list of restaurants and stores we'd like to see in the Triad.

We discovered the Ridgeland, S.C., restaurant off Interstate 95 (exit 21) a few years ago after returning from Hilton Head.

Lunch buffet last time we stopped there in October 2007 was $7.75. Food included fried chicken, salad, sliced turkey breasts, mac and cheese, green beans, pinto beans, Manhattan clam chowder, fresh rolls. Desserts included banana cream pie.

If the weather's nice, you'll want to sit in the screened-in porch area that overlooks a large pond stocked to the brim with turtles and fish.

It's a nice break from the hurried madness of I-95.

Fifteen Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Triad will be giving away free breakfasts for a year Saturday morning for the first 100 people 18 and older in line.

The early birds get 52 certificates good toward a Chick-fil-A breakfast entrée, drink and hash browns.

The lines officially begin forming at 9 p.m. on Friday. Participants may begin to set up tents after 10 p.m. Prizes will be awarded at 6 a.m. on Saturday.

Participating restaurants:


View Larger Map

Coupon in today's News & Record regarding a buy one specialty, fork-tender ribs or steak entree and get one free at Ruby Tuesday.

Here's the list. I'll keep updating it.

So we can scratch Apple Store off the list. But are there other stores and restaurants you'd like to see come to the Triad?

Or, if they're already here, you'd like to see another one open (there's one in Winston-Salem but you want one in Greensboro or vice versa, or maybe more than one of the same restaurant or store in your city.

Me? I would love to have a Dave and Busters here. As my co-worker Louis Bekoe describes it, it's basically an adult version of Chuck E. Cheese.

This is simply what you'd like to see here, not whether it's going to happen anytime soon, given the economy ain't doing so hot these days.

But it doesn't hurt to ask, right? Ya never know which store and restaurant owners read this blog.

Oh, and while you've got their attention, tell them why it's a money-making, win-win proposition to open shop here.

I'm planning on mentioning what you all think in Sunday's Savvy Shopper column.

New Cici's Pizza promotion has you picking up pennies outside their 650 restaurants including those in the Triad to see if you won stuff like a free meal, drink or buy one, get one free deal.

The backs of the pennies will have stickers listing prizes.

Every specially marked penny returned to CiCi’s will be donated to the Big Brothers Big Sisters Club of America.

Regardless, their $5 all-you-can eat buffet is still one of the best restaurant deals in town.

Starting Sunday, go online and order a large, Papa John's pizza at participating Greensboro locations at the regular price and get a second large pizza for free when you mention the code CABOGO.

Deal expires April. 5.

Get a free mint cookies & cream milkshake today with the purchase of a combo meal at Chick-fil-A's Elm Street restaurant in downtown Greensboro.

The restaurants are independently owned and operated (this is not a chain-wide deal), so check with your local Chick-fil-A first to see if they're participating.

Starting today, customers in select markets including Greensboro can get a free large, original crust Papa John's pizza with up to three toppings for every $125 worth of orders made online.

Once registered for the "Papa’s Points" program,. customers receive one point for every $5 in online orders made at papajohns.com, by mobile Web or by text.

You can then redeem the 25 points for a free pizza.

Burger King is giving out samples of its new "Burger Shots" bite-size hamburgers at its Greensboro locations Saturday.

The fast-food restaurant chain describes them as a "flame-broiled burger topped with mustard, ketchup and a crunchy pickle between a bakery-fresh bun without sesame seeds."

The restaurants will be giving them out Saturday (March 14) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. while supplies last.

They are being sold in two-packs for $1.39 or six-packs for $4.09.

They're also serving up some bite-size items on the breakfast menu.

As mentioned by former News & Record business writer and Savvy Shopper founder Amy Buchanan on her blog Goo Goo Buy Buy, you can get some great bargains at Restaurant.com.

The Web site sells discounted gift certificates you can redeem at restaurants. Most require a minimum purchase and may have other restrictions, but you still can land some pretty cool deals.

"I've bought and used their certificates in the past, and have had great luck with them," Amy writes. "And the best thing about Restaurant.com is that they offer great sales on a monthly basis, in addition to their already discounted rates."

Dealnews mentions Restaurant.com is cutting 80 percent off any gift certificate via the coupon code "MENU." So $25 dining certificates are reduced to $2 and $10 gift certificates are 60 cents.

That deal ends Sunday.

Get free breakfasts on Wednesdays this month at the Chick-fil-A off Elm Street in downtown Greensboro.

Limit one per person per visit from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Tomorrow: Free Chick-n-minis (3-count)

March 11: Free chicken biscuit

March 18: Free sausage biscuit

March 25: Free chicken biscuit

Register at Quiznos to get a free sub coupon.

The restaurant chain announced today it's giving away 1 million subs.

After you register, you get an e-mail with the coupon you can print.

Coupon is good for a free small "signature" or "every day value" sub.

As mentioned in today's Short Orders column, you can stop by any International House of Pancakes restaurant Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. to get a free short stack (three) of buttermilk pancakes.

In return, IHOP invites you to make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network.

It's part of the restaurant chain's celebration of National Pancake Day, which is derived from an old English tradition on Shrove Tuesday when pancakes were eaten to use up stores of dairy and eggs for Lent.

See - you do learn something new every day.

As mentioned at Taking Stock, you can print a buy one TGI Friday's entree, get one free coupon that's good until March 1. Link to the coupon.

As mentioned at Taking Stock, Subway is offering any regular sub for $5, which means any sub without double meat or a premium sub like Philly-cheese-steak or chicken and bacon ranch, according to the Pitch.

Deal is good until March 29.

My wife split a $10 off coupon at Vito's Italian restaurant in Greensboro while having dinner with two friends over the weekend.

As mentioned on WFMY this morning, buy one sub, get one free at the Subway restaurant at 3606 N Elm St. in Greensboro. It's any size, meaning you can order one large and get another large free.

It's also buy one, get one free on sandwich wraps, salads and flat breads.

It's part of the store's re-grand opening.

Deal is good through Saturday.

Restaurant hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Denny's is offering free Grand Slam breakfasts on Tuesday.

The restaurant, which has locations in Greensboro and Kernersville, featured the food giveaway in a commercial aired during Sunday night's Super Bowl.

The free breakfast is available from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday. The breakfast features pancakes, eggs, bacon strips and sausage links.

Worried you're not getting enough calories in your diet? I'm not either. But just in case, this breakfast will put some meat on your bones.

I'm keeping track of how much we're saving using the 2009 Attractions Dining and Value Guide coupon book this year.

We broke it out Friday night at Tandoor Indian Restaurant in the Price Place shopping center in Greensboro.

We used a coupon that's good for up to $10 off an entree if you buy another one. Food was good and the menu items were affordable. Restaurant critic John Batchelor also described the place as offering "relatively low prices for full-service dining" in his November review of Tandoor.

We ordered garlic nan unleavened bread ($2.25) as an appetizer. My wife had the chicken korma ($10.95) and I had mulligatawny soup ($2.95) and chicken tikka masala ($10.95).

The coffee wars are brewing.

Caribou Coffee is giving away free 12-ounce cups of decaf coffee today from noon to closing, which was prompted by Starbucks saying earlier this week it would stop continuously brewing decaffeinated coffee after noon.

Caribou Coffee is located in Friendly Center in Greensboro. Here's a map.

"Decaf drinkers deserve better," Alfredo Martel of Caribou Coffee said in a news release.

Anyone know what Caribou decaf tastes like?

I didn't see it listed among the top decaf coffees in Consumer Reports' recent taste test (Dunkin' Donuts was rated as having the best decaf coffee). But it did come in second regarding caffeinated coffee.

A group of downtown restaurants in Winston-Salem are offering discounts on Tuesdays to keep customers coming during the economic downturn.

The restaurants will offer half off on their most popular meals. Participating restaurants will support the program through March 31.

See who's participating here.

Me like. Maybe the idea will catch on in Greensboro.

Get a free cup of Panera Bread's new light or dark roast coffees, samples of three grilled breakfast sandwiches and the new strawberry granola parfait Wednesday.

In return, the 1,230 bakery-cafe chain is asking customers to donate $1 to help support its Operation Dough-Nation program.

Panera will match those donations, which support local programs that address community needs.

Chick-fil-A is hoping to take a bite out of McDonald's entry into the chicken-for-breakfast market by offering a free biscuit on New Year's Day.

Just visit any location from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., buy something, and get a coupon good toward a free chicken biscuit you can redeem on your next visit through March 28.

Buy one entree, get one free T.G.I. Friday's printable coupons are available until Nov. 30.

You can also sign up for a "Give Me More Stripes" card. In exchange, you get a free appetizer coupon and a one-time "front of the line pass." You can also earn credit for each dollar spent at the restaurant.

* Angus boneless New York strip steak for $5.99 a pound (5-packs) at Lowes Foods.

* Cases of Budweiser and Miller beers for $12.44 at Food Lion (limit 2).

* Barefoot wine (all varietals) for $4.97 at Wal-Mart.

* Asparagus for $1.49 a pound at Harris Teeter.

* 2-for-1 deals on 12-packs of Coke at Harris Teeter.

* Dunkin Donuts or Folgers coffee for $5.99 (27.8-34.5 ounces) at Lowes Foods and Food Lion.

* Buy 1, get 1 free on Breyers Ice Cream at Food Lion.

Page 32 of Go Triad magazine (insert in today's News & Record) features 2-for-1 lunch and dinner entree coupons at Buffalo's Bar & Grill.

The restaurant chain has two locations in Greensboro and one in High Point.

We used to regularly chow down on a whole bunch of wings at its Battleground Avenue location after some challenging rounds on the golf course.

Nothing gets the bitter taste out of remembering a triple bogey than a stack of spicy wings and a cold one.

Cheers.

To celebrate its grand opening, the entire menu at Poblano’s Mexican Bar and Grill at Friendly Center in Greensboro is half off today.

Hours today are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

At $8-$9 for the average entrée, that’s a pretty good deal, Short Orders columnist Carl Wilson tells me.

Hardee's has unabashedly catered itself as the fast-food chain that thinks portion control is for sissies. Look no further than the "Monster Thickburger," which weighs in at 1,420 calories and has 108 grams of fat.

So I thought I would never see the day when Hardee's begins showcasing smaller, not bigger, portion sizes.

But that day has come, folks, judging by the latest Hardee's commercials touting its "Little Thickburger."

And you can blame the economy for Hardee's change of heart. That's because consumers' wallets have gone on a diet.

The price of the Little Thickburger? A leaner $1.99.

"The only complaint some people have ever had about our Thickburgers is that they were either too big or too expensive to order as much as they would like, particularly in this challenging economic environment," according to Brad Haley, Hardee's EVP of marketing for Hardee’s restaurants. "So, we created Little Thickburgers specifically for those people."

So does the economy mean you're eating less at fast-food restaurants or choosing cheaper items on the menu or both? Weigh in here.

Wear your favorite football team's attire or logo on Monday and get a 3-count order of Chick-fil-A's new "Chick-n-Strips."

That means any clothing or accessory that has a collegiate logo, or the logo of your favorite recreational football team, middle or high school football team, or professional football team. Yes, that includes the drive-thru (until 10 p.m.).

Promotion starts at 10:30 a.m.

Before you toss Sunday's paper, take a quick flip through Parade magazine. On page 15, there are two coupons for free Southern Style Chicken at McDonalds.

The A.M. coupon will get you a free chicken biscuit with the purchase of any medium or large drink. The P.M. coupon will net you a free chicken sandwich with the same drink purchase requirements. The coupons expire Sept. 1.

You can buy a large sweet tea at McDonalds for about a buck. Paying pocket change for a sandwich and drink isn't bad.

Chick-Fil-A will be giving away free three count servings of Chicken Strips on Labor Day for folks wearing gear representing their favorite football team.

The deal runs from 10:30 a.m. until closing.

That's an important holiday. Celebrate it by swinging by a participating Krispy Kreme location for a free doughnut of your choice.

The offer is valid Friday, June 6.

The trend among fast-food and regular restaurants in recent years has been to downsize their menu offerings both in price and size. Not to worry: you can still go to Hardee’s and get a Homer Simpson-drooling, 1,420-calorie Monster Thickburger.

Huge marketing blitz right now from KFC regarding it's 99-cent Snackers, which have actually been around for several years. Back when it started selling them in 2005, KFC called the item the most successful sandwich launch in the brand's history. But it's interesting to point out that this was launched during better economic times, so maybe consumers like to, gee golly Beaver, I don't know, save money all the time, not just when it's trendy.

But does that mean people are spending less in restaurants when all is said and done? Not necessarily.

"People in focus groups tell us they want control, they want to eat lighter," Steve Provost, Quiznos chief marketing officer, told the AP regarding their discounted $2 mini "Sammies" sandwiches they began offering in November. "The fact that they are buying more than one and are buying a chip or a drink with us shows us they are choosing to fill up their plate again."

I'll be the first to admit my wallet, stomach and waistline are locked in a never ending battle every time I step foot in a restaurant. Will one Jr. Whopper be enough? Better get two just in case.

If you teach in North Carolina, Tuesday is your lucky day. Teachers and faculty can get free burritos and tacos at Chipotle Mexican Grill from 3 to 10. Just bring an ID.

It's how the 700-restaurant chain, which has two eateries in Greensboro, is celebrating National Teacher Day.

Triad Chick-Fil-A restaurants will be giving away breakfast on Fridays during the month of March. Get in line between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to receive the featured dish for the best bargain price of all: FREE!

Be one of the first 100 people through the doors of a newly renovated McDonald's at 2738 South Main St. in High Point and score yourself free Big Macs for a year.

Here's the deal: The first 100 in-store customers will receive vouchers for free Big Macs for a year. Customers can line up in advance starting Tuesday at 10 p.m. Doors will open Wednesday at 6 a.m.