Where to Find Free or Cheap Food in Houston After Voting [Updated]

Because Texas is largely known as a non-voting state, Washington Avenue restaurant The Classic All Day is encouraging locals to cast their ballots by enticing them with free food.

A representative for the restaurant tells Eater that the restaurant at 5922 Washington Avenue will serve anyone with an “I Voted” sticker a free lunch or dinner (read: one entree, one appetizer) on November 6. Considering the record turnout at the polls in the first few days of early voting, it’s likely that owner Benjy Levit will be handing out a great deal of free food.

At the risk of sounding like a democracy-stifling buzzkill, these kinds of promotions are technically against the law. As Eater reported after the 2016 election, enticing someone to vote with goods or cash has been illegal in the United States since 1948. Fortunately, it’s easy for restaurants to work around this rarely-enforced law by simply providing the same offer to people who show up and ask for the Election Day deal, or serve those wearing any kind of sticker. Some spots, including chains like Shake Shack and Krispy Kreme, have chosen to extend the offer to all patrons who visit their establishments on election day.

Still, it’s likely that a number of Houston establishments will choose to participate in some kind of Election Day giveaway, and Eater will be updating this post with a full list of spots to score a free snack as a reward for braving the line to vote.

More Election Day 2018 Freebies and Discounts

• Daiqritas — Flash an “I Voted” sticker for $1 off any size daiquiri
• Karma Kolache — An “I Voted” sticker gets 10 percent off your entire order
• Rodeo Goat — Wear an “I Voted” sticker, get 10% off food
• Slurp Ramen Bar — After voting, get 15% off your total bill
• Daiqrita’s — Get $1 off any daiquiri with proof of voting
• Coffee-Q — Bring your “I voted” sticker to the roaming food truck for 20 percent off coffee and barbecue. This afternoon it’s at Levy Park
• Giant Leap Coffee — Get $1 off anything by showing your “I voted” sticker
• Cottonwood Bar — Wear an “I Voted” sticker and get a free pint of Independence Brewing Company’s Native Texan pilsner
• Daily Juice — Get a free soup with an “I Voted” sticker
• SubZero Nitrogen Ice Cream — 25% off an ice cream purchase with an “I Voted” sticker
• Tacodeli — Get a free coffee or fountain drink with proof of voting
• Fajita Pete’s — Get a red margarita, a blue margarita, and an order of chips and queso for $10 on Election Day.
• JCI Grill — Get a free original coney by showing an “I Voted” sticker and purchasing any original combo.
• The Halal Guys — Get a free order of fries with proof of voting at the Medical Center, Westchase, and Farnham locations
• Great Heights Brewing — Score half-off your first beer by wearing an “I Voted” sticker from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• East End Hardware — Bring an “I Voted” sticker, get a canned beer free + watch the election results roll in on Tuesday night
• Mo’s Irish Pub (Katy) — Get a Mo’s Pub Burger for $5 by presenting an “I Voted” sticker on Election Day
• HS Green — Score a free iced latte or pumpkin spice latte by presenting an “I Voted” sticker
• SweetCup Gelato — Get a free scoop at the Montrose location by presenting an “I Voted” sticker
• Tacos A Go Go — Get a free order of chips and salsa at all Tacos A Go Go locations by presenting an “I Voted” sticker
• Smallcakes Houston — Patrons carrying an election receipt or wearing an “I Voted” sticker are entitled to one free cupcake. The offer is also valid at Smallcakes in Pearland
• Honeychild’s Sweet Creams — Score a cup of frozen custard for voting, canvassing, or wearing an “I Voted” sticker by tagging Honeychild’s in an Instagram post celebrating your vote
• Daiquiri’s 2 Go — Wear a sticker, get $1 off a large daiquiri
• Houston Watch Co. — Get half-off your first drink by wearing a sticker
• Bean’s Cafe Coffee Shop — Get 20.18% off any drink from now through November 6 by wearing an “I Voted” sticker
• Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys — Get a free cookie by wearing an “I Voted” sticker at the North Loop and West Loop locations
• Dessert Gallery — Wear a sticker, get a free cookie
• Chill Milkshakes (Spring) — Get a dollar off any milkshake with an “I Voted” sticker
• Boomtown Coffee — At both Boomtown locations, get a free drip coffee by wearing an “I Voted” sticker
• The Union Kitchen — Wear an “I Voted” sticker for a free appetizer at all The Union Kitchen locations
• Jax Grill — Get half-off tacos by wearing an “I Voted” sticker
• The Flying Saucer — Get 10% off all food during early voting (October 22-November 2) and on Election Day. Beer not included
• Melange Creperie — $1 off any menu item with an “I Voted” sticker
• Ooh La La Dessert Boutique — On Election Day, score a free chocolate chip cookie by “flashing a patriotic sticker”
• Molina’s Cantina — $6 Molina’s margaritas all day long on Election Day
• Michael’s Cookie Jar — Get one free cookie for wearing an “I Voted” sticker
• The Pearl Restaurants & Bar — Show an election receipt and get one free item from the bar bites menu (the Pearl suggests pork belly cheese fries or fried oysters) with the purchase of a drink
• Morningstar Coffee — Free drip coffee with an “I Voted” sticker
• The Hay Merchant — Half-off all Houston beers for anyone wearing a sticker during early voting or on Election Day
• Feges BBQ — 10% off your bill with an “I Voted” sticker
• Goodnight Charlie’s — Happy hour pricing all day long during early voting and Election Day for anyone wearing a sticker
• UB Preserv — Wear a sticker, score a beer, shot of booze, and order of boudin siu mai for $15, typically only available during the restaurant’s Sunday “power hour”
• Shake Shack —Voters who show a Shake Shack employee their “I Voted” sticker will receive free fries with any purchase. This deal is happening at all locations.

• Rewarding Voters With Free Food Is Technically Illegal [Eater]