The arrival of June means strawberry season and the arrival of birthday freebie notifications in my inbox! Nothing helps me celebrate more than indulging myself with a free ice cream cone or cupcake. Below are some of my top favorite freebies available in the greater Portland area.
1. Cloud City Ice Cream
Located in the up-and-coming Woodstock district, Cloud City just might be absolute favorite of the many wonderful Portland ice cream shops. The ice cream is creamy without being syrupy or heavy and the flavors are intense, yet perfectly balanced. One of my favorites is Better Than Therapy, a lemon and gingersnap ice cream. Yes, it definitely makes me happy.
Walk in on your birthday to receive a free Waffle cone or Sunday. Be prepared to show ID, but I’ve never had them ask.
Location:
4525 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97206
2. Fat Cupcake
Cupcakes are adorable, cupcakes are delicious and cupcakes are the perfect size to indulge yourself. And once you’ve tried one of Fat Cupcake’s creations, you’ll never want a grocery store cupcake again. Many cupcake flavors have a creamy filling hidden in the center, which doubles the delicious factor.
Walk in on your birthday to receive a free full size cupcake. Be prepared to show ID.
Locations:
Oregon City: 19273 Molalla Ave., Oregon City, OR 97045
SE Portland: 6011 S. E. 72nd Ave., Portland, OR 97206
3. Panera Bread
The My Panera card is one of my favorite rewards cards. There is no fee, no credit card, you don’t have to visit regularly to get coupons and freebies and the visits that you do accumulate year after year. Sometimes I’ll even randomly receive free coffee for a month or a free bagel for a month. All rewards members get a free pastry during their birthday month. I always go for the cherry, cream cheese pastry. Ymmmm!
Sign up for the My Panera rewards program and receive an email notifying you of your birthday freebie.
4. Baja Fresh
With lots of healthy and fresh menu options, I appreciate Baja Fresh as a fast food restaurant. My go-to menu item is the Burrito Ultimo. It’s huge and it’s tasty. I get it for free each year near my birthday. Well, there is a catch. You have to buy a large drink to get your free entree.
Sign up for Club Baja to receive emails with coupons and your birthday freebie.
5. Pastini Pasteria
BOGO entree within seven days of your birthday. Go to www.pastini.com and sign up for their email list. I love Italian food, and Pastini does a great job with NW inspired Italian dishes at reasonable prices.
Honorable mentions:
I didn’t make it to any of these restaurants this year, but some other local favorites that offer awesome deals in honor of your birthday are…
Dutch Bros
Show your ID on your birthday for a free drink.
Cold Stone
BOGO coupon sent to you for your birthday month when you sign up for the Rewards program . You’ll also get several other BOGO coupons throughout the year.
Noodles & Co.
While Noodles is still on the top of my healthy fast food lists, I’m a bit disappointed in their rewards club now. I used to get a BOGO on my birthday and several other times during the year. Now they send a free Rice Crispy coupon on your birthday. I’m one of the few people in the US who doesn’t care for Rice Crispy treats. I’d much rather spend my calories on something else! Still, I occasionally get good coupons and rewards so it’s definitely worth signing up at Noodles.com or downloading the app.
