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Food "holidays" are as weird as the people who probably created them. But no matter the reason National Cheeseburger Day exists, we should thank the creator because it means we can score some seriously good burger deals annually on September 18.


This year in 2023, there are plenty of fast food and chain restaurants celebrating National Cheeseburger Day with cheap — or even free — burgers. Theoretically, you could observe the silly holiday by getting delicious, inexpensive burgers for lunch and dinner, and that's not silly at all. (It also would be a great day to read the surprising history of the humble hamburger.) 


Here are the best 2023 National Cheeseburger Day deals from popular burger restaurants. 


National Cheeseburger Day Deals

McDonald's

McDonald's is celebrating National Cheeseburger Day by offering classic Double Cheeseburgers for only 50 cents. You can score the super cheap cheeseburger on September 18, 2023, and the best part is that no other purchase is necessary. So if you can resist the siren song of McDonald's fries, you're only going to be out 50 cents for your Double Cheeseburger.

  • Tip: You'll need to order through the McDonald's mobile app and get the coupon for your 50-cent Double Cheeseburger in the Deals section. The coupon is only good for one discounted Double Cheeseburger, but at that price, we're not about to complain. 

Burger King

National Cheeseburger Day at Burger King this year means free burgers. You can get a free classic flame-grilled cheeseburger with any purchase of $1 or more on September 18, 2023.

  • Tip: In order to get your free cheeseburger at Burger King, you have to be a Royal Perks Member. You can sign up on Burger King's website or download the chain's app on your smartphone to sign up for free. To claim your free National Cheeseburger Day deal, activate the coupon in the "Offers" tab of the app or website before placing your order.

Additionally, Burger King is offering six more days of burger deals in the mobile app celebrating National Cheeseburger Day:

  1. On September 19, get a free Whopper Jr. with a purchase of $1 or more.
  2. On September 20, get a $3 Whopper for Whopper Wednesday.
  3. On September 21, get BOGO free Whoppers.
  4. On September 22, get a free order of onion rings with a purchase of $1 or more.
  5. On September 23, get a $22 Family Bundle meal.
  6. On September 24, Royal Perks Members get double Crowns rewards points on all purchases.

Wendy's

Celebrate National Cheeseburger Day at Wendy's with a 1-cent Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. You'll need to make any other purchase in order to get it at the special 1-cent price, but what's a cheeseburger without fries or a Frosty anyway, right? The best part of this deal, though, is the fact that it's available September 18-22, 2023.

  • Tip: You'll need to order through Wendy's website or mobile app and create a free account in order to get your 1-cent burger. But once you do, you'll have access to tons more Wendy's deals and coupons every month. 

Smashburger

Smashburger is celebrating National Cheeseburger Day by offering $5 cheeseburgers. You can get a Classic Single with beef, turkey, or black bean patty for $5 September 18-20, 2023. Normal price for those burgers is around $7.

  • Tip: You can get your $5 Classic Single Cheeseburger both in-store and online. If you order online, you'll need to enter the code SMASH23 when you checkout on Smashburger's website or mobile app.

Sonic Drive-In

You can keep celebrating National Cheeseburger Day one day longer if you take advantage of Sonic's half-price cheeseburger Happy Hour. It runs every Tuesday after 5 p.m. when you order in the mobile app or on Sonic's website. (And don't forget about Sonic's value menu.)

  • Tip: Sonic has a great deal on a limited-time cheeseburger right now, too. For $4, you can get a Bacon Peppercorn Grilled Cheese Burger plus a small tots or fries. Pair it with a half-price cherry limeade, and you've got a National Cheeseburger Day-worthy meal.

Applebee's

Applebee's is celebrating National Cheeseburger Day with $9 burgers. On September 18, you can get a classic hamburger, cheeseburger, or bacon cheeseburger with fries for less than 10 bucks. 

  • Tip: You can get this $9 burger deal when you dine in an Applebee's location or order from the chain's website or mobile app. It's not available if you order from third-party delivery services like DoorDash or UberEats. 

Photo credit: Matt Cardy / Getty

Other Popular Outlets

  • Kona Grill: Get a big KG Cheeseburger and fries for $8 for takeout or during lunch on National Cheeseburger Day. It includes two quarter-pound patties, American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and secret sauce. 
  • Next Level Burger: This plant-based burger chain is offering buy-one-get-one-free Signature Burgers on September 18. The vegan patty is made with quinoa and mushroom with avocado, roasted garlic mayo, and cheese. Just mention the offer at checkout to claim your BOGO burger.
  • Wayback Burgers: Customers can get a buy-one-get-one-free deal on Classic Burgers on Monday, September 18. The burger comes with two ground beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard. Get the BOGO deal in store, online, or in the chain's mobile app.
  • BurgerFi: You can get a signature BurgerFi Cheeseburger on September 18, 2023 for just $3 when you purchase any Coca-Cola Freestyle beverage (that's those machines with the endless soda flavor combinations). It's got two beef patties and two slices of America cheese, lettuce, tomato, and burger sauce. It's normally close to $11, so this is a great deal. It's valid in-restaurant only, not via online or mobile app ordering. 
  • White Castle: Grab buy-one-get-one-free Single Cheese Sliders for National Cheeseburger Day at White Caste. The BOGO free deal is good September 18-20, 2023, but don't get too excited because you're limited to one free slider, even if you buy a bunch.
  • Krystal: Fans of this Southern chain can get $1 Cheese Krystals on National Cheeseburger Day. The sliders are steamed on a bed of onions and topped with American cheese, dill pickle, and mustard. You have to order on Krystal's website or mobile app to get the deal, and you can get up to five $1 sliders. 
  • Farmer Boys: This Southwest burger chain is celebrating National Cheeseburger Day with $3 Big Cheese Burgers — that's half the regular price of $6. You can get up to four of them on September 18 from 2 p.m. until close only in store. 
  • Carl's Jr.: Members of the chain's My Rewards program will get half off cheeseburgers on September 18. You must order through the chain's mobile app, and you're limited to four discounted burgers.

More Cheesy Deals

If burgers aren't really your thing, there's plenty of other fast food deals this month that you can score instead, including free fries and cheap pizzas. But if you find yourself wondering what's for dinner on yet another frantic Monday night, National Cheeseburger Day is the perfect time to hit up your nearest drive-thru.