All Over Albany

Ahhh, what a great post. I've been meaning to do something like this, but in the chain sense. I like how this is local. What a great idea. Thanks.

... said Kristi on Jul 23, 2009 at 10:40 AM | link

Cool, about 21 days too late for me, but something to keep in mind for next year. :)

... said DH on Jul 23, 2009 at 10:54 AM | link

Elissa Halloran has a, "birthday book," too. I'm not sure what the special is but you'll probably get a nice discount.

... said Leigh on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:04 AM | link

Sweet, this gives me about 4 months to properly plan my birthday to maximize the free stuff!

Note to self: go skiing BEFORE hitting all the places with free booze.

... said Slacker on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:06 AM | link

I'm planning to do at least one of these, maybe two, on my birthday this Tuesday (the booze ones, of course).

Note to self: Alcohol and ice cream don't mix very well, especially at the end of the night. Oh, and you're lactose intolerant.

... said Mark on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:15 AM | link

If you're looking for some retail birthday love, if you're a member of Sephora's Beauty Insider program, it will send you a coupon for a free sample for your birthday (this year, I got 4 small lip glosses). Also, Different Drummer's Kitchen and Pearl Grant Richmans will send you a coupon for some percentage off purchase during your birthday month if you're on their mailing lists.

... said Kate on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:24 AM | link

Just a tip: Bomber's will refuse you a margarita if your birthday is 'tomorrow' but you arrive after midnight - at which point it IS technically your birthday. I was disappointed to find this out.

... said Skye on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:40 AM | link

Of course this gets posted 4 days after my birthday! I did get some sweet freebies from a few of my favorite bartenders in the area though! Love those guys : )

@Leigh: Elissa sent me a nice postcard for $5 off any purchase in her "little store". I love how she does cute stuff like this!

... said kimelodic on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:58 AM | link

And I have been told at Bombers that we are required to order food to get the birthday margarita. Beers aren't enough business for them to do it.

And be prepared for the lovely sulfur smell of the sparkler in your drink! It stinks, but it sure is festive!

... said Mel on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:07 PM | link

This is awesome and I am filled with regret that I will be out of town on my upcoming birthday!

... said Elizabeth on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:12 PM | link

Last I checked, Washington Tavern will give you a free bottle of Champagne on your 21st Bday

... said Brock on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:18 PM | link

That's pretty bull, Skye! My mother insists that I'm not really my new age until the actual time I was born. I thought that was the real, legal deal until I was about 12... And the older I get the more I'm thinking of reinstating that rule...

... said Alison on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:26 PM | link

Washington Tavern gives you a free bottle of champagne on your birthday

... said skip on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:35 PM | link

@Kate, I'm a member of Sephora's beauty insider, and last year they sent me a sizeable bottle (much, much larger than a sample) of birthday cake scented body wash. I wonder what I'll get this year... :)

... said Summer on Jul 23, 2009 at 12:41 PM | link

@Skye: The same thing happened to me! I went in for my birthday margarita in the evening with about 8 other food-buying and booze-drinking friends and was denied my birthday margarita, even though I asked for it after midnight. I had been so excited to get it, but they would not budge.

... said Kelly on Jul 23, 2009 at 2:23 PM | link

Arielle,

Great post - satisfies a curiousity everyone in the capital region has alaways had - "where do i get free @$%& on my birthday?"

I think Wolff's Biergarten has the best one of the list. Experiences with bombers have alway left our gang wanting.

BTW for those chains... I must have gotten my good pal Bozz a free cake and crap song once a month at Friday's for about two years running. Angry Bosnian + poor english + stupid birthday song = Top Notch Entertainment.

... said daleyplanit on Jul 23, 2009 at 4:19 PM | link

Daleyplanit, thanks and I so remember those birthday pranks with Bozz. Fun times! A lot of the chains told me that they still don't ask for ID, which is bizarre. You'd think they would have caught on by now that young folks love to prank each other & get free cake by pretending it's someones birthday. Oh well. Let the pranks continue I guess.

... said Arielle on Jul 23, 2009 at 4:39 PM | link

I love your timing. Thank you.

... said Naomi on Jul 23, 2009 at 6:04 PM | link

I got my free burrito from Bombers a month ago, but I asked in Ben & Jerry's whether they did some sort of free ice cream on your birthday thing and they said no.

You guys forgot Stewart's though. I went to Stewart's afterward to get my free ice cream.

... said Lana on Jul 23, 2009 at 6:25 PM | link

The Pump Station might not do a freebie deal, but they give you 20% off your bill if its your birthday.

... said Ellie on Jul 23, 2009 at 7:18 PM | link

This is quite convenient. My 21st is coming up at the end of August. There's now a very good chance you'll catch me stumbling around the area with this page in tow.

... said Pete on Jul 23, 2009 at 8:10 PM | link

@Lana,
Really? Because I called the Lark street Ben & Jerry's and they told me yes! Weird.

@Ellie
I called the Albany Pump Station & they said they give you free cake. They didn't say anything about the 20% off deal, but if that's true then great!

... said Arielle on Jul 23, 2009 at 8:13 PM | link

Saratoga isn't really Albany but Putnam Market will give you a discount equal to your age on your birthday. We found out quite by accident when my son turned 2 and we got a 2% discount. Apparently, lots of folks bring their grandmother in so they can get a 90% discount.

The food is good too. On Broadway.

... said mommymoppet on Jul 23, 2009 at 11:19 PM | link

Villa Valenti in Sand Lake: Good Italian place, great salad bar. Free entree with purchase of another. You have to sign up for their birthday club or whatever they call it. Then about a month before your bday they'll send you a postcard for the freebie. They say you have to use them within 30 days, but nobody's ever checked that I've noticed.

... said Bobbo on Jul 25, 2009 at 10:34 AM | link

This is a great post. Sadly for me, none of these places are open on my birthday: 12/25. Bullocks.

... said James Frederick on Jul 27, 2009 at 2:31 PM | link

Awesome... thanks to you all I got my Sephora lip gloss and plan to head to Lark street for some free food tomorrow. RIP Elvis.

... said Dawn on Aug 15, 2009 at 4:05 PM | link

The Ivy Spa in North Greenbush gives $20 off any service to all their clients during their bday month...very sweet

... said michelle on Aug 16, 2009 at 9:54 PM | link

To get the margarita @ Bombers you just need to spend $15, it can be food or drink. I've gotten it at midnight of my birthday for two years, but those years were both midweek... Maybe they allowed because they weren't busy?

... said J-Me on Sep 6, 2010 at 10:42 PM | link

You guys never heard of slipping them a fiver? That makes it YOUR birthday at Bombers if they hedge...5 bucks to look the other way? Easy money

... said James on Jun 10, 2011 at 5:48 PM | link

Pinto & Hobbs on Washington does a free fishbowl of long island iced tea!

... said Ariel on Dec 13, 2011 at 1:05 PM | link

Add the Olde English and Graney's Stout to the list... you get a free GIANT teacup full of hard cider or Foster's at the Olde English, and a giant jug (I forget the ounces...maybe 40) of beer at Graney's.

... said Summer on Dec 13, 2011 at 3:55 PM | link

Hmm they are still doing free birthday burritos at the downstairs Bombers? Last year when I asked they said they had discontinued it.

I was able to get a free ice cream from Ben & Jerry's though. But it seemed they weren't really sure what their birthday policy was. Actually they didn't even ask for my ID!

... said D on Dec 13, 2011 at 7:20 PM | link

Free fishbowl of beer mixed with lemonade at the Barrel Saloon on Broadway in Albany. They call it - dirty swamp water. Tasted like a shandy. I had to carefully dump out the approx. 5 scoops of ice because it was way too cold to chug.
Also, Junior's does a free bottle of champagne.

... said Danielle Sanzone on Dec 13, 2011 at 7:49 PM | link

Browns gives a beer sampler!

... said Rebecca on Jun 3, 2012 at 3:19 PM | link

I went out on my birthday using this list and from other sites that I saw (just the bars), and this is what I encountered.

Juniors- They claim to give a free bottle of champaign but when I inquired they said they were out of champaign and would not substitue with anyhting else. The manager looking type guy even looked mad at me for asking, so I left never to return.
Also the place was far too crowded in a small building for me at the time, but a lot of people like that.

Olde English- To get a free large (over half a basketball) sized mug of fairly good tasting hard cider, you have to first spend $20 and put a $40 cash only deposit on the mug.
The place had a nice cozey atmosphere in my opinion, and the bartender seemed fun and polite.

Graney's Stout- To get a free large (60 oz) glass of beer, you need to spend $15 first and I think there was again a $40 cash deposit on the glass.
Nice looking place, seemed clean, nobody was there when I showed up but I could see they were probably used to having a full house there

Wolff's Biergarten- To get a free big boot (I'd say nearing 80 oz) of beer, you have to spend $20 first and again put a $40 cash deposit on the glass, this place is entirely cash only actually, which kind of sucks but really isn't a problem.
Very fun atmosphere here, I could see myself bringing a large group of people on a special occasion, but warning to anyone with a severe peanut allergy, they throw peanut shells on the floor, LOTS of them.

Bomber's- To get a large (slightly watered down if you ask me) margarita, you have to first spend $15 dollars and they WILL NOT give it to you if your birthday starts at midnight, which I think is quite unreasonable.
Bomber's is an OK place I guess, but it's always too crowded, always a big hastle to walk to the bathroom, get a drink, hold a conversation with the person you're screaming into each other's ears with, it's just not cricket. The restaurant is much better than the bar if you ask me, and I would never go to Bomber's bar unless some friends made me.

Pinto & Hobbs- To get a free small fishbowl (about the size of your average coffee pot) of not very strong Long Island iced tea you have to do absolutely nothing, no minimum purchase first, no deposit, just the honor system that you will buy at least a couple more drinks after. Now the drink, as I stated, is not as strong as I like my Long Islands, and is half Ice, but it's still a free big drink just becuase it's your birthday with no questions asked. We ended up spending a bunch of money there anyway so it didn't really matter in comparison to the other places that make you spend a minimum first, but it was a much better feeling because I got my free birthday drink FIRST right at arrival, with no pressured feeling that I owed an amount of money that they had decided already.
NIce little place, with room to spare in the back, they don't have much: a dart board, a little Atari style multigame table (with a big crack in the glass, but it worked), and separate gender bathrooms, but we met some really fun people there, perfect amount of noise, and they have no juke box, they have a sound system that they will play your own music (for free) on CD and probably MP3 as well (I didn't check, sorry)... now how cool is that?

I would have pressed on and tried out more places that I heard give free drinks on your birthday (like Browns [appearently a free super beer sampler] in Troy and the Barrel Saloon [appearently a free fish bowl of lemonade and beer mix]) but I was pretty cashed out, wallet and liver, by the end of that trail, so happy birthday and have fun with the VD.

Also I heard of a few restaurants that give free entrees, but I don't know for sure because I didn't go. The Barnsider and The Dakota apparently. Also Moe's Southwest Grill will give you a free entree, chips and salsa when you sign up for their newsletter.

Of course you have to show ID proving that it's your birthday at these places.

... said Steve Stevenson on Nov 7, 2012 at 12:20 PM | link

This is great information! I have a few additions: These birthday specials do not require that you spend money. 1 - Daily Grind on Lark Street lunch, up to $10, is free on your birthday, 2 - Beer City Hall gives a Mystery Bucket for free -- which is a metal pale with ice cubes and it contains cans of beer: 2 premium beers, 2 non-premium beers and a small thin crust pizza (42 Howard Street, Albany), 3 - Sciotino's, which used to be the Miss Albany Diner (next to Wolf's Biergarten on Broadway, Albany) free slice of pizza of your chioice which they slice into six small pieces, enough to share with friends. I had the white, broccoli and it was delicious. Happy Birthday!!!

... said Maddalyn on Jan 22, 2013 at 9:48 AM | link

FYI: in April when I was there on my birthday, the City Beer Hall no longer gave out birthday buckets. Instead I was presented with a 40 of Olde English in a paper bag and told that that was the new thing. It didn't appear to be a joke.

... said Alex on Jul 25, 2013 at 4:30 PM | link

My husband and I both had Saturday birthdays this year and decided to do Albany b-day drink crawls. Here's the list of bars in town that offer free b-day specials:

Olde English (Tea Cup)
Wolff's (Das Boot)
Graney's Stout (64 oz. Jug)
Barrel Saloon (Fish Bowl)
Madison Station (Fish bowl)
Professor M Barley (Barley's Beaker)
Washington Tavern (1/2 Yard)
Center Street Pub (Grenade)
Elda's (Megatini)
Bombers (Megarita or Boot)
Lark Tavern (Large Mug o' Beer)
City Beer Hall (Olde English 40)

Anna O'Keefe's (Drink or shot from bartender - Not standardized special)

Places that do NOT do drinks for b-day
-Lion Heart
-Justins
-Legends
-Cafe Hollywood
-New Madison Grille

... said Lindsay on Jul 29, 2013 at 3:56 PM | link

Madison Station, right by Saint Rose campus, gives you a large fishbowl of alcohol complete with Swedish fish swimming in it. There is no minimum purchase for it and the bartenders are always super friendly

... said Brianna Grant on Jan 10, 2014 at 1:32 PM | link

I heard the the Rusty Nail in Clifton Park gives you as many wings as is your birthday...My friend just went and she got 63 wings for free which she said she was able to share with her friends...eat in only not take out...

... said Marty on Apr 25, 2015 at 8:13 PM | link

Free breakfast/lunch/dinner at Denny's

... said cher on May 27, 2015 at 1:10 PM | link

Umana Restaurant & Wine Bar offers free wine or beer with $25 purchase on your birthday.

... said Rainajoi on Sep 21, 2015 at 3:30 PM | link

Rusty Nail on Route 9 in CP will give you chicken wings for free as many as your age. Went for my dad's 65th birthday. They bring them out in batches but they'll keep coming if you keep eating up to your age. Also get a large beer for free.

... said JP on Feb 19, 2016 at 10:08 AM | link

You can get a free flatbread pizza at Aperitivo in Schenectady!

... said Alison on Jul 17, 2016 at 2:18 PM | link

AOA- This is a great list and it would be cool if it could be kept updated every year or so.

Can someone confirm that Lindsay's list above is still accurate (minus the places that are no longer open of course)?

Does anyone know if Druthers does anything?

... said Hergh on Jan 3, 2017 at 6:19 PM | link