National Taco Day 2026: Where to Get Free and Cheap Tacos Today

Taco Tuesday just got a whole lot better.

National Taco Day is here, and if you're looking for an excuse to eat tacos for breakfast, lunch, dinner—or potentially all three—restaurants across the country are rolling out discounts, freebies and seriously cheap taco deals.

And there's an important calendar change to remember: National Taco Day now falls on the first Tuesday of October.That means this year's celebration is happening Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

Here are some of the best deals happening today.

Del Taco — FREE Taco With a Purchase

This might be one of the easiest deals to grab.

Members of Del Taco's Del Yeah! Rewards program can get a free taco with any purchase today. The offer excludes the All-American BurgerTaco and is available at participating locations.

And Del Taco isn't stopping after today. Its month-long "Tacoberfest" celebration includes BOGO taco deals throughout October.

Jack in the Box — Two Free Tacos

If you have the Jack in the Box app, today could be a very good day to hit the drive-thru.

Jack Pack members can get two free tacos with a purchase of $1 or more through the app. The offer is valid October 6.

That's basically two tacos for the price of...well, whatever else you order.

El Pollo Loco — 3 Tacos for $5

El Pollo Loco is getting in on the celebration with a deal that's particularly good for Southern California taco fans.

Loco Rewards members can get three chicken tacos for just $5 today. The offer is available in restaurants, online and through the app.

Baja Fresh — 3 Chicken Street Tacos for $6

Baja Fresh is offering three Chicken Street Tacos for $6 on National Taco Day.

There's no rewards account required, but the offer is in-store only and limited to one per person.

Chronic Tacos — Free Taco

Chronic Tacos is stretching National Taco Day into an entire week.

Rewards members can grab a free taco today, with different deals dropping in the app throughout the week. Wednesday brings a "buy two, get two free" offer, while Thursday features $2 off a taco plate.

Cafe Rio — $2.99 Tacos

Cafe Rio is celebrating both National Taco Day and Taco Tuesday with $2.99 single tacos today.

You can choose from several proteins, including sweet pork barbacoa, shredded chicken, beef barbacoa and veggies.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop — $2 Tacos

Fuzzy's is going with a nice, simple offer: $2 Original Tacos all day on October 6.

Rewards members also get a scratch-off card with a guaranteed prize, which could include free chips and queso, additional taco deals or even free tacos for a year.

Moe's Southwest Grill — $2 Tacos

Moe's is offering $2 tacos, with a limit of three at the special price.

Rewards members can continue using the deal through Sunday, October 11, although participating locations, exclusions and other restrictions apply.

Chuy's — $1 Taco Add-On

At Chuy's, you can add a Crispy or Soft Ground Beef Taco to an entrée for just $1 today.

There's also a particularly ridiculous bonus deal: Show up dressed like a taco, order an entrée and post a photo using #ChuysTacoDay to get your entrée free.

So yes, today may be the perfect day to embarrass yourself for free food.

Laredo Taco Company — BOGO Tacos

Laredo Taco Company locations inside 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes are offering buy-one-get-one-free Potato & Egg Tacos or Chicken Fajita Tacos today.

There are also $5 taco and burrito deals running through October 27.

El Torito — $3 Tacos

El Torito is offering $3 tacos after 4 p.m. in its Cantina area today—and the deal is also available every Tuesday.

Taco Cabana — BOGO + $1 Tacos

Taco Cabana is packing National Taco Day with several deals.

Customers can get buy-one-get-one-free Hickory Smoked or Loaded Tacos with promo code TACODAY26, plus $1 Bean & Cheese Tacos, $10 dozen taco boxes and $2 margaritas.

Rubio's — FREE Taco

Rubio's Rewards members can get a free taco with any purchase today.

Some reports indicate the offer may continue through October 11, so it's worth checking your Rubio's Rewards account for the offer loaded onto your account.

Torchy's Tacos — BOGO Tacos

Torchy's Tacos Rewards members can buy one taco and get one free today.

The deal is valid October 6, so you'll want to take advantage of it before the taco window closes.

Taco Bell — It's Global Taco Day

Taco Bell is doing something a little different this year by teaming up with Duolingo and turning National Taco Day into Global Taco Day.

Today, customers who purchase a Doritos Locos Taco can get a free limited-edition Duo Habanero Sauce packet, while supplies last.

Taco Bell Rewards members who aren't already Duolingo subscribers can also unlock one free month of Super Duolingo. And at 2 p.m. Pacific, the Taco Bell app is holding a Tuesday Drop giveaway for limited-edition Taco Bell x Duolingo Duo plushies.

7-Eleven / Laredo Taco Company — BOGO Breakfast Tacos

If tacos are a perfectly acceptable breakfast in your book, you're in luck.

Laredo Taco Company locations inside 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes are offering buy-one-get-one-free Potato & Egg Tacos or Chicken Fajita Tacos today.

Tijuana Flats — $25 Off a Taco Party

Planning to feed an entire office, family or group of friends?

Tijuana Flats is offering $25 off a Taco Party Pack with promo code TACODAY26 through October 26. The offer applies to online catering orders and is limited to one use.

The Taco Takeaway

Whether you're looking for free tacos, $1 tacos, $2 tacos or enough tacos to feed an army, October 6 is a pretty good day to skip cooking.

For Southern California taco fans, some of the biggest bargains include Del Taco's free taco with purchase, El Pollo Loco's three tacos for $5, Baja Fresh's three street tacos for $6, Jack in the Box's free tacos and Chronic Tacos' free taco for Rewards members.

Just remember that many of these promotions require an app or rewards membership, while others are limited to participating locations. Check the restaurant's app or website before heading out, since prices, availability and participation can vary by location.

Now go forth and celebrate the most important Tuesday of the year.

Happy National Taco Day!

Image Credit: Juliens Auctions

Pee-wee Herman Fans Can Bid on Paul Reubens’ Personal Collection

If you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of Pee-wee Herman history, this could be your chance.

Hundreds of items from the personal collection of late actor and comedian Paul Reubens, best known for his iconic character Pee-wee Herman, are going up for auction this month.

The Paul Reubens’ Big Auction, hosted by Julien's Auctions, features 439 items collected by Reubens throughout his career. The auction includes memorabilia from Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and several of his other projects.

The live auction is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Oct. 28 at the Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles, the very place where Reubens originally developed the Pee-wee character. Tickets for the in-person event are already sold out, but fans can still participate in the online auction.

Paul Reubens’ Big Auction

And there is plenty of nostalgic stuff up for grabs.

Among the items are Pee-wee’s iconic suit, signed posters, bow ties from Reubens’ personal collection, toys, artwork, vintage merchandise and production-used props from the Pee-wee movies and television series.

The collection reportedly reflects Reubens’ love of all things quirky, kitschy and nostalgic. He was known for spending time at Los Angeles thrift stores and swap meets with friends while hunting for unusual treasures — and apparently, he had a hard time throwing anything away.

Yes, There’s a Pee-wee Bike

One of the more eye-catching auction items is a replica of Pee-wee’s famous bicycle from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

If you want to see an actual bike used in the movie, though, you’ll have to head to San Antonio. The Alamo currently has one of the original bicycles on display.

See Pee-wee’s bike at the Alamo

The auction collection was previously featured in the Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary Pee-wee as Himself, which explored Reubens’ life and career.

There’s also something especially fitting about holding the auction at the Groundlings. Reubens created Pee-wee Herman while performing with the legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe, and the theatre will display pieces from the collection before the auction.

The Oct. 28 event will also include screenings of two Pee-wee’s Playhouse episodes — “School” and “Heat Wave” — along with appearances by surprise guests.

Paul Reubens died in 2023 at the age of 70 following a private battle with cancer.

For Pee-wee fans, the auction offers a pretty unique opportunity to take home a little piece of the wonderfully weird world Reubens created.

Click here for the auction.

VOTE HERE

Image Credit: Newport Landing Whale Watching Facebook


Killer Whales Make a Rare Appearance Off Orange County Coast

Orange County whale watchers got a jaw-dropping surprise this week when a pod of killer whales showed up right alongside their boat.

Passengers aboard a Newport Landing Whale Watching cruise spotted 10 to 13 orcas swimming off Newport Beach on Monday—an extremely unusual sight that had everyone reaching for their cameras.

The killer whales, also known as orcas, are apex predators and are more commonly found in the waters off Mexico and Central America. But unusually warm ocean conditions associated with El Niño may be helping push some marine species farther north than normal.

These Aren't First-Time Visitors

According to Newport Landing Whale Watching, the pod is actually somewhat familiar to local researchers. The exact group of eastern tropical Pacific killer whales has previously visited Newport Beach in 2018, 2023, 2024 and 2026.

The whale-watching company shared video of the latest encounter on social media, showing the orcas cruising through the water near the boat.

California Killer Whale Project lead biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger identified several members of the pod, including four mothers known as Ana, Baja Nicki, Top Notch and Kali, along with other whales including Cookie and Coronado.

Researchers have been tracking these killer whales since 1987, documenting their movements, population changes and hunting behavior.

El Niño Is Bringing Some Unusual Visitors

The orcas aren't the only unexpected marine visitors turning up along the Southern California coast during this unusual ocean season.

Just last week, an endangered olive ridley sea turtle made history after laying eggs in Orange County—far outside the species' typical range. Nests were documented in both Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, with NOAA Fisheries saying it was the first documented olive ridley nest ever recorded on the West Coast.

And earlier this year, a massive hammerhead shark was spotted near Malibu Pier, marking the first Southern California hammerhead sighting in nearly a decade.

Between killer whales, sea turtles and hammerhead sharks, Southern California's ocean is definitely giving us some unexpected wildlife sightings this year.

So if you're heading to the beach or jumping on a whale-watching boat, maybe keep your eyes on the water. You never know what might show up next.

McDonald’s Might Be Bringing Pokémon Cards Back to Happy Meals

Millennials, prepare to feel VERY old—and very excited.

McDonald’s could be bringing back one of the most nostalgic Happy Meal promotions ever: 
Pokémon trading cards.

According to Pokémon fan site PokéBeach, a new Pokémon TCG promotion is reportedly coming to McDonald’s in the U.S. beginning November 5 and running through December 9, as part of the Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary celebration.

And yes, there could be cards in those Happy Meals.

Gotta Collect ’Em All… Again

According to the report, each Pokémon Happy Meal would include a four-card booster pack containing three regular cards and one holographic card.

There are reportedly 15 cards to collect in the promotion.

The exact lineup hasn't been announced yet, and historically McDonald’s Pokémon promotions have featured reprints rather than brand-new cards.

McDonald’s and Pokémon have not yet officially confirmed the reported U.S. promotion.

Millennials Are About to Lose It

For anyone who grew up in the late '90s and early 2000s, Pokémon cards aren't just trading cards—they're basically childhood memories printed on cardboard.

And the collecting craze never really went away. Pokémon cards remain hugely popular, with rare and highly sought-after cards selling for thousands of dollars.

Naturally, the possibility of another McDonald’s Pokémon promotion has already gotten fans thinking about what could happen when those Happy Meals hit restaurants.

Long lines. Sold-out cards. And potentially a whole lot of people ordering Happy Meals just for the little cardboard rectangle inside.

One fan predicted that McDonald’s lines would be “pure insanity,” while another joked about the drive-thrus getting ridiculously long.

Others were concerned that people could buy Happy Meals solely for the cards and toss the food.

We’ve Seen This Movie Before

Those concerns aren't completely random.

In August 2025, McDonald’s Japan had to shut down a Pokémon Happy Meal promotion after the highly sought-after cards reportedly sold out in just one day.

The promotion was originally scheduled to run for three days, but the demand created chaos, including reports of people buying large quantities of Happy Meals for the cards and discarding the food.

McDonald’s ultimately ended the promotion early and acknowledged that it hadn't adequately prepared for the demand.

The company also said it would look for ways to prevent similar problems in the future, including potentially refusing service to scalpers who don't follow restaurant rules.

So… Who's Ready?

If the reports are accurate, November could bring a serious case of Pokémon nostalgia to McDonald’s.

Fifteen cards. Four cards per pack. One holographic card.

And potentially thousands of millennials suddenly saying:

“I’m just getting a Happy Meal for my kid.”

Sure you are.