All 500+ Restaurants That Accept EBT In 2023 - Low Income Relief (2023)

Did you know there are restaurants that accept EBT? It’s true! There are literally hundreds of restaurants around the country that are set up to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) benefits.

It’s confusing because some restaurants will accept EBT from anyone but others are part of the exclusive Restaurant Meals Program. The Restaurant Meals Program is part of the federal food stamps law and allows certain eligible people to purchase restaurant meals with their food stamps benefits.

In this guide, we’ll show you how all this works and how you can find restaurants that accept EBT near you!

(Don’t forget that you can use your EBT card to save money on everything from Amazon Prime to zoo admission! Be sure to check out our list of 1,000 EBT deals and discounts for details!)

Some restaurants accept EBT from anyone.

Although the majority of restaurants that accept EBT do so as part of the Restaurant Meals Program, there are a few outliers that will accept SNAP benefits from anyone. There are only a few of these, however.

Papa Murphy’s Take & Bake Pizzas

You can always buy Papa Murphy’s with food stamps benefits! Because the pizza is cold at the point of sale, it’s not any different that purchasing a frozen DiGiorno pizza from the grocery store. You can also buy their salads, cookie dough, and sodas with EBT.

What: As far as I am aware, any edible food item sold by Papa Murphy’s is EBT eligible.

Where: Papa Murphy’s has over 1,150 locations across the United States. All of their locations accept EBT benefits.

How it Works: You can place your order in-store, over the phone or online. If you place an online order, you will need to pay in-person with your EBT card at the time of pickup.

Other Take & Bake Pizzerias

During the course of our research, we’ve found many other take-and-bake pizzerias that accept EBT. Some of them will even bake the pizza on-site for an extra fee, which usually must be paid in cash.

Although 7-11 is a convenience store and not a restaurant, many readers have reported that you can purchase cold pizzas at 7-11 and bake them on-site.

What: Take-and-bake pizzas and other food items that are cold at the time of purchase may be eligible for purchase with EBT benefits.

Where: There are many local pizzerias that accept these benefits. We rely on our readers to help us find locally owned restaurants that accept EBT and you can find a full list in our EBT discount directory.

How it Works: You should always call ahead to double-check the store policy and procedures before placing your order. This will help prevent any confusion or complications at the time of purchase.

Starbucks

Licensed Starbucks locations inside grocery stores will often accept EBT as a form of payment. According to a Starbucks customer service representative, “Starbucks, as policy, does not accept food stamp cards for payment at its company-operated stores. However, some of our licensees, particularly those within grocery stores, may accept these for payment.”

However, it is always important to ask before ordering. In late 2022, many Starbucks licensees began updating their payment systems to prevent these payments.

What: Cold drinks and food may be EBT-eligible at certain Starbucks locations, as described below.

Where: Some licensed Starbucks locations, such as those inside grocery stores, may accept EBT. Company-owned Starbucks stores will never accept EBT.

How it Works: You should always ask before placing your order to prevent any problems at the time of purchase. If the store is set up to accept EBT, they should be able to tell you what items are EBT-eligible.

What is The Restaurant Meals Program?

The Restaurant Meals Program is part of the federal Food Stamps Act. This program allows certain eligible EBT users to purchase hot meals from restaurants with their food benefits.

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it sounds. The federal government allows each state to decide whether or not to participate in the Restaurant Meals Program and most states have declined.

According to the USDA,

“You cannot use your Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card at restaurants to purchase hot food or food intended for immediate consumption unless your State participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) that serves the elderly, disabled and/or homeless and you are part of this target population.”

USDA
ask.usda.gov

Even in areas where the program exists, not everyone can purchase hot restaurant meals with their food stamps benefits. In order to be eligible to participate in the Restaurant Meals Program, you usually must be unable to cook your own meals at home because you are either homeless, disabled or elderly.

According to USDA Communications Coordinator Aaron Lavallee,

“(The) Restaurant Meal Program has been an option for states — state run, state contracted, state administered — since the 1977 Food Stamp Act. The decision to establish a restaurant meal program is made entirely at the state level.

Most importantly, the ONLY people who qualify are the elderly, disabled, and homeless, as this provision is intended to assist people who are unable to prepare meals at home or in a traditional kitchen setting.

Since 1977 the decision to establish a restaurant meal program has been made by only a handful of states and because of this participation is very low.”

Aaron Lavallee
USDA Communications Coordinator

However, for people who are eligible and live in a participating area, the Restaurant Meals Program can make their lives a lot easier.

What are the restaurants that accept EBT?

There are over 500 restaurants that accept EBT nationwide as of this publication. That’s a lot! Some of these restaurants are small, family-owned businesses or food trucks. Others are well-known, established chain restaurants.

Here is an alphabetical list of some of the most well-known nationwide restaurant chains that accept EBT at certain locations:

• Arby’s
• Burger King
• Carl’s Jr.
• Dairy Queen
• Del Taco
• Denny’s
• Dickey’s BBQ Pit
• Domino’s Pizza
• El Pollo Loco
• Firehouse Subs
• Jack in the Box
• KFC
• Little Caesar’s Pizza
• McDonald’s
• Panda Express
• Papa John’s
• Pizza Hut
• Popeye’s
• Rally’s Hamburger
• Subway
• Taco Bell
• Wendy’s
• Wing Stop

Although many of these are well-known chain restaurants, not every location accepts SNAP benefits. Only certain locations, described below, are approved to process these payments for restaurant meals. That’s because the Restaurant Meals Program is only available in certain states (and sometimes certain counties), and even in areas where it exists each individual location must be approved and authorized to process EBT payments.

Where are the restaurants that accept EBT located?

Although there are some nationwide options for purchasing restaurant meals with EBT, the vast majority of restaurants that accept EBT are located in specific states.

The states that have chosen to participate in the Restaurant Meals Program include:

• Arizona
• California
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Nevada
• New York
• Rhode Island
• Virginia

Even within those areas, only specific regions and restaurants are approved to process EBT transactions. It is a very limited program.

Let’s talk about what each state has authorized.

Arizona has 300+ restaurants.

This state has been participating in the Restaurant Meals Program for a very long time and has a well-established program.

Arizona residents who receive EBT can also double their money at Farmer’s Markets, get EBT discounts at popular destinations and more through these EBT discount programs!

There are over 300 restaurants that accept EBT in Arizona, including:

• 47 Ave Food Store Inc.
• Angies Lobster
• Blue Seas Express
• Burger King
• Burger Shoppe
• Butler Subway Cafe
• Captain Tony’s Pizza
• Carl’s Jr
• Chavelas Water and Ice Cream Eatery
• Chix N Mex
• Churchs Chicken 955
• Classic Cooking Academy
• Dairy Queen
• Diamond Creek Restaurant
• Domino’s Pizza
• Dorsey B’s Fish and Fixins
• Eat Fresh Mexican Food
• Eegee’s
• El Pollo Loco
• Fat Sub
• Figami Asian Fresh
• Firehouse Subs
• Harris & Smith Coffee Company
• Helpings Cafe and Market
• Hungry Howie’s
• Jack in the Box
• Jimmy and Joe’s Pizzeria
• KFC
• Krispy Krunchy Chicken
• La Perla Sports Cantina
• Latino Restaurant
• Lenny’s Burger
• Love Hawaiian BBQ
• Maskadores Taco Shop
• McDonald’s
• NK Gyros
• Paradise Mexican Food
• Perfetto
• Rags Real Chicken and Waffles
• Rally’s Hamburgers
• Senor Sushi
• Smoke Dem Bones BBQ
• Speedy Street Tacos
• Subway
• Sue Soul Food Heaven
• Sylvia’s La Canasta
• Sylvia’s Off The Grill
• Taco Bell
• T and Y Hawaiian BBQ
• Tasty Box
• Uncle Sam’s

Of course, as we have explained previously, not every location is set up to process EBT payments. Be sure to check the list of participating locations before you go!

California has 200+ restaurants.

California has participated in the Restaurant Meals Program for a long time. The program used to be managed at the county level, but the state has changed its policies so now the program is authorized statewide.

Of course, we’ve also found hundreds of EBT discounts for California residents as well. You can save money on some amazing things, including visits to the La Brea Tar Pits!

There are over 200 restaurants that accept EBT in California, including:

• A&T Burgers
• Alma’s Cookies & Company Restaurant
• Ameci Pizza Kitchen
• Angelo’s Burger
• Arby’s
• Arnold’s Burgers
• Art’s Famous Chili Dog
• B&R’s Old Fashion Burger
• Baby Brother Pizza
• Banh Mi Che Cali
• Bayou Grille
• BBQ Express
• BBQ King
• Big Al’s Pizza
• Bobo’s Hamburger
• Bonnie B’s Smokin BBQ
• Boy’s Hamburgers
• Bravo Burger
• Broadway Food Corner
• Brother’s BBQ
• Burger King
• Cafe Creole
• California Cheeseburgers
• California Steak & Fries
• Campus Ktichen
• Captain Tony’s Pizza and Pasta
• Carl’s Jr
• Carnitas Michoacán
• Casa Sanchez
• Ceiba Restaurant
• Chabelita’s Restaurant
• Chavez Polo & Burger
• China Beauty Food Express
• Chinatown Express
• Chinese Express
• Church’s Chicken
• City Hall Market Restaurant
• Classic Burger
• Cliff’s Texas Style Burritos
• Corner Kafe
• Covina Burgers
• Crazy Falafel
• Curry Time
• Cypress Best Burgers
• D’s Original Take Out Grill
• Daily Donuts House
• Del Taco
• Deli Robert’s Pizza
• Denny’s
• Dinna’s Mexican Food Restaurant
• Dickey’s BBQ Pit
• Dino’s Burgers
• Dominguez Pizza
• Domino’s Pizza
• Dono’s Fish & Chicken
• Doublz
• Downtown Catch 21
• Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen
• El Arka Bakery & Restaurant
• El Huero
• El Merendero
• El Pollo Loco
• Jack in the Box
• Le Pardis Bakery and Cafe
• New York Pizza
• NYC Deli & Grill
• Nikko’s Family Restaurant
• Primo Burgers
• Taqueria El Torero
• and more!

You can get the full list of restaurants that accept EBT in this state by checking this detailed list of locations in California. Remember, not every location is set up to process EBT payments. For example, as of the time of this writing, there is only one Arby’s location in the United States that accepts EBT.

Illinois has 5 restaurants.

Illinois launched their Restaurant Meals Program in Spring 2022. This program is still under development and is relatively new. It is currently limited to certain zip codes in Chicago.

As of January 3, 2023, there are 5 restaurants that accept EBT in Illinois including:

• BJ’s Market and Bakery
• Doughboy’s Chicago
• Firehouse Bakery and Grill
• JJ Fish and Chicken
• Ocean Wave Soul & Seafood
• S2 Express Grill

Don’t forget that Illinois also has some incredible EBT discounts! Some of my favorite deals are on our Illinois EBT discount list, so you don’t want to miss it!

Maryland has one restaurant.

Maryland launched their Restaurant Meals Program in 2020! This program is still in a pilot phase, which means it is being tested in a small area to see if it is a good fit for the state. If everything goes well, the program should eventually be pushed out to other areas statewide.

As of January 3, 2023, there’s just one restaurant that accepts EBT in Maryland:

• 2 Soul Sisters Restaurant (Lusby, MD)

Michigan has 15 restaurants.

Michigan has had a back-and-forth relationship with the Restaurant Meals Program. They had one for a few years, and then they ended it, and then they brought it back again. It appears that the program is here to stay this time!

As of January 3, 2023, there are 14 different restaurants that accept EBT in Michigan:

• Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
• Emma’s Coffe House
• Breadless
• Market Fresh Deli
• Ray’s Pizza and Chicken
• Sheeba Express
• Burton Village BBQ Company
• McDonald’s (4 locations)
• Just Muchies
• Siraj Cuisine
• Wing Heaven Sports Haven
• Dee’s Pizza Pad
• Sally’s Whatta Pizza
• Holy Cow! Creamery

Of course, each individual location has to be approved to participate in this program. Please check our location list for addresses prior to your visit.

Rhode Island has 2 restaurants.

As in other states, the Rhode Island Restaurant Meals Program is specifically designed for the elderly, disabled and homeless. Interestingly, the Rhode Island rules define homelessness as a household that lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence. This can include people living in a shelter, halfway house, a place not designed for sleeping or even those who are temporarily staying in the home of someone else (for up to 90 days).

As of January 3, 2023, the restaurants that accept EBT in Rhode Island include:

• Federal Hill Pizza Restaurant
• Subway (10 locations)

To find the exact locations, you’ll need to look for the “fork and knife” program logo in the restaurant window or check our locations list.

Some states are currently setting up the program.

Some of the states that have announced a restaurant program don’t publish much information about it. For more information about the status of the program in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York and Virginia, you’ll need to visit our Restaurant Meals Program state guide.

These states are not participating yet.

The following states have chosen not to enact the Restaurant Meals Program as of January 3, 2023. However, these states do have other EBT discounts, freebies and programs that may be able to benefit you.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa (ended February 2001)
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

How can I get restaurants to accept EBT in my area?

If you live in one of the states that has not chosen to participate in the Restaurant Meals Program, you can encourage your lawmakers to adopt this in your area. If you get enough people to speak up for this option, you may be able to make it happen! We have instructions on how to ask your lawmakers below.

If you would like to have restaurants that accept EBT in your state, here’s what you need to do.

First, you need to find the contact information for your elected officials. Find their information by using the State Legislatures tool on Congress.gov. You will need to follow the prompts to identify your state senators and state representatives. Remember to focus on the state officials, since the Restaurant Meals Program is already authorized at the federal level.

Second, you will need to contact each one of your elected state legislators. You may contact them by phone, written letter and/or email.

It helps to have a script prepared so that you stay focused and on-topic. I have included a sample message below, which you are welcome to copy and paste.

Dear [Elected Official],

Since 1977, the federal Food Stamp Act has given states the ability to enact the Restaurant Meals Program. This program serves vulnerable and at-risk populations, such as the homeless and elderly, who cannot cook meals for themselves at home. Through this program, these specific qualifying individuals are allowed to use their food benefits to purchase affordable meals at select restaurants such as Subway.

For more information about this program and how it works in other states, you can visit LowIncomeRelief.com (https://lowincomerelief.com/fast-food-restaurants-ebt/).

Please take action to introduce the Restaurant Meals Program in our state.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Obviously, you will need to insert the name and title of your elected officials, as well as your name, before sending that letter.

FAQ about Restaurants that Accept EBT

Most people have been told over and over again that SNAP EBT benefits cannot (or should not) be used to purchase hot food, and that’s usually true… so it’s understandable why so many people have questions about this unique and relatively-unknown program.

We have answered hundreds, if not thousands, of questions about this program since we first reported on it in 2017. We’ll answer the most common questions here for your convenience.

If you don’t see an answer to your question, ask us in the comments and we’ll respond as soon as we can.