The Wiener and Still Champion is celebrating National Hot Dog Day this Saturday and is offering every Vienna Beef, Chicago-style hot dog (and freshly battered Dipping Dog) for $1.00, so make like a Kobayashi and get yer fill.

Now there’s some conflicting info on the web as to whether July 19th or July 23rd is the actual National Hot Dog Day this year, but I like having the offer available on the weekend. National Hot Dog Month is also most definitely July, so there’s little to do now but kick back and enjoy some super sausage… on the cheap. Eat up.

So they’re only 7.11-ounce cups… but you can’t beat free, and it’s hard not to stumble on one of the thousands of locations that could potentially be participating. (Only once did they reject someone in my experience — a whole lotta schoolkids — but otherwise it’s been good.) Just don’t go too late or the Birthday cup supply could run out on ya. (And yes, it’s the company’s 81st B-day, and this apparently marks the 7th year of this wonderful promotion.)

I don’t know what radioactively colored frozen beverage you might be interested in this Friday, but I personally like Coke and Mountain Dew quite a bit… if they’re available (and the machine’s working).

I’ve already encountered no fewer than three mailings to Korean Americans — mostly in Korean — including coupons for free Southern Style Chicken Sandwiches and Biscuits, no purchase necessary. While I’ve personally been left out of the biscuit bonanza myself, it would make sense to assume that other ethnic groups were targeted by McDonald’s for their latest product offerings as well. It’s also good to know that friends and family are perfectly willing to donate their mailing-list prizes, even if the food items aren’t exactly best in class. (Free food is still free food.)

As it turns out, there’s a way to tip the Southern Style scales in your favor: Amazon.com apparently partnered up with Mickey-D’s to send more generalized complimentary coupons in a whole lot of its packages lately. So if you don’t want to miss out on these coupons that expire at the end of the month, then maybe an order at Amazon might give you a better chance at a subsidized sandwich in June. And in case you were wondering, they go fairly well with large 32-oz. soft drinks for a buck (likely at McDonald’s till July the 4th) and $10 statement credits from your Chase Freedom Card (only if you got the offer). Other distributors in on the act reportedly include Ticketmaster and Columbia House. [Via CAG.]

I saw this info up on a local White Castle sign the other day and wondered whether it pertained to a national promotion or not. Lo and behold, it actually did. Here’s what’s written online:

“National Hamburger Month May 2008: Celebrate with 27¢ Hamburgers on Tuesday, May 27th ONLY from 2:00 pm – 3:27 pm. (At participating castles only. Limit 10. Cheese & Bacon extra. Dine-in and drive-thru only, no phone orders.)”

So I guess this isn’t just a Memorial Day promo come a day late — especially for those of us no longer off on a bank holiday in America. Hope you don’t mind your hamburgers in the midafternoon! Around 18 hours left tah go…

The official web site runs down this deal pretty well, so as long as you hit a participating shop between 10 A.M. and 10 P.M. on the 15th, you should be all right. Oh, and I prefer my iced coffee with lots of sugar.

Here’s the rest ah’ the fine print: “Cannot be combined with any other offer. One free small 16 oz. Iced Coffee per person, per visit.” Found the link courtesy o’ CAG.

The details: from 7 A.M. to 10:30 A.M., the breakfast choice is the Southern Style Chicken Biscuit, while from 10:30 A.M. to 7 P.M., the chicken of choice is a sandwich. All white meat all the way. I know what I’m eating on the 15th.

And the fine print: “Price and participation may vary, while supplies last. Limit one per customer/per drink order. Not valid with any other offer, discount, coupon or Extra Value Meal. Price of required purchase posted on menu board. Hours may vary by restaurant.” Promoting new products with price cuts always works in my book.

31 Cent Scoop Night runs on the 30th from 5 P.M. to 10 P.M. Like the site says, “Participating stores will reduce prices of small ice cream scoops to 31 cents.* At some locations, you may also have an opportunity to make a donation to your local fire charities.” B-R’s also donating $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. ["*2.5oz scoops are 31 cents plus tax where applicable. Limit 10 scoops per person, per purchase."]

If you can’t stand the thought of paying 31 cents (plus applicable tax) per scoop, consider joining the Baskin-Robbins Birthday Club, which’ll send you that e-mail for 2.5 ounces of free ice-cream five days before your next birthday. Just make sure you sign up well in advance in order to get your hands on that crucial discount.

[The scoop on this special was obtained from the Hot Deals Club.]

Ben & Jerry’s is actually turning 30 in 2008 — a notable achievement, if I do say so myself. Actually found out about this deal while researching the web site for their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. This might be my chance to finally try other flavors like Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, or the new Cake Batter ice cream.

Like that simple graphic says, “If you love something, get it free!” Don’t disappoint me now by not going.

Maybe you can’t find a better way to celebrate Holy Saturday than by digging into a freshly dipped corndog from Gus and company (over at the WASC on 802 Dempster St. in downtown Evanston), but the occasion is actually supposed to mark National Corndog Day. I helped taste test the special dipping sauces also on offer, of which you can get one free by buying three Dipping Dogs that day, so see you there if you make it early. (That’s tomorrow!)

If eating hot dogs of any kind just gets yer goat, then there’s always the excellent cheddar cheeseburgers and fresh hand-cut fries to fall back on as well. This isn’t the typical fast-food chain being mentioned here, I know, but it would feel wrong not to talk about some of the better made-to-order menu items on the North Side — especially when they’re being promoted and especially affordable. Check out the full press release for all the details.

According to MattKenseth.com, “Arby’s ‘Matt’s Monday’ free Curly Fry give away is valid only on the Mondays following a race won by Matt Kenseth, limited to one order per person with coupon, while supplies last, is not valid with any other offer, and is available at participating Arby’s locations.” The coupon might be found (tomorrow? [edit: yup, here it is]) at the Arby’s Racing web site, but the printed official race results from NASCAR.com or the clipped-out results from a newspaper will work just as well.

Hopefully you can find an Arby’s near you (especially one that keeps up with racing and its attendant promotions), but make sure to take advantage of this while you can. While Matt delivered victories for fry fans three times in ‘07, you never know when the next freebie will arrive. [Image taken from MattKenseth.com.]