Friday food deals -- plus Taco Bell's $2 meals

It's a beautiful Friday morning in May (at least it’s beautiful where I am), and what more could anyone want but Friday food deals and freebies?

Taco Bell has unveiled four new $2 meal deals: your choice of a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, a Gordita Supreme, a Grilled Chicken Burrito or a Double Decker Taco -- each with Doritos and a medium drink.  

This sets a new low in pricing for fast-food meals, USA Today notes. At most low-price chains, three items off the $1 menu add up to $3, though Taco Bell already has some items that cost less than $1 each.

• Bing: Fast-food calorie counts

This could be the day to walk to Starbucks for Frappuccino Happy Hour, which continues from 3 to 5 p.m. through Sunday, May 16. Some other deals from last week also are still good.

Here are the other deals we found, with some help from our friends at Cities on the Cheap:

• Tuesday, May 18, is Free Flavor Day at Haagen-Dazs, in honor of the company’s 50th birthday. Visit a participating shop from 4 to 8 p.m. and wish the company “happy birthday,” and you can get a free scoop of one of the three original flavors: chocolate, vanilla or coffee. No need to bring a gift.
• Kids 12 and under eat free at Ikea this weekend, May 14-16. Children can choose any three kid-size items. No adult purchase required.
• Quiznos Subs has added a “kids eat free” promotion for children under 12. Buy one adult meal and you’ll get a free Kidz Meal, which includes a toasty sub or pizza, drink and a choice of chocolate chip cookie or applesauce. The child must be present. Not valid on Toasty Bullets, Sammies and soups or delivery orders.
• Benihana has a special dining deal for May. For $39, two people can get "Filet for Two," which includes filet mignon, onion soup, salad, shrimp appetizer, hibachi vegetables, steamed rice and hot Japanese green tea. The deal is good through May 31.

And, here are a few deals you can’t eat, though you have to eat chocolate to get one of them:

• May is PGA Free Lesson Month, and you can get a free 10-minute golf lesson from a participating PGA/LPGA professional.
• You can get a free movie ticket with four proofs of purchase from Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures, Hershey’s Miniatures or York Peppermint Patties.  You need to mail in the Hershey’s Kisses Movie Ticket Promotion form by June 30. In return, you’ll get a Fandango promo code good through Aug. 31.

Not all local establishments participate in all national promotions, so it's always wise to call ahead.

Related reading:

• Is any cup of coffee worth $12?
• What’s in season? Fresh produce by the month
• How to find the grill of your dreams