National Cheeseburger Day 2026: Charleston-Area Burger Deals for Sept. 18

Free burgers, BOGO offers and discounted cheeseburgers are available around Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Summerville for National Cheeseburger Day.

If you needed an excuse to grab a burger Friday, here it is.

National Cheeseburger Day is Friday, Sept. 18, and restaurants across the Charleston area are participating with everything from free cheeseburgers to buy-one-get-one offers and discounted burgers.

The catch? Many of the biggest offers are tied to restaurant apps, loyalty programs or minimum purchases, so this is one of those days when checking the fine print before you order could save you some frustration.

Here are the Charleston-area deals we could verify for 2026.

Charleston-area National Cheeseburger Day deals

• Five Guys — Buy one burger, get one FREE. Order two burgers through the Five Guys app or FiveGuys.com and use code BOGOBURGER. The free burger must be of equal or lesser value. The promotion runs through Sept. 18 and is limited to participating locations, pickup and Five Guys direct delivery. It is not valid for walk-in or third-party delivery orders.
• Buffalo Wild Wings — Buy one cheeseburger, get one FREE. BWW is advertising BOGO cheeseburgers for National Cheeseburger Day using promo code BURGERDAY. Participation and ordering restrictions may apply by location.
• McDonald’s — FREE Double Cheeseburger with a $1+ purchase. The offer is available through the McDonald’s app for MyMcDonald’s Rewards members at participating restaurants and is limited to one redemption per person.
• Burger King — FREE Bacon Cheeseburger with a $3+ purchase. The Sept. 18 offer is part of Burger King’s Perks Week and is available to Royal Perks members through participating locations.
• Dairy Queen — FREE Original Cheeseburger Signature Stackburger with a $1+ order. DQ Rewards members can redeem the offer through the DQ app or website at participating Grill & Chill restaurants. The promotion runs through Sept. 18.
• Wayback Burgers — $3.50 Single Cheeseburger. Wayback is advertising its Single Cheeseburger for $3.50 on Sept. 18. The Charleston-area option is in Summerville.
• Wendy’s — $1.99 Dave’s Single with purchase. Wendy’s is offering the discounted burger through its in-app offer on Sept. 18 only.
• Sonic Drive-In — $1.99 Jr. Double Cheeseburger. Sonic is marking the day with $1.99 Jr. Double Cheeseburgers at participating locations.
• Checkers — $3 Big Buford. Participating Checkers locations are offering the Big Buford for $3 for National Cheeseburger Day.
• Applebee’s — Burger and fries for $8.99. Guests can choose a Classic Burger or Classic Cheeseburger with fries for $8.99 on Sept. 18. Applebee’s says the offer is available for dine-in or qualifying direct To Go orders through its website or app, but not third-party delivery.

Local Charleston restaurants are getting in on the day, too

Not every restaurant advertising National Cheeseburger Day is offering a published discount.

Henry’s on the Market in downtown Charleston, Smash City Burgers, King Street Grille in Mount Pleasant and Ellis Creek Fish Camp are all promoting National Cheeseburger Day on their websites for Sept. 18. However, we could not verify a specific National Cheeseburger Day price or discount from those listings, so we’re not presenting them as deals.

That distinction matters: a restaurant celebrating the day does not necessarily mean it is offering a discounted burger.

And no, Charleston’s Shake Shack deal isn’t available yet

You may see Shake Shack included on national National Cheeseburger Day deal lists, but Charleston residents will have to wait a few more days.

South Carolina’s first Shake Shack at Tanger Outlets Charleston in North Charleston is scheduled to open Wednesday, Sept. 23, five days after National Cheeseburger Day. The restaurant is expected to open at 10 a.m. following a ribbon cutting.

So despite the chain appearing in national deal roundups, it is not a Charleston option for Sept. 18.

Check the app before you leave

There’s a clear theme to many of this year’s offers: restaurants increasingly reserve their biggest discounts for loyalty members and digital orders.

Five Guys requires its website or app and a promo code. McDonald’s, Burger King, Dairy Queen and Wendy’s require or heavily rely on their respective rewards programs or apps. Applebee’s has restrictions on how its To Go offer can be ordered.

Our advice: open the restaurant’s app or website, select your Charleston-area location and make sure the offer appears before placing your order or heading out. Participation can vary by franchise.

And because Charleston’s restaurant scene is much bigger than the national chains, we’re looking for the local specials too.

Know a Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, West Ashley or Lowcountry restaurant running a National Cheeseburger Day special that we missed? Send it our way or drop it in the comments so we can keep the list updated.