There are 981 restaurants that accept EBT in Arizona right now. We’re talking about the food stamps side of EBT, not the cash side.
That’s thanks to the Restaurant Meals Program. It’s part of the federal food stamps law. It lets certain SNAP shoppers use their food benefits to buy hot, ready-to-eat meals from local restaurants, fast food spots, and even food trucks that are set up to process EBT.
The Low Income Relief team has spent over 10 years digging into every loophole and perk you can get with SNAP benefits. While you’re here, check out our guide to over 1,000 EBT discounts too.
What is the Restaurant Meals Program?
Most of us have been told that SNAP only covers cold food and groceries. That’s true almost everywhere. But there’s a loophole in the law called the Restaurant Meals Program that lets certain people buy hot meals with their SNAP benefits.
The Restaurant Meals Program is optional. Each state decides whether to offer it. Arizona was one of the earliest states to sign on, which is why the state now has so many participating restaurants.
When you’re enrolled in the program, you swipe your EBT card at a participating restaurant just like you would at a grocery store. Your benefits cover the meal, and your receipt shows your remaining balance.
Who qualifies for Arizona’s Restaurant Meals Program?
You need be currently receiving SNAP and meet at least one of these requirements:
- You’re at least 60 years old; OR
- You’re disabled and receiving disability compensation; OR
- You’re experiencing homelessness
This program exists for people who genuinely can’t prepare meals at home. It isn’t a general perk for all SNAP households.
How do you sign up to use EBT at restaurants?
If you’re eligible, your caseworker has to turn on the restaurant setting for your case. It doesn’t happen automatically just because you qualify.
If your card gets declined at a participating restaurant and you believe you’re eligible, contact your caseworker to check your account. Once the setting is active, you can swipe your card just like you would at a grocery store, and the cashier can tell you which menu items are EBT-eligible if you’re ever unsure.
Why doesn’t every location of the same restaurant accept EBT?
This trips people up constantly. Each restaurant location is evaluated and certified separately, even within the same chain.
That means one McDonald’s in your city might accept EBT while another McDonald’s a few miles away doesn’t. Getting certified takes restaurants through a lengthy state approval process, so participation often comes down to whether an individual owner or franchise chose to go through it.
This is also why the list below changes over time. Restaurants join, and occasionally a location drops out. We update this page regularly using the latest data from the Arizona Department of Economic Security, but always confirm with the restaurant before you order if you can.
Restaurants That Accept EBT in Arizona
Below is the full, updated list of restaurants that accept EBT across Arizona, organized by region and city so you can find options near you.
| Restaurant Name | City | Street Address |
|---|
Relief Recap
Arizona’s Restaurant Meals Program is one of the best-kept secrets in SNAP benefits, and it can be a real lifeline if cooking at home isn’t an option for you. Bookmark this list, share it with anyone who might qualify, and don’t miss our guide to over 1,000 EBT discounts you can unlock with your card.
Of the two Subways in Apache Junction, the one on Idaho Street has changed its phone and no longer accepts EBT and the one on Apache Trail has just lost its permit due to illegally collecting sales tax.
Just thought you’d like to know.
Thank you for the update!
If you go to the DES website it will show you how you can add your restaurant to the list @Laquesha d Taylor,
Can I order food from fast food restaurants online with the EBT in Tucson Arizona?
Hi Alisha. There are restaurants in Tucson that accept EBT. We don’t know how many of them (if any) currently also have their systems set up to accept EBT online. Most will only be in the restaurant.
In the same manner that retail outlets put signs up claiming “out of service” on their bathroom doors because they didn’t want to clean up after the influx of humanity during the pandemic, these same retail outlets plaster crude signs proclaiming “EBT down” on their doors to discourage patronage by people that can’t pay in the familliar way. Accepting EBT payments is apparently frought with fees and delays that retailers outside of grocery stores despise. Or they despise people that use EBT cards…..
How sad that a govt. nutrition program doesn’t include healthier option restaurants like chipotle, Rubios, etc.
Do any Restaurants or fast-food places in Fernley or Reno Nevada except EBT.
Hi Stacey. If your area isn’t mentioned above, it may be worth calling 211 to see if there is anything they can suggest in your local area.
In Tucson you need to add Papa Murphys Puzza! You will have to cook it , tho I’m told for a dollar or two they will cook it for you.
Thanks for letting us know!