Restaurants That Accept EBT
In most of the country, no — EBT can’t buy a restaurant meal. Nine states run a Restaurant Meals Program, and even there it’s only for SNAP households where everyone is 60 or older, disabled, or homeless. If that’s you and you live in one of the nine, your card works at approved restaurants like a debit card.
The short version: Nine states, listed below · You must be 60+, disabled, or homeless · Approval is per restaurant, never chain-wide · No application — your card is coded automatically
The 9 States That Let You Buy Restaurant Meals With EBT
This is the full list, from the USDA’s own Restaurant Meals Program page (updated August 7, 2026). No other state runs one. We checked each state’s official restaurant list on August 14, 2026.
| State | Coverage | Approved locations |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Statewide | Not published |
| California | Statewide | 6,365 |
| Illinois | Limited area | 50 |
| Maryland | Limited area | 31 |
| Massachusetts | Limited area | 13 |
| Michigan | Selected cities | 294 |
| New York | Limited area | Not published |
| Rhode Island | Limited area | 9 |
| Virginia | Limited area | 87 |
That’s about 6,849 approved restaurant locations across the 7 states that publish a countable list. California alone accounts for most of them.
As of August 14, 2026 · Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (page updated August 7, 2026), plus each state agency’s own approved-restaurant list — linked on every state page.
Who Qualifies
The Restaurant Meals Program exists for people who often can’t cook: no kitchen, no permanent housing, or a disability that makes cooking hard. Every member of your SNAP household has to meet one of these:
- Age 60 or older
- Disabled — receiving disability or blindness payments, or government disability retirement benefits for a permanent disability
- Homeless
- The spouse of a SNAP client who qualifies under one of the rules above
That last one matters. If you qualify and your spouse doesn’t, the household is out — California spells this out plainly. And you must be certified for SNAP in a state that runs the program.
Which Fast Food Chains Take EBT
There is no national answer, because there is no national program. A chain shows up here if it appears on two or more states’ official approved lists — and even then, only specific locations in those states are approved.
| Chain | Approved in |
|---|---|
| Subway | Arizona, California, Michigan, Rhode Island, Virginia |
| KFC | California, Maryland, Michigan, Virginia |
| McDonald's | Arizona, California, Michigan, Virginia |
| Burger King | Arizona, California, Maryland |
| Pizza Hut | Arizona, California, Illinois |
| Taco Bell | California, Michigan, Virginia |
| Carl's Jr. | Arizona, California |
| Church's Chicken | Arizona, California |
| Del Taco | California, Michigan |
| El Pollo Loco | Arizona, California |
| Fatburger | California, Illinois |
| Jack in the Box | Arizona, California |
| Little Caesars | Arizona, Virginia |
| Rally's Hamburgers | Arizona, California |
| Wendy's | California, Maryland |
As of August 14, 2026 · Source: the approved-restaurant list published by each state agency — linked on every state page.
Subway is the closest thing to a safe bet — it’s on more state lists than any other chain, and in Rhode Island it is the program. But never assume: the Subway two blocks over may not be approved while the one downtown is. Check your state’s list every time.
Does Subway accept EBT?
Only in 5 states, and only at approved locations. Subway appears on the Restaurant Meals Program list in Arizona, California, Michigan, Rhode Island and Virginia — at least 804 approved locations in the states that publish a count. Anywhere else in the country, Subway can’t take your EBT card, because SNAP doesn’t cover restaurant food outside the program.
Check the exact address on your state’s list: Arizona · California · Michigan · Rhode Island · Virginia
Does KFC accept EBT?
Only in 4 states, and only at approved locations. KFC appears on the Restaurant Meals Program list in California, Maryland, Michigan and Virginia — at least 244 approved locations in the states that publish a count. Anywhere else in the country, KFC can’t take your EBT card, because SNAP doesn’t cover restaurant food outside the program.
Check the exact address on your state’s list: California · Maryland · Michigan · Virginia
Does McDonald's accept EBT?
Only in 4 states, and only at approved locations. McDonald's appears on the Restaurant Meals Program list in Arizona, California, Michigan and Virginia — at least 664 approved locations in the states that publish a count. Anywhere else in the country, McDonald's can’t take your EBT card, because SNAP doesn’t cover restaurant food outside the program.
Check the exact address on your state’s list: Arizona · California · Michigan · Virginia
Does Burger King accept EBT?
Only in 3 states, and only at approved locations. Burger King appears on the Restaurant Meals Program list in Arizona, California and Maryland — at least 220 approved locations in the states that publish a count. Anywhere else in the country, Burger King can’t take your EBT card, because SNAP doesn’t cover restaurant food outside the program.
Check the exact address on your state’s list: Arizona · California · Maryland
Does Pizza Hut accept EBT?
Only in 3 states, and only at approved locations. Pizza Hut appears on the Restaurant Meals Program list in Arizona, California and Illinois — at least 294 approved locations in the states that publish a count. Anywhere else in the country, Pizza Hut can’t take your EBT card, because SNAP doesn’t cover restaurant food outside the program.
Check the exact address on your state’s list: Arizona · California · Illinois
Does Taco Bell accept EBT?
Only in 3 states, and only at approved locations. Taco Bell appears on the Restaurant Meals Program list in California, Michigan and Virginia — at least 546 approved locations in the states that publish a count. Anywhere else in the country, Taco Bell can’t take your EBT card, because SNAP doesn’t cover restaurant food outside the program.
Check the exact address on your state’s list: California · Michigan · Virginia
Massachusetts is the odd one out. All 13 of its approved businesses are independent restaurants and food trucks — no chains at all.
Your State Isn’t on the List. Now What?
Then EBT won’t buy you a hot meal out, and no workaround changes that. What your card does cover is broader than most people use:
- Cold ready-to-eat food at any SNAP-authorized store — sandwiches, subs, salads, sushi, cold deli items. If it isn’t hot at the register, it’s usually eligible.
- Rotisserie chicken sold cold, and bakery items. The temperature at checkout is what counts, not what you do at home.
- Convenience stores and gas stations that are SNAP-authorized — see gas stations that accept EBT.
- Groceries online for delivery or pickup — see our EBT online shopping guide.
Find what’s open near you on the EBT stores near me page, or read the full EBT eligible food list.
How It Works at the Register
Simpler than people expect. The state codes your EBT card for the program — you don’t apply, and you don’t carry proof. At an approved restaurant you swipe, choose EBT, and enter your PIN. If your card isn’t coded for it, the machine declines it. The cashier isn’t judging your eligibility and can’t override it either way.
Approved restaurants usually post a decal. Rhode Island uses a fork-and-knife “Participating Restaurant” sign; New York restaurants display an RMP window decal.
Common Questions
Can you use EBT at restaurants?
Only in nine states, and only if everyone in your household is 60 or older, disabled, or homeless. Those states run the Restaurant Meals Program. Everywhere else, SNAP covers groceries you take home, not a meal served to you.
What fast food takes EBT?
It depends entirely on your state, not the chain. Subway appears on the most state lists, followed by McDonald's, KFC and Taco Bell. A chain is never approved nationwide — approval is per restaurant, per state.
Why can't I buy hot food with EBT?
SNAP pays for food you prepare and eat at home. Hot, ready-to-eat food is excluded by law, whether it is a restaurant meal or a hot rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. The Restaurant Meals Program is the exception Congress allows states to opt into.
Do I have to apply for the Restaurant Meals Program?
No. If your state runs one and you qualify, your state codes your EBT card for it automatically. There is no separate application and the restaurant does not decide — the card is approved or declined at the register.
Does the restaurant know I am using SNAP?
They see an EBT card, the same way they would see a debit card. Staff do not check whether you qualify and cannot look up your case. The card itself carries the approval.
Can I use my EBT card at a restaurant in another state?
Yes, if both states run the program and the restaurant is approved. Maryland points this out for people who cross into Virginia. Your card still has to be coded for the program by the state that issued it.
Browse by State
- Restaurants that accept EBT in Arizona
- Restaurants that accept EBT in California
- Restaurants that accept EBT in Illinois
- Restaurants that accept EBT in Maryland
- Restaurants that accept EBT in Massachusetts
- Restaurants that accept EBT in Michigan
- Restaurants that accept EBT in New York
- Restaurants that accept EBT in Rhode Island
- Restaurants that accept EBT in Virginia
Sources: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (participating states, eligibility rules, how approval works) and Store Eligibility Requirements (the hot-food rule and the definition of a restaurant). Restaurant counts and chain names come from each state agency’s own published list — linked on every state page. Last reviewed: August 14, 2026.