By Jennifer Agress
There is something truly special about cooking a meal you get to enjoy. That said, on really busy days, there is something equally luxurious about being able to order said meal and not have to worry about the hours of prepping and cleaning that inevitably come with it or in having to go out. On days like those, we here in Miami often turn to food delivery services to make sure that, despite the time crunch, we still get to indulge in our favorite foodstuffs. Here is our list of Miami food delivery services , curated just for you:
UberEats
UberEats is the newest, and undeniably the most popular, food delivery service in Miami (and likely throughout the nation). It launched in the Magic City earlier this summer, and delivers food from 100+ restaurants in Miami between 8 a.m. and midnight. All orders are placed through the Uber app, and actual Uber drivers bring the delivery to you. As is the case with Uber, no tip is required – but as always, it is strongly encouraged. Also like Uber, the service is incredibly reliable and you can track your driver’s whereabouts through the app. Plus, it can deliver from restaurants that normally don’t offer delivery: like Zest, The Salty Donut, Bachour Bakery & Café, and more.
Amazon Prime Now
Now, members of Amazon Prime can order from Miami’s best restaurants through their Prime Now website or app, and get quick, reliable service without any delivery or service fees. You can also see restaurant hours, track the delivery, and view pictures of popular items. The one downside, however, is the price. Though entirely reasonable, the membership for Amazon Prime is still $99 for the year, and Amazon Prime Now requires a minimum $20 order, which might be much more than the item you’re craving. The upside, however, are its restaurants. There are 99 restaurants in Miami to choose from, including favorites like Bellmont Spanish Restaurant, Bodega Taqueria y Tequila, Burger & Beer Joint, GK Bistronomie, Izzy’s Fish & Oyster, Marion, NaiYaRa and more.
Postmates
Postmates is a popular website and mobile app that connects customers with South Florida couriers to order delivery from any restaurant or store in the area. In fact, that’s its main differentiator: Postmates is not just a food delivery service – it’s a reliable, full-service courier at reasonable rates. Sign into the website or the mobile app, and place an order 24/7 from restaurants like Grown, Threefold Café, Bangkok Bangkok, Greenstreet Café or Chocolate Fashion, or even have office supplies or toys delivered from Office Depot or Toys R Us. You can do a one-time order with varying delivery fees, subscribe to its “Plus” service and get a guaranteed flat delivery fee of $3.99, or join its Unlimited program, a $9.99/month Amazon Prime-like subscription service that will make as many deliveries as you like (from select merchants) for orders of $30+. Along with those options, you also have the freedom to create your own custom order or request special delivery instructions. Regardless of whether you join one of their programs, a 9% service fee is added (separate from the tip), and much like Uber, during busy times of day, prices will surge. That said, Postmates can pretty much bring you anything you need – so in a pinch, the heightened prices can be worth it.
Delivery Dudes
Delivery Dudes is as cool as it sounds. All you have to do is place an order online or on the phone with the restaurant of your choice, and pay Delivery Dudes when they bring it to your door. Delivery Dudes partners with restaurants from Miami all the way to Jacksonville Beach, primarily trendy or higher-end options like Bocce, Lemoni Café, Mignonette, Prime 112, Prime Fish, Pubbelly Sushi, Red, the Steakhouse and more. Those who pay with cash can pay $5 for delivery, while those who use a credit card pay $7. During the week, you can place an order anytime from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5:30 to 11 p.m. On the weekends, you can order anytime between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. Bonus: The company deems professionalism a must, so all Delivery Dudes drivers are trained, uniformed, and equipped with thermals to keep your food warm.
Unlike other food delivery services, Freshly actually whips up its own meals and creates its own menus. As the name implies, the concept is completely fresh and healthy – in fact, the brand prides itself on having “a team of chefs cooking for you.” Freshly has a weekly-changing menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that include, but aren’t limited to: Maple Quinoa Porridge with Spiced Butternut & Currants, Bacon & Fig Frittata with Red Potatoes, Seafood Risotto with Shrimp & Baby Scallops, Southwest Veggie Bowl, Southern-Style BBQ Pork with Sweet Potato Hash, and more. What meals you order and how many you get depends on the plan you sign up for, which ranges from $49.99 for four meals/week to $107.99 for 12 meals/week. Freshly guarantees gluten-free, low-carb, natural options with less processed sugars, and all meals are delivered fresh, in a refrigerated box with ice packs, to make sure they don’t spoil. You’ll need to keep your food refrigerated until you’re ready to eat it, but once you are, just heat it up and enjoy.
Eat24
Brought to you by the same people who created Yelp, Eat24 is a completely FREE website and mobile app that offers food delivery services 24 hours a day. It works with 131 restaurants in Miami alone, from fast-casual spots like Rice House of Kabob and My Ceviche, to moderately priced bars and restaurants like Batch Gastropub, Mmmm Cupcakes and Fratelli Milano. Unlike other food service apps, however, Eat24 serves as a “middle man.” To make it work, you order directly from Eat24 and they’ll send your request to the restaurant, and the restaurant itself will deliver it to your door. As an added bonus, Eat24 makes ordering as a group easy by letting you “share your cart” and split the check with friends or coworkers. There is no charge for the Eat24 service, and through the app, you can even track your food down to the minute it arrives.
GrubHub
GrubHub has been around for what seems like forever, and for good reason. GrubHub services a wide range of restaurants – from fast-casual places like Pepper’s Authentic Mexican, Azucar and Pura Vida Wellness Bar, to more moderate spots like Spaghettino, Old Lisbon, SuViche and Pizza Rustica. You can order your food to be delivered immediately, or as far as 72 hours in advance, and the food usually arrives in less than an hour.You can track it through the mobile app to know precisely when it’s going to get there. The downside of GrubHub, however, comes with payment. While the price you see on GrubHub is the flat fee you’re guaranteed to pay, the delivery fee can be as high as $7. The delivery price is set by each restaurant individually, not GrubHub, as well as whether or not you can pay by cash or credit card.
