UberEATS: On-Demand Food Delivery

UberEATS is Uber’s new ‘premium’ food delivery service. It is billed as the ”fastest restaurant delivery service” available in the United States.

Originally launched in 2014, UberEATS catered mainly to a business-lunch crowd — offering a limited number of items from a select field of up-range, high-quality restaurants.

In late 2015, Uber launched an ”expanded/2.0” version of UberEATS, which dramatically increased the number of available restaurant options; food items; and delivery cars, to cater to a much wider food-delivery market.

Basically, UberEATS (circa 2016) is Uber’s answer to popular delivery services like GrubHub, Seamless, and Foodler.

Since launching, the ”expanded” service has become increasingly popular and well-reviewed, operating on a daily basis across a range of American cities.

Get your first UberEATS meal free by signing up with Uber!

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UberEATS Basics:

UberEATS offers freshly-delivered, upscale restaurant selections from a rotating group of restaurants.

As a service, EATS can currently be found in these 10 American cities:

• New York
• Los Angeles
• Chicago
• Austin
• San Francisco
• Dallas
• Seattle
• Houston
• Washington, D.C.
• Atlanta

Menus and restaurant selections are curated by Uber HQ, and UberEATS’ menus change on a daily basis.

Uber continues to expand their list of affiliated restaurants, placing an emphasis on ‘local’ favorites and specialized small restaurants.

Uber has cut down delivery time substantially — it now promises an ambitious ”10 minutes or less” delivery window — which is an added incentive when it comes to choosing EATS as a food delivery service.

How does UberEATS work?

Ordering from UberEATS is simple. In fact, it’s very similar to ordering an UberX or any other Uber service.

Here’s what you have to do to get a meal delivered to your doorstep in less than 10 minutes:

1. Open the mobile Uber App.
2. Slide over to EATS on the far right of your screen (which is only visible if you happen to be in an UberEATS coverage area). EATS also is also denoted by a small Plate/Fork/Knife icon.
3. Enter your desired delivery address (or move the ‘blue pin’ to your present location), and tap ‘View Menu’.
4. Select your desired MEALS (as well as: number of meals).
5. Get ready to receive your meal — it will arrive in only a few minutes.

The system works by having restaurants make a variety of orders before you’ve actually ordered a specific item. Delivery packages are then distributed to different (active) drivers — so, when you place a request via the Uber App, Uber’s system pinpoints a driver that is carrying the exact menu-selection you’ve requested. In this way, it’s very similar to Uber’s regular car service — only with food, instead of vehicles.

Before you plan on ordering, it’s worth checking your Uber App to make sure you fall within the coverage area — in In New York City, for instance, UberEats only delivers between 14th Street and 59th street, from 11am to 2pm. Different cities have different times and coverage parameters.

UberEATS Los Angeles, for instance, operates on the following hours:

• Brunch (11am – 2pm Saturday & Sunday)
• Lunch (11am – 2pm Monday to Friday)
• Dinner (5pm – 8.30pm Monday to Friday)

Here are direct official links to various cities, where you can find times, current menus, and other service updates:

• New York
• Los Angeles
• Atlanta
• Austin
• Chicago Dallas
• Houston
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Washington, D.C.

And here are links to the international options:

• Toronto
• Paris

A note on receiving your meal:

UberEATS’ drivers are instructed to stay in their vehicle when delivering your food.

When your food is close to arriving, you’ll have to head outside — locating your driver (typically, meeting them curb-side) — and walking over to the passenger-side window to pick up your order.

Occasionally, an order will be delivered on foot (via a ”messenger”), as opposed to by vehicle. This is especially common in cities like Manhattan. You will still have to meet the delivery specialist on the street, or outside your specified delivery location.

How much does UberEATS typically cost?

Prices vary. The service offers a variety of different menu-selections at different prices-points.

Options generally range from $8 to $13.

There is also an added delivery fee for your order (although you can order multiple meals in one order, and you’ll only be charged one delivery fee).

The current delivery fee for UberEATS is $5 in all cities.

Do you have to tip your UberEats delivery driver?

No, as with all of Uber’s services, tipping is optional. But of course if you do tip, you can make your UberEats driver happy — in addition to giving them a five stars rating on Uber’s mobile App.

Can I customize my order?

Can UberEATS orders be altered to accommodate for food allergies?

Unfortunately, all meal options are fixed — for the time being, orders are not customizable, and anything on the menu will be delivered as-advertised.

Who drives for UberEATS?

Regular UberX (or other rideshare drivers) often drive for UberEATS when regular passenger-demand is low.

Performing lunch deliveries from 10am to 10pm can supplement income, helping regular UberX drivers make extra money during low-volume hours.

A word of caution:

Drivers face many challenges when operating as ”messenger/delivery” personnel for UberEATS. Delivering food means a variety of new, often complex logistical challenge.

Drivers must make frequent pick-up trips (grabbing to-go orders from an array of restaurants), and then rapidly deliver those orders to sometimes-difficult-to-reach locations (i.e., parking illegally while awaiting a customer to appear outside their home or workplace, etc).

Being an UberEATS driver is not for the faint of heart.

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Sign up here to drive with UberEATS.

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How is UberEATS being received by the public? Do people like it?

People seem to be responding well to UberEATS. Many reviewers note its exceptional speed and efficiency.

Some reviewers complain about lack of choice; lack of customization options; and Uber’s limited menu options (as well as a notable lack of vegan and vegetarian dishes). Another common complaint (perhaps the most common) is Uber EATS’ high price-point.

However, on the whole, the consumer response to UberEATS is very strong.

Final Thoughts

UberEATS is a good service. It’s not perfect, but few food-delivery services are. It does seem to manage high-quality food delivery within a rapid timeframe.

Basically, UberEATS is worth trying because:

• You no longer have to face long and unpredictable delivery times.
• Low hassle — there’s no delivery-guy transaction, and no tipping required.
• Convenience. It’s better than standing in line at your favorite restaurant, or waiting for a table at a popular spot.
• Quality. With curated menus and pre-selected dishes, you have a better chance of ordering a great menu item.
• Time-saver. You don’t have to find parking outside your favorite restaurant.
• Speed. Incredibly fast delivery times.

So, in conclusion — if you want to grab a bite — fast — you might want to give UberEATS a try.

Do you want to order delivery from UberEATS?

Sign up here and get a free $20 ride credit — which you can also spend on an UberEATS meal!