New York City is home to approximately 8.3 million people. It is dubbed the busiest city in the United States and the world. So, it comes as no surprise if people don’t have the luxury of time to cook or even eat out on a regular basis.
The solution? – Order through food delivery apps. When you live in a fast-paced buzzing city, it is important to have convenience with the help of technology.
With food delivery apps, you can easily browse through menus of hundreds and thousands of NYC restaurants with just a swipe of a finger.
Whether you feel like having Brooklyn pizza, an American burger, or Chinese takeout, food delivery apps can conveniently bring your cravings right to your doorstep.
If you are not familiar yet with the best delivery food apps in NYC, this detailed guide will help you walk through the basics.
This article covers all that you need to know about these apps – from fees to availability and subscription.
How Food Delivery Apps Work
A food delivery app acts as a third-party service provider for restaurants, groceries, and other types of stores.
It is comparable to a directory of all available restaurants near your current location.
Once you input your desired delivery address, the app filters the restaurants that can deliver to you.
You can also filter the options according to your liking, whether you are into vegan food, Italian cuisine, or just a cup of coffee.
After selecting your order, enter the delivery address details and pay at checkout. The last step is simply waiting for the food to arrive.
Before your order arrives, the delivery app usually shows the current status of your order, so you can see if the restaurant is preparing it or being picked up by the driver.
The drivers usually have a commission for each transaction or receive tips if you decide to give them.
Of course, these food delivery apps charge additional fees on top of the order total as a payment for using their service.
Best Food Delivery Apps NYC
I listed the top 8 food delivery apps in New York City. In no particular order, here are the 8 food delivery apps to try:
- GrubHub
- Uber Eats
- DoorDash
- Postmates
- ChowNow
- Caviar
- com
- Seamless
1. Grubhub
- Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Phone: 844-478-2249
- Visit Website
Grubhub was founded in 2004 by Matt Maloney. It is the most popular food delivery app in the United States and New York City, of which more than 50% of New Yorkers use the app.
Their service is available through online and mobile purchases via iOS and Android devices.
Today, Grubhub has more than 22 million users in the world. The app allows users to choose between delivery and order pickup. What makes the app even more convenient is the option to choose the time of delivery and pickup.
Download: iOS and Android
Availability: About 4,000 cities in the United States
Fees: Varies per restaurant, minimum order, and order size
Subscription: Grubhub+ offers a $9.99 membership fee which benefits users with waived delivery fees for orders that are $12 or more.
Pros and Cons:
+ Convenient payment options
+ Expansive customer reach
+ Wide selection of local restaurants and nationwide chain restaurants
– Some restaurants charge a higher delivery fee
2. Uber Eats
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, U.S
- Phone: Contact Support
- Visit Website
In 2014, Uber launched Uber Eats as a food delivery app available online or for iOS and Android devices.
It is easy to navigate since it has one of the most user-friendly interfaces in the market.
Simply find a restaurant you like, choose the food, pay at checkout, and track your delivery.
Among the best features of the app are the displayed estimated time of arrival and driver location while you are waiting for the order to arrive.
Its payment options are also versatile since you can either pay with cash or cashless options.
Should you decide to pay in cash, the driver usually has a ready set of changes to give back.
Download: iOS and Android
Availability: Over 3,000 cities in the United States
Fees: A 15% service fee of the subtotal. If you order less than the minimum required order, the app charges a small order fee which ranges from $2 to $3.
Subscription: Eats Pass is Uber Eats’ membership service that charges $9.99 a month.
With Eats Pass, users don’t have to pay delivery fees and get a 5% discount on participating restaurants.
Pros and Cons:
+ Updated delivery tracking with driver location
+ Variety of payment options
+ Can choose a specific time for delivery and pickup
– Expensive service fees and has small order fees
3. DoorDash
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
- Phone: 855-431-0459
- Visit Website
DoorDash was founded in 2013 by founders Tony Xu, Andy Fang, Stanley Tang, and Evan Moore as an online delivery service provider.
As of 2021, the company has more than 6,000 employees and a 56% market share, making it one of the biggest businesses in the United States.
Not only is it a food delivery platform for restaurants, but grocery stores and pet stores as well.
About 450,000 merchants and 20,000,000 customers use the app for food deliveries.
The app allows you to filter the search in several categories including rating, cuisine, delivery time, and price.
Moreover, it has an expansive reach since you can also order from restaurants in other neighborhoods that are just outside your location.
Download: iOS and Android
Availability: More than 800 cities in the United States
Fees: Restaurants usually have a 20% commission for every order. There is no minimum order but expect a typical delivery fee of $3 and a service fee of $3.
Subscription: DashPass is a membership service that charges $9.99 a month. You can start a free 30-day trial upon signing up. Users benefit from a $0 delivery fee, discounted service fees, and a 5% credit back on pickup orders.
Pros and Cons:
+ More options for filtered search
+ No minimum order
+ Can reach restaurants outside your current neighborhood
– No real-time tracking
4. Postmates
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
- Phone: Contact Support
- Visit Website
Founded in 2011, Postmates is a food delivery service provider with more than 5,000 employees.
Its parent organization is Uber Technologies Inc. which was founded by Bastian Lehmann, Sam Street, and Sean Plaice.
Ordering food is possible when you go to their online website or by downloading the app on the App Store or Google Play.
The platform is easy to use as you can explore food by category including new restaurants, cuisines, family favorites, top eats, rewards, popular near you, healthy eating, fastest delivery, and offers.
What customers love about their food delivery service is that you can expand restaurants’ geographic reach, meaning there are no restrictions on geographical locations.
Aside from food deliveries, they also offer delivery services where drivers can pick up and deliver any item or package you require.
Download: iOS and Android
Availability: In 2,940 cities in the United States
Fees: Varies per restaurant, city, and delivery time, which can reach up to $10. The platform charges additional fees for peak hours which is called Blitz Pricing. If you have small orders, there is an additional $1.99 small cart order fee.
Subscription: For $9.99 a month, you can join Postmates Unlimited and get free deliveries from participating restaurants.
Pros and Cons:
+ Some restaurants offer 24/7 deliveries
+ Can reach restaurants outside your current neighborhood
+ Can deliver food, groceries, and other non-food items
– Surge fees during peak hours
5. ChowNow
- Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States
- Phone: 888-707-2469
- Visit Website
ChowNow was established in 2011 by Christopher Webb and Eric Jaffe. It is an online food pickup and delivery platform that has collaborated with more than 14,000 restaurants in the United States.
Moreover, its interface is one of the most user-friendly and versatile platforms available.
Their most common service is takeout or pickup, where customers can order ahead of time and simply head to the restaurant once orders are ready.
They also provide delivery, curbside ordering, and QR code dining services.
When using the app, users can filter the options according to cuisine and available restaurants.
Download: iOS and Android
Availability: In more than 14,000 restaurants across 18 cities and regions in the United States
Fees: ChowNow doesn’t charge restaurant commission fees. Delivery fees vary depending on the restaurant and location.
Subscription: There is no subscription service offered to consumers.
Pros and Cons:
+ No commission fees and hidden fees
+ Helps local restaurants and users save on fees
– Limited reach and services
6. Caviar
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
- Phone: 855-457-1575
- Visit Website
Caviar was acquired by DoorDash in 2019 and offers food delivery services in selected cities.
Those who live in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens in New York can use their on-demand food delivery service.
More than 700 restaurants from these NY locations are available for food orders.
After completing your order, you can track the delivery in real-time with its tracking feature.
Users also have the option to pick up the orders instead to reduce fees. Unlike DoorDash, Caviar still doesn’t have a subscription service.
Download: iOS and Android
Availability: In more than 700 local restaurants in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan
Fees: Varies per restaurant, distance, and region which can range between $1.99 and $8.99. Minimum orders depend on the restaurant.
Subscription: No subscription for membership, but its website shows DashPass as a subscription service to save money.
Pros and Cons:
+ Available in 700 local and upscale urban-area restaurants
+ Can track delivery in real-time
+ Allows pickup option
– Limited reach and restaurants
– Charges in-app fees
– No subscription service
7. Delivery.com
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
- Phone: 800-709-7191
- Visit Website
Founded in 1995, Delivery.com is an on-demand delivery service provider that offers food, grocery, laundry, and alcohol deliveries in the United States.
It has 264 employees and more than 19,000 partnered merchants. Over three million users utilize their services across more than 2,400 cities.
For first-time app orders, they offer a $15 discount when you use the code INSTA15 (code subject to change).
The app enables users to browse through a variety of stores and restaurants in the current neighborhood. Moreover, users can gain rewards and earn Score Delivery Points for each order.
Download: iOS and Android
Availability: In 100 cities in the United States
Fees: The app doesn’t charge in-app fees but the restaurant sets its own delivery fees and minimum orders.
Subscription: No subscription service but users can earn points in their loyalty and rewards program.
Pros and Cons:
+ Ability to split orders with other people to reduce fees
+ No in-app or website fees
+ Can deliver other items like laundry, alcohol, and groceries
– No real-time tracking of orders
– The app and website sometimes have glitches or issues
– Limited food options
8. Seamless
- Headquarters: New York City, New York, United States
- Phone: Contact Support
- Visit Website
Seamless was established in 1999 by Jason Finger, Paul Appelbaum, Todd Arky, and Andy Appelbaum before merging with GrubHub in 2013.
The online food delivery service provider has more than 300 employees and over 12,000 partnered restaurants.
More than two million consumers use their services in more than 600 cities.
It boasts of having no hidden fees. Moreover, it covers five boroughs in New York including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. They partnered with a variety of merchants offering full menus.
Download: iOS and Android
Availability: In Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island of New York
Fees: Varies per restaurant and distance. The minimum order depends on the restaurant.
Subscription: Seamless+ is a subscription service for $9.99 a month. Users can have a free two-week trial that offers a $0 delivery fee for orders more than $12 at participating restaurants.
Pros and Cons:
+ Extensive list of available restaurants
+ No hidden fees
+ Available all over New York
– No order tracking
– The estimated delivery time is not always correct
Find the Best Food Delivery App in NYC
Thanks to food delivery apps, satisfying our cravings from our favorite restaurants has never been this easy.
In this article, I recommended the top 8 food delivery apps. But let’s face it, there will only be one or two apps that you will frequently use.
How will you know which app works best for you? First, you have to determine what kind of service you need, whether you need food deliveries, grocery pickups, or laundry assistance.
If you are looking for the most convenient app for food deliveries, the app with the most merchants and extensive reach is the best option.
Next, if high fees are a concern to you, it is best to steer away from food delivery apps with high delivery fees, service fees, peak hour fees, and small order fees.
For those who plan to order on a regular basis, it would be a good idea if you pay for a subscription plan available to save up on fees and get discounts too.
If you are looking for an easy-to-use and versatile platform, using an app with filtered search options, real-time tracking, and in-app messaging is the way to go as these features add to an excellent user experience.
Alternatives to Try
If you don’t like to use a third-party app, you can always order straight from the restaurant’s website for food ordering.
Another alternative is to order via the traditional phone call. In this way, consumers usually save on fees since they don’t have to pay for third-party service and delivery fees.
These alternatives do not charge restaurant commission fees since it is already a direct order, so expect prices to be significantly lower.
However, the only downside to this alternative is that not all restaurants have their own direct online ordering website.
Moreover, some restaurants may decline an order especially if your location is too far for their drivers.
The Verdict
For those looking for comfort and convenience, ordering from food delivery apps is a surefire way in getting your favorite food without having to step outside your home.
With just a smartphone or computer and a few clicks, ordering food is made simple without the fuss. On top of that, you can easily discover new restaurants and cuisines to try right from the comfort of your couch.
Of course, this approach is best for those who like to stay at home or just take a break from cooking in the kitchen.
Using food delivery apps is a go-to for New Yorkers, especially if you don’t mind paying the extra fees. Try these apps today and choose the most reliable app for you.
Which of these apps do you use for food deliveries? What do you think about their services? Share your reviews with us in the comments section below!
