Who Has The Best Food Delivery Service in Boston?

It’s that time: your stomach begins to rumble but you don’t want to leave your “office” in your “work outfit” since you’re that comfortable. But online ordering can be such a hassle, since there are numerous delivery services to order from all claiming they are “best.” How do you know which one is specifically the best to order from? This article will break down each food delivery service the Boston area offers, as well as some gems that each service offers:

Doordash

Described on their about page as a company that “connects people with the best in their cities,” Doordash looks to live up to this statement to an extent. With 18 different kind of food options that you can choose from, ranging from fast food to vegan and thai, there is no doubt that Doordash satisfies your any food craving you’re desiring.

But what seems to haunt Doordash is the ratings it gets in terms of customer service. When I was looking at reviews from Reviews.io about Doordash, all I saw were one-star reviews that referenced how bad their customer service was, how their drivers were not on time and the list goes on. Granted the reviews are from across the United States, it shows that Doordash can at some times be unreliable in terms of its service.

While Doordash used to offer free delivery more often, it now typically requires a DashPass membership ($9.99/month) to avoid delivery fees. Without it, fees can vary based on distance and demand.

Note on Caviar: Caviar used to be its own upscale delivery platform, but in Boston, it now operates entirely through the Doordash app. While the name still appears in some cities, it’s no longer a separate experience here.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Visit our list of Top 5 Restaurants in Boston for the Best Burgers.

Uber Eats

When Uber announced in 2014 that it would be launching UberFresh (now Uber Eats), its mission was to “make eating well effortless at anytime, for anyone,” there was much speculation that the company was going to replicate the success it got from its sister company, but not everything is ‘perfect the second time’ as the saying goes.

First of all, can we talk about how amazing Uber Eats' menu is! With 13 different food options on its homepage, there is no doubt that anything you are looking for will be located within these categories. Cannot find what you’re looking for? Simply look up in the search bar and you’re bound to find what you’re craving for.

Unlike Doordash, you have to pay a delivery fee ranging from $.49 to $4.49 depending on where you order from. From a broke college students perspective (like myself), you are now at an ultimatum: do I get the main entree and the side and swallow the delivery fee OR get the main entree and use the remaining money towards the delivery fee (and be hungry later)? Tough decisions…

For frequent users, Uber Eats now offers a monthly membership called Uber One, which includes $0 delivery fees on eligible orders and 5% off some restaurant partners. It’s $9.99/month and can make a big difference if you order more than once or twice a week.

Like Doordash (and the other food delivery services in this industry), Uber Eats is full of mixed views, with g2 and its positive reviews about how great the delivery service is to Trustpilot and Reviews.io about how bad the customer service is and how food arrived cold. If I was served cold food, there is no doubt that I would write a bad review and never order from the place ever.

Rating:⭐️⭐️

Grubhub

Rounding out the big three is Grubhub. While I have friends tell me how great the food was and service was, some of my family members who have used this delivery service tell me otherwise. As someone who has not used a delivery service for his food (crazy, right), I’ll refrain from using familial experiences in this review, as I want to give you my thoughts only. Anyways, enough of me. Let me tell you more about what Grubhub has to offer.

Compared to Uber Eats and Doordash, Grubhub has the most diverse food selection. While offering the ordinary food options, Grubhub goes above and beyond with options like Cuban, Brazilian and even Latin American food. To be honest, I’ve never had Latin American food before, but now that I know Grubhub delivers from places like Jugos, I’m going to have to try some. In my opinion, this is a win in my books.

While Grubhub looks to not offer free delivery when you use the free version, if you sign up for Grubhub+, you can get free delivery— plus more. For $9.99/month, Grubhub+ gives you free delivery on orders $12+, exclusive deals, and one free pickup meal per month. It's a solid option if you order regularly — otherwise, the cost might outweigh the perks.

While I was impressed by the variety of food Grubhub offered, what took me by surprise the most was the fact that there you could read the reviews from people who ordered from the same place you ordered/plan to order from. While Uber Eats and Doordash showed how reviews from their restaurants, you couldn't actually read what people had to say about the food they ordered. But on Grubhub, you can actually see genuine comments from people who explain what they got for food. Poor or not, at least I don’t have to search on Google for reviews.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After breaking down my thoughts about the delivery services provided by our Twitter poll, let’s see what everyone said:

So — what delivery app do you swear by? Tell us in the comments.