Watch Out, Seamless: New Delivery Services Are Invading Your Turf

The UberEats interface. Photo: UberEats

Though some food-obsessed Instagram accounts would have you believe differently, lunchtime can be a sad affair for people too busy to leave their desks. Soggy tuna fish sandwiches, after all, don’t photograph well.

Maybe that’s why three new food delivery mobile apps have made headlines in the last week alone: UberEats, an extension of the popular ride-hailing service; Maple, a delivery-only restaurant backed by Momofuku empire-builder David Chang; and Arcade, which every day features a single dish from a rotating roster of buzzy New York City restaurants. They join another premium delivery service, Caviar, which came on the scene in 2013 and is available in two dozen major cities.

And given the stranglehold more established delivery services like Seamless and GrubHub (which are now owned by the same company) have on the market, it’s no wonder that these new ventures are looking to get a piece of the pie.

All present a brighter, rosier idea of what weekday lunch can be. And I bought it hook, line, and sinker on a Wednesday afternoon at Yahoo Food’s New York City office. Why order another gray-tinged sashimi platter through traditional delivery channels when I could have Maine-style lobster rolls from Red Hook Lobster Pound or a mustard-slathered smoked brisket on rye from Mile End Delicatessen? All without leaving my office, no less. It seemed like a no brainer.

I decided to put the four services to the test by ordering a dish from each. It would be a delivery feast like no other, or so I hoped.

Dan dan noodles from Han Dynasty, delivered by Arcade. Photo: Arcade

First up, UberEats, which expanded its service to New York City this week. The options are limited — only two dishes to choose from each day — but with esteemed partners like Num Pang and Scarpetta, I wasn’t too worried about finding something tasty. I summoned up my iPhone’s Uber app, as the UberEats website instructs, and tried to figure out how to place an order. It was an exercise in futility.

At first it seemed like the app was buggy, so I shook my fist, and then my iPhone, just in case that might help. Moments later I realized that the service has a mere 26-block delivery area that does not include my office. I closed the app sheepishly. There would be no Asian-inspired steak sandwich or roasted beet salad for me that day. (CNET’s Bridget Carey said the latter wasn’t that great, anyway.)

Chorizo muffuletta sandwich with olive spread and roasted broccoli from Maple. Photo: Maple

Next, I gave Maple a whirl. Maybe I’d go for a satisfying green curry chicken over rice, or a bright Mediterranean salad. Heck, perhaps I’d even splurge on a zingy chorizo-stuffed muffuletta sandwich. The options looked promising, so I didn’t mind that Maple only offers three dishes at a time. But then, disaster: Maple’s app informed me that its delivery zone is even smaller than UberEats’. Like, a fraction of the size: It delivers exclusively to users below Manhattan’s Chamber Street, which is basically the pinkie toenail of New York City (albeit, a heavily populated pinky that contains many Wall Street financial institutions).

Maple is brand new and still getting up to speed — it just opened Tuesday — which could explain why its delivery range is so limited. It probably doesn’t hurt that its kitchen is also in lower Manhattan. But still. Hunger had turned me into a cold, unsympathetic person uncaring of such things.

I turned my attention to Arcade. Here’s how it works: The service texts you the day’s menu at 10 a.m. — on Wednesday, it was dan dan noodles from a Chinese restaurant called Han Dynasty — and by 11 a.m., those interested text “yes.” The dish should arrive by 1 p.m.

But then, I looked at my clock. It’s 11:45 a.m. DRAT.

Tokyo shio ramen from Ivan Ramen, delivered by Caviar. Photo: Rachel Tepper 

My grand plans for a delivery lunch buffet were crumbling around me. But then, a light in the darkness: Caviar, which understandably benefits from having a two year jump on UberEats and Maple. Caviar’s app interface was simple to navigate. From among the myriad restaurant and dish options, I easily selected a bowl of Tokyo shio ramen from Ivan Ramen. I threw in some fatty chashu pork and a runny soy sauce-swathed egg, just because.

The meal cost more than my normal lunch fare — $15, plus $4.03 in tax and tip (though delivery is free) — but I didn’t care at that point. I placed my order at 11:50 a.m., and it arrived by 12:16 p.m., well before the 12:31 p.m. to 12:51 p.m. delivery window. I lavished praise on the intrepid delivery man, who didn’t quite understand why I was so effusive in my thanks.

It was lukewarm, but overall very tasty. For midday cravings that regular delivery services can’t satisfy, I’d try Caviar again in a heartbeat. I’ll definitely wait for UberEats and Maple to grow into themselves, though. (And expand their delivery range.)

But for everyday hunger pangs, normal delivery will be just fine. Maybe I’ll even make my own lunch once in awhile.

Speaking of Uber, enjoy this parody from New Potato:

Would you use a premium food delivery service? Tell us below!