7 NYC Food Delivery Services (That Aren’t Seamless), Explained

You keep meaning to hit Trader Joe’s on your way home from work, but the pull of your couch is too strong. Don’t fret: This offshoot of FreshDirect can have groceries at your door in about an hour. And along with the usual suspects like yogurt and rainbow chard, you’ll find everything from rosé to Advil to prepared foods.

Favorite orders: veggie stir-fry kit, Four & Twenty Blackbirds pie, LaCroix

Instead of brick-and-mortar restaurants, Maple’s in-house team creates rotating daily menus. You’ll also find exclusive collaborations, like marshmallow-maple-cookie-dough ice cream from Ample Hills (yesss). One downside: It’s currently only available in select areas of Manhattan.

Favorite orders: salmon poke bowl, kale gratin, La Colombe cold brew

Hey, nothing against Blue Apron and other meal kits, but some nights the idea of cooking dinner from scratch feels akin to completing a triathlon. Munchery requires a smidge more work than Seamless—everything is premade and arrives chilled—but we love the constantly changing menu and how fresh everything tastes. 

Favorite orders: steak and soba salad, goat cheese and spinach mac

Feeling fancier than your usual sandwich spot? This service gives you access to a lot of beloved NYC restaurants that don’t otherwise deliver. (The tradeoff: There’s a minimum and a delivery fee, so it’s worth ordering with a group.) 

Favorite orders: Mighty Quinn’s, Bruno Pizza, Taim

Sometimes the sheer volume of options is enough to give us a hunger-induced panic attack. Enter Arcade, which texts you just a few lunch options each day—you simply reply by 11 a.m. to get your lunch by 1 p.m. (You can also nab $5 pickup specials, if you feel like venturing outside.)

Favorite orders: Beecher’s mac and cheese, Uma Temakeria chirashi, Han Dynasty dan dan noodles

With the word “dash” right in the name, we expect a certain speediness. And luckily this service delivers (sorry) on that promise. There’s also an option to schedule an order up to four days in advance (say, when you know you’ll be watching The Bachelor).

Favorite orders: Court Street Grocers, Caracas Arepa Bar, Bonchon

Not surprisingly, this service gets bonus points for speed and an easy-to-use app. Like with Uber, you can see exactly where your driver en route. 

Favorite orders: Black Seed Bagels, Dimes, Egg Shop