QUARANTINE? GET IT DELIVERED
Events and other programming canceled. Employees working from home. People avoiding contact with others. As Houstonians ride out the novel coronavirus and officials attempt to contain its spread, it appears we’ll all be spending more time at home. Delivery services that bring food (and other necessities) to your door are an alternative to wrestling a stranger for the last can of beans at the grocery store. Here are some options:
Favor is a Texas-based delivery company owned by H-E-B. The service has daily deals offering free delivery at featured restaurants — H-E-B beer and wine comes with free delivery, too. Otherwise, fees range from $1 to $6, and there is more flexibility than other apps when it comes to writing in your own modifications and contacting the driver directly.
Seamless has one of the largest inventories of restaurants, cafes and fast-food joints to choose from for delivery; pickup is also available. Shipley’s, Chuy’s, Ninfa’s on Navigation and more are all on there. Most restaurants don’t have delivery fees or minimums. Seamless has a “donate the change” program that benefits No Kid Hungry.
UberEats sends Uber drivers to deliver food. There are many options, from fast food to pizza to Mexican. Delivery fees depend on the restaurant and typically range from 99 cents to $4.99.
DoorDash also has a slew of options, with many participating restaurants offering free delivery. Others offer free delivery for first-time customers, and DoorDash has regular deals for 99cent delivery fees on orders exceeding $15 at select restaurants.
GrubHub has similar options, with both delivery and pickup available. The company offers incentives to download its app, where exclusive perks and deals are available. Signing up to GrubHub+ for $9.99 a month unlocks unlimited free delivery and 10 percent cashback. GrubHub also has a “donate the change” program with No Kid Hungry.
Postmates delivers takeout food from restaurants as well as groceries and alcohol. There is a seven-day free trial for Postmates Unlimited, which gives free delivery; after that, it’s $9.99 a month. Outside this promo, delivery fees start at 99 cents.
Caviar focuses on a smaller set of restaurants. Only two are available in Houston right now: Samy’s Dosakall and Chefs’ N Motion.
EatStreet lets customers browse only by category of food, but it still has a wealth of options.
The large majority of delivery fees are up to $2, with a few for free.
Drizly is a requisite for anyone who needs a glass of wine (or several) during these trying times. Drizly delivers alcohol from a variety of local specialty shops and grocery stores, including beer, wine and liquor. Must be 21 or older, of course, and everything is delivered with an hour.
Instacart offers sameday grocery deliveries, picking up from H-E-B, Kroger, Costco, Total Wine, CVS Pharmacy, Petco and more. An Instacart shopper will physically go to the store to shop for your items and deliver them to your door. There’s currently a 14-day free trial of Instacart Express, which offers free and faster delivery; after that, it’s $9.99 a month.
AmazonFresh is available to Amazon Prime members and expanded to Houston last year. There’s an extra $14.99 monthly fee to use the service on top of Prime membership. Orders over $35 come with free delivery; otherwise, the fee is $9.99.
Shipt is another service that delivers goods from Central Market, H-E-B, Kroger, CVS Pharmacy, Target and more. A shopper is assigned to your order, and lastminute items can be added via text if the delivery person is still shopping. Membership to Shipt is $14 a month. There’s free delivery with orders over $35; otherwise, it’s a $7 flat fee.