UberEats aims to satisfy by delivering highly acclaimed dishes to Washington, D.C. residents.
By Selene San Felice
On September 6, Washington, D.C. Uber members can order Buredo’s The Beatrix Roll. (Photo courtesy UberEats.
In the past six years, Uber has taken the urban commute by storm, and now its moving in on the lunch break. One year after the launch of UberPool, the app’s more economical ride-sharing option, the company is now using its drivers to transport food, as well as people.
UberEats has begun food delivery service to seven major cities around the globe including Washington D.C. While this may seem like a meager attempt to compete with other food delivery companies like GrubHub and Postmates, UberEats offers a completely different experience. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, Uber customers can order up to three different items from a daily menu curated with the District’s most-raved-about-meals in mind. For now, the service is confined to Downtown, from Dupont Circle to Capitol Hill.
Lunch options generally consist of salads and sandwiches ranging from $8 to $12 with the occasional desert going at $2 to $3. This week’s menu includes Butter Chicken with Rice and Chickpeas from Indigo (named “Where we go for Indian” by Washingtonian Magazine), The Beatrix Roll by Buredo (named Eater DC’s “Hottest New Sushi Restaurant”) and Red Hook Lobster Pound’s Maine Lobster Roll and Potato Chips (named by Bon Appetit Magazine as “One of the Top 6 Lobster Rolls in the U.S.”). Whether you want to supply the office with 12 Ted’s Bulletin pop tarts or you’re just hoping to hide in your cubicle and eat a Lobster Roll in peace, each order comes with a flat $3 delivery rate.
On Friday September 4, UberEats will be delivering Red Hook Lobster Pound’s Maine Lobster Roll and Potato Chips. (Photo courtesy UberEats)
If you’re hoping to hitch a ride with the guy who delivered your Burrito and Nutella Cookie, you’ve set yourself up for delicious disappointment. UberEats is its own service completely separate from from Uber and UberPool. Each weekday morning drivers meet at a top secret District location where meals are prepped and individually packaged. Then insulated coolers in each car, kept hot by cigarette lighters and cool by ice, are loaded up with enough meals to fuel lunch hour.
While UberEats may not offer the large variety of its competitors, the service does come with Uber’s signature speediness. Some services can take up to an hour, but our delivery to the DuPont area took less than six minutes.
Uber states they have plans to expand their menu, delivery area and hours of service, but for now UberEats might just be the perfect answer to Washington’s stomach-growling prayers.
