A collage showing a GrubHub food bag, a DoorDash delivery driver, and a cartoon image of a green pizza delivery car against a checkered tablecloth background.

DISCOVERING DELIVERY: Too busy to Eat?

By Jim Ayres

Anyone who’s ever known me, and many who don’t, know my lament by heart. I am tied to my desk during July, August, and September. The third quarter is the busiest time at work, with 12-hour days not uncommon.

But most importantly, during those hectic days, do I find time to eat? Summer 2019, as it turned out, was then I discovered this miraculous thing. Delivery!

Of course, I knew I could have a pizza delivered, and often did (and do). Pizza Hut on Westheimer has elevated delivery to an art form. Always right on time, always hot, and always delicious. If you haven’t tried their Backyard BBQ Chicken Pizza, you are missing out!

And online ordering is so easy. I love that you can tip the driver when you place your order. I love it even more than the driver knows you did so.

But one cannot live on pizza alone. I’d heard mutterings about these new startup companies that deliver actual restaurant food to your door. Could it be?

Yes, it could. And no, it couldn’t.

Let’s begin with the positives. Over the last few months, I’ve tried DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats. You can order anything on the restaurant’s menu through the service’s website. You get to watch a cute little tracker go from “order received†to “being prepared†to “on the way.†It gives me a sense of comfort knowing a restaurant is doing all that for me.

A delivery fee is added to your total once you’ve selected your meal and go to checkout. Fees are set by the restaurant (ranging from free during a promotion to about six bucks), and the delivery service gets a cut. Add a driver tip and you’re all set.

Will your order taste as good as in the restaurant? This is the big drawback of delivery. No, it will not. Depending on how far your food has to travel, it may arrive lukewarm or even cold. Entrees, such as a stir-fried dish or a Tex-Mex combo, tend to fare the best. They can also be zapped back to life if needed.

Salads are also great delivery choices, as they’re usually chilled, to begin with.

But a burger and fries? These simply do not travel well, and they will be limp and cold by the time your driver knocks on your door. Save these for when you go to the restaurant, not the other way around.

And then there’s the packaging. You’ll get lots of it. Plastic bowls, clamshell plates, utensils, and napkins. Not all of it is recyclable, but at least they’ve moved away from styrofoam. For the most part. And what do you do with an empty pizza box?

Delivery is the ultimate convenience. It’s more expensive than dining in, and you may have to reheat or otherwise doctor the food you get. But it sure beats tearing yourself away from work. Doesn’t it?

Doordash DoorDash.com

Grubhub Grubhub.com

Uber Eats UberEats.com

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