Canstar Blue’s restaurant meal delivery review compares DoorDash, Deliveroo, Menulog and Uber Eats on delivery reliability & timing, variety of meals, customer service, website & app navigation, value for money, and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Aussies rated DoorDash number one in Canstar Blue’s latest restaurant meal delivery services ratings. It received five-star reviews for delivery reliability & timing, customer service, website & app navigation, value for money, and overall satisfaction.
Thanks to restaurant meal delivery services, we can finally wave goodbye to the stash of outdated local takeaway pamphlets we’ve hidden away for a rainy day. Whether we’re too tired to cook or simply need to fix some serious late-night cravings, there are now plenty of apps and websites that allow us to get that cheeky kebab at our doorstep within a few clicks. But which food delivery services offer the best range of restaurants and meals to choose from, and at the best price?
To find out, Canstar Blue surveyed nearly 1,000 Australian consumers who have used these services within the last six months. Respondents scored their respective food delivery provider(s) on variety of meals available, delivery reliability and timing, customer service, website and app navigation, value for money and overall satisfaction. Restaurant meal delivery services that received the minimum survey sample size (30 responses) are compared in our report.
DoorDash zoomed ahead in our recent survey, rating best for overall satisfaction and receiving additional five-star reviews in most other research categories!
Here are the best restaurant meal delivery services in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s latest review:
DoorDash raced to first place after scoring five stars for delivery reliability and timing, customer service, website and app navigation, value for money, and overall satisfaction. Meanwhile, Menulog and Uber Eats bagged full marks for meal variety, with Deliveroo scoring the same result for reliability and timing, customer service, and website and app navigation.
To help you decide which might be the best service to satisfy your late-night cravings, or help you relax on your evening off, read on to find out what each service has on offer.
DoorDash is feeding hungry customers around the globe, connecting people with local eligible restaurants for either door-to-door food delivery or pick-up. Through the DoorDash app or website, you can place an order for immediate delivery or schedule it in advance. The company states the average wait time is typically 40 minutes but can be less or more depending on things like traffic, weather events, and how far the restaurant is. DoorDash has expanded its delivery range to areas outside of Victoria and New South Wales, with the service now available in various cities across Australia.
From popular burger chains to top Italian trattorias, Deliveroo says it connects locals to a wide variety of ‘high-quality’ restaurants, with an average wait time of 32 minutes. Just like any other delivery service, you can enter your address into the website or app to find out what’s available in your delivery zone. Deliveries are available daily until late at night, although service times vary between restaurants. You can schedule your order up to a day in advance, meaning you can plan your cheat day ahead of time. Keep in mind that Deliveroo only accepts card payments.
The Sydney-born company began serving Aussies in 2006, before merging with Just Eat Takeaway and becoming one of the leading food delivery services in the country. Menulog provides a platform to find and order from local restaurants, for either pick-up, delivery, or catering. You can use the Menulog website or app to browse by location, food category, or particular meals, as well as leave reviews of your experiences. Menulog also promises a range of promotions and specials to help you avoid being left with a sour taste in your mouth.
The ride-sharing app that swept the globe, Uber, went from dropping customers off at restaurants to serving them meals at their doorstep. Uber Eats allows you to browse by region, type of food, or search for a specific restaurant to find all kinds of local eateries ready to send their specialties your way. Just as with Uber, Uber Eats allows you to track your order and estimated delivery time as the restaurant accepts it, begins preparing your food, and then sends it off for delivery. You’ll see the name and photo of the Uber partner bringing you your food by car, bike, or scooter. You can also schedule an order in advance and customise your drop-off point with a choice of curbside collection, door-to-door service, or meeting in the lobby if you’re keen to get your hands on your meal quickly.
Our survey found Aussies spend an average of $32 on restaurant meal deliveries per week (down from $44 in 2021). The percentage of people using a restaurant meal delivery service each week has also declined in the past year from 34% in 2021 to 27% in 2022. The portion of consumers who said they expect to use restaurant meal delivery services more in the future also followed the same trend (down from 30% to 20%). There are notable downsides to these platforms though, with half of those surveyed (50%) having received an order that was incomplete or incorrect and nearly a fifth (18%) additionally complaining that their delivery took too long to arrive or arrived cold (18%).
But that doesn’t mean using restaurant meal deliveries isn’t worth it. There are plenty of reasons why consumers might want to order in. Here are the most common reasons cited among those we surveyed:
More than one in five Aussies we survived (22%) also said they used restaurant meal delivery services to support smaller, local businesses during the pandemic, and almost one in three (29%) placed orders to satisfy sudden cravings.
So, it’s well worth your time to explore different service providers to see what they can offer you, as each can have different restaurant partnerships and prices. Shopping around is generally a good idea, and 35% of survey respondents have done just that, trying more than one meal delivery service to get a taste for various options.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
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Picture credits: Ink Drop/Shutterstock.com, ToneIsonProductions/Shutterstock.com
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction. Data was collected using Qualtrics’ online sample aggregation from ISO accredited panels. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have used a takeaway meal delivery service in the last six months (note: this refers to services that pick up takeaway food from restaurants, cafes etc., and deliver it to your doorstep) – in this case, 999 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then alphabetically. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
Here are the past winners of Canstar Blue’s restaurant meal delivery services review:
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