Postmates delivers restaurants, convenience store items

The Miami Herald reviewed seven of the most popular restaurant delivery services in Miami-Dade county.

Using the app

I typed my address into the top of the app and it listed my restaurant choices.

Restaurant options

I had more than 70 restaurant options, including fast food, gourmet spots and — oddly — Staples. They’re searchable by type or by name. Tapping on a restaurant shows you the delivery time, what type of food the spot is known for and how late you can order delivery.

Only some menu items had photos. Some of the same restaurants I saw on this app without photos have professional looking images available on other apps.

Bonus: Postmates has a “general store” where you can order convenience store staples such as eye drops, candy and cold medicine. There’s a slight upcharge and a 30-to-45-minute delivery time.

Delivering to

Downtown Miami, next to the Arsht Center

Ordering

We chose Elia Gourmet in Downtown Miami, which promised a delivery time between 35 and 50 minutes, one of the shortest delivery times available. I ordered the oven-baked salmon, which was described as “topped with a dollop of zesty crème fraîche and Mediterranean couscous salad” for $16. There was a space to include any special instructions.

I also ordered the Angus Beef Skirt Steak (served with tri-color quinoa and avocado stack topped with Marsala wine pickled red onions and chimichurri sauce) for $17 and a spinach pie ($4). I ordered it medium. However, it wasn’t my first choice. Moments after I placed the order I received a text that the entree I chose (stuffed peppers) wasn’t available. I was only able to choose a new option from within the entrees portion and I was charged for the price difference.

The total with taxes came to $43.15, but I had a coupon for free shipping.

Tracking your order

Completing my order sent me to a screen with a map that pointed out my location, the restaurant and several free-floating cars in the area. I was quickly shuffled to a loading screen with an estimated delivery time of 8:54, 35 minutes after I placed the order.

Once my order was picked up, I was able to see a photo of my driver, Marc M., and his rating, 4.5 stars.

Delivery time

Arrived at 9:08

How it arrived

The food arrived in paper takeout boxes. The steak and quinoa salad arrived in the same box, with the chimichurri and pickled onions in separate containers.

The salmon and its couscous salad arrived together, and the crème fraîche was in a plastic cup inside the box.

Delivery fee

The delivery fee for that restaurant was $2.99, which was waived with my first-time coupon code.

Overall experience

It was slightly frustrating to choose an entree that wasn’t actually available, but I’m not sure how much of that was Postmates’ fault. Tracking my driver (a la Uber) was great for planning my evening. The circle of available restaurants was wide, which is great, but it pushed the delivery times higher than I’ve seen on competing apps. I might use it again if I want something from a spot farther than my favorite app reaches, or if I’m too sick to go get cold medicine.

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Postmates delivers restaurants, convenience store items."