UberEats Now Delivering Food in Portland

A new food delivery service from Uber will hit the streets of Portland at 10 a.m., November 16. UberEats launched as a test in 2014, and now, Portland will be the food delivery app’s fiftieth city. Speaking with Eater, UberEats communications manager Nathan Hambley says customers can currently get food delivered from 100 Portland restaurants.

So on your next Uber ride will you be hanging out in the backseat with somebody else’s falafel? No, UberEats is a stand-alone app, and its alleged value lies in how it streamlines the process of ordering food for delivery. Additionally, UberEats says it can deliver faster.

“Thanks to our expansive delivery network — our driver-partners — we’re also able to deliver meals more quickly over a larger distance,” Hambley writes in an email.

The cost for customers is a $3.99 delivery fee, and food prices are set by restaurants. One thing to be on the lookout for: Uber’s infamous surge pricing, which the company added in the form of the “Busy Area Fee” to UberEats in late October.

Hambley says Portland customers may sometimes have to pay the extra fee. When an arrow appears below a restaurant’s name in the app, you’ll know you’re in for it. “The exact amount appears above the menu, and as a separate line item before checkout and on the order receipt,” writes Hambley.

Right now, customers can get food delivered from Portland restaurants, food carts, breweries, juice bars, and more through UberEats. Participating businesses include Whiskey Soda Lounge, Pok Pok Noi, Ataula, Ate-Oh-Ate, Deschutes Brewery, Dove Vivi, Ecliptic Brewing, Kure Juice Bar, Wolf & Bear’s, and more.

• Uber's Infamous Surge Pricing Comes to UberEats [Eater]