Munchery delivery

I’m curious to hear how others like this - what are your hits/misses meals? Also, does anyone here know where the local kitchen(s) are located?

I’ve used it twice because of promotional coupons so it was almost free. The first time I had some cochinita pibil with black beans and rice that was decent, as well as a Mexican spiced brownie that was quite good.

The second time I wanted something healthyish and ordered a vegetable noodle dish and some sushi for my daughter. The noodles were terrible, no flavor no matter how much salt, pepper and Tabasco I dumped on them and the sushi was gross, obviously sitting out, and rice had started to harden. I wouldn’t order from them again.

I don’t really get the concept either. By the time you add delivery charge and tip, you might as well just order take out. It’s cheaper and then you don’t have to reheat everything and all the containers strike me as wasteful.

I’ve ordered Munchery about ten times now over the past few months, and generally I think it’s great. The food quality is definitely better than with other services like SpoonRocket, Sprig and Bento.

They do a better job of preparing and packaging meals to the point that when you heat it at home, it doesn’t end up overcooked or dry.

The beef dishes I’ve had have been good, like skirt steak and chimichurri. The salmon dishes usually end up holding up very well for reheating. They sometimes have a coconut curried cauliflower that is good. I think the caesar’s salad is actually really good for delivery. I had one noodle dish that I can’t remember except for the fact it was the worst thing I ordered there.

Part of what you’re paying for is convenience but they’ve done a good job at optimizing that model, compared to something like Waiters on Wheels where you’ll get much more variability in the quality of the food that ends up being delivered to you.

I don’t know where their kitchens are located, but they raised $85M (!) in venture funding last spring and are in process of building new customized ovens that can prepare dishes more precisely in higher volume.

1 Like

I’ve ordered three times and have had mixed results. The delivery aspect has been great. The friendly drivers have always delivered within the scheduled window.

I have had very good grilled salmon, a very tasty and beautiful tricolor cauliflower side, and a delicious beet and goat cheese salad.

On my first order, I was impressed with a roasted chicken dish with a side of canneli bean and artichoke stew. But, the second time I ordered it, the chicken was dry, and tasted old, and the bean stew was sour. I didn’t finish it.

I will continue to sample their offerings. I do appreciate the healthy options that are available.

I’ve ordered quite a bit from them and I do not find them to be overly expensive compared to regular restaurant take-out/delivery even with the nominal delivery charge and while I do add a tip for the driver, I don’t feel compelled to tip a full 20% or so. I read somewhere that all their employees are decently compensated and get benefits (and food).

There main food prep location in SF is near Alabama and 16th St.

It was reported in another source that Pascal Rigo, of La Boulange fame, was going to be working with them to improve the menus.

As far as the food, they have been getting rather repetitive lately, but good options (as another poster noted upthread) are usually the meats, roast chicken or roast salmon. These all reheat well. I usually reheat in the oven rather than microwave. Side dishes are a little more hit or miss, sometimes the vegetables are either way under or way overcooked. Pastas have not been very successful, except for the Lasagna Bolognese. Soups and other separate sides have been pretty good.

I always order more than one item at a time, as that helps to spread out the delivery and tip and I can often get more than one meal out of an entree because portion sizes are generous.

Overall I am very grateful that they deliver to my area because the restaurant and delivery options here are quite limited. Might be different if you lived in the city where you have a lot more options.