Uber’s food delivery service is FRESH

If there’s anything college students love, it’s kicking back, watching Netflix and eating obscene amounts of food from the comfort of their dorms and apartments.

Since August 2014, Uber, one of the most popular driving services in the area has been offering its clients a way to continue their lazy Sundays by introducing a new delivery dining service, uberFRESH. Recently, this option has expanded to East L.A., which includes the USC campus and its surrounding neighborhoods. The transportation network, appears to be continuously changing the transportation industry by introducing and offering various services such as their recent addition of uberPOOL, a way for people to get to their location at a cheaper cost by carpooling with other riders. Their newest option, however, does not even involve you leaving your house.

UberFRESH is on the company’s mobile app on the far bottom, right side along the slider that starts with uberPOOL. The service is open to the East L.A. area Monday through Friday for lunch from 11 to ­2 p.m. and for dinner from 5­ to 8:30 p.m. A brunch menu is offered Saturdays and Sundays from 10­ to 2 p.m. Uber has created a list of meals available from restaurants around the L.A. area and their layout for the week can be found on their webpage, www.uberfreshla.com. Customers can scroll through several dining options each day and select the quantity of each meal they would like to order and then proceed to checkout. UberFRESH works similarly to the original driving services. Transactions are processed electronically through your card on file just like it is when you pay for your ride somewhere. A flat rate of $3 is charged in addition to the cost of the food to cover the delivery to your door.

The good thing about having a flat rate is that you can order as many dishes as you would like at one time for you and your friends and still only be charged $3 for delivery. And fare split, which is commonly used for friends splitting the cost of a ride, can also be used in this case to equally pay for food and delivery.

I would say the pricing is average to a bit pricey for college students. Uber is said to be carefully selecting dining options and partnering with various restaurants throughout the area.

This week’s menu features for example Truffle Wagyu Meatball Pasta from Taste on Melrose, a four-star dining location in West Hollywood, for $18 (plus the $3 delivery fee). Other meals this week include a Vegetarian Chopped Kale Salad for $12 from Coral Tree Cafe, a Chicken Teriyaki Bowl with Potstickers from Take a Bao for $14, and a Turkey Signature Sandwich from All About the Bread for $10.

This weekend’s brunch menu ranges from $8­12 and offers stay­at­home diners with pancakes, donuts, breakfast burritos or an egg white bowl.

Uber is a growingly popular service around campus; I doubt it will be long before we see more drivers pulling up to housing complexes but now with food in hand.

Next time your fridge is barren and the dining hall is just too far of a walk away, consider taking a peek at Uber’s menu for the day.

Natalie Laczewski is a freshman majoring in communication. Her column, “Food for Thought,” runs Wednesdays.