Another day, another app that lets you eat great food without ever leaving your house. Munchery joins the ranks of other food-delivery services that have been popping up in LA, this time focusing on an impressive roster of local chefs making high-quality meals that stray from the usual frozen lasagna options. Instead, you can choose from shrimp alfredo bucatini, Atlantic salmon, and posole roja. The company has been going strong in San Francisco, Seattle and New York, and starts service in LA today.
I decided to test out Munchery last week and ordered a few items: Salmon and chickpea salad ($11.95) from chef Scott Garrett (Avalon, Blue Plate, Viceroy), sharp cheddar biscuits (two for $2.95) and lemon meringue pie ($4.95) from chef Lizette Martinez (Hatfield's, Providence, Water Grill). After ordering online or through their app, you can pick your time of delivery in hour increments, and when I didn't make it home by my 6-7pm drop-off time, I received a very nice call from someone at Munchery asking if they could leave it at my door.
Munchery meals are fully cooked, requiring only a brief stint in the oven or microwave before serving (all dishes come in a biodegradable container). What impressed me most about each dish was how fresh the ingredients were—the large portion of salmon was flaky and clean, the chickpea salad was accompanied by snap peas that, well, still snapped. The cheddar biscuits were unbelievably fluffy, and that lemon meringue pie? I stretched it out over two days, just so I could make it last.
Delivery is $4, regardless of how many meals you order, and it's available seven days per week and the window is 4-9pm. And, of course, there are vegan and gluten-free options, as well as kids' meals starting at $6. But the best part? Munchery donates a meal to the LA Regional Food Bank for every order purchased.
Munchery is available in LA starting today, but only if you want your meal delivered to the Westside (including Santa Monica, Venice, Brentwood, Westwood, Palms, Marina del Rey, and parts of West LA); the delivery area will be expanding to the rest of the city by the end of summer. Check it out here—and trust me, order the lemon meringue pie.