The best takeout and delivery restaurants in NYC

Sam Yoo’s take pan-Asian take on brunch staples made his restaurant one of the biggest hits we reviewed in 2019. Order brunch favorites such as the honey butter pancakes, the “vegetalian” hero sandwich, or, the matcha crumb cake. The menu is full other hits you won't to miss like the tuna melt and mushroom reuben quesadilla.

The Michelin-starred Thai restaurant Uncle Boons recently transitioned its takeout spin-off to delivery-only. The chef-owners Ann Redding and Matt Danzer are keeping the meals wallet-friendly, too: The homemade yellow curried lamb pastry with sweet chili sauce and cucumber vinegar is popular but we prefer the Phat Bai Horapha (Thai basil and chili stir fry with a fried egg).

The inventive Indian menu includes avocado and green chickpea bhel and chicken tikka and cheddar kulcha from chef Sujan Sarkar. If you want to recreate the fun, vibrant atmosphere of Baar Baar at home, there's also the Chaat Party Pack.

At this counter-service "kind of Chinese" spot on the Lower East Side, Justin Lee and Jared Moeller sling small plates with big flavors for pick-up, delivery or takeout: Fried nuggets of salt-and-pepper cauliflower shot with vibrant shallot sauce; mushroom-tofu ragù loaded Sloppy Joe-style onto sesame pancakes with crisp Chinese slaw. The fact that nothing here will cost you more than a Hamilton? Even more delicious. 

What began as a modest cart is now upgraded to a sit-down restaurant specializing in arepas and other Colombian bites in Jackson Heights. The kitchen is run by Maria Piedad Cano and her family. Order for some of the best South American corn cakes found in New York.

Inspired by Los Angeles all-day cafes like Gjelina and Sqirl, Gertie serves up dishes we crave like egg 'n cheese on a housemade English muffin for breakfast or a Recession Special with two all-beef hot dogs paired with a draft cocktail and chips for just $20.

Sofreh is authentically Persian yet inherently Brooklyn. The menu is a culinary crash course in Persian cuisine, highlighting many classic (but perhaps unfamiliar) techniques and ingredients. Dishes like the grilled eggplant with caramelized onions, yogurt and walnuts creates a rich, smoky paste that’s perfect for scooping up with the airy house bread—and perfect for enjoying at home.

Stefano Secchi knows Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region like few NYC chefs: He cooked at Osteria Francescana, rated the world’s top restaurant last year. At Rezdôra, he offers up an impressive array of pastas that are now available for pick-up and delivery, using quality cheeses and seasonal ingredients from farmers’ markets.

Three transplants from California and Tijuana, Mexico dole out casual, authentic South of the Border eats (grilled cactus tacos, carne asada quesadillas) and homemade aguas frescas (horchata, tamarind) at this taco chain, which is offering takeout and delivery from its Chelsea Market, Grand Central, Times Square, and Tribeca outposts. 

Oasis continues to have some of the best Palestinian food with plentiful portion sizes. We always opt for the platter, which arrives with a selection of pickled veggies, white sauce, red sauce, five green falafel balls and more pita than you’ll know what to do with.

At Claro in Gowanus, you can order delivery right now: frozen mezcal margaritas and mezcal flights to pair with the restaurant's most popular dishes like short rib mole and frijoles Oaxaquenos (heirloom black beans with Benton's bacon).

The menu of this pretty little Thai restaurant attracts citywide food-lovers for good reason: their crispy duck Panang curry, the whole fish with basil sauce, papaya salad, tom yum soup and more.  

Quality Italian's chef power couple Angie Rito (Torrisi Italian Specialties) and Scott Tacinelli (Quality Meats) turn out modern Italian-American plates at this small corner trattoria in the Village. Get the experience in your own abode with the Don Angie at Home menu, packed with goodies like lasagna, garlic bread and tiramisu, which is available for takeout and delivery.  

An East Asian general store with bites at the counter, the recently opened Maya Bed-Stuy serves experimental congee, updated with quinoa, avocado and other good additions you see in fashionable grain bowls. There's also the stand-out Porkduckin with Chinese century egg—a yolk that’s been preserved in salt, ash and clay over months, not 100 years—that is worth trying.

Here, you’ll find West African–inspired dishes in a fast-casual café. Look no further than chef Pierre Thiam’s food to tell the story. The Senegal-born chef draws on influences from Nigeria, Côte D’Ivoire and other African countries but imparts a break-the-rules approach. The fufu, a spongy ball of pounded plantain, is a stand-out that you’ll want to dip in the slightly sweet peanut sauce.

Inspired by his Brooklyn upbringing and travels through the South, Billy Durney turns out 'cue with global influences. Dig into smoked meats both American (Texas-style brisket, North Carolina–inspired baby back ribs) and international (smoked jerk chicken, lamb belly banh mi). Order your own 'cue feast from the restaurant's site, which can be picked up or delivered from the Red Hook and Industry City outposts. 

We may not be able visit the lovingly restored dining room of this West Village relic anytime soon, but you can get that famed Black Label burger—topped with caramelized onions on a buttered bun, it’s as tender and fatty as foie gras and as intensely flavored as an aged porterhouse—as well as the rest of the menu directly to your home, thanks to pick-up and delivery via Caviar and DoorDash.

La Morada is a Bronx staple that serves up stand-out Oaxacan food with a dose of activism. We suggest the chile rellenos de queso, but you'll find lots of other dishes worth exploring here. 

A new fast-casual chain hailing from Cairo has opened in Nolita, bringing with a menu of Egyptian street food. Though their dishes may look like the hummus and falafel you know, what Zooba offers is entirely different. The chain has come to be known for its ta'ameya, swapping out balls of fried chickpeas for fava beans (in addition to the classic version, Zooba also offers versions with spicy pepper, eggplant and pickled lemon). Instead of hummus you'll find a fava bean dip called bessara.

The Malaysian café is now bigger and (arguably) better with an all-day menu of affordable small plates and snacks like nasi lemak in a new location down the block.

Doled out for takeout and delivery in a pizza box, funnily enough, this Ethiopian charmer serves a complete menu of vegan stews and sauces, from spiced beets and creamy lentils to juicy crimini mushrooms sautéed in an aromatic mix of berbere, rosemary, garlic, ginger and onion. 

If its lengthy menu leaves you feeling paralyzed by choice, opt for the sampling plate of Polish specialties which includes three pierogies (boiled or fried), two potato pancakes, Polish kielbasa, hunter’s stew and stuffed cabbage. Plus, don't skip out on the pickle soup. 

Chinese hot pot, customarily stewed with thinly sliced meats, vegetables and stock, gets a brothless showcase with this East Village eatery from owner Ning Amelie Kang and chef Qilong Zhao. Named after the Chinese phenomenon of ma la (literally “numbing and spicy”), the restaurant’s starring dish is a variation on Chongqing-hailing dry pot, a stir-fry-like spread built with a choice of 52 add-ins—which means lots of options for delivery. 

Started in 2015, chef Myo Moe’s erstwhile Burmese pop-up has become a brick-and-mortar restaurant. While this southeast Asian cuisine is rare in the city, Moe’s menu offers a tasty primer. The colorful dishes available for delivery include lemongrass fish stew, cinnamon chicken and spicy pork mee shay.

Ops, one of Brooklyn's most popular pizzerias, is still slinging pies in this brighter, much larger venue. With favorites like lasagna, meatballs and potato croquettes with anchovies, the small menu can be paired with the fun natural wine and beer. Oh, and the tiramisu. Don't skip it. 

Though we love the glamorous interior design of Cafe China, dishes such as their bang bang chicken, spicy cumin lamb or crystal shrimp dumplings are still worth ordering for delivery at home. 

Elmhurst Thai restaurant Hug Esan has recently become one of our favorite Queens-spots for takeout or delivery. We love the sour pork soup "Tom Zabb."

The beloved natural wine bar, The Four Horsemen has a limited takeout menu for pickup. Whether it’s an upgraded Caesar salad or roasted chicken with a pickle pepper relish, you can order these comfort specials  and also grab wine and batch cocktails to-go.

The team behind the popular Glady's has opened a Japanese-Caribbean ramen joint in the Prospect-Lefferts Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn. Classic bowls of Japanese ramen are riffed upon with Caribbean touches.

Bánh mì are one of our favorite to-go foods. This Chinatown staple has continued to offer delivery to make their sandwiches still accessible to enjoy back at home.  

This is not your garden-variety KBBQ haunt: Despite the noise and crowd (a one-hour wait is a given, FYI), the cooking speaks of a quiet refinement with steakhouse-style quality control. Cut through the chaos by ordering in from the Koreantown favorite, which is offering pick-up and delivery on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. 

Fuku is the materialization of David Chang’s obsession with the fast-food chicken sandwich. There’s just one main dish on the menu (guess what it is), so the biggest decision you’ll face is whether you want to add their crispy waffle fries. Chang’s oversize sammie, served on a steamed Martin’s potato roll with habanero puree-brined chicken breast, pickles, fuku mayo and fermented-chickpea butter, is crispy, juicy and the perfect choice when you’re overwhelmed by all the other delivery options.

Sure, part of the charm of this family-owned, 127-year-old institution­ is that its employees carve horseradish-spiked pastrami and thick-cut corned beef by hand, right there in front of you. But now, you don’t have to worry about losing your ticket, having enough cash or careening through the throngs of tourists befuddled by the ordering system, and can scarf down that meat-stacked sammie at your leisure.

Its cheery yellow walls and Chinese oil paintings constitute thoughtful decor by Szechuan-restaurant standards. But what the hoodie-clad hordes are lining up for is the handful of Szechuan starters that run with this city’s best. Skip the crowds by ordering plates like delicate pork wontons, fiery dan dan noodles, and monster spiced chicken wings for takeout and delivery. 

Sure, ordering in from this red-sauce West Village hot spot means that you'll miss all the Deux Moi celebrity sightings. But you'll still get to experience high-profile plates like their veal parmesan and Caesar Alla ZZ from the comforts of your kitchen table. Or couch. Or bed. We're definitely going to eat that spicy rigatoni vodka in bed. 
 

The vegan movement is expanding beyond just restaurants, as grocers, butchers and deli counters are starting to go meatless. Joya Carlton (the Butcher’s Daughter, Buvette) teams with Sara and Erica Kubersky (MooShoes, Modern Love Brooklyn) for this Lower East Side grocery store and delicatessen that’s exclusively stocked with vegan products. 

Chef Junghyun Park’s array of modern Korean small plates are meant for sharing but it’s difficult to do when we want to fight over the last piece of fried chicken or the custardy egg with sea urchin. If you want to spark a hunger games between your own lockdown pod, place an order for pick and delivery in Manhattan. 

Order from this healthy-ish all-day Mediterranean café which offers Levant options, such as cauliflower chermoula or our favorite, the eggplant menemen with crispy egg and saffron yogurt.

Found under the high-line in Chelsea, this quaint little Italian restaurant serves ace traditional fare. With piadina, salads, paninis, pasta and more on the menu, it's sure to have one of your Italian favourites. What's more, they are still taking orders for delivery.

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This stylish Japanese fine-dining spot is found on the Lower East Side, taking influence from the Hida region, you're in for some succulent Hida beef should you choose it (you should). At the moment, you can get delicious-sounding bento boxes but be sure to call them as there is no online delivery option.

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Brooklyn’s Jungle Cafe specialises in vegan cuisine, using high-quality ingredients to create a variety of plant-based plates. On the menu, you can expect to find loads of your favourite dishes – think burgers, burritos, tacos and salads – as well as some unique options like cashew mac ’n‘ cheese. Sounds delish.

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If you’re currently on a health kick but missing those takeaway dinners, Pure Ktchn is answering your prayers. Their mantra is ’eat pure nutritious whole food‘, so nothing they make is fried, there's no added sugar or soy, just simple ingredients. We feel healthier just looking at the menu.

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Primarily known for being a neighbourhood party hotspot, Ponyboy also has an Omakase counter, where you'd normally find a chef waiting to blow your culinary mind. Sadly, that's not possible in the current circumstances, but what Ponyboy is offering is a range of delicious-sounding takeaway Mexican meals. Someone grab some napkins, it's taco time.

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Ben's Deli has two locations in NYC, so there’s a good chance that you're within delivery-range. For more than 44 years these delis have been creating classic deli dishes and European comfort food, we're talking knishes, homemade soup, hot pastrami, chopped liver and more. If that sounds like it's up your street, you can now order for both collection and delivery.

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After growing up in different parts of Thailand, a bunch of friends came together to create Soothr, a place where people can try the delicious Thai recipes they grew up eating. So, if you’re looking for some good-for-the-soul family cooking, look no further. 

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Normally you’d head to Gentleman Farmer for a candlelit dinner amongst romantic surroundings. Sadly, you’ll have to set the mood yourself for now, but you can still enjoy the range of high-end French fare from the comfort of your couch. That’s right, Gentleman Farmer is now available for pickup and delivery.

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