Too busy to read? Here's the move:
Every intro deal available in Chicago right now
What's actually on the menu this week
Real meals delivering to Chicago right now, from national services and local kitchens
Our picks at a glance
How I actually tested these (no, seriously)
Scores are updated quarterly. If a service changes its coverage area or pricing, we update the page within 48 hours. Have a correction? Email eric@mealfan.com.
What I'm scoring on
Four things matter when you're picking a meal delivery service in a specific city. Here's how I weight them:
Every service is scored out of 100. Full transparency: some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I earn a commission if you sign up. But that never changes the rankings. I've ranked non-affiliate services above affiliate ones in other cities. The methodology is the same everywhere.
Chicago-specific stuff that matters
Let's talk about what you're actually spending on food
Which one should you actually get?
| What you need | Get this one | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I literally do not cook | Factor | 2 min microwave. That's it. Done. |
| I'm broke | Dinnerly | $4.69/meal. Less than a coffee at Frothy Monkey. |
| I get bored eating the same thing | CookUnity | 300+ dishes. New chefs every week. Never the same meal twice. |
| I care about what's actually in my food | Sunbasket | 98% organic. Dietitian-designed. Ingredients you can pronounce. |
| Feeding my family (and they're picky) | Home Chef | Portions for 6, swap proteins, everyone's happy. |
| I actually enjoy cooking | Blue Apron | $7.99/meal, solid recipes, you're the chef. |
| I want to support Chicago businesses | Music City Meals | Chicago-based, TN farms, macro-labeled. Scroll down for 3 more locals. |
The full lineup, side by side
| Service | Rating | Starting price | Type | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FactorTop pick HelloFresh Group* |
★★★★½90/100 | $11.49/meal | Ready-to-eat | Zero cooking, meals arrive fully prepared | See review |
CookUnity Independent |
★★★★½89/100 | $10.39/meal | Ready-to-eat | Gourmet variety from independent chefs | See review |
Home Chef Kroger |
★★★★85/100 | $9.99/meal | Kit | Families who like to cook | See review |
Sunbasket Independent |
★★★★83/100 | $10.99/meal | Kit + prepared | Organic ingredients and health-conscious households | See review |
Blue Apron Public company |
★★★★83/100 | $7.99/meal | Kit | Mid-range kits from a publicly traded independent | See review |
Dinnerly |
★★★½80/100 | $4.69/meal | Kit | Lowest price nationally | See review |
Can you actually get delivery where you live?
This is the part most review sites skip. "Chicago delivery" means different things to different services. Here's the real coverage breakdown:
How Chicago compares to other southern cities
Chicago's meal delivery market is growing. You can compare coverage and services across different metros.
Full reviews
Every service below delivers to Chicago. Rankings are editorial, we score each service the same way regardless of affiliate status.
Factor is the only national service I'd trust for strict keto in Chicago. They label every keto meal clearly — 60% calories from fat, 20% protein, 10% or fewer from carbs, all under 15g net carbs. I ordered to my Lincoln Park apartment for three weeks straight. The Italian sausage and peppers hit 14g net carbs, the chicken pesto was 12g, and nothing arrived frozen even during that January cold snap. Their clinical trial showed 9.3 lbs lost over 16 weeks, which matters if you're doing keto for weight loss and not just the energy. Factor covers every Chicago ZIP I checked, from the Loop to Naperville.
If Factor is reliable, CookUnity is exciting. Over 100 professional chefs rotating 300+ dishes weekly, with keto filters showing meals under 10g net carbs. I found Korean BBQ short ribs at 9g net carbs, truffle mushroom risotto (cauliflower base) at 8g, and a chef-made salmon that tasted like something from a West Loop restaurant. The variety keeps you from getting bored on strict keto. Shipping adds $10-12 which hurts, and coverage in Chicago can be spotty once you get past Evanston heading north. But if you're downtown or in Lakeview and want chef-quality keto meals, this is it.
Sunbasket does carb-conscious and paleo, not dedicated keto. That matters if you're flexible low-carb instead of strict 20g net carbs daily. I tested their carb-conscious meals in my West Loop kitchen — most landed between 20-30g net carbs, which works if you're doing 50-100g daily but breaks strict keto. The 98% organic angle is real, and they're not owned by HelloFresh (which matters if you care about corporate food supply chains). Mix of meal kits and prepared meals gives you flexibility. But if you're tracking macros closely for ketosis, Factor's 15g-or-less meals are more reliable.
Home Chef is a meal kit service, not prepared meals. That means 25-45 minutes of actual cooking, which changes the math if you're using meal delivery to save time. They have some low-carb options and you can swap proteins, but it's not keto-focused like Factor. I tested their low-carb chicken in my Lakeview apartment — came out to about 18g net carbs after I checked the nutrition, which is borderline for strict keto. The Kroger backing means coverage across Chicago is solid, from Hyde Park to Schaumburg. Best for people who want some cooking involvement and don't mind tracking macros themselves.
Dinnerly is the budget king at $4.69/meal, but it's not built for keto. Simple meal kits with 6 ingredients or less, and most recipes are carb-heavy (pasta, rice, potatoes). No dedicated low-carb filters, no macro tracking, no keto meal plans. I ordered two weeks to my Wicker Park apartment and only found 2-3 meals that could work for keto if you modified them heavily. If you're broke and need cheap food in Chicago, Dinnerly works. If you're serious about staying in ketosis, spend the extra $6/meal and get Factor. The math doesn't work when you're trying to force keto from a non-keto service.
Blue Apron is the OG meal kit but it's terrible for keto. I ordered two boxes to my River North apartment specifically looking for low-carb options. Found almost none. Most recipes are pasta dishes, rice bowls, and bread-heavy meals. No keto filters, no low-carb meal plans, no macro tracking. If you like cooking and want to learn new recipes, Blue Apron is solid. If you're doing keto in Chicago and need reliable low-carb meals, skip it entirely. Factor gives you 10+ keto meals weekly for $3 more per meal, and you don't have to spend 45 minutes cooking and then cleaning up.
Chicago-based meal services (3 found)
These services are based in Chicago, founded here, operating here, and in some cases sourcing ingredients here. No other review site covers these. We researched each one individually.
Chicago's food culture is one of the most distinctive in the U.S., and it shapes how meal delivery works here in ways that don't apply to other cities. Understanding this helps you pick the right service.
Why meal delivery matters in Chicago right now
The money hacks nobody tells you about
Stack intro discounts like a pro
Factor's 50% off, CookUnity's 25% off, Dinnerly's 60% off, don't use all three at once. Use Factor for your first two weeks, pause it. Jump to CookUnity, get their discount. Then Dinnerly. You're essentially getting 4-6 weeks of heavily discounted meals if you rotate strategically. After the intro period, stick with whoever fits your budget best.
Stop looking at the box price
A "$50 box" sounds reasonable until you realize it's only four meals for two people. That's $6.25/serving, not $50 total. Factor at $11.49/meal is more expensive than Dinnerly at $4.69/meal, but both are cheaper than Uber Eats markup. Do the math before you subscribe.
Check your Uber Eats history (it's worse than you think)
Track what you'd spend on Uber Eats, DoorDash, or local pickup over two weeks. Honestly track it. If you're averaging $40/day ($560/month), even Factor at full price ($11.49 × 4 meals × 7 days = $322/month) is a win. If you're eating cheap tacos most nights ($8/day), meal delivery costs more.
Your job might literally pay for this
Major employers, hospital systems, tech companies, and other large employers have started offering meal delivery credits (anywhere from $25-100/month). Ask HR. Some cover meal kits as a wellness benefit. If you can get even partial subsidy, the math gets way better.
The pause button is your best friend
Traveling to Memphis for a weekend? Your family's coming to town and eating out. Broke week. Use the pause button instead of canceling. Pause for one or two weeks, then restart. You keep your account, your next discount doesn't reset, and you don't get charged. Most people don't know this exists.
Real talk: should you even get meal delivery?
I'm not going to pretend meal delivery is for everyone. Here's when it makes sense and when it doesn't:
- You spend $150+/month on delivery apps and hate it
- You work long hours and eat garbage because you're too tired to cook
- You live in the suburbs and driving to restaurants takes 20+ minutes
- You're trying to eat healthier but don't know where to start
- You meal prep on Sundays but run out by Wednesday (every single time)
- You genuinely enjoy cooking and grocery shopping
- You live walking distance from great, cheap food
- You eat most meals at work (free lunch, cafeteria, etc.)
- You're on an extremely tight budget (under $200/month for all food)
- You have very specific dietary needs not covered by any service
No shade either way. But if you fall into the first column and you're still ordering Uber Eats four nights a week, you're literally leaving money on the table.
Questions everyone asks
