Too busy to read? Here's the move:
Every intro deal available in Cincinnati right now
What's actually on the menu this week
Real meals delivering to Cincinnati 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.
Cincinnati-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 Cincinnati businesses | Music City Meals | Cincinnati-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. "Cincinnati delivery" means different things to different services. Here's the real coverage breakdown:
How Cincinnati compares to other southern cities
Cincinnati's meal delivery market is growing. You can compare coverage and services across different metros.
Full reviews
Every service below delivers to Cincinnati. Rankings are editorial, we score each service the same way regardless of affiliate status.
This is the one that kept me eating interesting food for three weeks straight. CookUnity rotates 100+ vegan meals weekly and I'm not exaggerating that number. Korean BBQ cauliflower with gochujang glaze. Truffle mushroom risotto with cashew cream. Moroccan chickpea tagine with preserved lemon. Every meal has 15-25g protein, which matters when you're plant-based and tired of feeling hungry an hour later. I tested delivery to a Clifton ZIP and an Oakley ZIP. Both arrived on time, packaging intact. The chef-to-consumer model means these taste like actual restaurant food, not sad steamed vegetables in a plastic tray. Coverage drops off past the 275 loop, but if you're inside it, this is the move.
Sunbasket doubled their plant-based offerings recently and you can tell. They offer both meal kits and pre-made meals, which gives you flexibility depending on whether you feel like cooking. The organic angle actually matters here. 98% organic ingredients, and you can taste the difference in the produce quality. I ordered to a Mount Adams ZIP and the vegetables arrived crisp, not wilted like some services. You do have to cook the meal kits (30-40 minutes), but the instructions are clear and portions are generous. Better for vegans who like cooking but hate grocery shopping at Findlay Market on Saturday mornings when it's packed.
Look, Dinnerly is the cheapest at $4.69/meal but the vegan options are basically an afterthought. Maybe 2-3 plant-based meals in any given week, and they're simple stuff like pasta primavera or veggie stir-fry. Nothing wrong with that if you're broke and tired of cooking, but don't expect the variety of CookUnity or even Sunbasket. I tested this in Hyde Park and the portions were smaller than expected. If you're vegan on a tight budget in Cincinnati, you're honestly better off hitting Findlay Market on Saturday and meal prepping yourself. Dinnerly works for omnivores trying to save money. For vegans, it's limiting.
Blue Apron has been doing meal kits longer than anyone, and they've added more plant-based variety recently. Not as many purely vegan options as CookUnity, but several good vegetarian meals each week that you can modify. The recipes are more interesting than Dinnerly's. I got a cauliflower tikka masala kit delivered to Oakley that was genuinely good. You're cooking for 30-45 minutes, so this isn't a convenience play like Factor. It's for people who like cooking but want the ingredients handled. At $7.99-$9.99/meal, it's cheaper than CookUnity but you're trading convenience for price. Works if you have time. Doesn't if you're working late shifts.
Factor is usually my top pick for meal delivery in Cincinnati, but for vegan specifically, it drops to fifth. They only rotate 10-15 plant-based meals weekly, and most are basic bowls. Quinoa and roasted vegetables. Chickpea curry. Nothing wrong with them, but after a week you've tried everything and you're repeating. The convenience is unbeatable (2 minutes in the microwave), and if you're splitting your diet between Factor and cooking, it works. But if you're relying on meal delivery for most meals and you're vegan, CookUnity's 100+ options blow Factor away. I tested Factor in a Downtown Cincinnati ZIP and delivery was flawless. Just wish they'd expand the vegan menu.
Home Chef is backed by Kroger, which means Cincinnati coverage is solid. But for vegan? Skip it. They focus on omnivore meal kits with maybe 1-2 vegetarian options weekly that you could modify to be vegan. It's not designed for plant-based eaters. You're constantly working around the menu, swapping proteins, skipping ingredients. If you're vegan in Cincinnati, you have better options. Use CookUnity for variety or Sunbasket for organic quality. Home Chef works for families with mixed diets (some vegan, some not), but if you're strictly plant-based, it's frustrating.
Cincinnati-based meal services (2 found)
These services are based in Cincinnati, founded here, operating here, and in some cases sourcing ingredients here. No other review site covers these. We researched each one individually.
Cincinnati'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 Cincinnati 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
