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.
This is the weight-loss pick. Factor's Calorie Smart meals stay under 550 calories and there's actual clinical data - 16-week trial showing average 2.6 inch waist reduction. I ordered these to my Lincoln Park apartment for three weeks straight. The meals taste legitimately good, not like sad diet food. Portion-controlled, high protein options, and they last 5-7 days in the fridge. Zero cooking. When it's 15 degrees outside and you don't want to walk to Mariano's, this is the move. Factor reaches every Chicago ZIP I checked - downtown, Lakeview, Wicker Park, even out to Oak Park and Evanston.
If Factor is reliable, CookUnity is exciting. 300+ chef-crafted meals with Calorie Smart filters and high-protein options (30-50g per meal). The food tastes like it came from a restaurant in River North, not a meal prep service. I ordered the Korean BBQ short ribs and truffle mushroom risotto - both under 600 calories and genuinely delicious. The variety means you won't get bored, which matters when you're eating weight-loss meals for months. Coverage is solid from the Loop to Lakeview, but it gets spotty once you pass Naperville heading west. If you live in the city proper, this is worth the extra $1-2/meal over Factor for the taste alone.
For the ingredient-label readers, and I mean that as a compliment. Sunbasket is 98% organic, dietitian-designed, and offers both meal kits and prepared meals. It's not marketed as a weight-loss service, but the portion control and clean ingredients support weight management better than you'd expect. I tested this in Wicker Park for two weeks and the quality of the produce and proteins was noticeably higher than Factor or CookUnity. If you're the type who shops at Whole Foods on North Avenue and cares about where your food comes from, this is your pick. The organic premium adds $2-3/meal over Factor, but that's the tradeoff.
The family option if you're doing weight loss but need to feed other people who aren't. Home Chef is a meal kit - you actually cook these, 15-30 minutes - but the customization and protein swaps make it flexible enough to support weight-loss goals. Backed by Kroger, which means Chicago coverage is solid (they use the same delivery network as the grocery chain). I tested this in Oak Park feeding a household of three. The portions scale up to 6 people, and you can swap proteins to hit your macros. But if you're solo and focused purely on weight loss, Factor's ready-made meals are more efficient. This is for the person who wants to involve their family without forcing everyone onto a diet.
The budget king, full stop. At $4.69/meal, Dinnerly is cheaper than a Sweetgreen salad on Michigan Avenue. But it's a meal kit with limited dietary options and no weight-loss specialization. I tested this for two weeks in Lakeview and it's fine for general budget eating, but if you're serious about losing weight, the lack of calorie labeling and macro tracking makes it harder to stay on track. You're also cooking these for 20-30 minutes. If your budget is genuinely tight and you're willing to do the meal-prep work yourself, this beats buying groceries at Jewel-Osco. But if you can swing $11/meal, Factor is worth the extra $6 for actual weight-loss focus.
The OG meal kit. Blue Apron's been doing this longer than anyone, and at $7.99/meal it sits in the middle of the price range. But for weight loss specifically, it's the weakest pick on this list. It's a traditional meal kit - you're cooking for 30-40 minutes - and there's no weight-loss meal plans or calorie-controlled options. I tested this in River North for a week and the food quality is solid, but if you're trying to lose weight, you're better off with Factor's ready-made Calorie Smart meals or CookUnity's high-protein chef options. Blue Apron is for people who like cooking and want variety. If weight loss is the goal, skip it.
Chicago-based meal services (5 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
Meal delivery guides
Explore our in-depth comparisons and buying guides:
