As 2022 comes to an end, we’re rounding out the year with our fourth annual Uber Eats Cravings Report: a snapshot of the most popular, unusual and unique delivery requests. And there has been no shortage of cravings over the past 12 months. From non-alcoholic beverages, to the soon-to-be extinct Choco Taco, to the viral sensation Negroni Sbagliato (with Prosecco of course), we along with Uber-owned companies Drizly and Postmates, were focused on helping you get anything right to your door.
The Takeout Trends of the Year
- Thanksgiving Hangovers and Leftovers: It seems many users were in need of greasy, fried potatoes to cure their Thanksgiving Eve, “Drinksgiving” hangovers this year. French fries and hash browns were among the most popular dishes ordered on Uber Eats this Thanksgiving. And while some were recovering from the night before, others were prepping for Turkey Day leftover sandwiches; fresh bread was the top grocery item ordered on Thanksgiving.
- The No Booze Boom: “Sober curious” became a movement in 2022, with many dipping their toe in an alcohol-free lifestyle and looking for zero-proof options of their favorite drinks. Uber Eats orders for non-alcoholic beers, wines and spirits spiked 300% over the past year.
- It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye: When Klondike announced they would stop making the Choco Taco it seems users wanted to get their hands on one before they were gone forever. We saw a large spike in convenience store orders for the ice cream novelty this year.
- Everyone’s Drink of Choice: After being named dropped in a viral TikTok, the Negroni Sbagliato with Prosecco was the hottest drink of the fall. And users were quick to hop on this sensation — driving increases in orders of the co*cktail’s ingredients of Campari, vermouth, and Prosecco this past October. Our friends at Drizly, an Uber company, dug into their data for the Cravings Report, and found that Campari in particular saw a dramatic bump in share of close to 75% when the co*cktail took over the internet. (Ooh, stunning!)
- Ranch fatigue: Customer’s desire for ranch dressing has dramatically dwindled. While pre-pandemic requests for “ranch,” “extra ranch” and “side of ranch” topped the charts for most requested special instructions on Uber Eats, these requests now don’t even crack the top 20.
- More Planning for Mother’s Day Than Valentine’s Day: Although Valentine’s Day was the most popular day to order flowers on Uber Eats, consumers planned ahead when choosing a gift for mom. The days leading up to Mother’s Day were the most popular days to order flowers, outranking any of the days surrounding Valentine’s Day.
- College Cravings: Nobody knows late-night cravings like college students with Penn State taking the lead with the most late night order on Uber Eats, followed by University of Iowa, University of Illinois and Texas A&M University.
The most popular delivery combo in the US
See Also
DoorDash: Uncertain Prospects, Poor Risk/Reward (NYSE:DASH)Dasher Pay: How DoorDash Delivery Drivers Get PaidDoorDash vs. Uber Eats: Which is Better for Drivers?DoorDash Dasher Support- Burrito + Cheese
- French Fries + Salt
- Cheeseburger + Diced Onions
- Chicken Sandwich + Fries
- Breakfast Sandwich + American Cheese
- Soup + Bread
- Pancakes + Sausage
- Pizza + Mozzarella
- Salad + Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Quesadilla + Sour Cream
The most frequently paired food + alcohol
- Steak + Margaritas
- Pizza + White Claw
- Burritos + Margaritas
- Chicken + Sangria
- Wings + Beer
Delivery requests x days per week
- On Mondays, we see a spike in people holding back on the most foods: they’re saying no to onions, tomatoes and more
- And Tuesdays are the most extra day of the week, it’s all about the extra sauce and spice
- On Wednesdays, customers prefer dishes without cheese
- On Thursdays, people are asking us to hold the pickles
- On Fridays, people are all about the spice as they head into the weekend
- On Saturdays, people ask us to hold the sour cream
- And on Sundays, customers like their sauce on the side
Most popular grocery delivery x days of the week
- On Mondays we see a spike in oranges
- On Tuesdays people are all about the carbs: they’re buying falafel and fresh hero bread
- On Wednesdays, customers crave a mid-week health kick with a spike in people buying celery juice
- On Thursdays, people are ordering veggie samosas to-go
- On Fridays, people are celebrating the start of the weekend with spikes in cannoli orders
- And on Saturdays and Sundays, this sh*t is bananas with people ordering over 3,000 bananas last month alone
The most unexpected food combos
- Ham + Cream Cheese
- Fruit Roll Up + Hot Cheetos
- Pickles + Whipped Cream
- Popcorn + Pickle Juice
- Dark Chocolate + Tomato Salad
- Pizza + Applesauce
- Sushi + Ranch
- Peanut Butter + Pizza
- Cheese + Martinis
- Watermelon + Mustard
The 10 most unique delivery requests
Over the last year, our customers have relied on Uber Eats to get everything from pizza and flowers to alcohol, baby products and so much more. These are some of the most unique requests:
The Artist:
- Please make it with love because I love you ❤️❤️❤️. And if anyone is good at drawing, can you draw a T. rex with sunglasses on the inside of the box? Or you could draw your favorite dinosaur on it.
Hot Girl Tummy Issues
- Hi there. This is going to sound insane, but would you be so kind and put a disturbing amount of butter on my grilled cheese? Like, you’re going to need the Red Cross Emergency Rapid Response team on site and provide me with astronaut diapers — just in case.
- My wife loves pizza. She refuses to order it, but then she ends up eating mine every time I order it. The problem is that dairy tears her stomach apart. There are times when we debate whether we need to summon an exorcist. It’s a struggle each time to act as if we don’t notice, but we persevere, because we love her. I’m begging you, please, for the sake of our weekend, please do not add cheese. If you must, please add as little as possible.
Normalizing *Anything* as Dressing:
- Can I PLEASE get a few sides of ranch, because I ran out of mine over here? I’m shaking in my slippers, because I’m that guy who gets pineapple on his pizza and then slaps absurd amounts of ranch on it just to smile like an aspiring little singer when getting a high five from Beyonce.
- Do people use honey mustard on salads? That sounds like blasphemy!
- This needs to be the spiciest ever made in Tampa. I need fire. I love my heat. Please give me the most fire. Super super super spicy.
- Hi it’s me again, your favorite customer who’s super sad when she doesn’t have a side of gravy. I will pay $100 for a side of gravy since I love it so much lol. Please help a sister out!
When Eating Food is a Religious Experience:
- Please make the fish NICE & CRISPY with some seasoning. I want to feel like I just left a Holy Spirit filled church service
- Hey, y’all! It’s me again y’all the sweet bread was amazing! Y’all know y’all good when a 6 yr old eats ALL your cabbage. Bless you!
TikTok Made Me Try It:
- For me, I really like corn. A big lump with knobs, It has the juice (it has the juice). I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing (Woo)
