GROCERIES
Peapod
What You Get: Provisions from Giant.
How Long It Takes: Order today, receive it tomorrow.
Where You Can Get It: DC; Northern Virginia; parts of Montgomery, Prince George’s counties.
Premium You’ll Pay: $7.95 to $9.95 delivery fee; $60 minimum order.
What We Think: So quick and easy you may never set foot in a grocery store again.
Instacart
What You Get: Groceries from Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Costco, and more via courier.
How Long It Takes: One to two hours, or a future date up to seven days out.
Where You Can Get It: DC, Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Potomac.
Premium You’ll Pay: $3.99 to $5.99 delivery fee, $10 minimum order.
What We Think: Good for hitting multiple stores without making multiple stops.
TAKEOUT
Seamless
What You Get: Food from restaurants with delivery staffs (mostly cheap eats).
How Long It Takes: Depends on the restaurant and demand.
Where You Can Get It: All over the Washington area.
Premium You’ll Pay: Some restaurants add a delivery fee (tip not included).
What We Think: In our experience, unreliable if you’re really hungry.
ALCOHOL
Drizly
What You Get: Beer, wine, hard liquor from Sherry’s Wine and Spirits, Modern Liquors.
How Long It Takes: An hour or less.
Where You Can Get It: SW DC, H Street, Navy Yard, NoMa, Capitol Hill, parts of NW DC.
Premium You’ll Pay: $5 delivery fee, $20 minimum order.
What We Think: Strong selection, and the craft beer was still cold when we got it.
Klink
What You Get: Beer, wine, hard liquor from an undisclosed number of liquor stores.
How Long It Takes: An hour or less.
Where You Can Get It: DC except east of the Anacostia River.
Premium You’ll Pay: $3.87 delivery fee, $20 minimum.
What We Think: More widely available than Drizly, but the selection is watered down.
ALMOST ANYTHING
Postmates
What You Get: Various items on demand, including restaurant carryout food, via courier.
How Long It Takes: An hour or less.
Where You Can Get It: Much of DC, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Arlington.
Premium You’ll Pay: $5 and up for delivery, depending on distance; 9-percent service fee.
What We Think: Perfect for a date-night meal without having to make a reservation.
Google Express
What You Get: Guitars, diapers, condoms, and more from 12 retail partners.
How Long It Takes: Same day.
Where You Can Get It: DC.
Premium You’ll Pay: Free on over-$15 orders with $95 yearly membership; $4.99 to $7.99 otherwise.
What We Think: If you’re okay sharing info with the mega-search engine, it totally delivers.
Amazon
What You Get: Paper towels, car parts, laptops, and thousands of other non-bulky items.
How Long It Takes: Same day if ordered before noon, including Sunday.
Where You Can Get It: NW, SW, parts of NE DC; south to Montclair, Va., north to Gaithersburg.
Premium You’ll Pay: Prime members, $5.99; others, $9.99 first item, 99 cents per additional item.
What We Think: Hit-or-miss, especially on a Sunday.
This article appears in our June 2015 issue of Washingtonian.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
