US | Oct 19, 2023
Written byMarco Vita, Senior Data Scientist at Uber Eats
As we head into Halloween, we’re back with the fifth annual Uber Eats Cravings Report – a snapshot of the most popular, the most unusual, and some of the most surprising delivery requests. We’ve seen some haunted hankerings this year, from folks ordering steak and jelly, to seaweed with pasta sauce and lots in between. It’s clear that in 2023, our customers relied on Uber Eats to get everything from toilet paper, to Tito’s Vodka, to extra Tabasco, to tons and tons of Pad Thai.
As you’ll see from the data, you really can get *almost, almost* anything delivered with Uber Eats – it just depends what you’re craving 🙂
Over the last few months, we’ve seen some trends that might surprise you…
- RTO = nix the onions: As more and more of us head back to the office, we’re seeing folks favor better breath. They’re holding the onions on orders every day of the week.
- No way rosé: The pink drink may be losing its luster. According to our data, there was a decrease in rosé sales this summer, while lighter body reds and whites were on the rise.
- It’s getting hot in here: From mild to hot to true fire, Americans are craving more heat! Even with these summer temps sticking around, everyone’s asking for hot sauce as the top condiment this year.
- Miss American Pie: The top dessert order this year was apple pie. In fact, we delivered nearly two million apple pie orders nationwide!
- Get anything: We know people use Uber Eats to get their food fast, but the top 3 most popular non-food items ordered may surprise you: Scott Unscented Toilet Paper Rolls, Plan B One-Step Emergency Contraceptive, and Covid-19 Antigen Home Tests.
- Midnight munchies: With extracurriculars, evening study sessions and of course nights on the town, college cravings often strike after midnight. Penn State took the lead once again this year with the most late night (12-4am) orders on Uber Eats, followed by University of Iowa, University of Illinois and Texas A&M University.
- Mind your manners: The most polite cities are San Francisco, CA, Richmond, VA, Detroit, MI, Bakersfield, CA and Charleston, SC – they say “please” and “thank you” the most in their instructions. Customers in Olympia, WA, Asheville, NC and Bismarck, ND were the most generous tippers in the U.S.
- From Dry January to Sober October: Zero-proof spirits are on the rise and according to Drizly data, “dry” months are more and more popular. In fact, during Dry January 2023, non-alcoholic beverages experienced 75% growth compared to the year prior.
The 10 most popular delivery requests in the US:
- No onions
- Dressing on the side
- Ranch
- Extra soy sauce
- Spicy
- Sauce on the side
- No lettuce
- No jalapenos
- Extra gravy
- No slaw
The most ordered items:
- French fries
- Garlic naan
- Pad Thai
- Miso soup
- California roll
The most popular delivery combo:
- Burrito bowl + cheese
- French fries + salt
- Chicken sandwich + shredded lettuce
- Cheeseburger + mustard
- Wings + ranch
The most unexpected food combos:
- Steak + jelly
- Cottage cheese + mustard
- Condensed milk + avocado
- Seaweed + pasta sauce
- Butter + pickled onions
The most frequently paired food + alcohol:
- Ribeye + vodka
- Cheeseburger + frozen margarita
- Chicken + frozen piña colada
- Lobster tail + apple whiskey
- Tamales + daiquiris
The most unique delivery requests
Year after year, customers rely on Uber Eats to get everything and anything – from toilet paper and flowers to pizza and prosecco, hot sauce and so much more. And they certainly don’t shy away from asking for some special requests. Here are some of the most unique:
EXTRA EXTRA, EAT ALL ABOUT IT!:
- Please fry my chicken VERY hard. Very very crispy. Almost burned!
- Extra cheese sauce please 🙂 I’ll pay for it. I’m also drunk asf so if you load it up you’d make me the happiest drunk girl ever.
- Sauce on everything. I mean it. Literally drown my food in that amazing nectar.
- Hello again wonderful dreamy pizza makers! Can I please get tons of green olives and mushrooms?
- I’m very serious about my spice so please make it super super super hot, fire spicy. Like make me cry 😢 🥵 hot!!! More 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Please make me hurt! Let’s get as spicy as possible. Hotter the better!!!
PICKY PECKERS:
- Put it in a box instead of a circle container. I refuse to eat any food if presented in a circle container. Please don’t ruin my meal for me.
- I have braces and it is difficult for me to chew. Please please chop my salad and all ingredients in small, small pieces.
- Please drench the whole bowl in white sauce with a spiral of red sauce!!!! Thank you so much!!!! Just do what I ask.
LOOKING OUT FOR LOVED ONES:
- Can you please write “happy half a dozen!” with a heart drawn next to it somewhere on the box? Thank you so so much!
- Could you please write a note on the coffee saying “Hope you have a great day Jojo, I’m proud of you <3.” It’s for a girl I really like. Thanks a lot!
- I know this is super weird… but can you please only put cheese on HALF? I’m not allergic, but I just can’t digest dairy very well. But my other half loves it. Thanks!
THE NOVELISTS:
- Life isn’t all lighthearted laughing and good times, life is sometimes really messy. As I kicked off my shoes and decompressed from the hourly sh*t show I call a career, I pondered where I would get my dinner. I went and made my order and when that order came into my home, my fortress of solitude, my day was saved. Gone was the stress, hunger and curmudgeonly attitude I was harboring.
- Every so often, a meal not only tantalizes your taste buds but also transports you – and the offerings here managed to do just that. This wasn’t just a meal; it was a celebration of Caribbean culture and culinary artistry. Thank you for delivering a slice of the Caribbean right to my doorstep.
Spooky Season Halloween Cravings:
It’s clear our customers rely on us for candy cravings. That’s why this Halloween, we’re dialing up the fear factor with terrifying promo codes that will give everyone 60% off their candy, costumes, decor, Party City, and Halloween City purchases in the app – so don’t forget to stock up on Eats sweets.
- Uber to the Rescue: More than 25,000 bags of candy were purchased on Uber Eats last year on October 30th and Halloween Day.
- Most Popular Candy: Reese’s, Twix, Snickers, Peanut M&Ms, and Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Cream take the lead as the most popular candies on Uber Eats.
- Taste the Blast: One of the top sweet treats on Uber Eats is an unexpected 90’s throwback: Gushers.
- Sweet Tooth Szn: A sweet toothed someone ordered 135 bags of M&Ms this year.
- State Faves:
- Better Together: Nothing tastes better than peanut butter and chocolate in the South with people in Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee ordering Reese’s the most as their go-to candy.
- I Love Nerds: People in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont and Wyoming go nuts for Nerds as their #1 candy of choice.
- Give me a Break: Customers in Arizona and Delaware are ride or die for Kit Kat bars
