10 Best Meal Delivery Services in Charlotte, NC 2023: List

Looking to save some time and effort preparing meals without sacrificing quality? Well, you’ve come to the right spot. I’ve compiled this list of the 10 best meal delivery services in Charlotte, NC to help you.

Home Chef wins the first spot on this list.Home Chef is a great service in terms of flexibility, versatility, and selection. It’s also reasonably priced. The food is healthy and the site is well-organized. And, of course, even if you don’t like it, you’ve got nine other options to look through.

Just think. No more hours wasted endlessly searching through grocery stores. And no more time spent searching for that recipe you wrote down somewhere and misplaced. You’ll get all the ingredients and all the instructions you need sent to your door. Let’s take a look at your options.

The Best Meal Delivery Services in Charlotte, NC Reviewed

1. Home Chef – Best Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC for Customization

Key Features

• Pre-portioned ingredients

• 30+ distinct recipes every week

• Meal offerings for varied skill levels

• Current deal: Get 60% off your first three boxes

If you’re looking for a meal delivery service in Charlotte, N.C. that’s flexible and customizable, Home Chef is the place to go. Home Chef offers three different menu selections: Calorie-conscious, <30min, and Carb-conscious.

Home Chef also offers a “Customize it” feature that lets you tweak your protein selection in some meals by doubling them up, swapping them out, or simply upgrading them. You can find out more in this excellent Home Chef review by one of my colleagues.

So, if you’re planning a night out in Charlotte at the AvidXchange Music Factory, you can fuel up on a great Home Chef meal first. That’ll give you all the energy you need to keep going until the wee hours of the morning.

2. Blue Apron – Best Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC for Healthy Weight Loss

Key Features

• Extensive off-menu Cookbook with oodles of recipes to choose from

• 40+ recipe choices every week

• 4 available menus: Signature for 2, Signature for 4, Vegetarian, and Wellness

• Current deal: Enjoy $110 off across your first 5 orders

Blue Apron is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a health-conscious meal delivery service in Charlotte. The company offers a number of WW-approved (formerly Weight Watchers) meals among its hefty selection.

Blue Apron also offers six Blue Apron Customized meals on its Signature for 2 plan, and three on its Signature for 4 plan. These allow you to tailor certain ingredients to your liking in some meals. You can add ingredients, swap them out, or upgrade them, should you so desire. Check out this dedicated Blue Apron review to learn more.

So, if you plan to take a class at the Sweet Spot Studio in Charlotte to learn a bit about baking, be sure to start the evening off with a nutritious meal from Blue Apron.

3. Green Chef – Best Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC for Keto & Paleo

Key Features

• Choices can be mixed and matched across every meal plan

• 30+ varied recipes every week

• Offers USDA-certified organic ingredients

• Current deal: Get $250 off + free shipping

Green Chef is well-known for its Keto + Paleo menu offering, so it’s a great choice for health aficionados and others interested in that type of diet. In addition to the Keto + Paleo option, though, it also offers Vegetarian, Mediterranean, Fast & Fit, Vegan, and Gluten Free. You can mix and match between plans and can choose from the full menu.

You can find out more about the company in this dedicated Green Chef review by one of my colleagues. Green Chef is also well-known for pre-prepping a fair number of ingredients like sauces and seasonings.

So, if you’re getting ready to dive into a post-apocalyptic adventure at District 57 in Charlotte, you can start the evening off with a great Green Chef meal that won’t impact the environment too, too much.

4. HelloFresh – Best Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC for Families

Key Features

• A variety of simple recipes

• 50+ menu options each week

• Six different plans: Meat & Veggie, Veggie, Family Friendly, and more

• Current deal: 18 free meals + first box ships free + 3 surprise gifts with code DR18HF

HelloFresh has teamed up with Neil Patrick Harris to give it a family-friendly edge and additional “star power.” HelloFresh’s meal kits are well-known for being both family-friendly and very healthy. Its ingredients come straight from the farm, so you can be sure of its quality and taste.

This excellent HelloFresh review can give you all the info you want about the company. You’ll even learn about its selection of add-ons as well as your option to upgrade to a Gourmet meal. Of course, both of those cost a little extra – but, they’re well worth it.

You can enjoy a healthy, HelloFresh meal with the whole family and then head out to the Two Scoops Creamery in Charlotte to enjoy a tasty dessert. It’ll make it a night to remember!

5. Purple Carrot – Best Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC for Vegans

Key Features

• Offers both gluten-free and high-protein meals

• Enjoy a 3-course meal in a Celebration box

• Choose from plant-based meal kits and prepared meals

• Current deal: Get $30 off with code carrot30

Purple Carrot is the service of choice in Charlotte if you’re looking for plant-based meals. All of the company meals are made entirely without meat. So, if you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, it’s probably the best option to start with.

You can find out more about the company in this excellent Purple Carrot dedicated review by one of my colleagues.  In addition to dinner, it also offers a small assortment of plant-based breakfasts, lunches, and even a “plantry” of plant-based add-ons like desserts and snacks.

Should you take a day trip to the Discovery Place Science museum, you can end off the exciting day of learning with an environmentally-friendly meal that’s sure to delight you.

6. Marley Spoon – Best Celebrity-Endorsed Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC

Key Features

• Offers both family-friendly and vegetarian recipes

• 45+ unique recipes each week

• 5 different meal categories: Health & Diet, Vegetarian & Vegan, and more

• Current deal: Get $270 off your first 8 boxes!

Martha Stewart isn’t only a TV cooking legend, but she’s also the face of Marley Spoon. She brings to the company her extensive culinary experience and expertise. This can be seen in a number of superb spice blends and exquisitely crafted recipes.

You can find out more about Martha and Marley Spoon in this dedicated review by one of my colleagues. The company offers a Two Person meal kit and a Four Person meal kit. Additionally, all the recipes are flagged with a variety of tags identifying details of each recipe: meat, veggie, dairy-free, etc….

So, if you have a big date at the Belk Theater at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, you can start the night off right with one of Martha’s tasty dishes from Marley Spoon.

7. Freshly – Best Meal Delivery Service for Prepared Meals in Charlotte, NC

Key Features

• Meals sized for one person

• 40+ different recipes each week

• Offers meal plans with as many as 12 meals per week

• Current deal: Get $175 off your first 7 boxes!

One of the big plusses at Freshly is speed. After being prepared by the team of Freshly cooks and chefs, Freshly meals are shipped fresh, not frozen. They can be heated in a microwave for about three minutes or less. That’s pretty impressive, all things considered.

You can find out more about the Freshly meal delivery service in this dedicated review. The Freshly motto is “the less processing, the better.” As a result, Freshly uses only natural, “thoughtful” ingredients for sweetening purposes. No processed sugar, at all.

The next time you meet an old friend for cocktails at the Aura Rooftop Bar, you can fuel up beforehand with a Freshly dinner. You’ll be well-suited to rehash old times late into the evening.

8. Fresh and Easy – Best Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC for Easy Prep and Use

Key Features

• Provides specialty meal kits and prepared meals

• Offers meals needing very little cleanup

• Offers ingredients that are pre-portioned

• Current deal: Get 60% off your first three boxes!

Fresh and Easy is a smaller company that’s an offshoot of Home Chef. Basically, at one point in time, Home Chef had a number of specialty low-prep meal kits like Fast & Fresh, Grill Ready, Oven Ready, 15-Minute Meal Kits, and Entree Salads. These kits are now being offered by Fresh and Easy.

You can learn more about Fresh and Easy in this excellent review by one of my fellow writers. Fresh and Easy also offers customization of its meal kits with the “Customize It” tool (the same one offered by Home Chef). At the same time, the focus on Fresh and Easy is easy prep and easy cleanup.

So, if you’re in a rush to see the Charlotte Bobcats play at The Time Warner Arena, you can whip up a 15-minute meal kit from Fresh and Easy, and be on your way in no time.

9. EveryPlate – Best Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC for Inexpensive Meals

Key Features

• Meals that take <30 minutes to prepare

• 17+ different recipes each week

• Four meal plans: Meat & Veggie, Veggie, Family Friendly, and Quick & Easy

• Current deal: $1.39/meal on your 1st box

If you want to enjoy the convenience and other benefits of a meal delivery service in Charlotte, but you’re on a tight budget, check out EveryPlate. EveryPlate is a meal delivery service dedicated to offering low-cost meal plans. In fact, the plans are as low as $1.49 per serving.

You can check out this excellent EveryPlate review to learn more about the company. Of course, the low price does come with some trade-offs. It’s difficult to cater to specific diets such as keto, gluten-free, and vegan but if you follow a balanced diet, you won’t be disappointed.

Still, if you want an inexpensive meal before you go check out the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, EveryPlate is a difficult service to beat.

10. Grubhub – Best Food Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC

Key Features

• Collects food from many nearby restaurants and delivers it to you

• Nearly unlimited meal options from various 3rd parties

• Extensive array of dietary options served by various 3rd parties

The thing about Grubhub is that it’s a food delivery service, not a meal delivery service. For a small fee, Grubhub will pick up an order you place with a nearby restaurant. Grubhub will then deliver that nice, tasty meal to you. It’s a great service.

Grubhub also offers a couple of special programs. The first, Grubhub Perks, provides you with access to a variety of special deals at participating restaurants. The second, Grubhub+, waives delivery fees for orders that exceed $12.

So, if you want restaurant-quality food at home, before checking out the Nascar Hall of Fame, just put a call into Grubhub. You’ll be dining in no time.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC

There are a number of different factors to consider when evaluating a meal delivery service in Charlotte, NC. I’ve included this list of four to assist you in coming to your own decision.

• Customizability of Recipes: The first critical factor to look at in a meal delivery service is the customizability of its recipes. How easy is it to tailor a particular recipe to your specific tastes? Does it have a “Customize It” tool like Home Chef? If not, does it make up for the lack in other ways?

• Selection of Recipes: The next thing to look at in a meal delivery service in Charlotte, NC is the selection of recipes it offers. Does it offer an extensive list or just a handful? It’s possible for some services to actually offer too much and overwhelm a customer. Generally, I would say a good range would be somewhere between 30 and 50 recipes.

• Cost per Serving: The cost per serving is the next criterion to look at when evaluating a meal delivery service in Charlotte, NC. This is even more critical if you’re living on a tight budget. Generally, you want to get the best value for your money. EveryPlate, for example, is the least expensive service I’ve ever come across. However, it does have some drawbacks (limited selection, small number of meal plans, etc….). It’s up to you to decide if the low cost outweighs the drawbacks.

• Extras Available: The last item you might consider in a meal delivery service in Charlotte, NC is the availability of extras. Does the service offer things like lunch, breakfast, or dessert? How about snacks? Although these things may not be important for some people, to others it may make or break a deal.

Bottom Line: The Best Meal Delivery Service in Charlotte, NC

The top spot in this list of meal delivery services goes to Home Chef for a number of reasons. Its “Customize It” tool gives the service tremendous flexibility and versatility. It also offers 30 or more meal options every week. That makes the service pretty tough to beat.

However, if for some reason, you don’t like Home Chef, I’ve given you nine other options to look at. Blue Apron, for example, is a great one for novice chefs. It gets its name from the tradition of restaurants providing beginner chefs with a blue apron while they learnt their craft. And, of course, there are eight other services beyond that.

FAQ

Do Meal Delivery Services Save You Money?

Generally speaking, most meal delivery services will usually save you money. First, you won’t have to go to the grocery store. Second, the ingredients you use will often be pre-portioned so that there’s little waste – and that translates into savings, too! A low-cost service like EveryPlate will deliver you meal kits with delicious ingredients and not be too hard on your wallet.

What Is The Best Meal Delivery Service That Is Already Prepared?

The best meal delivery service that’s already prepared is Freshly.  It’s a great service that offers pre-made microwavable meals that can be heated up in three minutes or less. Another plus is that each meal is portioned for just one individual. That makes it ideal if you’re eating alone.

What Meal Delivery Service Works With Weight Watchers?

Blue Apron is the meal delivery service best known for working with Weight Watchers (now known as WW). Blue Apron has 40+ offerings on its varied menus. Among those offerings, it has tagged a moderate number with a WW flag to indicate that they’re WW-approved. It’s a great service for those looking to lose some weight.