UberEats Now Available in Broward County

Starting today, UberEats is officially available in Fort Lauderdale and much of Broward County.

As of this week, the UberEats launch covers all of Fort Lauderdale as well as Wilton Manors, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, and Oakland Park. For now, deliveries stop at Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach in north Broward County and at the Florida Turnpike to the west. Expect to see the rest of the county come online over the next few weeks.

In July, UberEats went live in Miami-Dade County and parts of Broward with drivers servicing Miami, as well as parts of southern Broward County including Hallandale, Hollywood, and Dania Beach.

The expanded South Florida coverage area is being released alongside the launch of an all-new standalone UberEats app. As of Tuesday, October 18, area residents will be able to download the UberEats app on iOS and Android (or visit ubereats.com) to order hundreds of dishes from local restaurants.

Once you download the app, it's pretty simple: Log in with your Uber account username and password; find a restaurant you want to order from; pick what you want from the menu; pay with your credit card on file; and watch as your order is picked up and delivered to you. Delivery fees are $4.99 per order, but new users can cash in on a limited-time deal by using the promo code LETSEATFLL and getting $5 off their first five rides.

The new app offers food delivery from 8 a.m. until midnight, 7 days a week, and allows patrons to order off the full menu from over 70 of Fort Lauderdale's best restaurants. Participating restaurants include Tap 42, Spring Chicken, New York Grilled Cheese Co., 925 Nuevo Cubano’s, Siam Kitchen, and more.

"This is a really exciting time for Uber," said Javi Correoso, director of communications for UberEats South Florida. "It’s the first time in our company’s history that we’ve ever launched a new app outside of the ability to request a ride."

Alex Rudolph, a partner and vice president of business development for Tap 42, said the decision to partner with UberEats was a "no-brainer."

"We've always been big Uber supporters and for being safe while having fun," said Rudolph, "so when they launched UberEats, it made perfect sense for us to sign on to participate."

Uber began its UberEats food delivery service with a California pilot program that launched in September 2014. The most recent version of UberEats, launched earlier this year. It allows users to order food and track their delivery through the UberEats mobile app, or on the UberEats website. The service is currently available in 10 U.S. cities including Miami, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Austin.

Currently, UberEats is one of the fastest growing alternative platforms Uber provides. While the original food delivery platform began by offering limited range services that catered mostly to the daytime lunch crowd — available only in specific or business-heavy neighborhoods for limited hours — today the app-based food delivery is in direct competition with similar companies vying for a spot in the industry. Locally, that includes Delivery Dudes, Shipt, Cravy, and — most recently — Instacart.

One way UberEats stands out. UberEats drivers are paid the same way as Uber drivers, so tipping is less part of the equation.

Although Tap 42's three restaurants in Coral Gables, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale will continue to work with Delray Beach-based food delivery service Delivery Dudes, Rudolph said he's excited to add UberEats for its user-friendly app-based platform and quality of service.

"We love that they have a dedicated team working on coordinating the service in the South Florida market," added Rudolph. "Everything they do is first-class, so it gives us an opportunity to give our customers one of the best food delivery services available. We're excited to grow our takeout business with the new brand and the new app."

Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.