How Does Grubhub Work?

Get your favorite restaurant food delivered to your front door

Grubhub Home Page
by Nicholas Congleton
Nick Congleton has been a freelance tech blogger since 2015. His work has appeared in PCMech, Make Tech Easier, Infosec Institute, and others.
Updated March 16, 2019
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What is Grubhub? You may have heard of it, seen the commercials, or know someone who uses it, but maybe you still aren't quite sure exactly what it is or how it works. Not to worry. Here's everything you need to know about Grubhub, including how to work for them.

What Is Grubhub?

Grubhub is a service that partners with restaurants in your area and offers delivery for ones that don't normally deliver, plus a convenient web ordering system for the ones that do. Everything is handled through Grubhub, which gives you the flexibility to sign into one place and order nearly anything.

How Does Grubhub Work?

Even though Grubhub works with so many different restaurants, it's surprisingly easy to use and work with. You can order from restaurants and diners, or major chains offering online ordering. It's simple, streamlined, and won't overburden you with options.

Hungry users can access the service through its website or by using the mobile app, which is available for both iOS and Android smartphones.

How to Use Grubhub

  1. To get started with Grubhub, go to the website, then select Sign in in the upper right corner of the screen.

  2. A new box will pop up with a couple of fields to enter in your email and password. Below them, you'll see the options to use your Facebook or Google account to sign in. However, if you'd prefer to create a new Grubhub account, select Create your account.

  3. The box will shift to a form you can use to sign up. Enter your name, email, and a new password for your account. When everything looks right, select Create your account.

    Create Your Grubhub Account

  4. Head back to the home page, and turn your attention to the search. The easiest way to find food in your area is to enter your ZIP code, and search.

    Search Grubhub

  5. After then next page loads, Grubhub will show you a complete list of restaurants in your area that are open and deliver. Each one includes a picture of the food, pricing information, and the customer rating. The listing will also give you an approximate delivery time and the distance the restaurant is from you.

    Grubhub Search Results

    You can filter the search results by the type of food across the top of the listing. There's also a series of additional filters down the left side of the window that let you sort by rating, price, and delivery time.

  6. When you find a restaurant you like, select it, and you'll be taken to that restaurant's page where you can view their menu. You can also find out more about the restaurant and its rating.

    Grubhub will probably ask you to input your complete address before you can add anything to your order.

  7. Look through the menu. You can see pictures and prices of everything that they offer. When you find something you want, select it to add it to your order. You can see everything you've added on the right side of the screen.

    Grubhub Menu Options

    Some restaurants will allow you to customize the menu items before adding them. This is especially true with things like pizza, where you can add toppings. You can also add as many items as you like. Watch out for minimum orders, though. Some restaurants require a certain purchase amount to deliver.

  8. When you have everything you want, select Proceed to Checkout at the bottom of your order.

  9. The next screen Grubhub will show you contains a big form to fill out your address information. Most of that will already be populated from before. To the right, you'll see the breakdown of your order with the total. Confirm when you're ready.

    Grubhub Checkout Address

  10. Next, you can enter your payment information. Grubhub has a few options for payment, including PayPal. At the bottom of the page, there's the option to include a tip in your payment or paying with cash. After entering everything, complete your order.

    Grubhub Checkout Payment

  11. That's it! If you entered a phone number, Grubhub will text you when your order is received with an estimated delivery time.

How to Work for Grubhub?

A lot of people aren't quite sure who's actually delivering for Grubhub. Grubhub is a lot like Uber or Lyft in this aspect, as Grubhub delivery drivers are independent contractors working for, and paid by, Grubhub.

To work for Grubhub, you only need to fill out an application. They'll look over your application, conduct a background check, and see if you're a good fit. If you're approved, you'll be granted access to their app to pick up orders in real time as they arrive.