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TBO.com Special Report - Digital Dining Guide

By JEFF HOUCK
jhouck@tampatrib.com

If being online has done anything for society, it's taught us that we can get pretty much anything we want whenever we want it and however we care to have it.

Restaurants have been a relative latecomer to feeding that online impulse, but major chains are investing time and money to give customers a way to select their meals online instead of over the phone, by fax or in person.

We took an informal test-drive of several chains' online ordering systems. There was much to like — online coupons and customization options, for example. And there were a few kinks in the system. Several suggested calling by phone to confirm orders. One declined to deliver after we had placed our order.

For first-time users of these sites, you'll want to plan for a few extra minutes of ordering time. Each requires that you register your basic contact information.

Read the full story

BURRITOS

Chipotle

order.chipotle.com

ORDERED ON A WEEKDAY AT 12:15 P.M.

We ordered: A barbacoa burrito with side of tortilla chips and roasted chile-corn salsa

What happened: We weren't sure how slammed the restaurant would be for lunch, especially because the Web site allows for group ordering. It was an unnecessary worry. The burrito we got wasn't that exotic, just some seasoned meat, beans and veggies. But when we saw the Web site had a window for “Additional comments or instructions,” we couldn't resist writing, “Can you draw a smiley face on the burrito foil?” When we opened the bag, we saw a smiley face looking back at us. And when we got back to the office, there was another smiley on the opposite side. Something simple for customer satisfaction, but very cool nonetheless.

PIZZA

Domino's

order.dominos.com (mobile: dominos.com/home/mobile.jsp)

ORDERED ON A WEEKDAY AT 1:30 P.M.

We ordered: One large American Legends Pacific Veggie pizza

What happened: The Domino's site is smooth and fun to navigate as it helps you decorate your own pizza. A “Pizza Tracker” acts as a progress bar tracking the pie's creation and delivery. The site, though, told us that our pizza was only available by carryout even though we were in downtown Tampa. When we went to the store on Kennedy Boulevard, the pizza was hot and ready. A worker there said delivery was an option and that they've “had problems with that. Next time, just call us.” A Domino's spokeswoman we notified of the snafu said the problem is being addressed. The pizza was fresh and delicious.

Papa John's

www.papajohnsonline.com (mobile: mobile.papajohns.com)

ORDERED ON A WEEKDAY AT 11:20 A.M.

We ordered: Large thin-crust pizza, half with bacon, half with pineapple, with well-done crust; one Cinnapie with extra icing

What happened: Of the online systems we tried, this was the most labor-intensive to use when the registration was factored in. (At one point mid-stream, we were offered magazine subscriptions.) We did like the chance to tweak the cooking time and ingredient architecture of our pizza. We had no idea what a Cinnapie was, but we're suckers for anything with extra icing. The pizza was exactly what we hoped, although a few pieces of stray pineapple turned it into a 48 percent bacon/52 percent pineapple pie. The Cinnapie pastry with extra icing? How to put this nicely… It was a dessert hate crime.

Pizza Hut

www.pizzahut.com
(mobile: pizzahut.com/mobileordering | iPhone app: itunes.com/appstore)

ORDERED ON A WEEKDAY AT 3:37 P.M.

We ordered: Garlic Parmesan bone-in WingStreet wings, Burnin' Hot Traditional WingStreet wings, large hand-tossed Super Supreme pizza

What happened: After picking our pizza and wings, (PizzaHut.com offers a 20 percent off coupon for first online orders), we were told to expect delivery 47 minutes later. That seemed long to our attention deficit, so when the delivery driver arrived 12 minutes early, we were pleasantly surprised. Food was hot and fresh, including the wings. In the “special instructions” window on the ordering form, we tested the staff by asking for the pizza maker to autograph the box. She apparently declined. It's not like we asked for a smiley face!

SANDWICHES

Jimmy John's

www.jimmyjohns.com

ORDERED ON A WEEKDAY AT 11:49 P.M.

We ordered: J.J. gargantuan sub, sliced in half; J.J. Veggie Club Unwich

What happened: After registering our contact information, this was the easiest system to use. We were nervous when we got a call 10 minutes after we ordered telling us they were out of mustard packets, but the quickness of the sandwich arrival dispelled concerns. The delivery man greeted us by name, which was a nice touch. The Gargantuan sub, a thick scrum of genoa salami, smoked ham, capicola, roast beef, turkey and provolone on a French roll with onions, mayo, lettuce, tomato and Italian dressing, tasted fresh and delicious. The designated vegetarian in our office tried the Unwich — a lettuce wrap so named because of a lack of bread – and declared it was "pretty good -- but it could use some bread."

Quizno's

www.quiznos.com (mobile: quiznos.com/mobile)

ORDERED ON A WEEKDAY AT 2:30 P.M.

We ordered: Beef, Bacon & Cheddar Torpedo, Prime Rib cheesesteak sub on rosemary Parmesan bread, double chocolate chunk cookie

What happened: Although the Web site typeface is tiny and sometimes hard to read, we liked the feel of operating on this site and the e-mail confirmation of our delivery order. It also allowed us the chance to e-mail the form to others in our office so they could join in for a group order. But 10 minutes after placing our order, we got a courtesy call from a very nice woman at the downtown Tampa store telling us we would have to pick up our order. Our food couldn't be delivered because store officials were leaving for a meeting and she couldn't leave the store. We declined to pick up our order and she apologized profusely.

Subway

www.subway.com (mobile: mysubwaymobile.com)

ORDERED ON A WEEKDAY AT 5:10 P.M.

We ordered: 12-inch Subway Club, 12-inch Cold Cut Combo, 6-inch Turkey Breast subs

What happened: Subway's site makes you find your state, then city, then closest location. But not every Subway store offers online ordering and carryout. (The entire city of St. Petersburg is a giant hole in online coverage.) As in the store, there is a bounty of ingredient options, so it takes a while to click through all the ingredients. Takes all the fun of grunting and pointing as people wait behind you. Our order was ready and correctly made by the time we arrived. And since we already paid online by credit card, all the sandwich artist had to do was hand us our food.

STEAK

Outback

www.outback.com

ORDERED ON A WEEKEND AT 6:30 P.M.

We ordered: A 6-ounce medium rare Outback Special with blue cheese crust and side salad and baked potato; two 9-ounce medium and medium-rare Outback specials with baked potatos, salad and a Wedge salad; side of sautéed mushrooms

What happened: Not only was the Web site clear about what our order was as it progressed, it offered us a chance at every step to edit our preferences for how we wanted the steaks cooked and what toppings we wanted on the salads and potatoes. It also gave us new respect for the servers who have to keep everything straight on the phone. The site also allows users to reorder from a previously saved order. Oh, and the steak was cooked perfectly.

We haven't had a chance to test them yet, but these local restaurants also offer online ordering: