16 Best Mail-Order Food Companies Slideshow

If you're craving cuisine from the Windy City, check out Tastes of Chicago.

Want Chicago-style pizza? Use the site to order Lou Malnati's deep-dish pizza. Hot dog enthusiasts will want to order Portillo's Hot Dog Kit, which includes 10 hot dogs, 10 poppy seed buns, mustard, relish, sport peppers, and celery salt.

You can also order cookies, popcorn, and other treats. All foods are packed frozen on dry ice.

This gourmet food purveyor has it all — condiments, seasonings, meats, cheeses, breads, drinks, and desserts.

The range is incredible — they have high-end coffee and tea, squid ink pasta, caviar, veal chops, truffles, apple butter, extra-virgin olive oil, wine, and more.

If you're not satisfied with your order, Dean & DeLuca will accept returns of non-perishable items within 30 days.

From baklava and scallops wrapped in bacon, to mini veggie burgers, The Appetizer Store has got you covered. Whether you need nibbles for a party or simply to enjoy at home, this e-retailer has an extensive appetizer menu.

You can even sign up to join the Appetizer of the Month club, entitling you to tasty bites throughout the year.

The site also breaks down the menu so you can choose from specific categories such as kosher, seafood, or vegetarian. 

With a slogan of "Fine Dining Delivered," GourmetStation is focused on providing "chef-inspired" gourmet dinners. Simply order the meal, which is delivered by UPS, then heat the dinner in 30 minutes or less.

For example, you can order a four-course dinner for two people at prices ranging from $49.99 to $89.99. Menu choices can include Tuscan, fusion, American, and Cajun flavors.

You can plan dinners for occasions, too, such as a romantic dinner for Valentine's Day, a thank-you dinner, or a birthday dinner. Select side dishes and desserts as well, like cheesecake and homemade pie.

The HoneyBaked Ham Company may be known for ham, but the company also ships other choices like stuffed Cornish game hens, barbecue brisket, and a turkey dinner. Their signature spiral sliced ham is always on the menu, too, of course.

You can order meats like ham, turkey, and steaks, as well as side dishes like mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. They've also got desserts like red velvet cake and cinnamon-walnut coffeecake.

Allow three to five business days for shipping. Once the food arrives, it'll take one to two days for the items to thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Schwan's Home Service, Inc. markets and distributes more than 350 frozen foods through home-delivery and mail-order services.

You can place orders online, by phone, or in person through a Route Sales Representative. Orders can be delivered to your home (dropped off in freezer bags in case you're not at home) by a company representative or delivered by UPS.

The company has a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, so if you're not happy, let them know and they'll refund or replace the unsatisfactory item.

Schaul's has been in the gourmet food business since 1923, and they're committed to quality foods and personalized customer service.

They sell gift items like candies, nuts, and fruit baskets, as well as food-of-the-month deals like the four-month holiday plan, which features entrées for holidays like Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. They also have an extensive meat and seafood selection, including lobster tail, halibut, pork roast, duck, rack of lamb, and filet mignon steaks.

Schaul's Signature Gourmet Foods sells USDA-inspected products and will ship anywhere in the country. They'll also replace any item that's not satisfactory.

This e-retailer specializes in "the art of dining in," and you can order some of the site's delicious "chef-inspired" meals to eat at home.

Consider Impromptu Gourmet's "Across America" dinner, which includes 12 Southwest Chicken Cornucopia appetizers, Maryland crabcakes, and creamed corn, along with a dessert of four fudge brownies.

Or if you'd rather mix and match, order a starter like chicken tortilla soup or lobster bisque, sides like sweet potato soufflé and stuffed baked potatoes, and entrées such as bacon-wrapped shrimp or maple bourbon beef ribs, as well as desserts like apple dumplings and lava cake. 

Whether you want Eileen's Special Cheesecake from New York, deep-fried turkey from Chicago's Jive Turkey, or Key lime Bundt cake (Oprah's favorite) from We Take the Cake in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., these culinary treats are just a few clicks away. Place your order online at FoodyDirect and wait to receive the goods by mail.

FoodyDirect's tagline says it all: "Taste What's Out There." Their appeal is in the ability to order high-quality foods from well-known restaurants from all over the country and ship them anywhere in the country. Many orders qualify for a $9.95 flat-rate shipping fee. 

If you crave New England seafood, look no further than Legal Sea Foods, the notable East Coast seafood chain based in Boston.

Order a lot or a little of the company's signature dishes like lobster, chowder, and oysters. Live packages such as lobsters ship overnight, while non-live packages ship second business day and have dry ice, which may completely or partially freeze the food.

Meals from DineWise are ready to eat within 10 minutes. The service is promoted as an option for consumers who don't have time to plan, shop for, or cook healthy and tasty meals.

Some meal options include shrimp scampi, baby back pork ribs, Salisbury steak and spinach, and a mushroom omelette.

DineWise has partnered with FamilyChef  to offer nutritional meals, too, such as low-sodium, low-carb, weight loss, and diabetic options, as well as meal plans for seniors.

They'll also replace or refund the purchase price of unsatisfactory items.

Whether you want to order a meal for yourself or give one to a friend, Send a Meal lets you choose a meal for four people to be delivered anywhere in the country.

Entrées include steakhouse chili, traditional lasagna, and stuffed chicken Kiev. For appetizers, choices include coconut shrimp, crabcakes, and precooked Italian-style meatballs. Save room for dessert including lemon tarts, individual New York cheesecakes, and carrot cake.

Meals are shipped frozen, aided by dry ice. The next step is cooking the meal, which can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes, and each meal comes with cooking instructions.

You don't have to be an avid food lover to appreciate the culinary offerings of Williams-Sonoma. This site has an impressive selection of mail-order foods, including croissants, house olive oil and balsamic vinegar, lobster pot pies, Porterhouse steaks, and personalized cupcakes.

Sign up for the wine club, where you can get wine delivered monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly, or try out Food of the Month clubs like Three Months of Cupcakes, Three Months of European Cheese, and Three Months of Steak. 

This site is a match for families looking for quick, healthy meals. The concept? Order pre-made meals for two to four people. When the food arrives in one to two days, you can either freeze the meals until you need them or you can heat them right away.

Some Magic Kitchen menu options include chicken Marsala, crabcakes, beef lasagna, and crust less spinach quiche. The site sells meal bundles, too, including daily meals for a week for people with diabetes, kidney problems, and those who want low-sodium meals.

Magic Kitchen's guarantee? "Take our challenge: try our meals and if we do not meet your expectations, we will either replace the meal or give you a refund for any dishes you feel did not deliver on our promise of taste and quality."

Online retailer Omaha Steaks, a family business since its founding in 1917, "manufactures, markets, and distributes" many different foods including meats like steaks, burgers, and roasts, as well as other products like desserts, wines, and full gourmet meals like a pork tenderloin dinner and a marinated salmon platter. The company even sells pet treats online.

Shipments are packed with dry ice and insulated coolers.

If you like to cook but don't know what to make or don't have time to go to the grocery store, you'll like the concept of Plated.com, a website that makes it "easy for you to cook a fantastic gourmet meal in 30 minutes or less." The website's promise is to save you time, help you explore cuisine, and enable you to cook great dishes.

Chefs plan the recipes and Plated.com staffers do the shopping, so all you have to do is place your order and wait for the gourmet food to be delivered to your home. All the ingredients, including spices will be shipped, so you don't have to measure portions and you'll have everything you need to get cooking.

Deliveries happen every Tuesday. The service is currently available to residents between Washington, D.C. and Boston but is scheduled to expand nationally. There's a minimum order of four plates a week. Plans start at $10 a meal.