Do you tip for takeout in Vancouver?

For takeout you collect, tipping is optional. For delivery, tipping the driver is customary, often around 10 to 15 percent.

Is there tax on takeout food in BC?

Yes. Prepared and restaurant food carries 5 percent GST, whether you eat in or take it away.

Can I order alcohol with takeout in BC?

Many licensed restaurants can sell packaged alcohol with a food order. You must be 19 or older, and drivers may ask for ID.

Is pickup cheaper than delivery?

Usually. Delivery apps add fees and may have higher menu prices, and pickup means fresher food.

What food is best for takeout?

Curries, stews, rice dishes, steamed dumplings, roast meats and burritos travel well. Fried and crisp dishes travel badly.

Is it better to order takeout directly from a restaurant?

Often, yes. Delivery apps charge restaurants a commission, so ordering by phone, on the restaurant's own website or at the counter usually means more of your money stays with the restaurant.

How to

Takeout and delivery in Vancouver: how to get better food at home

Mosey · November 11, 2026 · 5 min read

On a rainy Vancouver evening, takeout is a way of life. But anyone who has opened a box of soggy fries or lukewarm noodles knows that not all food travels well, and that the way you order makes a big difference. Here is how to get better takeout and delivery in Vancouver.

Which foods travel best for takeout?

Some dishes survive the trip home better than others:

Travels well	Travels badly
Curries and stews	Fries and anything crisp-fried
Dumplings (steamed)	Tempura
Pizza (if you eat it quickly)	Soup noodles with noodles in the broth
Rice dishes and bowls	Delicate sushi rolls in warm weather
Roast meats, such as barbecue pork or duck	Salads already dressed
Burritos	Soufflés and anything that must be eaten at once

Restaurants that do takeout well often pack noodles separately from broth, sauces on the side and fried things in vented containers. That is a good sign.

Is pickup better than delivery?

Often, yes, if the restaurant is close. Picking up your own order means the food spends less time in a box, you can check it before you leave, and it is usually cheaper, since delivery apps add fees and the restaurant may charge higher prices on them. It is also the best way to support a small local restaurant, because more of what you pay reaches the business. Many Vancouver restaurants take phone orders or have their own online ordering for pickup.

How much should you tip for takeout and delivery in Vancouver?

Takeout you collect: tipping is optional. Many people leave a little for a big or complicated order.
Delivery: a tip for the driver is customary, often around 10 to 15 percent, or a few dollars for a small order, and more in bad weather or for a long trip.
Through an app: check whether the tip goes to the driver, and remember that service fees are not tips.

Does takeout food have tax in BC?

Yes. Prepared and restaurant food in BC carries 5 percent GST, whether you eat in or take it home. Alcohol sold by a licensed restaurant for takeout also carries 10 percent PST. Delivery apps add their own fees on top, which can make the total much higher than the menu price.

Can restaurants in BC sell alcohol with takeout?

Many can. BC allows licensed restaurants to sell packaged alcohol with a food order for takeout or delivery, under conditions set by the province. Not every restaurant does it, and rules can change, so ask. You must be 19 or older to buy alcohol in BC, and delivery drivers may ask for ID.

How do you keep takeout food safe?

Eat hot food within about two hours of it being made, or refrigerate it.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers.
Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Be careful with rice: cool and refrigerate leftover rice quickly.
If you have an allergy, tell the restaurant directly, not just in an app's notes field, and check your order when it arrives.

How do you reheat takeout so it tastes good?

Pizza: in a hot dry pan or oven, not the microwave.
Fries and fried food: in a hot oven or air fryer.
Noodle soups: heat the broth separately, then add noodles at the end.
Curries and stews: gently on the stove, with a splash of water.
Dumplings: steam briefly or pan-fry for crisp bottoms.

What are the best kinds of takeout in Vancouver?

Vancouver's strengths travel well: Chinese barbecue meats from Chinatown and Richmond, curries from the Punjabi Market and Surrey, pho broth packed separately, dumplings, sushi eaten soon after pickup, pizza and Korean fried chicken eaten quickly. Asking the restaurant what travels best is never a bad idea; they know.

Why order takeout directly from the restaurant?

Delivery apps are convenient, but the restaurant pays a commission on every order placed through them. Ordering directly, by phone, through the restaurant's own website or at the counter, usually means more of what you spend stays with the place that cooked it. Some restaurants reward that with a small pickup discount or a slightly lower menu price than on the apps.

Ordering directly has practical upsides too:

You can ask questions about ingredients, spice and allergies, straight to the people making the food.
Special requests are clearer when they do not pass through an app's notes box.
Problems get fixed faster, because you are talking to the restaurant, not a support chat.

The trade-off is that you usually have to collect it yourself. For a place near home or on your commute, that is often the best of both worlds.

How do you find good takeout spots?

The places with the best dining rooms are not always the best for takeout, and vice versa. On Mosey, you can rate the places you order from and the dishes, note how they held up on the way home, and keep a list of reliable takeout spots near you. Seeing what friends actually ordered helps you skip the dishes that do not travel.

Common questions

Do you tip for takeout in Vancouver?
For takeout you collect, tipping is optional. For delivery, tipping the driver is customary, often around 10 to 15 percent.
Is there tax on takeout food in BC?
Yes. Prepared and restaurant food carries 5 percent GST, whether you eat in or take it away.
Can I order alcohol with takeout in BC?
Many licensed restaurants can sell packaged alcohol with a food order. You must be 19 or older, and drivers may ask for ID.
Is pickup cheaper than delivery?
Usually. Delivery apps add fees and may have higher menu prices, and pickup means fresher food.
What food is best for takeout?
Curries, stews, rice dishes, steamed dumplings, roast meats and burritos travel well. Fried and crisp dishes travel badly.
Is it better to order takeout directly from a restaurant?
Often, yes. Delivery apps charge restaurants a commission, so ordering by phone, on the restaurant's own website or at the counter usually means more of your money stays with the restaurant.