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A Goldbelly subscription box brings beloved foods from across the U.S. right to your door
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I Tried a Goldbelly Subscription Box and It Satisfied All of My Cravings
Updated on Sep. 24, 2024
In my 26 years, I’ve lived in a handful of states—California primarily, but also Wisconsin, Ohio and Missouri. People gripe about moving, and for good reason. It is a pain. But amid the stress and chaos that is upheaving my life, I find exhilaration in the opportunity to collect friends, memories and places in each new location. And when I say places, I mostly mean restaurants.
I’ve come to find each city, no matter how small, has its own collection of food traditions (such as my childhood favorite from Cincinnati, goetta) kept alive at local haunts. Whether it’s hot salami from Gioia’s Deli in St. Louis or blueberry coffee cake from Hobee’s in Palo Alto, I have a favorite treat specific to all the towns in which I’ve spent time. And, man, do I miss them when I’m gone!
Enter Goldbelly, home of some of the best food subscription boxes and famous foods. Thankfully, it’s around to satisfy any craving.
VIA MERCHANT
Goldbelly Subscription Box
The Goldbelly subscription box is an excellent way to experience the country's most famous restaurants and bakeries—no travel necessary!
What is Goldbelly?
Goldbelly is for people like me—people who miss and crave the hot sandwich they had that one time during a layover in New York City years ago or the ice cream they grew up eating summer after summer in their hometown. It’s also for people who are just plain curious about food.
Founded in 2013 with the mission to “bring people comfort through food,” Goldbelly partners with local and regional shops, chefs and restaurants to ship their beloved specialties anywhere in the U.S. So, yes, I could have the aforementioned coffee cake from California on my Wisconsin doorstep in just a few days.
Offerings include Shake Shack burgers, Ina Garten’s coconut cake and rare tropical produce from a company called Miami Fruit. It’s safe to say this site has it all.
Prepared products are available for a one-time purchase, but Goldbelly also offers meal kits (anyone want to make Carla Hall’s Nashville Hot Fried Chicken with me?), care packages, other subscription boxes, merch and gift cards.
Goldbelly Subscription Box Features
Goldbelly offers several subscriptions, from pizzas to sandwiches. The sheer number of offerings rivals some of our most coveted fruit, coffee and bacon subscriptions. While these food of the month clubs cover many choices for a variety of tastes, our favorite is definitely the classic subscription box.
To get a feel for the whole gamut of Goldbelly products, I purchased the 3-month subscription box. Every four weeks from June to August, I received a shipment of one special, sought-after food from across the country that was hand-selected by the Goldbelly team.
Each box is guaranteed to contain at least four servings (though mine had much more) and arrives with a QR code that outlines storage and preparation instructions for each food item.
How We Tested the Goldbelly Subscription Box
Like our favorite tea subscription boxes, each month’s offering is shipped directly to the recipient’s door. With the 3-month subscription box, I could’ve received anything from barbecue to chocolate chip cookies, though Goldbelly also offers more niche boxes with themes such as pizza, bacon and pie.
I learned each box’s contents via email a few days before it shipped (customization is not possible with this service). Then I waited eagerly until the well-packed, well-insulated treat appeared at my door. Here are the delicious eats I received.
June 2023: Emporium Pies Cherry Bomb Pie
This beautiful behemoth hails from Emporium Pies in the Dallas metro area. The thick and luxurious lattice crust tastes like a bakery pastry—a treat within a treat, if you will. And that’s not to mention the tart cherries popping with flavor in each bite.
Thanks to the instructions for heating up the whole pie as well as a single slice, it was so simple for me to enjoy this summertime bliss piece by piece. I suggest eating it a la mode with homemade vanilla ice cream.
July 2023: Central Grocery Muffuletta
If you caught the allusion to my salami obsession earlier, then it should come as no surprise that I love muffuletta. I was buzzing to sample this New Orleans staple—Central Grocery is dubbed the “Home of the Original Muffuletta.”
I received two 9-inch, round sesame loaves loaded with Italian meats, Swiss, provolone, marinated olive salad and pickled veggies—one for me and one to give my friend who has been craving the sammy since a trip to NOLA two years ago. The pre-prepared sandwiches weren’t soggy at all and crisped up to perfection in the oven or microwave.
August 2023: PieCaken Bakeshop Strawberry Lemon PieCaken
As a fan of chef and PieCaken Bakeshop founder Zac Young and as someone who’s always been intrigued by Taste of Home’s Chocolate Pecan PieCaken, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this hodgepodge of a dessert.
Straight from the storefront in New York City, this seasonal sweet contains layers of lemon cake, strawberry-swirled cheesecake, lemon frosting and strawberry-rhubarb pie. It’s a summery version of the iconic fall PieCaken. The 6-inch stack was bright, cheery and tasty—and so much easier to slice than you’d expect. Served cold, the concoction required no prep aside from plating.
For another Goldbelly treat, try ordering a replica of JFK’s wedding cake. Like to bake your own cakes? Baking subscription boxes are fun alternatives that allow you to enjoy the process without the stress of shopping for ingredients.
July 2024: Pearson Farm’s Georgia Peaches and Pound Cake
July’s box arrived on Editor Emily Way’s doorstep with a perishable warning, so she opened it right away. Inside was a package containing a moist, delicious peach cake accompanied by a dozen peaches from Pearson Farms.
“I brought both the cake and the peaches along to a family barbecue,” notes Emily. “The peaches offered the perfect complement to offset the smoky flavors of the meats. They’re juicy and perfectly ripe and arranged in such a way that there was absolutely no damage during transit. I was especially excited that my 10-year-old niece was able to sample her first peach straight from the state that’s known for them!”
The peach cake was absolutely the star of the show. Moist, delicious and light, it makes the ideal summertime barbecue finisher. Unsurprisingly, there was none left after the family bash finished up.
August 2024: Jack Stack Barbecue Box
August’s box arrived absolutely crammed with cold packs, as it contained a frozen Jack Stack BBQ smorgasbord. Pork burnt ends, spare ribs, KC classic barbecue sauce and a container of cheesy corn bake make for a delightful summer barbecue meal.
Inside the package is also a heating guide, so it’s easy to reheat and enjoy the delicious (and famous) Kansas City flavors. Emily and her husband tossed both the thawed ribs and burnt ends on their trusty BioLite Fire Pit+ over a bed of applewood, where they cooked them until juiced bloomed out of the cuts and the exterior sizzled.
While Emily isn’t much of a meat eater, she notes this was some of the best barbecue she’s ever had. For those who don’t have the energy to set up the pit, there are also some easy-to-follow oven heating instructions, which worked super well for leftovers, too.
Pros
- Famous, high quality foods
- Mix of sweet and savory offerings
- The surprise element (“What’s next month going to be?”)
- Ability to enjoy foods from other parts of the country
- Reliability (boxes arrived in a timely manner and every four weeks without fail)
- Platform for small businesses
Cons
- Pricey
- Inability to customize (not ideal for picky eaters or those with allergies or dietary restrictions)
FAQs
How much does a Goldbelly subscription box cost?
The 3-month subscription box costs $250 (shipping is free). That’s a pretty penny, but if you travel to eat, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than a couple of plane tickets.
And if you break it down, each item comes at a discounted price through the subscription service. When purchased individually, the Cherry Bomb pie costs $90, the muffuletta costs $126 and the PieCaken costs $100. I unknowingly scored a $66 discount.
Final Verdict
Fun—that’s the word that comes to mind when reflecting on my experience with the 3-month Goldbelly subscription box. Some items were sweet; others savory. Some businesses were historical; others trendy. Some items were seasonal; others mainstays. But they were all pleasant surprises to me.
Although I loved this service and think any culinary explorer would, too, I don’t recommend it to those with dietary restrictions, strong preferences or allergies. Since you can’t control what’s in your box, it’s not the best bet for gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan folks. That said, Goldbelly says it is dutifully working to make its subscriptions more allergy friendly in the future.
In the meantime, try any of the company’s many one-off items that fit your tastes. They make for a great food gift!
Why You Should Trust Us
I am the product testing manager for Taste of Home as well as a total foodie. My team assesses online trends, search traffic and audience engagement to determine which items warrant testing firsthand in our dedicated office space or homes. This includes everything from food processors to cookie subscriptions. As a former editor on Taste of Home’s print and digital teams, and as a journalist by trade, I’ve always valued the ideals of trustworthiness, fairness and integrity. I was previously in charge of gift guides and product lists for Taste of Home.
Emily Way has tested dozens of foods and drinks for Taste of Home, informing pieces like the best coffee concentrates and the best gift of the month clubs. Not only is she Taste of Home’s resident food and drinks expert, but she’s also a total foodie who loves trying new flavors from across the globe.
Where To Buy a Goldbelly Subscription Box
VIA MERCHANT
Goldbelly Subscription Box
The Goldbelly subscription box is an excellent way to experience the country's most famous restaurants and bakeries—no travel necessary!
Goldbelly subscriptions are available directly through Goldbelly’s website, as are individual food items. And, of course, if you’re in the same city as your favorite Goldbelly-partnered restaurant, don’t forget to stop by for an in-person purchase. They also make a fun gift of the month club for foodies.
