Bears’ QB Justin Fields and Smoque BBQ Share Their Bogus Food Delivery Mishaps

Even Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields wants third-party delivery companies to do better.

As the Bears prepare for their game this weekend versus their hated rivals, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, Fields — a second-year player on the brink of a breakthrough season — was left frustrated Thursday night after a delivery gone awry.

While Fields figures out how to deliver Chicago a Super Bowl champ — something the city has been starving for 36 years — the mild-mannered quarterback, who’s usually quiet on social media, shared his thoughts on a bad food delivery experience on Thursday night. In a now-deleted tweet, (a fan kept a screenshot) Fields wrote that he ordered $90 of food, via Uber Eats, but the delivery wasn’t made to the right place and that the delivery company didn’t immediately credit the money to his account. Fields didn’t share what restaurant he ordered from, but was excited about his delivery, writing: “SMH y’all gotta do better LOL I was hungry & ready to go crazy on that food now I’m just gone starve.”

Chicago is bitterly cold this first week of December, which is typical as winter sees a spike in deliveries with people staying in rather than dining out. Fans immediately began worrying about their quarterback, concerned that he would starve. Some blamed Uber Eats. Fantasy football players showed the most empathy, as they’re known to do: “This is unacceptable Uber. This is the last thing I need when I’m one game out of the playoffs in fantasy football and Justin is my starting QB. Fix this NOW.”

Like Fields, restaurants across the country have shared their frustrations with delivery companies. Earlier this week, Smoque, one of the most popular barbecue restaurants in the city, was the victim of a scam with someone creating a fake Smoque ordering profile on DoorDash. The fake profile replaced Smoque’s legit menu. This would fool customers who would make orders thinking that a delivery person would soon show up at their door with delicious ribs or brisket. Alas, their credit card payments went to an unknown party; the orders never made it to the restaurant. Smoque owner Barry Sorkin tells Eater that delivery people would show up to his restaurant to pick up orders their kitchen never received. This was also the second time this year Smoque has been victimized, and despite talking to DoorDash about their problems and having it noted in their internal profile, DoorDash allowed it to happen again. How this happened remains a mystery to Sorkin and DoorDash doesn’t have answers either.

Sorkin tells Eater that it’s frustrating how slow companies react to their concerns. DoorDah only removed the fraudulent menu and ordering profile, and the day after Smoque went public on their Facebook page. Coincidentally, Smoque has recently started using Uber Eats and Sorkin says they haven’t experienced any problems.

A DoorDash spokesperson furnished this statement to Eater:

“As part of our commitment to providing a safe, high-quality service for merchants, we continually monitor the platform to detect and prevent fraudulent behavior. We have collaborated with Smoque BBQ to understand the recent situation, deactivate the fraudulent store, and reinstate the correct restaurant on our platform. We regret this incident and if any member of our community identifies unusual activity with their account, we strongly encourage them to reach out to DoorDash support immediately.”

While Fields called out Uber Eats, that company has escaped the city’s legal wrath. Last year, the city of Chicago filed twin lawsuits against DoorDash and Grubhub claiming unfair labor practices. Both companies have denied wrongdoing as legal proceedings continue. A DoorDash spokesperson says they’re still a long way before their lawsuit’s resolution. They want the public to know that they’ve implemented company policies so restaurants are treated better. For example, in November 2020, DoorDash won’t add restaurants in the U.S. without owners’ consent. Sorkin is skeptical, though, wondering how DoorDash authorized changes to their ordering platform without notifying him.

The scam extends beyond Smoque. Block Club Chicago reports Brown Sugar Bakery was also victimized.

As for Fields, maybe, next time Mayor Lori Lightfoot could drop off the food. Many Chicagoans would argue that the comfort of the city’s quarterback is an important enough civic matter. Especially during a campaign cycle.