I wouldn't try it again but since I have only been once, I don't have the heart to give them the 2-stars they probably deserve based on my meal. That and my wife liked hers for the most part. I noticed that the "catch of the day" was St Peter's fish. This is actually code for Tilapia which no one should eat. It's all farm raised from Asia for the most part or it's a non-sustainable fish otherwise. It's a junk fish at this point. I ordered the "crispy" cod with the veggie base. The cod was super thin and overcooked under a really overwhelming heavy breading. Terrible. Tiny pieces with more breading than fish. Just skip this one. You need to salt fried food out of the frier by the way. I ate half and then gave up. The vegetables were ok but lacked any seasoning at all and they included lots of undercooked broccoli stalks that probably should just have been composted. I ordered a side of tater tots that lacked salt as well. I like the concept and the menu but the portions and execution were a total failure. read more

I loooove this concept . It's reasonably priced for seafood, so much flavor , and I love all the options and sauces ! We got a salmon grain bowl and a grilled shrimp salad and both were amazing . The only thing I would add is something additional to the salads for free - maybe coleslaw or something because otherwise there isn't much to it. Highlight recommend ! read more

Brown Bag Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This spot is smackiiiiiiinnnnn every time I come to chicago i have to get lobster rolls AMAZING

Despite some reviews, it didn't live up to hype. Ordered fried shrimp that the batter was too crunchy, a top greens that weren't my favorite ones. Husband had St. Peter fish in tacos that had no flavor. Always looking for good seafood, but this was disappointing. read more

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Ordered via Uber Eats. Had the daily catch with veggies (super yummy haddock) and my family members had a lobster roll and fish tacos--all were wonderful. Keep it up! read more

Brown Bag Seafood - Haddock - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great concept for those of us that are on the go and want something quick and healthy. This was my first visit and I was a little confused on how the process worked. Thankfully, there was an employee there that helped guide me through the process. The first step is to choose what fish you want...I chose the seared tuna. Step two is for you to choose if you want salad, veggies, tacos...etc; I chose the greens+grains box as it is a combination of the power box & veggie box, so you get the best of both worlds. Finally, step three is for you to choose any additional sides, like tots, slaw, or soup. In addition to a soda machine, they have fresh ginger ades that are made daily and it was very refreshing. I absolutely love this place and will be back many times as they have quite a few options to choose from. read more

I went for lunch today and shared the daily special mahi mahi and curry cod cakes over the greens and grains, spicy cauliflower, and parmesan tater tots. The sides came in paper cups. Likes + curry cod cakes were flavorful and had chucks of fish rather than just mush + tater tots were crispy but nothing special + lime agua was tasty Dislikes - mahi mahi was bland and a little too dry - grains were flavorless and could have used a cause or something - cauliflowers were a little too soft for my liking and were in huge chucks that required cutting. They were 2x the size of a human mouth - my coworker was treating me to a bday lunch and put the order on one sheet since we're splitting everything and they made us put it on two sheets because it would confuse the staff. It was a little dumb because we didn't care which fish came with which base. Overall - the place is nice, clean, and had friendly staff - prices were ok but not super cheap at around $9-11 per dish without extra sides - what we ordered was perfect but you may be still hungry if you don't get extra sides - not sure if I would return read more

Wow wow wow what a taco! Lol As soon as I bit into my Grilled Shrimp Taco it was a wowzer! Wow, what an awesome, tasteful taco. It was my lunch break so why not get seafood. I pretty much licked all the sauce that dropped off of it lol. It was just that good. I got two grilled shrimp tacos with slaw, herb sauce, pickled red onions, jalapeños, and cilantro. I can not wait to go back and try other things off the menu. read more

Brown Bag Seafood - Grilled shrimp tacos - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I visited on 9-11-2020 around 5pm and while a truly sad and horrible day in America's history, I was pretty dang happy with my full 10 punch card. Unfortunately the last person to punch my card punched the free meal accidentally. The cashier & then the manager caught it. I told them to toss it and my bad, but the manager was gracious enough to let me use it because the policy is to toss the card once used. Probably the confusion I had despite the face mask helped. I then chatted with the cashier a bit and even the gentleman cooking chimed in. Somehow the conversation turned to how much the staff loved and respected the owner. I was sincerely impressed because usually people complain first rather than praise. Apparently the owner is a great employer and mentor. I can't say enough nice things about the entire staff that evening. I left them a nice tip because they were so wonderfully nice to me. read more

I ventured into Brown Bag Seafood a week ago on a beautiful spring day in Chicago. I had seen an ad for the company on Instagram of all places and dragged a few colleagues along for lunch. We arrived around 11:45am and it was relatively quiet. An employee was by the door explaining how to order and then we were left to scope out the menu. They provide you a pad of paper to jot down your order too so you don't have to remember it all. I stepped up the counter and ordered the crispy cod power box which was panko breaded cod fillets on a bed of spinach and brown rice blend. I got a side of the parmesan truffle tots too. One of my colleagues got the salmon veggie box, another got the fish cake power box, and the other the fish tacos. There were probably about 8 or so different types of fish on the menu along with a catch of the day as well as chicken for those not feeling fish. 60 seconds after ordering our meals were ready and waiting for us as we paid. For about $14 I got a delicious looking lunch! We settled on a table by the door and began eating. None of us had a single bad word to say about the entire experience. Everything was cooked perfectly, quite tasty, and we all vowed to return. They even had dipping sauces available including tartar sauce and ranch, among others. I wish they had vinegar too but I didn't see any. Will I return? Heck yeah! 5 stars easy. read more

Brown Bag Seafood - The Crispy Cod Powerbox with truffle parm tots! (5/4/2018) - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Two words: EAT. HERE. I visited this place at the recommendation of my little brother. The crispy shrimp tacos and succulent lobster rolls were the best I've ever had. Their Parmesan tater tots were delicious. Top that off with their "boss sauce" and a cup of lemonade ginger ale??? I was in food heaven. I don't know why this place wasn't packed... it's one of Chicago's best kept secrets. read more

Brown Bag Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Another awesome Brown Bag Seafood location! Tater tots are great with any of the different house sauces. Had the fish tacos, beer was half off. Huge win, will be back! read more

Was overall just a pretty confusing situation. The guy tried explaining it to us when we walked in but didn't really do a very good job. Although we wrote down our order on the sheet of paper, l still had to read it to the cashier of what I wanted and they still messed it up. We got the chowdah, lentil soup, spicy cauliflower, and a salad with fish and shrimp. I would not get the soups again. Spicy cauliflower was cold and was all trunks and stems read more

Ordered the lobster roll... It was just good... I was expecting it to taste better but aye... The tater tots were a little cold... read more

Brown Bag Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Lobster roll sandwich for $38? it better be good. But is was ok. The lobster roll at the French Quarter is way better. I got the salmon this time and it was better. Great location. We were the only ones there but seriously think they need to rethink the price point. read more

Picked up my lunch. The food was hot and delicious. Lots of healthy options. Will go back again. Didn't step inside. They brought the food out to me. So no indoor dining at current time 11/29/2020 read more

Service was amazing. Greeted right at the door with friendly service. Food was great! Best I'd eaten in a while. The staff were extremely friendly. Definitely would come again. read more

I ordered the low-carb daily salad on a delivery platform and was very disappointed. I expected the daily catch to be the freshest option, but the fish was very dry and tasteless. For a place with seafood in its name, the fish was very underwhelming. The rest of the salad was pretty bland and the flavors were very uninteresting. I even had some stomach issues after eating this which may have been from other food, but I suspect it was from this salad. read more

I stumbled across this new location during lunch time and have never tried Brown Bag so I wanted to check it out. I'm really glad I did because it's such a great healthy option. I ordered the white fish with the veggiebox base. The fish and veggies were lightly seasoned with lemon flavor which I added to with the lemon wedge on the side. I thought the portion of fish was a little small (it was just enough to fill me up but I could picture my boyfriend complaining about being hungry after). The price wasn't too bad ($11.15) for the quality given it's downtown Chicago. I really liked the ordering system. You can order online or grab a form in-store and check off what you want. I like that it's customizable but you're not standing there step by step like a Chipotle. You can mix different fish options with different bases. I also liked that they had the veggiebox option instead of just the stereotypical salad (that's also available if you want it). Once you submit your order, they prepare it very quickly and you grab your food then pay. I didn't try any sides because I was trying to stay very healthy but the options were very tempting and I will definitely try them on another visit. I will definitely read more

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My friend and I visited Chicago to see a play. We didn't have much time to find and eat food before the show. We wanted seafood and randomly stumbled on this Brown Bag. Wow, so simple and inexpensive but really delicious!! I had the white fish on veggies. My friend had shrimp on veggies, and she loved it. The fish was done to perfection. Everything was so flavorful and great. The people working there were friendly and helpful. read more

I want to give a super huge shout out to shantel! I ordered through Uber Eats and the app doesn't allow u to pick a dressing for your salad. I called the restaurant directly and she answered. I told her my situation and she said no problem. My food arrives, I have not one but TWO salad dressings with my order. This may seem like nothing but it meant alot to me. When u use food order apps, ur basically trusting the restaurant to prepare your meal as you would if you were dining in. I order out when I busy and can't leave (or if I forget my lunch lol). I'm a huge foodie so I LOVE when my food is prepared properly. Again, thank you Shantel for going above and beyond for my order read more

Was really excited and pretty disappointing. People working there were super nice but shrimp salad had undercooked/raw shrimp and the "Buffalo Cauliflower" was plain cauliflower with some crushed red pepper - honestly pretty terrible overall. Unfortunately wouldn't go back. read more

Brown Bag Seafood - Buffalo Cauliflower? - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Lobster roll was served with pieces of lobster claws on a toasted buttered classic New England hot dog bun and parmesan tater tots on the side. It would've been better if they mixed in some lobster knuckles. Flavor was food overall but there wasn't a lot of lobster meat for $34. Tots were good. The lobster roll went well with a glass of sauvignon blanc. Staff was friendly and greeted us as soon as we walked in. One of the women came over to talk us through the menu. read more

Lemme tell you something....I'm not even a leave a review type of person, not even for bad service/products. I just vote with my feet. But I must say I am very impressed with the food I bought at Brown Bag Seafood. The quinoa/spinach/rice combo was a perfect compliment to the salmon and shrimp that was perfectly seasoned. The flavor was great, and there was enough food to feel fulfilled, without feeling heavy or full. And did I mention the price? I will DEFINITELY spend more money here! Great job! read more

I really like Brown Bag Seafood. The food has been consistently good for a great price. The service is friendly and quick. The restaurant is pretty and comfortable. What more do you need? Come here. Eat good seafood. Enjoy. read more

Oh man. I've gotten food here a handful of times and each time it's incredibly slow and there's something wrong with the order. While it's generally good, I've kind of had enough of the issues. Ordered last night via DoorDash and called the Brown Bag to make sure modifications had gone through (ex swap fries for the tater tots on my lobster roll); they assured me that the changes were noted but when I received my order...no french fries. Fries were actually WRITTEN on the receipt, but not in the order. Beyond ridiculous. Salad was also dripping with oil (honestly find a lot of the time that the veggies and fish tend to be pretty greasy). read more

I picked up lunch with a coworker. Ordering online was super easy, and only took about 2 minutes from decision to order to confirmation. I was super excited for my lunch. The restaurant is super cute, with a beachy vibe. I can it being a great place to relax in early spring through summer. The pickup line is also clear and organized. Unfortunately, the actual fried fish sandwich was disappointing. It was pretty tasteless - and I usually think of fried fish as something that's hard to mess up! My garlic bread though was a complete waste of money - $2 for the saddest 2x1 inch of dough I've seen in my life. My coworker actually remarked how sad it looked! Overall, even though I love seafood and this is right by my office, I will steer my coworkers away to one of the better options nearby. read more

Best lobster roll I've had in Chicago. I'm probably going to get disowned for saying this, but this lobster roll rivals those in the New England area. read more

I love Brown Bag Seafood and was super excited they opened this location. This place is easy to figure out and the staff are really helpful for first-timers. Salmon is always a good choice and the fish tacos are also delicious. They started a loyalty card program, which is always a great incentive for me to come and try and get my free veggies after five orders or my free entree after ten orders! Minus one star because the food can come out a bit slow and because of their cute decor (e.g. live trees, flowers, etc.) there are some flies and other bugs flying around. I do love how big and bright the space is though. read more

I'd go here just for the parm tots but was taught to eat like a proper adult and eat other food groups. I usually get a power box with shrimp or fish. I find the flavor profile refreshing and balance. This a pricey lunch for me so could only be done once in a blue moon. read more

Great experience!!! Both food and customer service was amazing. I had the seasonal special which was recommended by the cashier, the catfish sandwich. Best sandwich ever. The drinks were good but a little strong. Definitely going back soon... read more

Hi Donna Thanks for responding back on my experience. I will try some other fish dishes next time I'm here. I really appreciate you reaching out. Thanks for the great customer service! read more

This is a place where I would come if I want a healthy lunch. You fill out a piece of paper with what you want you give it to the person over at the counter and they call out your name when your order is ready! I loved the salmon that I ordered it was cooked perfectly! The rice quinoa combo (power box) was good but a bit over cooked or toasted I should say. I will definitely go back since I do work across the street from it. Anyway the staff was friendly and helpful they were all wearing smiles. I got my food to go but next time I will want to eat it there since there's a lot of seats. read more

I wandered into this little place one evening after getting my nails done. The very first thing I noticed was the fresh clean ambiance. This place has a cool, hip, healthy, beach vibe and is for sure one of my favorite places in Chicago for the vibe. You start by walking in and and filling out a card choosing the type of fish you would like I.e shrimp, fish cakes etc. and you choose the base such as mixed vegetables, mixed greens, cous-cous. You can add additional ingredients or sides. I selected the curried fish cakes, 3 additional jumbo shrimp over a bed of mixed veggies and a side of coleslaw. The jumbo shrimp were FANTASTIC!! The mixed veggies were amazing as well. My only suggestion would be to offer fish cakes without curry. They were cooked perfectly, and I feel like the curry took away from how good they would be if kept simple. I would definitely eat there again though...especially if they offered the fishcakes without the curry. read more

The menu was not up-to-date, the staff seemed poorly trained, the food took forever. The staff were not wearing masks while preparing food. Update: I increased my review from 1 to 3 stars, because although all of the negative things I listed above were really annoying, the food was actually quite good. read more

I had the fish cakes bowl with the greens be quinoa base and a side of spicy cauliflower. To be frank, it was a little underwhelming. I had had the lobster rolls there previously which were great, but this particular order was 3 stars. The fish cakes were a quite salty. The cauliflower was a bit watery/oily as if they were steamed or boiled. In my opinion, roasted or baked cauliflower would make it much more compelling. The quinoa was quite good though! The vegetables were a bit unremarkable, if only the green beans were a bit more raw than I usually like. read more

Happened upon this place! Looking for a juice spot in the area and happened to walk pass this spot. Oh boy! So happy I did! The food here is not only healthy but really delicious. Surprised! Please keep this location open. Great food and the staff is also a plus. Thanks for the great food and excellent service Alexis and Big Sxy! read more

I ordered from BB tonight and had the Daily Special which was the Barramundi. It was extremely overcooked and as hard as a hockey puck. Barramundi is a light flaky white fish and this was far from that. Disappointing as I was looking forward to a great piece of fish tonight. read more

Food is delicious, always prepared on time and staff is super friendly. One of our top spots to grab food in a hurry.

I've always enjoyed eating lunch at the Randolph location, so I was excited to see one in River North! Food is delicious, quick and healthy. Veggies can be a little salty (I'm ok with it, but if you have salt restrictions ask for no salt). The white fish or salmon on a salad is a great option! Keep extra room for the tots or slaw because they're delicious! Oh and more importantly, good luck picking which sauce you want to dip your tots in - so many to choose from! read more