Brown Bag Seafood Co. — Restaurant in Chicago

The food is absolutely amazing. Let me start off by saying that. Everything tasted phenomenal. That being said, I’m gonna address the 1 stars for both service and atmosphere. From the moment we walked in, the skinny black female working the front had a massive attitude. All she said was “menus are over there” waving her hand in the general direction. Whatever, maybe she tired and is having a rough day. We go over and write what we wanted on the menu and hand it in. She doesn’t speak at all except to ask which cocktail I wanted. After I told her “the mule” she goes…”it’s over there” again waving her hand at a bin of canned drinks on ice. (It was gross btw but I should have known better cuz cocktails are wayyy better made fresh so my fault with that). And yes we accidentally left something out and she had to ring it up separately to which she was clearly annoyed about. Still…whatever. We sit and wait for our food. The appetizer AND the food came out at the same time. One of the apps she called by the wrong name so when I asked about it she said she don’t know what it is…..🤔 I ordered the grilled salmon Caesar but it had an option to sub for shrimp which I absolutely checked cuz I’m not the biggest fan of salmon. When it came to the table it had salmon, so I said it was supposed to have shrimp. She just glares at me for far too long and then again with her attitude walks away. So my companion gets to eat while I have to wait. While I was waiting she bring garlic bread over in a baggy and slaps it on the table. Food finally comes. We had to get our own silverware after another hand wave from her. At this point, I’m done. With her attitude, with how dirty the restaurant is (grime everywhere), out of order bathrooms, and just a lack luster experience. To that girl who CLEARLY doesn’t want to work there….sorry you hate your job …. Hope you find something you like. But that sour face and eye rollin ain’t the way, boo. I taught restaurant management at a college level in a culinary program for over 10 yrs. If it wasn’t for the cooks putting their FOOT in this food, I would have left after telling you to fix that attitude. While I write this I am still sitting in the restaurant looking at you attitude your way through every task and conversation with customers. I wanna tell you one real thing before I walk outta here. I can tell by your make up that you Care about yourself. It was beautiful even if your eyes were rolling all across it. Care about yourself enough to find another job that you will actually enjoy. Cuz even Helen Keller can tell you hate it here. I hope things get better. Oh and fix...

Brown Bag Seafood on Randolph is my current favorite place to eat in Chicago. I don't get to Chicago often, but I eat there when I do!

I've found their fish to be impeccably fresh and always well prepared.

The atmosphere is lovely, to my sensibilities. It's a no-nonsense seafood shack, offering a menu that may seem limited, but which actually provides excellent fish in a range of dishes. It's definitely casual, maybe not "date night" material, but it feels authentic, welcoming, efficient, and comfortable to me!

I've always found the place to be clean and inviting, with EXCELLENT staff, great fish, casual and comfortable surroundings, and wonderful views of the park...all in easy walking distance of the Loop. Plus, I find it affordable, even by my Wisconsin standards.

My current favorite is the bowl with grains and veggies. The grains are well flavored and nicely chewy; the veggies are fresh and well prepared...and a great complement to the always delicious fish. I enjoy eating this. It's tasty, but also feels very nourishing and satisfying. I'm not sure how to explain what I mean, but, for me, there's a HUGE difference between grabbing some fast food when I just need some calories fast, or eating food that is delicious but not particularly healthy...and eating a meal that is delicious, nutritious, and totally satisfying on all fronts.

What more could one ask for? It's my go-to when...

This is slightly off the beaten path of the Mag Mile, and well-worth seeking out for a healthy and delicious lunch. There were a lot of office workers getting lunch when I went, and there’s a beautiful park area outside of one of the nearby buildings where I took my to-go lunch. I ate at a shady mini-picnic table while watching locals who were doing a yoga class in the grass.

It’s an efficient operation where you order at the counter after marking up the laminated menu indicating what you want. The other option is to order online for pickup, which I saw a lot of people doing (seems like a great option since they cook to order and it takes 10-15 minutes to get your food during the busy lunch hour). They serve bowls where you choose a protein, base, and any add-ons. The base can be all veggies, cooked or raw, grains, or a combination. They have other menu options, too, but that seems to be the mainstay. I got a generous piece of grilled fish on top of roasted veggies, some greens, and a quinoa rice blend. It was super tasty! And the service is both friendly and competent....