The Brown Sack

Sad to see this amazing place close, but I hope they got an equally amazing price! This couple has raised the quality of life in Logan Square with their food shop. Not an easy feat.

**update**
The Brown Sack will be closed forever as of Saturday, October 25, 2014. They are currently out of a lot of ingredients but you should still stop in before they’re gone! They’ve been bought out by some other restaurant… so I’m told.

Best sandwich place ever! The Blast (the Danny Way) each time I go and don’t forget the apple ginger slaw! Always taste amazing, except for one time the slaw tasted spoiled. Also sometimes the employees seem distracted or at least they don’t make you a priority when you walk in to order. I can look past all that because my sandwich is the best and their smoothies are great, too!
They only take cash so be prepared. They have an inviting atmosphere although sometimes it wreaks of burned butter but they also have a patio out in the back, which closely resembled a junkyard to me at first but then saw the beauty/​art in it.

This place is a hidden gem on the northwest side part of the city. It does not look like much from the outside but it is very cute, trendy, and clean in the inside.
I love sandwiches and often times get sick of Jimmy Johns, Subway, and Potbellys so if you’re in the mood for change here it is.
Their sandwiches are great! I’ve had the shrimp one and the Meatloaf one multiple times. They’re the perfect size not too big not too small. I always get the side order of macaroni and cheese which goes perfect. They also have a vast variety of other sides.
Their milkshakes are delicious as well.
The service is good the owner is always there and is very friendly.
Bring Cash but they do have an ATM in there.

It’s OK food. Pricey & not very filling.
They cater to hipsters, so if you feel like plugging in your iPad or MacBookPro & not necessarily eating (while studying liberal arts), then this is probably your place.

I’ve ordered in the past with great experiences, but today’s experience was enough to make me not come back.
When placing a lunchtime delivery order, I didn’t have a menu in front of me so I asked the person on the phone if they could tell me the soup/​chili options for the day. The person answered quickly, running through the options. So when I heard «black bean» chili in the rundown, I ordered a small cup along with the rest of my order.
When the delivery came (in under an hour and packed with care which I did appreciate), the chili was black bean and ground beef. I called to explain the mishap, but the person who answered and took my previous order interrupted often and was fixated on telling me how wrong I was. Yes, I understand. I must have misheard you. No, I’m not willing to take on another $ 3 delivery charge for a small cup of soup tacked on to my $ 30 with tip order. Yes, again, I understand that is what the soup is. No need to continue to go into how right you are about the soup being black bean and meat, I ‘ll just avoid ordering all together in the future.
A nicer way to handle it: Politely listen before interrupting. Understand that it was a mutual communication issue. If you can’t waive the delivery charge, maybe consider offering a credit for the soup on my next order. Or even just offer an apology for the mishap and politely state whatever policy you need to say instead of spending our time on the phone to further convince me it must be all my fault.
Rude!

The Brown Sack is pretty close to perfect (not completely cuz it has a soul apparently) :p
I’ve had most of their sandwiches and sides and they are all so fresh and tasty. Just writing this review is making me want to go get some more!
The service is great. The place is charming and cute. I’d be there all the time if it was walking distance from me.

This place is never open. Don’t waste your time going during regular business hours like me. I’ve been there 3 separate times over a year’s time. All during regular business hours, and each time they’ve has some bs sign saying they’re randomly closed that day.
Horrible business ethics. Probably some pothead hipsters that make great food but too lazy to be legitimate.
Save your time and go somewhere that respects their customers enough to keep up with their own posted business hours.

Food: The food is good. They have a wide variety of sandwiches that with cater to your liking. At first I was sceptical but when taking a bite of one of the sandwiches I was not disappointed
Service: There is none. They have a few employees behind they’re counter but their primary focus is to take orders and clean tables when orders arent being places. I had to ask an employee to clean off a table so my date and I could sit down
Dine-​in Experience: BAD. The bathroom door doesnt close, had to ask someone to clean off the table, and everything there appears to be broken or very cheaply made.
Overall: overall, this is a good place to eat but I would recommend take out. This place takes pride in their food rather than the experience. Which is good but id rather have both as the consumer

absent-​minded service and food straight from my kitchen…
husband enjoyed his reuben and eventually his mac and cheese side, which was forgotten, reminded about and forgotten again… and then was pretty forgettable taste-​wise. my kale salad with garbanzo salad (or really — mushed tasteless chick peas) was enjoyed more (the chickpeas) by my 7-​month old than myself. the oatmeal smoothie was more like a vanilla shake with raw oats thrown into it (nothing beats irazu’s oatmeal shakes… i’ve learned my lesson).

The Brown Sack is a cute sandwich place in West Logan Square. The bright purple walls and Willie Nelson artwork on the walls provides hungry kids with a groovy atmosphere for after their nugs, adding some chillin’, and grindage.
The food is pretty good and fairly priced. They also have a shelf of board games which is always very appealing to me, but I have yet to take advantage of this! If you live in the neighborhood, this is a local business that’s worth checking out and supporting.

I went here with my girlfriend for a low-​key Saturday night. It was a pleasant surprise!
Sandwiches and dishes were above average in quality and creativity. We had a beat salad which I liked a lot and it was filling. We shared the special which was a burger that had kimchi in it. We finished with a mango shake (smoothie?).
Prices were decent. Décor and ambiance was great, unique and creative but not too self absorbed. Humorous at times. The neighborhood is residential which made me feel the place was more humble. We had a great conversation with the chef! Anf police officers eating next to us joined in!
The only bad would be the unexciting area and its not a ‘cheap’ eat. But I would come here again with more people!

This is my favorite sandwich place in Chicago. I don’t eat sandwiches too often, but if the mood strikes, I go here and I’m glad that I live nearby. I have tried the chicken salad and BLAST sandwiches and both were delicious. All ingredients used were fresh. Also each sandwich comes with a side and I tried a few. I wasn’t a big fan of their ginger coleslaw but the mac n’ cheese and potato salad were tasty. I haven’t gotten the chance to try their shakes and those look so good!
Make sure to bring cash!

So I gave the Brown Sack five stars in my first review so if you’re asking yourself how the restaurant could get better, it’s because there is now a sandwich named after me. The lesson, as always, is go to a restaurant a lot for four years and then keep asking the owner for your own sandwich, and if you’re lucky, you too may one day get a sandwich.

Went by here for a lunch and had a sandwich along with a side of ginger coleslaw. Also went with some mac and cheese as a extra side since I consider a side of mac and cheese not really all that extra but just necessary. For the sandwich I had the bacon, lettuce, avocado, shrimp and tomato. I’m not a huge BLT guy myself but this one was out of this world. The avocado and shrimp seemed to really kick the sandwich into gear. All of the ingredients tasted fresh and the bread was toasted to perfection.
The only part of the meal I wasn’t crazy about was the ginger coleslaw. I can see how some people would really like the spiciness but it just didn’t really excite my taste buds. I kinda just parked that side on the side to try the mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was served up in a «large» condiment cup basically. At first it looked a little on the skimpy side but along with the sandwich it was more than enough.
The restaurant itself looked kinda beat down from the outside. Once inside though it is a very quaint little spot that seems like a book store met a old fashioned soda shop. It was a little muggy on the inside and I’m going to guess they just don’t have any A/​C to speak of.
For sure check this place out if you are in the neighborhood. Just remember to bring cash.

I liked the low key vibe on a Saturday for lunch/​brunch. Took our friends there on our last day visiting and her birthday, by her request. It was really good. My guy got the vegetarian chili and said it was really good, and it was, I tasted it. Her guy got the chili with meat and I think that’s his regular order. She got the vegetarian Rueben which she liked a lot. Didn’t taste it bc I don’t like sauerkraut or the dressing! We both got a chocolate mint shake and it was pretty perfect.
Now, I usually hate when all a restaurant offers for veggies is a «grilled veggie sandwich». It is usually so boring. So when a place offers several options, like Brown Bag, I usually do not order the veggie sandwich. However, this time I did. On pumpernickel. Can I say how brilliant it was to put grilled plantains on a sandwich! This thing brought the genre to a whole new level. If I lived in Chicago I would be going here once a month.

It is a shame to have to admit that I have passed by The Brown Sack countless times and thought that it was only a corner store. I just happened to end up behind a slow driver one day and took the time to actually make note of the place. So, I looked it up on Google and the next thing I knew, I was calling for take-​out.
Vegetarian chilli. Sloppy Joe. Potato salad. Ginger beer.
The chilli was the best. It’s been a while since I’ve had red meat or beef in my diet, so the sloppy joe was a stretch. It was good, but I will have to work beef back into my diet slowly before I can really appreciate it. The potato salad was good and any time you have a ginger beer in hand, everything is good in the land.
Perhaps one day I shall return and have a seat inside to get the real experience. In the meantime, I’m all about going for pick-​up and bringing the goods back home and gobbling them without interruption.

First, check out the cool wood wall art on the garage behind the shop. I would say that it’s definitely a sign of the eclectic sandwich findings available at the Brown Sack.
My sidekick and I dropped in to take lunch to go and found super friendly service and wonderful lunch options. There’s sandwiches, soup, chili, salads, milkshakes, smoothies and they even downsized super grilled cheese for my little sidekick. They packaged our meal really well, even wrapping our milkshakes and smoothies in foil to keep them nice and frosty.
Our Order:
The Blast – a BLT with Avocado and Shrimp. This was delicious. All the ingredients super fresh. The shrimp were nicely sized, not the teeny ones you see in salads sometimes. And the natural flavor of the shrimp came through – the mark of good quality and fresh shrimp. I got it on white bread, but when I order it again, I’ll probably choose a heartier bread because the bread started to fall apart on me.
The Grilled Cheese – it is sharp cheddar, mozzarella and American cheese. Like I said, I had it downsized because it was for my sidekick and just had them make it with cheddar. I got to have a bite – I taste test for the sidekick heh – and it was so very good. the bread was perfectly toasted and the cheese was melty goodness.
The Cajun Po Boy – Spiced turkey and ham, romaine slaw, tomato and pepperjack. It looked really good. But sadly I didn’t get a chance to try it but my husband said it was really good.
The sandwiches come with sides so we got the coleslaw and mac and cheese.
The coleslaw is made with cabbage, apples and ginger. Great flavor with a nice zing. The mac and cheese was really good too – had a bit of smokiness, I’m guessing some paprika too.
Nutella Milkshake. Really yummy, perfect milk shake texture, not too thick or thin. The nutella was very subtle. I would have liked more nutella, but that’s just personal taste because I’m one that will just spread nutella on toast.
Great spot. Glad Unilocal came through when I was searching for lunch options in the area!

TOURIST REVIEW*
Who doesn’t love a good sandwich place? But it doesn’t stop there, they also have salads, soup, shakes, and delicious sides like mac & cheese. I loved that their mango smoothie tasted like it was just mango and no sugar added. The turkey sandwich was grilled perfectly. I admit, I was not a fan of the Cesar salad. It was shredded lettuce which was very texturally unappealing. The mac & cheese was heavy on paprika, but was spot on on taste. Since the turkey sandwich was so good, I kind of regret getting a salad instead of a big tasty Ruben! Next time!
The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming, which made the whole experience great. It took a while for our food to come out, but it was well worth it because you could tell they put their time in it. Also, important to know it’s cash only.
*I’m from Seattle and was visiting Chicago for the first time.

Adventure Fridays are back and we are trying to help my sister finish her 30 Best Sandwich quest from the Tribune. Our goal: 3 sandwich places today. So we had to pace ourselves.
We had a great start by choosing this as the Lunch part 1. We ordered a grilled cheese and a BLT shrimp avocado. The grilled cheese was decent but the BLT was amazing. Hey, I am starting to like this list. The Mac and Cheese was OK and I enjoyed my Gilberts Ginger Ale.
I loved the way the place was decorated — I went to college in the 70’s and the decorating was very similar to all the dorm rooms as well as my first couple of places. Plants, macramé and album covers — loved it.
Important detail — they only take cash. Wow, we were lucky to have it with us.