The Brown Bag Deli Restaurant

Egg salad & cole slaw!!!
This place is yumazing! Most all of their items are homemade. Their egg salad is phenomenal. It has nice large chunks of egg in a smooth, creamy sauce. The coleslaw is sweet and crisp. Also be sure to try their bakery items. Once again, they are all homemade. Something surely will be there to tempt your sweet tooth.

I love the Brown Bag. It’s the perfect little deli, and from what I can discern uses strictly fresh ingredients. Usually I’ll check the specials online before deciding what to get. Their site is updated daily, and some specials are incredible.
When I don’t see a special I opt for the Club Sub on wheat not toasted. It is a solid sandwich, and way better than stopping in Subway.
Be sure to try some of the baked goods they have in the dining area, but realize that those are created by the bakery behind the restaurant, Pies By Inge.

Excellent sandwich shop. Probably my favorite since I’ve moved to Illinois for price/​quality ratio. If you haven’t been it is worth checking out the cute town and the great food from this place.

I love The Brown Bag! From the ambience to the food quality, this place is a great local eatery. If you’re in Monticello, it is absolutely essential to stop for pie. This place is pie heaven! They also have many other tasty offerings from soups and sandwiches to salads and pasta.
I’d recommend the chicken salad sandwich and a slice of their strawberry rhubarb pie with whipped cream and a cup of milk! Perfection!

I have gone to the Brown Bag for more than ten years. I always order a kids’ cheese toastie because they come in a variety of breads (white, wheat, sourdough, rye, etc) and it is extra cheesy. I would label it as a staple of Midwest comfort food.
The Brown Bag also has many different sandwiches, salads, and soups. The best part about this place is the pie. They have fifteen different pies at any given time. They have fruit pies, chocolate pies, nut pies, and cream pies. You will surely find something that dances on your taste buds!
The price can rack up if you order a lot of food. But I like to keep it simple: a sandwich and a piece of pie. They have self-​serve water if you need something to drink.
There is plenty of seating, so if you come in a group, it wouldn’t be a problem to stick some tables together. Be sure to wonder around the Monticello square. There are some pretty sights to see, even in the Midwest.
Everyone that works there is super friendly and patient. It’s a great place to go for all ages.

simple old fashion small town sandwich shop. yummy sandwiches, nice simple bread and awesome desserts.

Our cycling club stopped here last month. The sandwiches were absolutely delicious and the gigantic selection of pies is amazing! If you like pie, this is a must stop destination! The menu is a little hard to read from the register and it’s huge! Not to worry, the staff are very friendly and accommodating. I wish this place was open on Sundays!

Such a cute «hole in the wall» restaurant! I loved the food and the atmosphere! The only complaint I had was, I had to wear my jacket the whole time because it was so cold in there!!!

Very glad to have stumbled upon this place :) fantastic lunch and sandwich location.
The restaurant had a very homely feel, and you could tell everything was made fresh. The fries were among the best I’ve ever had. Crispy and seasoned on the outside, with extremely soft interior.
The sandwiches were delicious, with good distribution of flavor and texture.

A very nice little small town eatery. The people are very friendly and inviting. A very quaint and homey atmosphere. They have a nice little business going. The food is very good. The bread was great. I would definitely recommend.

Perhaps it has an important place in the history and social life of the town, but for someone from «away» looking for something good to eat in the area steer clear. Not much that has happened to food culture in the last 50 years has touched this place. Has lots of local authenticity and eccentricity, but not much else to offer, especially on the menu, in the interior, and how the owner interacts with her staff. Don’t generally write negative reviews but was mislead by the raves this place received.

It’s a decent deli and a source of pride in the community. Every one knows everyone so the gossip in the order line usually causes a long wait time to get an order in. Food is good and the décor is charming.

You can’t beat the baked goods sold at the counter! The rocky road brownie is 4 gallons of awesome in a 3 gallon bucket i’m serious they are ridiculously delicious.
I always check out the Brown Bag’s daily specials just to see what new and interesting sandwiches have. Most recently I got to experience the magic that is Rachel’s fish taco. It was the best! warm, fresh, and bursting with flavor I tell you I could have eaten it all day long. The salsa on top was the best I have had since I moved to Illinois.
The staff is always friendly when I come in and the food is prepared quickly.
The restaurant itself is a little on the homey side, a simple building attached two 2 shops and an art gallery/​framing business with apartments up stairs.
The owner Harlene Swing Is one of the nicest people you will get the pleasure of meeting and takes a great interest in her guests.
Stop on in for some great sandwiches and soups and don’t forget to get a slice of pie or a brownie before you leave, you won’t regret it.

The homemade baked goods are pretty awesome. I bought some cinnamon rolls that were to die for.
However, I agree with Tim G’s review. I am adding another star because they had rhubarb pie.
It’s more the homey and folksy feel that is attractive about this place. It’s very mid-​American, diner on the square ambiance that’s the attraction here. My veggie pita was not what I am used to where I live. Brown Bag Deli needs to step it up and use something besides iceberg lettuce, but then I guess it wouldn’t be vintage midwest using arugula.

While I dislike the fact that my job keeps me on the road every morning, I consider myself lucky to get to pick up lunch at the Brown Bag on a regular basis. The place and its staff are charming and inviting, and the food — soups, sandwiches, salads, cookies & pies — is always fresh and delicious. The homemade bisques are especially good, as is anything made with the turkeys that are roasted in-​house. And the pies are to die for.
Highly recommended!

We were in town for railroad days at the museum and took the train into the downtown area. We wanted to eat lightly but not any fast food. My girlfriend found the brown bag deli as i was looking somewhere else. We went in and i ordered there monster nachos and my girl got a bean burrito. The nachos was loaded with meat & cheese and it was big. My girlfriend liked the burrito and said it hit the spot. This was more of a deli style place and they had lots of homemade sandwiches on there menu. My girlfriend really like there pies also and they had quite a variety in the case. If your looking for a real good lunch while your in the downtown area this is the place.

Looks like I’m going to be the first one to leave an average review.
Everyone in Monticello raves about this place. And I don’t really see why to be honest. The food is average and overpriced. It serves primarily sandwiches that are pretty ordinary. You’ll pay $ 8 – 12 for sandwich, side, and drink. If you want pie, add on another few bucks.
I think it may be the ambience that draws people. It is right off the square in Monticello and definitely has a unique, homey ‘feel.’ Middle-​aged women seem to flock to this place. So maybe I’m just their wrong clientele.
If you’re a guy with a good appetite you’ll do better heading to 3 Ravens or The Pub.
If you’re a woman who loves ambience and sandwiches, you’ve found your place.

Love this place. My wife grew up here, and once a year we make a pilgrimage back to this town surrounded by an ocean of corn.
And at LEAST once a year I make sure lunch means a sandwich at the Brown Bag.
The food is always great. Lines do form at noon, so here’s an idea… don’t eat at noon. We either beat the lunch rush or hit the place after the rush is over.
I’ve NEVER had sandwich here that wasn’t short of fantastic, and it is ‘lunch in middle-​America on a courthouse square’ at its best. I don’t eat deserts, but the line-​up looks absolutely solid.

I’ve eaten here three times to meet my husband for lunch. I was a little put off by the HUGE wait for a sandwich, but everybody was so friendly and there was no problem getting a table. I love the low, low prices. Sandwiches are my favorite lunch item, and this place is amazing! They have great wraps, sandwiches, subs and soups. I haven’t tried any of their Mexican dishes, because I love the creativity and originality of their regular menu items and their daily specials. The desserts are great too, I usually split a slice of pie with my husband and each one has been great!

Very rarely do I visit a new town and eat at the same place twice. But the Brown Bag is no ordinary place.
It’s sandwich nirvana.
Top quality, homemade ingredients combine to elevate an ordinary cobb salad to something else entirely — roasted chicken, homemade blue cheese dressing, bacon, fresh tomatoes, lettuce — I have never eaten a salad this satisfying.
The Dagwood. The Missie. These sandwiches are truly spectacular.
And don’t miss the row of «free condiments» on the counter. The pickles are out of this world.
Seriously. It’s 8 a.m. on a Tuesday morning and I just HAVE to log onto Unilocal to write about the pickles? This place is that good.
And then there’s Harlene, who owns the place and takes your order. So much personality. I feel like I need to go back just to say «hi.»
If you’re anywhere near Monticello, stop by the Brown Bag!