Fresh, fast, and affordable seafood in the Midwest? It’s possible at Brown Bag Seafood Company. Started by owner Donna Lee in 2014, the concept was fresh fish served hot off the grill – in a paper bag. No white tablecloth is needed.
“Brown Bag for me is just a love for how I like to eat,” says Lee. “At some point, I was like, I want to eat fish, I want to eat vegetables. There’s no easy way to do it affordably and quickly. And so, I built it.”
Design your own meal or choose a specialty
Customizing a meal at Brown Bag Seafood Company is easy. Step one, choose a protein. One of Lee’s favorites is the seared salmon, but other choices include shrimp, cod, or even tofu. And then decide how that fish will be served, over grains, vegetables, a combo of both, a salad, or in a taco.
A variety of other seafood specialties are offered as well, from fish and chips to a lobster roll and fries or a grilled salmon caesar salad. Sides include tater tots, soups, and slaws.
A practice of sustainable seafood
“Sustainable seafood is making sure that whatever species we are pulling out of the water, it can be replenished just as quickly,” says Lee. “So, one of the things we’re committed to is ‘what grilled catch should we bring into the house?’ or ‘how is our salmon treated?’ That stuff is really important to us.”
All the seafood in the restaurant is sourced from businesses cleared by the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch They do their part to prevent species from becoming underpopulated and harmful fishing practices from being employed.
Brown Bag Seafood Company is located at 1023 S. Washington Street in Naperville, and there are other locations in Chicago, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Host: Chris Grano – Naper Bites
Guest: Donna Lee, Founder and CEO – Brown Bag Seafood Company