A new seafood restaurant surfaces in uptown Charlotte with third NC location
A fast-casual Midwest seafood chain is riding its expansion wave in North Carolina, opening its third and largest restaurant in the Charlotte region.
Brown Bag Seafood Co. will debut Tuesday in uptown Charlotte at 601 S. Tryon St. in the Ally Center. Nearby restaurants at the center are Salata, a customizable salad spot; Jinya, Japanese ramen; and Golden Cow Creamery ice cream shop.
The Chicago-based seafood chain has opened two other Charlotte-area stores in less than six months. The first North Carolina store debuted in August at Birkdale Village in Huntersville, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. It followed a second location that opened in December in South End at 100 W. Worthington Ave., on the ground floor of Lowe’s Tech Hub.
The 2,700-square-foot uptown restaurant is the largest of all Brown Bag Seafood locations across Chicago, Atlanta and Charlotte, according to the company.
What to expect
The counter-service restaurant menu includes fish and seafood, plus chicken, vegetarian and vegan options.
First, choose from daily catch, salmon, shrimp, cod, tuna or chicken and veggie options starting at $9.65, according to the company. Then make it a sandwich, salad, taco or “powerbox,” which is a mix of quinoa, wheatberry, brown rice, spinach and herbs.
The menu also has pre-built meals such as a lobster roll with truffle parmesan tots, fish and chips, clam chowder and a seasonal special — pepperjack shrimp and grits served with a charred jalapeno, dirty gravy, and hot sauce. Prices range from $12.25 to $34.
The uptown restaurant also has a patio with seating for 24 people at picnic tables shaded by yellow-striped umbrellas.
“Grabbing a bite at a picnic table on one of our outdoor patios is a big part of the Brown Bag experience, so the Charlotte climate fits our brand perfectly,” Brown Bag Seafood founder and CEO Donna Lee said in a statement.
Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
About Brown Bag Seafood
Lee opened the first Brown Bag Seafood store nine years ago. It also has 10 stores in Illinois and four in Georgia, according to the company’s website.
“As a pescatarian myself, I found it very difficult to find quality seafood without a white tablecloth and the cost associated with it,” she said.
Brown Bag partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program to serve only sustainably sourced seafood.
This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 9:40 AM.