Brown Bag

I like their food but every time I go there, I’m treated with so much disrespect. I will never set foot in that place again. If you don’t want to serve me, that’s your problem. If I don’t want roasted tomatoes in my sandwich, I don’t want it! Don’t look at me like you are going to kill me. The customer service is disgusting! If I could give a 0, I would!!! But 1 star for the food as good as it is… I’m just really disgusted by the way I’m treated there.

Good food and good service. Staff was nice and knowledgable. Food was tasty and perfect for a quick bite to eat.

I was nearby for a work conference and was drawn to this place by its welcoming and airy atmosphere. I got the soup-​sandwich half-​and-​half combo with Coltrane Chicken and the smokehouse chili. A note about the combos — they only offer certain salads and sandwiches that qualify, so I had to settle for a sandwich I wasn’t necessarily crazy about. The sandwich had a great taste, but the chicken was a bit lukewarm and the bread a little too chewy for my preference. The food was also a bit pricier than I expected but probably normal for Bethesda. Otherwise, service was very fast and efficient! I enjoyed that they compost (I think behind the scenes — sadly there was no self-​composting bin for wrappers, napkins, etc though there is a recycling) and are farm-​to-​table, local, etc.

I must say this is not your normal deli & I’m glad I popped my head in… well popping in a second time. When you step off the sidewalk into the space, you’re greeted by everyone who is working. Then asked how you can be served and so on. It’s a small space but has a nicely cramped style going on, with a massive selection of healthy and fresh items…“Honest Food” is their actual tag.
The Menu offers sandwiches, Noodles, Soups and of course Salads… labeled as Specialty Salads: Bayou Chicken, Miss Mae’s Cajun Cobb or build your own. For the Vegetarian Crew, they offer a small variety of options, as the Bangkok Noodle Bowl with a Thai red curry sauce, & veggies, looked very tempting.
For the expeditionary palates, the Hot Daily Specials are not your run of the mill entrees, from Lasagna, to Kabobs and such.
My favorite part is the fresh juices and dried veggies/​fruits that they prepare in house. I really appreciate the label of ingredients and expiration dates.
They offer LevelUp mobile payments & a loyalty program. Their Origins of in house food being prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients is always a plus. More so, even a bigger win for a small eatery as this, is their Sustainability information.
The location is an easy walk from the Metro and the prices are fantastic. If you choose not to take your food back to your office, you can always sit at the bar in front of the window and people watch while you stuff your face with honest, healthy and tasty food.

I love this place. I eat breakfast and lunch there almost every day. The people here are very friendly and the service is swift. They always greet me with a smile when I walk in. They know what my favorite items on the menu are and can almost predict what I will order. The food is really good, and the salads are always fresh.

I work a few blocks from brown bag. I frequent the business for breakfast and lunch. It is one of my favorite places in Bethesda. The staff is awesome and after a few visits I feel it’s very personal. They even ask how my weekend was or if they don’t see me how my vacation was. The food is great and the employees even better. I would recommend anyone in the Bethesda area to give Brown Bag serious consideration. Definitely one of my faves!!!

My go to breakfast spot! Not sure what Rehana A. was talking about, but sounds like sour grapes to me. The staff actually takes the time to know you. I don’t even have to say what I want or what I got when I get to the cashier. They already know. The Chicken and Corn Chowder is also to die for. They play great music too. Nothing but good eats and good friends and I’ve been coming here for 10+ years! Love you guys!

I have been going to this place for over 7 years. Because I work near by I get my lunch as well as breakfast from here almost every day. I love Stella. She is amazing and has always been fast and efficient. UNFORTUNATELY I WILL NO LONGER PATRONIZE Brown Bag. Neither will any of my coworkers. The new staff is rude and the food is mediocre at best. Save your money and go to any of the other sandwich shops in the area!

I want to like this place but I am consistently disappointed. Expensive for the quality you get.
The only thing that I truly enjoy on the menu is their Monday special which is Lasagna which is substantial. Pastas are oversauced and salty. Sandwich meats quality are average and the Salads are just ok relative to what you can get for the same price at Sweet Green, Hampden Deli, or even Potbelly which is cheaper. If I a spending $ 10 on a sandwich I’m going to Taylor.

I love this place. Super friendly staff PLUS the best bagel sandwiches in Bethesda.
I know there’s a Bethesda Bagels nearby, but hear me out: While Bethesda Bagels might have better BAGELS, this place has better Bagel SANDWICHES. They cook the egg right in front of you-​which means you can ask for it scrambled or fried-​they use cheddar cheese (not that atrocity known as American cheese), and they put a solid amount of bacon in the sandwich. The result is an amazing bagel sandwich. Honestly, even when I buy bagels from a bagel shop and make my own bagel sandwiches at home they aren’t as good.
Pure witchcraft.

This place reminds me of the Naked Lunch Counter except not all organic and vegetarian.
They have a lot of potential but it’s just way too many things done mediocrely. I ordered a cosmos that sounded really good on the board but in real life it was this warm sloppy mess– it looked like it had a yeast infection. I was able to finish it but honestly I wouldn’t suggest anyone try it. It was smaller than I anticipated (for some reason I mistaken it for a cold wrap). I got a bean soup because it was the only one I could discern the ingredients to despite asking (no soup labels!) and in just a single bite it was instant regret. It’s really gummy and had way too much garlic. Not to mention it had bacon which I am not too fond of– if I would have known I wouldn’t have ordered it. I stopped eating after that first bite.
I’m sure their other sandwiches are better but for now, it’s a miss for me. I’d rather stick to Panera at this point.

Great food. Bad service. Always understaffed.

I can’t just pick one item, that I can say is my favorite! Everything I have had is amazing from sandwiches to salads. I would recommend The Brown Bag to anyone who is looking for a good, quick and convenient place to grab lunch.

You pay for the convenience.
I really enjoy places that let you make your own salad, sandwich and noodle dish. Opting for the noodle dish was both a good and bad idea. The ingredients were relatively fresh, but it’s pretty ridiculous how much they charge for «good stuff» toppings and «best stuff» toppings. For example, add $ 1 for artichoke, or any cheese, or bacon, or sundried tomato — one should be included in the $ 6.50 price. If you want shrimp or steak, that’s $ 3 each. So if you want a noodle bowl with shrimp and cheese, you’re already looking at $ 10.50 — yikes.
Their drinks are also expensive, about $.75 to $ 1 more than comparable size to-​go places. Ultimately, the convenience isn’t worth the extra cost.
Tips: they don’t much seating room and they’re not open for dinner (close at 3:30p).

A few weeks ago I went to the Brown Bag for a breakfast sandwich and decided to pick up a to-​go salad for lunch. On the plastic cover of the salad bowl, there was a dead roach. There were two women behind the counter. I handed the bowl to one woman and advised her that there was a roach on the lid. I then told the other woman to stop making my sandwich. I have never been so disgusted. I went online and submitted an email complaint on the brown bag website. The manager of the Bethesda branch contacted me and had the nerve to be angry. She NEVER once apologized! She advised that Pest Control comes a number of times etc. etc. and that she doesn’t understand how this could have happened. I regret not taking a picture and posting it on their facebook page.
Brown bag, never again.

Great breakfast or lunch spot for someone in the go. OR, a fantastic shop to have cater your lunch meeting!
My fav breakfast is the breakfast burrito — made to order with fresh ingredients. But the bonus is the potatoes the burrito is served with. Pan fried with olive oil, peppers, onion and old bay — they’d be a meal themselves!
The lunch sandwiches and salads are also made to order with fresh ingredients. Try the Coltrane chicken if you are a host cheese fan!
There is no real seating in or outside of the shop, save maybe three stops at a bar looking out the front window.

The Brown Bag offers a decent lunch selection with options from soups, sandwiches, noodles, salads, and breakfast fare. I had a tough time deciding on an option because I have never been here before and I did not know what to expect of the food quality.
I settled on the Parisian sandwich made with brie, tomato, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. This is typically served on a baguette but they did not have any baguettes in stock so it was substituted with a wrap. I was wary of how this sandwich could possibly turn out well on a wrap. Also, many times when I have tried brie sandwiches the brie is cold and sometimes flavorless. And because of the lack of customer service and the insufficient bread stock, I just figured this would be my first and last visit.
To my surprise, the Parisian is one of the best sandwiches I have ever tasted. The wrap did not turn out to be a wrap at all. It was more of a toasted/​grilled, seasoned, fresh pita. The sandwich was grilled to perfection and the melted cheese mixed with olive oil became a decadent concoction of flavors. The Parisian gets a bit messy and the cheese can ooze down your arm if you’re not careful. I would recommend this sandwich on a wrap instead of a baguette since the wrap offered new flavors to the sandwich. Sandwiches cost approximately $ 8. This Parisian contains approximately 580 calories and 29 grams of fat, so I will only be eating this as a treat or when I am in dire need of some comfort food.
The downside to this store is that the staff was lackadaisical at best; it was difficult to determine where to place my order and where to pay. The staff did not volunteer any information. I had to constantly ask for guidance.

Two and a half stars. Filling portions on the salads and pastas; the former are sized similarly to Potbelly salads. Eat there, my pasta was overcooked and the steak add-​on I’d requested medium rare was a steady medium-​well. Veg was fresh but the pesto saucing was awfully light, just tossed enough to coat.
M&M cookies had chocolate chips as well, but were stale and oddly crunchy. Conversely, the oatmeal raisin cookies were equally large but nicely moist. Kettle chips options are okay, I liked the rosemary & olive oil bag I snagged.

Reliable sandwich & salad restaurant. Food is prepared fresh to order and made with healthy yet tasty ingredients. Ive been here for quick breakfast and lunch stops and I’m always satisfied. They also have daily specials and soup.
The Big Apple sandwich is my fave!

My office loves to order lunch from The Brown Bag, and it’s easy to see why. Their food items are always fresh. I’m a very picky eater, so if I see any brown in my lettuce or avocado, I immediately pick it out. I always clear my plate when I get food from The Brown Bag.
I recommend the Cobb salad, the Alamo, tuna salad, chicken salad, and cookies.
Don’t be misled by their «noodle» bowls – they’re actually pasta bowls. As an Asian, I do differentiate between the two.