The Brown Bag

The food is ok– not bad but not great. I’ve been here three times now, and each time the lack of clearly posted prices has lead to a painful experience at the cashier. The price just doesn’t match up with the food or service. Long story short: ok food, but overpriced.

Decided to try this place for lunch with a few of my coworkers. We were excited to see the grilled cheese w/​tomato soup special since it’s been something that we’ve been craving. The prices are a bit high for what you get. I was disappointed when I asked if there’s more tomato soup and they told me no because they only put out a certain amount for the day so I had to choose another type of soup. The sandwich and soup was ok but I didn’t get the fulfillment that I had anticipated (lol).
The customer service was good.

Had the «Steakhouse Salad». It contained less than 2 oz. (yeah, it looked so dissappointing that I picked it out and weighed it on our postal scale) of dry, solid gray meat that looked like diced pot roast, certainly not steak. Other listed ingredients were there and nothing wrong with them, but that’s just a salad.

Can’t speak for much on the menu but the farmer’s breakfast is A-​OK

My review echos those below mine regarding the customer service, confusing pricing, ordering system, and concerning «translation» issues.
The Brown Bag’s motto is «honest food» and my experience was anything other than honest. It was my first time there, and I didn’t understand how the ‘make your own salad works’ since there was no price printed on their bag for a ‘create your own salad.’ They only had prices for their special toppings. I asked the ppl behind the counter preparing my food, and they didn’t speak a lick of English, or just refused to. They kept just silently pointing to my bag and pen (indicating I just «fill it out»). So I did, thinking that I only pay for the toppings I want, so I added up about $ 6 worth of «toppings» to make a reasonably priced salad.
When I got to the cashier, she charged me an extra $ 5.95 for the LETTUCE that came with the «make your own salad on top of the $ 6 in «toppings» I chose for my salad! (I really went fancy, asking for cucumbers and peppers. *sarcasm). I kept trying to explain to her that the ppl behind the counter had refused to even answer my question, and I was confused by the whole thing, and that the prices weren’t properly printed or displayed. By now, there was a line building up and I didn’t want to be that person that insists on speaking to a manager.
I feel it’s really dishonest to staff your kitchen or personnel with ppl who can’t even communicate with customers, or pretend like they can’t, and then overcharge them so they can’t rebut. Additionally– it indicates to me that a restaurant like that is also paying ppl below min. wage and taking advantage of certain workers (also concerning in itself). If Brown Bag wants to market themselves as an organic, ethical food place, they need to play the part. I will never return.

Good roasted chicken salad. I added mango salsa and shaved Parmesan. Very tasty. Friendly staff.

My original review is below — BUT, the manager called me back, apologized, and corrected the mistake. As I said, I don’t expect anyone to be perfect, and I sincerely appreciate their effort to fix the mistake.
***Sure, the food’s okay… but how much are you willing to put up with crappy service? Went today and was horribly overcharged, (even after telling him it was wrong while checking out) but the clerk refused to refund or allow me to speak with a manager. I am not a difficult customer, I never send food back or complain. I have worked in the service industry and my family even owned a restaurant. I understand mistakes happen, but there is no excuse for rudeness or for refusing my valid request for a refund. I will dispute the charge with my credit card and give my business to one of the other vendors in the area.

I’ve eaten here a few times, and the food is at best ok. At the price point they’re charging, I expect something a little higher quality. The pulled pork was overly fatty and one step above the pre-​prepared stuff I could buy at the grocery store. I’d eat here again, especially for the noodles, but it’s nothing I’d go out of my way for.

I ordered some type of cold borderline bland chicken sandwich, which coordinated with the cold flat service. The ingredients were fresh enough, but nothing about this place was enough to make me seek it out intentionally, especially not the prices.

This place *should* get 3-​stars as average DC soup-​sandwich-​salad fare at above-​average prices, maybe 4 stars on a good day because of some of its specials Unfortunately, I’m giving it 2 stars because it’s slowly going downhill in terms of efficiency and variety. I will say, however, that the staff is truly friendly, and their smiles shine.
Ordering is confusing because it’s unclear whether you have to fill out your order on the brown bag or inform the employees on the line. It’s also unclear where you should stand, and whether there should be some kind of line (s). Yesterday, I stood at the counter, order ready, for 10 minutes, but no one took it. I walked out and went to Subway across the street.
Other than the criticism above, I also suggest the restaurant vary it’s menu some more. The same items have been on the menu since I first started eating there a while back. The turkey melt has been the special sandwich for months. The other specials remain unchanged. Some seasonal items would be awesome and would drive home the idea of fresh food.
UPDATE 03÷27÷15: Erich, the owner, contacted me directly and was extremely friendly. Service has improved lately and I’m adding a star. I hope to add more in the future. The staff continues to be the shining force in the restaurant.

I think this place has great salads. They make them fresh and with whatever you want… and every bite has something good in it! It’s not just all lettuce like some places. Yes, it is a bit expensive, but that’s what you get for eating out at lunch on 14^th street in downtown DC. Prices are comparable to other places and the quality is good.

I’ve been here a number of times, but try to avoid it, because I think it is expensive. Plus, their reward program requires the use of apps and a smart phone, which I do not use. But, I always enjoy the cobb salad, and if I remember right, the lasagna special is pretty good, too (it’s more than $ 10, though). The panini press reuben I had yesterday was pretty good, if a little on the cool side (that is likely my fault though, for waiting about 20 minutes to eat it after I got back to the office). But it was a little uneven — thicker in the middle, and thin around the edge. However, reasonably good, overall. But at basically $ 10 for the sandwich, I likely won’t be back for it.

Came here with the family for breakfast, and this little joint was very reminiscent of home. The food was freshly made, and there’s a wide variety of fresh baked goods, fruit, and other snacks. The food was solid and the variety great, but the value for each meal doesn’t seem adequate (why I docked a star). However, it’s a great option if you’re going to work, as it offers choices for breakfast, lunch, and snacks in between!

As I have not had the food, the review is strictly for the customer service. I was having an issue with ordering for a last minute client meeting through grubhub and seamless. I spoke with Spencer and he took care of the problem within minutes.
Thank you, Spencer for your quick and thorough resolution to my issue.

Ok Mr. Sandwich maker… when a customer comes in and says «hello how are you»…you are supposed to respond back and not just stare at them. And BTW when you finished making the requested sandwich, you don’t just point to it and beckon for me to pick it up.
Unilocalers…There isn’t a translation issue b/​c he spoke to others.
#PoorCustomerExperience #GoodSandwich

What a great place! Lots of healthy options… service is quick and they even have a great loyalty program.
Recommendations:
Chipolte chicken
Bangkok noodle add shrimp and chix
Bbq chicken salad…
And on fridays… SHRIMP TACOS
Definately check it out!

I was frequenting the starbucks next door most mornings for my coffee and breakfast sandwiches. I was happy when I checked this place out, because I had been wasting time at starbucks. Here, they make your breakfast sandwiches for you fresh right then and there, rather than throwing a frozen biscuit in a microwave. The prices are comparable to anywhere else, but you are getting quality. They have healthy options such as egg whites and avocado. Make your money go further and eat fresher and healthier by going here for your morning routine.

Not thrilled with there $ 5 breakfast sandwich, that they can’t put on a hard roll, and seemed to be like chewing on a dry bagel with nothing in between.
I’ve notice a theme in DC where they seem to have no problem charging top dollar for sandwiches with not enough filling and is mostly bread. I feel like I am just paying the landlord’s rent.
When I worked in CT you would pay $ 5 tax included, and have a sandwich so big you could eat half for lunch and half for dinner.
Now in DC I spend $ 10 on lunch and I’m still hungry when I get back to work. I feel like I have to stop again for food after going to these places.

Brown Bag doesn’t have many good reviews, and looking through them, I can understand why some people didn’t have a great experience. The ordering process could be fairly confusing and un-​orderly when it’s busy, but there were only two other people in the restaurant when I was there, so everything went really quickly.
I got the lasagna special for ~$ 10 (including tax). It was actually quite good and enough for two meals (keep in mind, I don’t eat American portions). The meal included two pieces of garlic bread and a hefty side salad. The sandwiches and salads there looked pretty solid as well. One gripe I could have with this place is how much the extras cost. I was debating getting pasta or the special, but adding any meat to the pasta was $ 2+, and I didn’t really want to shell out more than $ 10 for lunch. Call me stingy, but that’s how I see it.
I’ll be back to try other items on their menu, but for my first attempt, it was pretty good. Not «I need to go back now» amazing, but good for a quick lunch.

I go here for lunch about 2 – 3 times a week and have had just about everything on the menu. It really just disappoints. Don’t get me wrong, the food is good. I’m a soup lover but have been totally disappointed by all their soups. I’d stick with the sandwiches (especially the hot ones) and the salads… speaking of salads, I often get a make your own and make sure to circle what I want in thick pencil marks and about 50% of the time they still manage to forget one or more ingredients. I have resorted to watching to make sure they put the right ingredients in because when I’ve come back to get the salads I ordered and paid for, I always am met with some sort of attitude.
I’m not normally a complainer and usually wouldn’t trek all the way back to brown bag just for an extra ingredient BUT usually it’s the avocado that I paid $ 3 extra bucks for and really makes the salad. It’s unfortunate because the food is good when it’s right.