Courtesy Brown Bag Seafood

Aug. 26. Chicago-based seafood restaurant Brown Bag Seafood Co. will open in Birkdale Village on Monday, Aug. 29, the first of three locations planned in the Charlotte region.

Additional openings slated for early fall in uptown Charlotte and South End.

Courtesy Brown Bag Seafood

The 2,300-square-foot  Birkdale Village location is across from The Grove next to the Brixx Pizza space and has seating for more than 50 guests.

Why fish?

Established by restauranter Donna Lee in 2014, the 11-unit, Chicago-based fast casual seafood chain is known for its quick, fresh, and sustainably sourced seafood.

“As a pescatarian myself, I found it very difficult to find quality seafood without a white tablecloth and the cost associated with it.

“At Brown Bag, we’re here to make great seafood accessible to all,” said Lee, founder and CEO of Brown Bag Seafood.

The menu

At Brown Bag, guests fill out a menu card to customize their meal before ordering at the counter. Customers are encouraged to start by selecting from a variety of items such as grilled salmon, shrimp, or its rotating daily catch.

Proteins are paired with a variety of creative “builds,” including salads, sandwiches, tacos, and grain and veggie bowls served alongside house-made sides and sauces.

The menu also features pre-built house favorites like the Lobster Roll with Truffle Parmesan Tots, Fish & Chips, made-from-scratch Clam Chowder, and a Seasonal Special, which will make its debut locally as the Cod, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich (CLT) with seasoned fries.

When to go

Brown Bag’s hours of operation will be 11 am to 9 pm Monday through Saturday and 11 am to 8:30 pm  Sunday.

www.brownbagseafood.com.

Guests can place orders at the counter with Brown Bag’s blue bandana-clad crew to enjoy in person or to-go. Brown Bag also offers online ordering for pickup and delivery through its website and mobile app.

Courtesy Brown Bag Seafood