Operating since the 1970s and a favorite of mine since about 1998, the Brown Bag is a hole-in-the-wall deli one wouldn’t expect to find in Piatt County, Illinois. As a product of Piatt County, I was excited when my editor was interested in a review of the Brown Bag. Growing up, I lived outside of Monticello and spent a solid amount of time inside the deli. I have memories of eating there with many of my family members (my mom’s favorite is the veggie), friends, coworkers, and even by myself when I needed a pick-me-up. As an adult who now lives in Champaign, I make it a point to go anytime I’m in Monticello or after a trip to Allerton Park.
Thinking about it now, The Brown Bag is probably where my love for sandwiches started. As long as I can remember, my order has been the honey turkey club ($10.50), a side of coleslaw ($2.50), and about 18 pickle spears (they used to be self-service, but that has changed since COVID). When my partner and I went with my dad last week for an early dinner, I decided now was a good time to try something new.
Locals sneak in through the back entrance but to my surprise, the whole back side of the building is under construction, so we were forced to use the front entrance.. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by a large menu and the order counter. Booths surround the ordering area as well as a display of the lovely desserts provided by Pies by Inge who works out the back part of the building’s basement. There’s a chalkboard wall to the right of the counter with the daily specials as well as the soups and an assortment of different sides.
Right off the bat, I knew I was going to order the Dagwood ($10.50). The first item listed under the submarines area of the menu. The Dagwood was a three-meat sandwich with turkey, ham, and roast beef, layered with Swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickle, and thousand island dressing. All submarines come on a choice of either white or wheat bread, and cold, hot, or toasted. I opted for white bread and hot which I was pleased with. The cheese was melted while the veggies were still cool enough to provide a nice crunch and be a great balance to the warm meat. I don’t ever eat thousand island dressing, and my goodness was it good on a sandwich. Cut in half for easy handling, the sandwich was big enough for a solid lunch but not too big to be unreasonable. This sandwich gave competition for my #1 choice here.
We ordered the last scoop of the Bonnie’s turkey salad ($8.95 for eight ounces). This had turkey, apples, and nuts in a mayo-based dressing. It was a hefty serving for a side. One of my favorite things about the Brown Bag is the menu items are named after guests — a life-long goal of mine.
I couldn’t break away from my old ways completely, so of course I ordered a small side of cole slaw ($2.50). I’ve lectured many of my friends and foes on the greatness of the Brown Bag coleslaw. Cream-based with plenty of celery seeds, it’s the perfect addition to any order.
While we studied the menu, I knew my partner was going to order the Italian ($10.50). He ordered the classic submarine on wheat, staked up with ham, pepperoni, salami, swiss cheese, red onion, tomato, lettuce, and Italian dressing. It was a great-tasting sub with all the classic flavors we look for in an Italian sandwich. The meat and veggies were fres,h and the sandwich was not overloaded. Easy to eat and again, it made a great-sized sub for lunch.
When I called my dad to ask if he wanted to meet us for dinner, he said “Oh yeah, they have a great taco salad!” That’s what he ordered ($11 for a small $13 for a large). It was served in a paper boat on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce and loaded with seasoned ground beef, onion, tomato, black olives, salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, and pickled jalapeños for people feeling spicy — he was. It came with a bag of tortilla chips, perfect for scooping up bites or crunching up for a topping. This was a great option for something a bit different at a traditional deli — or like my dad, something for someone wanting a little more low-carb. Still full of flavor and hefty portion, the taco salad screams “Eat me on a park bench!” Or maybe that’s just me.
As a little something extra and in hopes of leftovers for breakfast, we also ordered the Creamation ($10.50), a bagel with salami, herb cream cheese, a slice of Colby jack, sprouts, tomato, and Italian dressing. There’s a choice of a plain, wheat, or everything bagel. I chose the everything bagel. The sandwich was good with the herb cream cheese being a bonus compared to plain cream cheese. I love sprouts on a sandwich, and this along with the salami made for a good combo. And as I hoped, I ate the second half for breakfast the next day.
The Brown Bag has been a favorite spot in Monticello for nearly half a century for a reason. The original owner’s daughter now runs the place and is making upgrades that will hopefully carry The Brown Bag for another 50 years.
The Brown Bag
212 W Washington St
Monticello
T – F 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sa 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.