Cocktail BarOpen-air cocktail bar$$Tue-Thu 16:00-21:00; Fri 16:00-22:00; Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 12:00-18:00; closed Mon
Good Bar at Belhaven Town Center is an open-air cocktail bar from the Elvie's team, with cocktails on tap, natural wine, and a lively garden terrace.
Signature drink: Cocktails on tap: Old Fashioned, Spicy Bees Knees, Spanish Spritz
Food: Small plates and snacks
Order: Spicy Bees Knees on tap, or the Spanish Spritz with seasonal additions
Tip: Almost fully outdoors; check Instagram for weather closures before visiting.
Soul foodLive music bar and restaurant$$Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00; Sun 10:30-15:00
Hal and Mal's has been Jackson's premier live-music bar and restaurant since 1984, hosting local and touring acts nightly in a converted warehouse.
Signature drink: Mississippi craft beer and Southern whiskey
Food: Full Southern menu
Order: A Mississippi beer on draught with the red beans and rice
Tip: Check the entertainment calendar; Hal's is the home of the St Paddy's Parade every March.
American BBQBBQ bar with craft beer$$Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00; closed Sun
The Pig and Pint pairs some of Jackson's best BBQ with one of Mississippi's largest craft beer selections - around 80 rotating handles - in a relaxed Fondren.
Signature drink: Rotating Mississippi craft beer on draft
Food: Full BBQ menu
Order: A local Mississippi craft beer with a brisket plate and fried green tomato tacos
Tip: The beer selection rotates constantly; the bartender knows what's new and what pairs with the BBQ.
SpeakeasySpeakeasy cocktail bar$$Mon-Thu 17:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-01:00; closed Sun
The Apothecary is a speakeasy hidden in the back of Brent's Drugs, open Mon-Sat from 17:00 with prohibition-era cocktails and Mississippi spirits.
Signature drink: Classic prohibition-era cocktails with a Southern twist
Food: Bar snacks
Order: Classic Old Fashioned or Sazerac with Mississippi bourbon
Tip: Enter through Brent's Drugs; the speakeasy atmosphere is one of Fondren's most atmospheric late-night secrets.
AmericanHistoric neighborhood pub$$Tue-Fri 11:00-02:00; Sat 17:00-02:00
Ole Tavern on George Street is a downtown Jackson pub in a 117-year-old grocery building, known for the King George Burger and live music nights on weekends.
Signature drink: Craft beer and Mississippi whiskey
Food: Pub fare including the King George Burger
Order: King George Burger with home fries and a Mississippi craft beer
Tip: The 117-year-old grocery building bones make this feel nothing like a standard downtown bar; live music nights bring a strong local crowd.
Cocktail BarCraft cocktail bar$$Mon-Sat 16:00-00:00
The Walk-In is a downtown Jackson cocktail bar serving craft drinks and Asian-Southern fusion plates in a vintage lounge with a New Orleans-style courtyard.
Signature drink: Asian-Southern fusion craft cocktails
Food: Asian-Southern fusion shared plates
Order: The bartender's current craft cocktail recommendation with an Asian-Southern shared plate
Tip: The New Orleans-style courtyard entrance is a genuine design detail; the art program on the walls is locally curated.