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Hal & Mals
200 S. Commerce St., 601-948-0888
www.halandmals.com
Go to Hal & Mal’s for its award-winning Cajun-style red beans and rice, gumbo, shrimp po-boys and mufalettas. You haven’t eaten southern unti you’ve tried their “fried plate” made famous by Boss Sweet Potato Queen Jill Conner Browne. Regularly voted Best Place for Live Music and Best All-Ages Venue.
It is a Jackson landmark for a reason. The food is real, down-home cookin’. The atmosphere is rough around the edges, but the old train station has been around for decades and has become a part of the unique character of Jackson. In the restaurant you can always find a spot in a booth, and you can listen to music ranging from traditional old time to current rockers. Order a plate of red beans and rice, served with a large link of sausage on top, or my personal favorite, the black bean tamales. If you prefer the bar, you have the pleasure of being served by two of the sassiest/classiest bartenders in town. When Laura and April aren’t at pub quiz on Tuesday nights, they are setting the record straight and pouring you a fabulous gin and tonic. There is also the newly repurposed and little-known secret brewpub that includes a Wii and a jukebox—a must for when you want to hang out without the big crowds. Hal & Mal’s continues to be a perfect spot for kids of all ages with its classic spaces in the Red Room and the Big Room for music and fundraisers including the annual JFP Chickball. (Sage Carter-Hooey, Best of Jackson 2009, Best All-Ages Venue, Best Place for Live Music)
