I ordered the catfish po-boy with fries for a to-go lunch. I've been twice before, and both times the food was so-so. Today was no different. Despite having a nice crunch on the ends, the catfish batter was lacking in seasoning, and the tartar sauce did little to enhance the flavor. For $13.56, I expected more. If going by food alone, my rating would be lower, but it is a great place to get a drink and hear live music, not to mention the White brothers have done so much to promote Jackson. Go for a drink, but don't expect to be thrilled by the food. read more

Hal & Mal's - Catfish po-boy. Kind of bland. - Bars Near Me - Jackson, Mississippi

Can't go wrong with an old spot with good food, beer and peeps! Decided to try it out and so glad we did! Had a tasty fried chicken salad and of course the tamales were to die for!!!! Good beer too, but more importantly you should always choose to sit at the bar (no matter where ya go) because that's where the characters are. Hal & Mal's has no shortage of characters! Perfect spot for a good time! read more

Excellent traditional southern Friday lunch menu fried catfish, fries, hush puppies, and coleslaw with a drink, reasonably priced. Other choices was a redfish sand witch plate or a BLT. Service was friendly and prompt. read more

This food sucks, good for drinks though. Would def not eat here but then again, I didn't try the black bean soup. All I know is their burgers and appetizer foods are not so appetizing. We love coming here to hang out though at night. read more

This place is more of a bar than anything, but they offer lunch for the downtown business men as well as bar food at night. Best black bean soup in town I think! read more

At first was disappointed because the menu was limited, I believe it was because of the show that was scheduled but, after having the highly recommended catfish po-boy, I'm glad I didn't have a chance to order something else. Best fried catfish I've ever had. Every part was fantastic, from the crusty but tender bread, the crisp lettuce and fresh tomato to the best tarter sauce ever (capers in tarter sauce, really great idea). The house cut onion rings and fries were delicious as well and made even better after dipping in their tasty comeback sauce. Would definitely recommend and will most certainly come back when and if I make it back to Jackson. read more

Hal & Mal's - 'Nawlins style back patio. - Bars Near Me - Jackson, Mississippi

I have been coming to Hal & Mal's since I was a little girl. My father used to bring me here to see my cousin who was a waitress at the time. The food has always been great! I have never had anything I didn't love. I have been to a number of shows and parties in the event side of the building as well as little shows in the restaurant. I always look forward to any chance I get to go to a show at Hal & Mal's because I always go eat before. It's a tasty place. read more

We were visiting from out of town and drove past the large sign that says "restaurant and brewery". Unfortunately, the idea of a local brewery is what lured us in and we were sorely disappointed when we found out they stopped brewing about 10 years ago. That is of course after we actually got into the restaurant. Upon getting to the front door (a little after 1), we realized that it was locked and there posted hours said they didn't open until 6 on Saturday, but then we saw people walking out of the patio area so we decided to see what was up. Sure enough, they were open and serving (although dead)! The bartender and wait staff were friendly and seemed willing to accommodate -- the waitress for the only other table brought out a pitcher of ice for their cooler and our waitress offered homemade apple butter without prompt after being disappointed they were out of candied bacon cinnamon rolls. We ordered the eggs Benedict (pulled pork on a biscuit with poached eggs and BBQ hollandaise sauce) and a single biscuit with homemade bacon and apple butter. We had such high hopes for the food and I really wish I could say it was amazing, but it was just average. The apple butter was delicious, though! And as shocking as this sounds, the bacon was actually the least stellar of everything. It was cut great and really thick, but had little flavor and no salt. In terms of atmosphere, I'd give the patio 6 stars if I could. It is great and so charming. The back bar area, though, just seemed alright, maybe a little lacking. The beer selection was also just so-so. They only had one local beer on tap, and I'm not sure this is due to lack of selection or lack of local breweries. We would definitely go back to try other entrees and for the atmosphere. I just hope they advertise their hours better so they get more service. read more

Hal & Mal's - Great patio area! - Bars Near Me - Jackson, Mississippi

See all

I really enjoy the Monday night blues out in by the Central Mississippi Blues Society, and if your are vocally inclined you can sign up and sing. They have a nice event space in the back for concerts and other events. The food is good as well as the drinks. A real gem. read more

Food was, okay. The comeback sauce was super new to us and was the best part of dinner PokeStop accessible from the table. Live music was great. SERVICE WAS HORRIBLE. brought us the wrong beer, after our dinner came. Asked for fries, nope. None. Asked for ranch dressing- 15 min later. Couldn't find her to leave. It was HORRIBLE. We won't be back. read more

We stopped by for a quick dinner: burger and fries. Service was decent. The burger was really good, the fries were kind of sloppy. The atmosphere at the place was good as there was live music in the bar next door. Unfortunately there were no tv screens to watch the playoffs. read more

Hal and Mal's is still one of the best restaurants around in Jackson even during the times of COVID! Y'all gotta get down here! Great servers, great food! Great times! read more

My first time here today with a friend and lunch was very good. I had a burger and fries - both very well prepared and tasty. I really like the decor and feel of the place and the location. It's very cool and the prices are very fair. Service was excellent. Next time I plan to come for dinner! read more

The food was great. We had the soup and sandwich at lunch and wished it was all you can eat. Staff was nice but I will admit, the smell took a minute to get use to. Not sure what it was....good, old building, really bad perfume, IDK. Either way, we enjoyed ourselves and the prices were not insanely high. read more

Amazing!! Everything was great from the atmosphere, food & hospitality. The gumbo was so good and I would definitely go back!! read more

See all

Not really a fan, it's not a bar it's not a restaurant and the food is a bit better than bar fare but not a good restaurant either. It needs to decide what it's going to be then adjust the menu. Over priced for bar food but again not restaurant level... read more

Good southern food, I had a catfish Poboy which was delicious. Staff was friendly and attentive. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that we ordered onion rings and they were rather dry and just edible mostly because of the sauce they provided with them. read more

What a shame... great soft jazz tonight combined with horrible food and bad service. This used to be such a great place. With so few options downtown, you'd think they'd be packed on a Saturday evening. Four tables and no explanation on how everything is so bad. Every employee outside on a smoke break. Won't be back. read more

The gumbo and ranch dressing were good but the praises stop there. My club sandwich came out cold. The fries were hot but bland. I was with a party of approximately 25 people. The food trickled out of the kitchen. We allotted for an hour to eat. It took half of our group 2 hours to receive their food and most of it was cold when they did. Maybe it was just a bad day but I wouldn't gamble on it again. read more

Oh, Hal & Mal's, how I love thee!...And hate thee!...And love thee!...Ok, you're probably sensing some ambiguity on my part, and rightfully so. I've been coming to this fine, outstanding, scruffy, eclectic, warm, funky establishment for years...and I'm realizing more and more that Hal & Mal's has become my "local", apparently when I wasn't paying attention. It just grew on me...like a drunk uncle at a family get-together that's really obnoxious, but tells the greatest stories evahhh!!! I'm usually here for the live music, which they have just about every night (I'm not including the Red Room in this review, because I view it as a completely separate bar/venue. In a room. Which is red.) The music here is mostly acoustic and chill, which is right up my snobby little music alley. So....we get there a little early and graze the New Orleans-inspired menu. Which is awesome. Really. I have found no better Muffuletta in the Jackson area, and believe me, I've looked. On drinky-drunkerton nights, the fried appetizer platter is so-so, but it serves its purpose. But the crowning achievement by far is the red beans and rice, which, in my humble opinion, kicks the living sh!t out of Que Sera Sera. Ask for extra french bread for sopping / mopping / other rhyming words.... The ONLY reason for a lack of 5 stars is the service. It's hit or miss. Usually miss. I always chalk it up to the service staff following in the tradition of the laid back atmosphere of the joint. But sometimes it's a little "WTF? Somebody check the restroom for my server, because they've been gone so long I'm starting to think they're on the toilet with a shotgun in their mouth." That's when I usually just start ordering two at a time. Ask for Ann if you go...she may be behind the bar, in which case you're S.O.L., but if she's on the floor , you're golden. I also recommend stopping by for lunch, as the specials change daily. You can't beat the homeade soups, especially during the winter months. read more

Great food. Awesome Pub Trivia. Wonderful Bands. AND they turn over their facility each Valentine's weekend to the Mississippi HeARTS Against AIDS benefit. They are just great! read more

Hal & Mal's is a really neat spot in Jackson! They have some of the best martinis in town, for real. Music is what they're all about (other than the food and drinks!) and they've always got a cool show going on. My only complaint is that I've gone a few times a little later at night and the service slows down as the crowd does. I haven't had the best service experience, but everything else is great! I hear their lunch specials are out of this world! read more

Whoever was running the burger grill on 8/26/11 really destroyed all of my table's burgers. Get them off the grill. My "burger crew" all had a bad experience. Service was good as always, but the food was a huge disappointment this trip. read more

Neat place for lunch. The place seems hidden, but it was a great find. When I was there I had one of the specials: Grilled Pimento cheese sandwich & 5 bean Cajun chilli (atleast I think that was the kind of chilli I had). Definitely eat here when in Jackson. read more

Downtown Jackson location near the collesium, latin food, beans and rice with sausage was pretty good and have it o the GPS. Live music location next door so theres some good events from time to time. read more

This is always a great place for lunch. When I was a bit younger, I'd come here a bit for a good night out as they tend to have live music and a nice atmosphere. I'm not going to say that the food is out of this world (seems like many people forget that Yelp is about a lot more than just "how was the food"), but it more than a few notches up from bar food. They generally make everything taste quite good. The fries have never been soggy (seems like they just went to a battered fry, or maybe it has always been battered and my memory is fading), the sandwiches good (recommend the spicy, bacon pimento cheese), burgers are above average, etc. The staff is almost always friendly, but I will say they can move at a snails pace when the noon crowd hits. I don't think it is their fault as much as it is cramming a lot of people into a little area. read more

This restaurant has a lot of charm in a historic setting. I had the red beans rice with andouille sausage added. It tasted delicious and went great with the sweet tea. The staff was very friendly and quick to check on our needs. read more

Hal and Mal's is a Jackson staple. The tamales are excellent as well as the Gumbo and soups. Yesterday I had lunch at the bar. The special was pork loin poboys. The bread was crusty on the surface and soft in the middle, the pork was perfectly cooked in what seemed to be apples? It was wonderful. read more

I spent a week in Jackson and I enjoyed this place more than any other. The grilled catfish was to die for. The music made for a nice bluesy back drop. It is mostly a bar on the edge of the cityscape but the food and atmosphere are great. read more

I went here on Wednesday at about 5:45 pm; as I walked in, a sign said to "Seat yourself". There were several people at the bar and only 3 people at a table on the dining side, where I sat. About 5 minutes after I sat down, the 3 people finished their meal and left. I sat for another 10 minutes without anyone coming to my table at all. The host/waitress/bartender/owner looked at me 3 times while I sat there but never once approached my table. At about 6 pm I got up and left, never having spoke to a single person! I do not recommend this place! They obviously don't need anyone to spend money here. read more

Hal & Mal's is one of my favorite places to go in Jackson. We always try to go whenever we are in the area. The food has always been good & it's a great place to get a drink and listen to live music. I especially love their comeback dressing & lunch specials! read more

Went here for "Amateur Night"... I thought it was about the musicians but unfortunately it seems they were talking about the kitchen staff.... Shrimp Po-Boy needs to be served out of a vending machine. Shrimp were old and the hottest part of the po boy was the lettuce! Fries "looked" good but alas were like eating leftovers. I realize it's a Wednesday night, but dang... Bartender was great, kudos to him. Great beer selection, but I'll not risk it again and eat somewhere else first. read more

I literally spent an hour dealing with bad service before I got my food. Two in my party had messed up orders. The checks came so slowly too and I nearly missed an event I had to be at that I should've been early too read more

They have very good food. The atmosphere is very bar-like, which makes sense since it's a bar. They have a blue plate everyday for lunch that's excellent. I've been to several shows there. I look forward to eating there every week. Service is solid. Wait time is minimal. read more

We went to this place because one of our travel companions' names is Mal. The food was just ok. The service was not memorable in a good or bad way. If you'd like to see what this place looks likes: http://youtu.be/-xjnngywU4M read more

Great bar. Pretty decent atmosphere. Pricey drinks. But strong. Saw Dax Riggs here. Would go back

Had red beans and rice, catfish po boy, sweet tea and bread pudding....it was AMAZING!

I have eaten here on several occasions and the food and staff is always great. For the past three years we have had our company Christmas party here and the have provided great staff, as well as great food. read more

Average restaurant ... the food is okay. It's not my first choice when selecting a place to dine. It'll do..

Such fantastic food and the coolest venue - gumbo and tamales, and the nicest bartender we have met to date !! I would highly recommend a visit in Jackson Miss x read more