The Apothecary at Brent’s Drugs

I’ve been to apothecary numerous times, and their drinks are great, and it is a fun low key atmosphere, so this review is not based on my normal apothecary experience.
This review is for the NYE event on 12÷31÷15. They had chef Tom Ramsey for the event. The menu and presentation was awful. We paid $ 65pp for a 6 course meal. I’m a big foodie and I don’t mind splurging on a nice meal out, but I do expect to get what I paid for. To me, a course is a plate served to each person. I don’t expect a lot of food on each course, but I do expect my own plate. They brought out all the dishes on paper trays that you’d get at a concession stand that were shared with the table. The food was mediocre and unmemorable. I kept thinking this has to get better, and it only got worse. They brought the last course out in a tall styrofoam to-​go cup. It was noodles and broth that tasted like it came from a can. I literally got home and cooked food for my 4 guests at 1am after a «6 course» meal of food that was mediocre at best. I expected a lot more and was extremely disappointed. Oh, by the way, if you wanted dessert, you had to pay extra.

In a whole night of birthday bar hopping this was hands down the best atmosphere and drink I had. First off, going in through the drugstore is just cool. You feel like you know a secret, exclusive spot. The staff was extremely friendly and seated us immediately. Initially we did look at the food menu and decided to venture over to Saltines first. This isn’t a place for hearty bar bites but the drinks are definitely worth coming for. I was drawn to their version of a mint julep since it used Wray and Nephew rum– a fav. We kept repeating throughout the night how good the drinks were. We also got a cheese plate that was really nice. I gotta be honest in that I didn’t have high hopes for it but was pleasantly impressed– and there was plenty to share. I will definitely be back and bringing friends. Great bar experience.

Carefully crafted cocktails in a unique setting. Love the feel of the old diner and pharmacy.

A hidden Jackson gem, in true speakeasy fashion. Carefully selected beers and hand-​crafted specialty cocktails in an intimate setting. Fun design with water served from brown apothecary bottles. The place is a little small, so there may be a wait, but it’s well worth it.

The Apothecary is a really cool place to hangout in Fondren. You have to walk to the back of Brent’s Drugs to get in and there is sometimes a wait list. It has a cool vibe and is chill, however since it’s so small, it gets very loud. The music is always too loud.
I do like the seasonal menu, every time I come back there are a whole new list of drinks! Though they are pricy, they are always tasty. I would come here to bring a friend that’s visiting or if it were a special occasion, but other than that, I don’t visit very open.

I know a 1 star is mean, but I have spent ten minutes googling, visiting the FB page and visiting the apothecary webpage and nowhere have I found the hours that Apothecary is open. This is very simple and necessary info for a business. Hours are not even listed here on Unilocal

This is your typical soda shop that all 50s diners try so hard to imitate. There is one huge difference with Brent’s, they are the real McCoy! Brent’s has been around and slinging soda and shakes since 1946. Almost all of their ingredients are handmade onsite. The staff is super friendly. The building is old so when they are cooking you will feel the heat and smoke from the grill a bit but it’s acceptable, Remember how old this place is!
Good things to know:
— Breakfast is served during set hours
— Vegan options are better for breakfast
— Gluten free might be tricky but not impossible
— Vegetarian friendly
— Good for groups
— Good for kids
— non– smoking
— no outdoor seating
— accept cards and cash
— serves beer (and root beer)

This is far and away one of my top five bars in Jackson. It’s probably in the top three if we’re being honest.
Set up like an old fashioned speakeasy, you’re gonna have to walk through Brent’s Diner to get to the Apothecary. Walk through the curtain in the back (near the restroom), and you’ll find yourself there. The space is cozy and intimate, with lots of small tables that you can push together if you’re with a larger group. (Though, I will say– this is not the bar I’d suggest going to if you’re with a group of maybe eight or more. It’s tiny, and it fills up quick!) The lighting is dim and the vibe is very chill.
This bar serves, by far, the BEST cocktails in town. Craft cocktails are their specialty and they switch up the menu pretty often so I’m always trying different things and I’ve been consistently impressed. The staff is friendly, smart and never overbearing. The bartenders are geniuses at what they do, and always willing to help you pick out a cocktail (assuming it’s not TOO packed in there!). The presentation is super clever. The old fashioned «apothecary» theme is cool, and goes really well with the vibe of the entire restaurant over all.
Sometimes, my friends complain that this place is too expensive but I think sometimes my friends don’t know what they’re talking about. The Apothecary makes fantastic, unique cocktails with super-​high quality ingredients and I actually think the prices are crazy reasonable. You’re probably gonna pay an average of $ 10 per cocktail, which is pricey by Jackson standards, but not by any other city’s really. For what you pay, you get a really good amount of drink and a perfect atmosphere.
The Apothecary is an excellent addition to the Fondren nightlife scene. I highly recommend stopping by here for drinks any night of the week.

These are the kinds of places you can depend on to find on Unilocal.
Hidden, cool, unique… It’s so hard to know about this place — unless you are in the know — or have Unilocal.
I originally came to eat in Brent’s Diner — but they were closing up. So I walked through the diner to the very end, pulled open a curtain and revealed a slammed room of diners. I took a seat at the bar (even though they offered me a small table — I figured it was best they used that table for a couple, rather than waste it on just me… but I took a note of how nice they were to offer me an actual table on such a busy night.)
Bellied up to the bar I took a look at the menu. The do craft cocktails here — so prepare to see some things on the menu that you aren’t familiar with if you aren’t too into cocktails. I ended up with the Aphrodite. It was sweet and refreshing. Not sure if it was small or I was just SUPER thirsty but I chugged that thing down in no time. Granted my food was SUPER hot — so I did take a couple big swigs after bitting into the food prematurely.
And with that the food I got were… tater tots. Yep. tater tots! These were huge balls of potatoes and they came with some dipping sauces. Unfortunately they didn’t ask me what sauces I wanted so I was stuck with 2 that they chose for me (there was a selection of sauces you could pick) — on that end… service at the bar was meh… the hostess was super nice, but the bartenders weren’t trying to help with anything. I’m chalking it up to them being super slammed… plus those tots were delicious so we will call it even… for now.
It is on the pricier side — but I believe you are paying for quality. Mixology is a real science and they nailed the cocktail — plus the tots weren’t of the frozen variety — they were real deal.
I’ll come back and give them another try next time I’m in Jackson to see if the service problems were just a one off — other than that I’m a fan!

Very unique vibe for Jackson, and this is a great addition to the Fondren area. However, the drinks on the pricey side. Get ready to drop $ 50.00 + tips for two people to just have to two small drinks each. Also, the last couple of times I’ve been the music has been obscenely loud. It was actually hard to carry on a conversion and be heard over the music. Overall, I really recommend and the bar tenders are really experienced.

What a great spot!
Robert was a real pro and made me some fantastic cocktails. This place is tucked in the back of Brent’s Drug Store and there are no signs or directions. You need to know what you are looking for to find it.
Staff was very friendly and the bar set-​up is top notch. The team from Cure in New Orleans were the consultants on this project… so enough said.
Jackson should feel truly privileged to have a craft cocktail bar like Apothecary.

Fantastic old school drink menu.
Robert is an ARTIST. GREAT STUFF.
The atmosphere and décor are just perfect.
I had the lamb sliders and a cheese plate.
Cheese plate was pitch perfect.
I disagree with a couple commenters, this is not a hipster bar. No hint of PBR, if you think this is a hipster bar, you don’t know what a hipster is.
Fact: If you don’t like this place, you’re a terrible person.

Wednesday night = plenty of seating. An amazing and creative drink menu. I like old man drinks so I was happy here. But damn, it was so cold inside. Like almost uncomfortably so. So bring a sweater! Really enjoyed the «speakeasy» vibe. Loved the décor.

I must say, I was really looking forward to checking out the Apothecary, based on the good reviews and the fact that I’m a native Jacksonian who frequented Brent’s Drug Store before I even had a drivers license. Sadly, I was extremely disappointed. First, expect a wait. I’ve never been to a bar where you had to be on a waiting list for a table and couldn’t get a damn drink! The bartender blew me off telling me to get waited on at the ‘back bar’ by a waitress. Ten minutes later a waitress informed me that she could only wait the tables and sent me back to the bar. Once I finally debunked the ‘pass off’ attitude of the staff, I got a martini that was not only WAY off the specs, but as warm as an hour old beer. I realize that on a Saturday night in a popular place the staff gets busy, but sorry, in the service industry you don’t get a pass for being ‘busy’. When I finally managed to grab a seat at the bar, the only staff member to be even semi cordial (Robert) managed to get me a Belvedere on the rocks (apparently the ONE cocktail foolproof enough to get on a Saturday night). To add insult to injury, at the end of the evening, I had to correct a bill that had 3 scotch and waters instead of two and two martinis instead of one; apparently they wanted not only to charge for a drink we didn’t order, but also for the over wet martini I sent back! Watch the bill! Don’t pay $ 50 for drinks that should cost $ 25. VERY disappointing!

This was a very awesome spot. I got an Old Fashion and I don’t think I’ve had better. Hidden behind a remodeling drug store, it is intimate and cozy. Their menu is extensive and it looks like they can make just about anything you’d want, and make it well too.

It’s dusk. You’ve been on the road for hours. Having done your research, you know this place exists, but when you pull into the parking lot, the diner (that was once a drug store) is dark. A person walks out of the door of the diner. You wonder. Another person exits the diner. From whence do they come?
Your friend is more daring than you. He pulls on the darkened diner door and enters confidently. You follow, thirstily.
There, through the back. There, see the little room? Go in there.
Ohhhhh, there is it. You did it (well, he did it first). You are here.
Have a drink. Have two. Enjoy the ambiance of this cool and clever place, and better yet, enjoy those drinks, and feel like an explorer making a really cool discovery. We won’t tell anyone that you were chicken at first.

I’ve been to Brent’s for Burgers and shakes before, so when I heard about the «speakeasy» in the back, I knew I had to check it out. Wow. Having just pigged out at Fondren Public, I had to limit my experience to a couple cocktails. I had the Pink Phosphorescent, which I found refreshing and creative, and a nice Sazerac cocktail. Great service, and what a place! Fondren has a couple of very hip new places to eat and drink, I highly recommend Apothecary.

Great little bar with a lot of character! Definitely has a speakeasy feel to it. No signs, just walk into Brent’s and straight to the back and they open the black curtain to reveal the secret bar. I agree with the other reviewer, the drinks are a bit pricey, but very creative. I had the Mortar and Pestle, great because I love lemon and vodka drinks. Beer selection is not extensive, but has some less common beers like Lazy Magnolia.

Upon walking into Apothecary, I was a fan. The experience just got better.
Very laid back. Hidden, behind Brent’s Drugs; a cool concept for this area.
The waitstaff were patient, not pushy and great.
You get what you pay for. Don’t go here expecting to spend nothing. It’s pricey, but the drinks have medicinal quality with a candy store flavor and excitement. Oh and they actually have great beer. Finally, a place in Jackson with an excellent beer selection.
Come here. You will enjoy it at the least, but it’s likely you’ll fall in love.

Stopped by this place after dinner. A friend heard that there was a speakeasy type bar that was open in the back of Brent’s Drugs in the evening so our group decided to try it out.
You walk in through Brent’s and go all the way to the back, past the bathrooms and through a curtain. Then you see the hostess and you walk into the bar.
The bar is beautiful with old drugstore/​library card catalog cabinets. The bartenders and waiters are quite hip. Coming from CA, I feel like this bar would totally be popular in the Bay Area, LA, or any other big city. The filament light bulbs remind me of many Oakland bars.
Now, the cocktails. They’ve got several lists of special and classic cocktails. I had the Pink Phosphorescent and it was delicious. Drink prices fit with any city bar, averaging about $ 10 a drink.
It was another unique place to visit in Jackson!