An organization I am with is looking to do a small scale event in the Jackson area. We are wanting to do a Pint Night, so it would need to be a restaurant with a more casual atmosphere, have a good beer selection, be willing to reserve a spot (preferably a small room) for 10 to 15 people, and have a minimal possibility of murder. All of the places I had in mind either do not accept reservations or have a minimum spending limit, minimum attendance, and require a good chunk of money up front. So far I have checked with:
Pig and Pint
Fondren Public
Burgers and Blues
Mugshots
I am also waiting to hear back from Iron Horse Grill.

Do any of you have any suggestions on where else to look?

Bulldog behind the Hilton?

Thanks. I will give both of them a call. I never thought about GB, and I wasn't sure the Bulldog was still open.

Is this normal now? This is the response from Georgia Blue regarding a reservation. I have gotten similar responses from other restaurants as well.

We have our small room available. It can seat up to 25 people. The food and beverage minimum is $1,000 before tax and gratuity. I can do separate checks and an open menu for your group. If the minimum is not met then you would have to purchase a GB gift card in the remaining balance. If you are interested we do require a 20% deposit in order to hold the room but you can apply it towards your tab once the minimum is met.

I'm thinking about setting up a grill in Cowboy Maloney's parking lot and drinking beer on the tailgate.

You might want to check out the Holiday Inn in Pearl also. The Alumni House bar/grill is there, I know they have hosted and catered events in the meeting rooms there at the hotel. It's a nice, clean place in a much better area than Jackson.

Hal and Mals would fit the bill as long as your guests don't get lost leaving. If they get lost and go to SW Jackson you need a QRF on standby.

Give Sal and Mookie's a call too, they have a decent beer selection and burgers, pizza, and sandwhiches in addition to their pasta.

I will give Sal and Mookies a call today.

It's always an adventure leaving Jackson. You may get to test your survival skills.

I forgot to update this thread. I was able to get the party room at Lost Pizza in Ridgeland for free. I still cannot figure out why a restaurant would charge up front and require a minimum spending limit to reserve a table.