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Jack in the Box, Manchester
Manchester
M4 5BU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Brainy Pool left this review about Jack in the Box
Small bar in one corner of the Mackie Mayor building, with eight real ales on (mostly from Blackjack). an impressive place with stalls for beer, wine, coffee and (very expensive) street food. The whole place is well run and doing very good trade even on a moody Tuesday afternoon. Probably not the spot for a quiet pint but it’s a buzzy sociable place.
On 27th March 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Pub SignMan left this review about Jack in the Box
Situated inside the Mackie Mayor food hall complex, this place is essentially just a bar counter selling products from the Black Jack brewery. As such, there’s not a whole lot to say about it – they had four Black Jack ales on cask and a whole load more on the keg taps, plus the odd guest beer and cider option. I tried a couple of the cask ales – I forgot to note the names of any of them though – and thought they were both under-conditioned. The bar has a very plain counter with scruffy blackboards across the canopy listing the full range. Fridges to one side of the bar offer a wide range of bottled and canned alternatives if nothing from the draught range does it for you.
Once you’ve purchased your beer, you can take a seat anywhere within the Mackie Mayor complex, which is set in a grand old building that was once part of the former Smithfield Market. It’s a grand edifice, with two floors of seating, mostly canteen style benches serving long communal tables, and plenty of street-food style vendors offering expensive but tasty fayre. We visited on a mid-week evening and found it quite hard to bag a table thanks to a good crowd who helped create a decent atmosphere.
I don’t mind these venues and often find they are a good compromise when you’re trying to find somewhere to eat for a large group, so to discover a bar inside such a venue, operated by a well-respected local brewery, seemed like a sure-fire winner. However, I left here with a big question mark over their cask turnover and whilst I’d happily return and give them another try, I think anyone coming here solely for the beer, would be better off heading inside the Black Jack pub next door instead.
Date of visit - 20th June 2023
On 11th December 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Old Boots left this review about Jack in the Box
Brewery bar in one of those multiple food and drink outlets, limited seating in the bar area but you can sit anywhere in the building if you can find a space, it’s very popular. Mixed food and drinks, round the edges as described with tea, coffee and a wine bar plus pizza, thai curry, wraps and so on. Seating in the centre at benches, by the Blackjack bar at tables and shelves and more tables on a mezzanine floor. I tried ordering food on the venue’s app but it defeated me so I just had a drink. Beer quality and service were fine though.
On 11th June 2023
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Jack in the Box
Blackjack Brewery bar in the Mackie Mayor former market building, now a food hall. Usual deal with mixed seating in the centre, but it benefits from having some other tables slightly tucked away round one side. I found six of the eight handpumps in use, and opted for the Early-Days Northern Porter (£4.60). Ten craft keg beers also available, together with a couple of Broadoak boxed ciders.
On 22nd March 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Jack in the Box
I must admit that I was very surprised when I walked through the non-descript door into the large market space of the Mackie Mayor building. There are lots of small vendors in here, mostly food. The Jack in the Box stall is to the left of the entrance, I spotted it easily due to the large queue. I counted eight hand pumps on the counter that were drawing Black Jack Brewery’s beers and numerous bottles on the back bar. The service was friendly, but painfully slow.
On 11th December 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Jack in the Box
Indoor market bar (the Mackie Mayor building – which is rather lovely inside with a big glass sky light and wrought-iron frame) and GBG ’22 listed. As mentioned below, it can be found towards the rear on the left-hand side from where you enter – it isn’t immediately obvious. A bonus point for me was that it opened at 11am on a Sunday so I could tick it early doors. Run by Black Jack brewery (Jack In The Box – geddit??), there were eight pumps with seven on; my West Coast PA was fine (NBSS 3). Also a good selection of keg, cans and bottles. Seating is the indoor market itself, which is either a curse or blessing depending on your disposition; it was fine for me as 11.30 on Sunday morning as the jazz music on the go was just right, drowning-out the squawking of trustafarain students and Guardian types tucking into food that was twice the price of a normal venue. Beer prices were a little on the steep side, perhaps to be expected. Two minutes to the brewery’s other venue (Smithfield MT) next door, which is handy. Worth knowing it’s here but not really a ‘venue’ as such, even the barmaid seemed surprised to be serving someone so early. 6.5
On 16th May 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about Jack in the Box
As Blue Scrumpy has noted, the Mackie Mayor building now seems to have a separate entrance and exit - not sure why unless this is a carry over from a one way system during COVID restrictions.
A mix of cask ale and craft keg, from both Blackjack and guest breweries. My 6% Milk Stout (cask) from Ashover Brewery was very enjoyable.
Standing room only on Saturday evening, but there was a drinking shelf with a bit of space for me and my accomplice.
On 21st February 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Jack in the Box
We struggled to find the entrance to this building on our Saturday visit to Manchester. Sure enough, after a lap of the building, we found it in Eagle Street. The exit is on the main road (Swan Street).
Inside was very busy with multiple food and drink vendors. Jack in the Box can be found towards the rear on the left-hand side from where you enter. There is a kiosk-type bar with a seating area beyond that. It was standing room only by the time we arrived mid-afternoon.
As a Blackjack bar, similar to the Smithfield Market Tavern directly opposite, there are plenty of their beers along with some guests. I was initially confused by the labelling of the beers and wasn't sure what was cask and what was keg. The full list of both on draft was Blackjack Porter, Pilsner Pivo, Darcey's Beer, DDH Black IPA, Helles Bier, Fruit Sour, Newkit Brown Ale & UUPA, RedWillow Feckless, Deya Golden Boy, Wild Horse Emrallt & Windsor & Eton Eton Mess, Runaway IPA & NZ Pale. The cider was Broadoak Pheasant Plucker. I opted for the Porter, which was a keg beer.
The beer range is undoubtedly good here, but despite the lively atmosphere, it is not a particularly enjoyable place to while away time if there is no seating available.
On 6th October 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about Jack in the Box
I've been here a couple of times before but don't seem to have left a review. Returned on Saturday night. As has already been mentioned, it is run by Blackjack and is part of the Mackie Mayor building with a mix of other food and drink places. 8 cask beers plus 10 keg to go at. On Saturday there was just one Blackjack beer on cask and the rest were guests. I had a Dark Apostle by Anarchy which was a fairly decent stout. It's basically a drinking and eating hall so lacks the cosiness of more traditional pubs, but there is a decent enough ale selection to make this worth an occasional visit.
On 22nd January 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Jack in the Box
An interesting venue for food and beer along with some fabulous features in Victorian architecture and design. We went for the Burning Sky Plateau and Wild Weather Cry of the Upstarts, both of which were in excellent condition.
On 15th October 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]