Food & Drink

Farrell’s Bar & Grill And Hank’s Saloon Make Grub Street’s 50 Best Dive Bars List

Donny Levit

May 10, 2016 — 3 min read

Farrell's Bar & Grill — Photo via sugarlamble

Here’s your local dive bar multiple choice quiz:

A. Styrofoam cups of cheap beer.
B. Live music dive.
C. Old school Irish toughs.
D. Ruffian toilets.

Can you name the bar? (Answers on the bottom — don’t look!)

Grub Street just released their 50 Best Dive Bars in New York. And of those 50, our area boasts two of them.

In order to qualify, Grub Street lays out one of the fundamental rules: “Cheap beer matters, and hiring a decorator is basically a disqualifier (dive-bar décor just happens). A food menu shouldn’t really go beyond peanuts.”

Our two selections include: #19: Hank’s Saloon, 46 3rd Avenue (at Atlantic Avenue) and #22: Farrell’s Bar & Grill (215 Prospect Park West at 16th Street). Both bars more than merit the list.

Farrell’s is old school, and harkens back to a tougher Park Slope time. The place is better described as a tap room. Shirley MacLaine caused a ruckus back in the 70s when she refused to play by the rules of women needing a chaperone to enter the place. Needless to say, that’s a bygone era.

The joint is the home of the styrofoam cup — you best get the the 32-ounce size if you want to blend in with the locals. This is a no-nonsense drinking venue, and the beer starts flowing at 10am lasting until 4am Mondays-Saturdays. Sorry, you’ll have to wait until noon on Sundays to get your drink on.

Now Farrell’s full name is Farrell’s Bar & Grill. If you’re interested in some grub, you’ll have to munch some drunk pizza elsewhere. The place hasn’t had food in many years. Feel free to complain to them about it … if you dare.

For the music fans, Hank’s Saloon boasts a robust music roster — often scheduling four bands on any given evening. So listen to some live tunes and belly up to the bar for your Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Perp Walk at Hank’s Saloon. (Photo by Grumpy Bert)

And for music listening, you’re in for a treat. Soundman Kipp Elbaum does wonders with their sound system We experienced it last Thursday during Perp Walk’s show, featuring NY1’s Roger Clark. Bands should line up to work with his set-up.