The Best Dive Bars in Brooklyn
Shenanigans Pub
802 Caton Avenue, Kensington
The lighting is dim, though the neon shamrock in the window helps some; the walls are wood-paneled and the three beers on tap are usually Bud, Bud Light, and Killian’s; the jukebox has a decent selection. All of these things could add up to more of a low-key neighborhood spot than a traditional dive bar, but Shenanigan’s regular daytime crew of local men (what’s the opposite of itinerant? It’s these guys), which includes local legend Joel, who works at the nearby Kensington Stables, sports an all-leather outfit year round (in the summer he wears his chaps and vest with no shirt), and is a lively presence at the bar. The thing with Shenanigans is that it veers sharply from sedate on an early Tuesday evening to quite raucous on karaoke Saturdays, but no matter the crowd, the integrity of the place is still present, and the draw of a dive-y, local pub to counter all the higher-end choices in nearby Ditmas Park and Park Slope is undeniable.