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Alibi
- Nearest Transit:
-
Clinton - Washington Avs (G)
Lafayette Av (A, C)
Fulton St (G)
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
64 reviews for Alibi
Review Highlights
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"Happy hour is really good there." In 9 reviews -
"big fan of cheap drinks at a comfortable dive with..." In 6 reviews -
"Big Buck Hunter, pool, bar games, plus the deck make it fun..." In 5 reviews
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64 reviews in English
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Review from Jonathan E.
Brooklyn, NY
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yes it's a dive.
But dives break different ways.
Some are dark, dank, depressing and smell like musty tampons.
This place is lively, festive and diverse. But not hip, nor a scene. Just a really cool dive with old men arguing jazz, middle aged men hustling pool and young men looking for quarters to play video games.
The younger guys simply act like tampons. -
Review from Patrick C.
Brooklyn, NY
5/18/2012
I told myself that I had to post a review after reading a review for a person who said they were a "person of color" and was mistreated by the workers and those attending the bar. I was skeptical to come here b/c I wasn't looking forward to any racial profiling (I am a 6'2 black guy) - but I checked it out with one of my boys anyway and had no such issues at all!
So as everyone has previously stated the obvious this is 100% dive bar (without any pretentiousness).... Bartender was actually pretty chill, though i did sense a no nonsense kid of vibe from him - but he is a bartender in a dive bar - what do you expect, Cheers? But after a few rounds the bartender did hook us up with a round on the house..
As for the pool table, that experience could have been better but you can't blame that on the bar, the system of writing your name on a chalkboard and then having to sit around and wait for the person who is ahead of you to realize its their turn to play can be frustrating - but again, its a dive bar not Slates in Manhattan.
The atmosphere/patrons was an eclectic crowd, some hipsters, some old-school heads, some dreads - nothing really to comment on.
Overall i give it a 3 out 5 and would go back for beers and to catch a game... -
Review from Leonard P.
Brooklyn, NY
11/9/2011 28 Check-ins Here
Great place to go for cheap happy hour drinks, a fantastic, non-pretentious dive like atmosphere, and a friendly crowd of folks willing to engage you in conversation or challenge you to a game of pool.
The bartenders are surly - just the way we like them and pour a great drink. -
Review from Clint H.
1/10/2012
If you know me, you know that I'm a huge fan of the dive bar, because really, what's not to like? This place is divey, but not TOO divey, so it's great. Not to mention, the rumors of this place's happy hour are actually true. Having said that, I came in here the other day for the first time, after the happy hour was over. Sad face right....? Well don't fret Yelpers, because even though the drinks are $3 you call its during happy hour, the price jumps up to an unreasonable $4 after the happy hour is over. What! Yea that's right...it jumps up only $1 per drink! Sweet right?! Not to mention, the bartender has a tendency to pour those drinks STRONG. They pour drinks like they hate the sight of alcohol and need to get rid of it because they don't want any in their bar. Come here...drink...be merry....
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Review from Roni S.
Brooklyn, NY
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's best to come here when the Pratt students are away, so any time between the end of May and mid August. This place is a dive bar, in the truest sense of the term. It's a shit hole, it's cheap, and there are definitely dudes who have been coming here since they first opened. I like coming here when I'm broke, but not broke enough to stay home and drink a six pack.
Oh, and remember, cash is king, unless you like being slapped with ATM fees, make sure you left the house with a few bills. -
Review from Alex W.
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like visiting New York, I love hanging out with my friends there, but in the past I have never had the thought pop into my head that I would want to live there. Until the crazy ass ice storm of October 29th, 2011. I was trying to walk to Dekalb Market, my shoes were soaked completely through, I had to jump over a tree that fell over on the sidewalk and almost hit a lady in front of me, and it was obvious that the day was over. I hopped into Alibi, watched the bartender carve a pumpkin while my coat was over the fireplace, had great drinks, played pool, shot the shit, and generally had an amazing time all with complete strangers. Also, my 5th star for bars is almost exclusively reserved for bathroom graffiti entertainment/cleverness. This place disappoints in not one area.
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Review from Discerning D.
Brooklyn, NY
2/25/2012
RACIALLY UNCOMFORTABLE PLACE
I used to live in Fort Greene in the early 2000s, and during those years, I sometimes enjoyed drinks at Alibi. I recently returned, and, as a person of color, I felt extremely uncomfortable here. I am a South Asian American, and I was with a few other South Asians. Various customers and staffers insisted on asking me and my group where "we were from." One of the bartenders insisted on "discussing" our take on religousity and politics, and while this could have been considered pleasant small talk, in the given context, it came across as xenophobic harassment. The staff and crowd here seemed to find it difficult to treat my friends and me as regular customers. They repeatedly singled us out as different, which is not acceptable New York behavior. Gentrification has changed Fort Greene for the worse, and I have much better experiences at other neighborhood establishments. If you are looking for a tranquil vibe that is reminiscent of the more harmonious Ft. Greene of yesteryear, don't come here. -
Review from Pablito D.
Brooklyn, NY
1/2/2012
Like everyone else here acknowledges, it's a dive - so my 2 star rating should not deter anyone from going - that's exactly why I go. I don't even mind an indifferent bartender - especially on an amateur night like new year's eve. But what I don't like is paying for a round of makers and getting a round of rotgut. I went straight home and poured myself a tip from a known source to confirm. You people suck for that. Just give me what I paid for, even if it's in a dirty glass.
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Review from Allison P.
Waelder, TX
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Super dive!! $3 happy hour even Stoli and corona. Nice friendly real new Yorkers a place Anthony Bourdain would appreciate.
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Review from zane l.
Brooklyn, NY
11/1/2010
Recently featured as a Top Ten selection in the newly released New York City's Best Dive Bars' (http://amzn.to/b6qeFD) this undergrund gem is just what you'd expect from a small dive that's been around for 4 decades. Dimly lit, smelling often of last night's stale beer, but with an ambiance unrivaled in all of Brooklyn.
Locals head to The Alibi when they want to drown a few sorrows and laugh, cry, or make-out with their friends. The backyard area can be a bit buggy in the summer, but its a great place to have a drink and a smoke and meet new people doing the same. If you think you're a good pool player, the local sharks will probably prove you wrong. Word to the wise: be wary when walking past the table mid-shot. They take it very seriously here and screwing up a shot will likely garner you dirty looks and the designation of a 'tourist'.
Bartenders offer generous pours of well drinks, for only $4. Domestic bottles are $3. A variety of local/seasonal beers are on tap for about $5-6.
Protip: get a shot of Jameson. Depending on how much the bartenders know you or like you, you'll get anything from a double shot to a half a glass of whiskey.
This place is fun, and at times a total shitshow, but always fun.
If you're the type that thinks the Hotel Gansevoort is a cool place. Don't go here. -
Review from Melanie B.
Brooklyn, NY
8/9/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Daydrinking FTW. I almost don't want to write this because I so appreciate cheap drinks in a mostly empty bar on a sultry afternoon, but I know I would have appreciated the info, so I suppose I'll share the secret. Happy Hour drinks (I believe this is 3-7pm) are three dollars. Whatever you want. Three bucks. Swoon.
In the awful heat of late, my cousin and I recently ambled up the hill to Dekalb to find some cheaply-priced 3pm beverages at the highly-recommended to us dive, Alibi. We were not disappointed. When we arrived the bartender was apparently MIA - or so we were informed by a gentleman sitting at the other end of the bar that said tender would BRB. Happy to cool off for a moment, we waited patiently and then ordered three dollar beverages (I got a Brooklyn summer ale and she got a whiskey drink) from the friendly and laissez-fair barman. While we were here, no one else really came in, cept a few old guys, and the atmosphere was perfect for a relaxing afternoon, killing time before we met a friend. I am trying to decide if the gentleman at the end of the bar was playing Nirvana on the jukebox to impress us (fail) or what... but either way, it was perfect for the divey, sleepy, hot afternoon drinking experience.
I don't actually know that I'd want to come in here when it's insane at night - the capacity on the wall says 72 persons, so this place obviously gets smooshed up easily at night, considering it's excellent deals. However, for afternoon/evening drinking, Alibi is on the top of my list.Listed in: Year of Yes, Drunk South of Williamsburg, Brooklyn Happy Hour…
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Review from Dino K.
Brooklyn, NY
Sometimes I just need to kill. I would just like to take a shotgun and do some big game hunting around the city. According to the boys in blue, I'm not allowed to do that. At least this time, I have a seamless Alibi to carry out my wicked deeds.
This is the only place where I can get drunk and kill things. Unfortunately I'm talking about shooting animals on the big screen in Big Game Hunter, but that should satisfy my bloodlust for the moment. I think $6 to take out digital panthers, elk, musk ox, and adorable elephants is way cheaper than a psychiatrist's bill and less humiliating than a life sentence. The hot chicks that flash in between rounds definitely make the time pass quicker.
Don't expect astounding service from the bar. Just order up and quit your whining. Watch out when you pass by the pool table as well. As friendly and outgoing as our resident poolsharks get, they will tear you a new hole if you mess up their shot. Serious hustling goes on in the pay-per-game billiard table. Speaking of hustling, there is definitely some pimping and ho'ing that goes down in these neck of the woods. A sticker that reads "Melinda will swallow your jizz for $40!" on Big Game Hunter's surface top speaks volumes.
A backyard lit in whore-red is the perfect spot to catch some somewhat fresh air in between my African mammal murder sprees and to catch up on a $4 Guinness. When the place appears empty from the inside of the bar, most likely everyone will be out here puffing away and complaining about their jobs or professors. It looks and sounds like a great casual hangout. Maybe it is.Listed in: I Wanna Be Sedated, G Almost Died Here
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Review from Furyk C.
Chicago, IL
10/17/2008
Careful do not make a mistake in this place these guys are HARD!
Kidding - a story if i may; I've walked by the Alibi a number of times because i live only a few blocks away and am a huge fan of dives so i have always wanted to go in. I finally walk in one night early (6:20) and sit down at the end corner of the bar...
Bartender ignores me (the sure sign of a GOOD bar for all those of you who don't know it - a bartender who is too cool for the likes of you) so i wait while he changes channels on the TV...
Bartender with a tough, ginger ponytail: What'dyou want?
Me (there are not tap-handles aside from Guiness) so i point to an amber looking beer on the bar next to me and ask "you have Bass on tap?"
Ponytail: "what?"
Me: "do you have Bass on tap" being an Irish bar and with an Bass-looking beer on the bar for reference (now further elucidated) i figure he'll get it
Ponytail: "what?"
Pool-playing guy whose beer it was: "no it's Brooklyn Lager, it looks similar"
Me: "oh cool, i'll take a Brooklyn Lager"
Ponytail: "a lager?"
Me: "yeah thanks"
Ponytail puts the beer on the counter and as I'm reaching for my wallet i realize that it's been stolen or has fallen out of my pocket....
Me: "crap sorry, my wallet is gone, i need to go get it, so sorry, i'll be back in ten minutes"
Ponytail: *rolls his eyes* "SIIIIGGGGGHHH" (befitting his hair)
Conclusion: they either have more pickpockets outside this bar than a Dickens Novel and this poor guy ALWAYS has this happen or he is just a winy do*&he-bag who really needs to calm down. I got home to find that my wallet was gone and tried to call to tell them i would pay later - but...phone is disconnected...... -
Review from Arthur O.
Greenwich Village, New York, NY
7/31/2007
Try it. Try frontin' on True Dive. What, you're gonna complain about a place that looks like it's survived - rather poorly - a fire - and no one really cared to fix it up afterwards (other than replacing the burnt-down pool table)?
Stop frontin' and hit up Alibi to toss back a few cheapos - Bud bottles - and mingle with the bipeds that crawl into this bomb shelter that seemed to have been bombed. You'll enjoy it.
I watched the Seahawks beat the Packers on MNF in the Snow Bowl and there were even fellow Seahwaks fans there. So much love at Alibi.
The only pool table in walking distance in the neighborhood (as far as I know - if I'm misinformed, please steer me straight).Listed in: Clinton Hill & Fort Greene…
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Review from Jesse N.
Brooklyn, NY
7/12/2007
Don't let your girlfriend go here by herself. It's full of sleazebags. But they are loveable sleazebags with hearts of gold.
Don't get the Bud on tap. It tastes bad. But why would you anyway? You're a beer snob.
This place is small but there is a backyard that is open til 12 or 1 and I've never had a problem getting a seat here, even with a group. There's definitely a crowd of regulars that come here, which I think is special and gives places a lot of character.
Come to this place if you like dive bars and drinks that are pretty cheap.
OH I forgot, they also have a pool table and a lot of pretty competitive people seem to enjoy playing pool there, which is kind of cool. -
Review from John B.
5/29/2010
It is really galling that this kind of place now attracts the kind of people who look like they remove their floating ribs to "fit in." And that Buck Hunter still exists.
On the other hand, I like to watch older neighborhood dudes blast the shit out of kids in billiards. I don't like billiards, necessarily. I just like the humiliation of goofs .
By the way, to all the people complaining about the "serious" and "snobby" billiards players, they've had a league here for 26 years. A lot of the people who play here are good. You might not think much of billiards as a hobby.
But it's a much better use of one's time than grimacing around the loft space, spending hours matching ludicrous vinyl high-tops with doofy Fred Perry v-necks. For as much as billiards might be an idle occupation, there are also greater purposes in life than attaining the appearance of having been dressed by PT Barnum. -
Review from s a.
Brooklyn, NY
1/2/2012
I'm a fan of alibi and have been there several times. However my last experience at Alibi was on New Year's with an indifferent bartender who was serving airplane fuel instead of the maker's mark I ordered. Needless to say it has soured my view of Alibi.
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Review from Ji C.
Cambridge, MA
11/24/2007
Alibi's fun but probably not destination-worthy for anyone living outside of a 1-mile radius of the place. I get the feeling most patrons live nearby or have friends who live nearby. I fall into category 2.
They do have a nice little back room that's an ideal space for a group of friends to take over, particularly if you're there to play the buck hunter and bowling(?) games that are back there.Listed in: You Shot a Cow!
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Review from Evan G.
Brooklyn, NY
11/11/2007
Can I give no stars?
Let me preface this review by saying that my favorite bar of all time is the Pour House (RIP) on bushwick and metropolitan which is probably the diviest bar ever. It also happened to be filled with wonderful people who made you feel at home before you finished your first beer.
Ok so, on that note, the Alibi is probably the worst dive bar ever. I've lived in the neighborhood for over a year and have frequented this shit hole pretty regularly. Yet, the sleazy pseudo-hippy bartender never remembers my name even though I've made a point of introducing myself several times.
This bar is full of jackasses and douchebags who think they're in their own private club house and nobody who isn't pre-approved is allowed.
Now, I am a very mellow guy as anyone who knows me can attest to. I have never written a bad review, especially of a dive bar which is where I spend most of my time. But the bartenders here are just plain muthafuckin assholes who shouldn't be allowed around alcohol meant for public consumption.
The pool playing regulars at this bar have an elitist attitude that is mindblowing considering it is the worst pool table I've ever played on.
In short there is not one appealing thing about this bar unless you happen to live within spitting distance or are an underage Pratt student looking for booze. If you're the latter you can always come over to my place. I'll treat you nice and you might learn something.
This bar should not exist it sucks. -
Review from Sigrid F.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ
2/13/2011
Alibi is MUCH MORE than 40 years old. My step mom worked as a cashier there more than 70 years ago when it was a fancy restaurant.
It was called the Alibi Club when I was a kid in the 50's. I would go to church (QAS) with my girlfriend and her father would lounge in there during the 12:30 Mass.
Fast forward. I was think it is wonderful place to hang for drinks and shoot pool. It has charm, friendly and the NY Times thinks it is a great stop during 36 Hours in Brooklyn.
I am so proud to grow up in such a great area! -
Review from Jacob C.
8/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Alibi is a cool little dive bar that doesn't have much to offer, but the beer is cold, the drinks are cheap, and they have a pool table & juke box to pass the time. The beers that they have on tap are all $5 for the exception of Bud and Bud Light which are $3.50. During their happy hour..all the beers are $3 bucks each. I should also mention that it's a cash only establishment...so make sure you hit an ATM before heading over.
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Review from Steven M.
Brooklyn, NY
9/18/2011 1 photo
The last dive bar in Fort Greene. Cheap drinks. Games (buckhunter etc.). Billiards. Backyard with smoking section. Smells like beer and cheap perfume. Rude bartender. I love it.
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Review from Matthew William R.
Brooklyn, NY
7/9/2011
This bar would be fine if i was just a dive bar, like rope In Clinton Hill, or Boat in Cobble Hill except...
Alibi is tended by an unfriendly staff whom are burdened by the action of pouring a beer into a glass. They seem to hate pouring beer. Almost as if pouring beer was not in the job description at all and it was a special request like.. asking for an new fork because it looks like it is not clean enough or requesting water with lemon, lime, and three ice cubes. As if they were supposed to be in a castle, at that moment, having sex on piles of money. -
Review from Adam Q.
Bloomington, IN
9/26/2007
Alibi was the first bar my craigslist-discovered roommates took me to when I moved in last December. It was everything I'd hoped for, and now I go there at least 2 or 3 times a month, usually for happy hour with my girlfriend.
I was used to a place called Louise and Jerry's in Hoboken, a basement-level dive with dim lights, a pool table, a familiar face behind the bar, a good jukebox, and Buck Hunter. Alibi had all these things, plus a great little wooden patio where it's OK to smoke. What more could I ask for? -
Review from Jody W.
Brooklyn, NY
3/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
big fan of cheap drinks at a comfortable dive with fantastic jukebox music? here's your spot.
perfect for an inexpensive afternoon drink. pool table, although regulars seem to keep that on lock down. cash only, but plenty of nearby atms.
the first time we went, the friendly bartender said everything was $3. everything. can't argue with that. -
Review from Justin C.
Jamaica Plain, MA
2/22/2008
It is, at its core, a run-of-the-mill dive. The drinks/beers are inexpensive, but not very good either. I never really cared for the people that hung out there (an array of Pratt kids, neighborhood do-nothings and hipsters). One of the bartenders (I wont point him out, but if you know the Alibi, you probably know who I am talking about) is probably the biggest asshole I have ever encountered.
So why, the four stars? I lived in FG for years and the Alibi was like a friend that was kinda a dick, not really that smart, funny or interesting, but was undeniably reliable. No that I am leaving Brooklyn, I know I will genuinely miss that shithole.
I also have a soft spot for the Alibi, as it was where I watched the now-famed "tuck rule game", when the Patriots beat the Raiders and went on to win their first SB, amongst a pack of pissy Jets fans and one very loud Raiders fan. -
Review from Julissa l.
Brooklyn, NY
9/29/2011
So I came here with my cousin (female) and a guy friend who just got off of work (bartender)...he recommended this spot because of the cheap pricing. I'm not very picky with bars, as long as they have scotch I'm good! Anyway yes it was late, it was after 3am. We already had two drinks here before the bartender asked if we wanted one last drink (Last Call) we said YES please! no more than 15 mins later Big Bouncer Dude (He thinks he's sooo COOL) comes throwing everyone out, telling us we have to leave, I grabbed my drink and wanted to finish it but NOOOO Big guy grabs all of our drinks, piles them up and throws them on the side of the bar and literally escorted us out of the bar as if we were Intruders disrupting a party! Unbelievable!!!! IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS!!!! I guess big guy needed to feel tough as if he worked at a club. DUDE... WE'RE FEMALES, HAVE SOME RESPECT!!!!!
I agree with the other reviews about these people being miserable...they all look like they hate their job! Its a shame the way they treat their customers....I guess I cant expect much from a late night bar with cheap drinks in the neighborhood. -
Review from Amelia P.
Brooklyn, NY
10/23/2007
Love it. The bartender was GREAT, though apparently he has a bad rep.... Hmmm, my roommate called him the "nicest bartender in NYC" and she hates everyone! (but she was trashed)
Now that the Rope is always filled with LAME asses I'm headed to the Alibi! -
Review from Stephen H.
Manhattan, NY
2/3/2011
Been going here for years. $1.25 bud mugs during happy hour ( they go up to $1.75 after 8pm ) , pool table, juke box, outdoor smoking area in back...Word to the wise, don't give the bartender any lip. Seen him respond and it's not pretty. If you're cool and respectful you have nothing to worry about.
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Review from C S.
Brooklyn, NY
5/16/2011
Classic dive bar. Happy hour most nights until 8 pm- $3 draft beer and also drinks (now THATS rare!). Pool table, jukebox ($1 for one 'hot' song or two older songs), garden space is pretty great and might just make this place a regular of mine this summer.
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Review from katie s.
Brooklyn, NY
7/11/2008
Best shitty bar ever.
Drinks are really cheap, there's always some loud pool game and people screaming by the bar but the bartender is always fast to get you another round to take out back. I pretty much always sit on the patio because it's stuffy as fuck in there, and maybe I like to smoke sometimes ok? Happy hour is really good there. Unlike other bars in Brooklyn and Manhattan you do not have to pay a premium to get treated like shit by the staff and patrons. -
Review from Sandy V.
Brooklyn, NY
4/19/2011
Solid neighborhood dive bar. Plenty of character in the space, jukebox and cheap drink. Outdoor space which is great in warmer months. Bartenders are really nice and take care of regulars , buybacks a plenty.
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Review from Jay F.
Brooklyn, NY
9/3/2010 60 Check-ins Here
The Alibi. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
Listed in: My Neighborhood, The Places I Go Out
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Review from jill H.
New York, NY
2/11/2009
Mean bartenders, crazy customers, arcade games and cheap drinks.
I like it. -
Review from Leah D.
1/7/2011
Never understood the appeal of this place. Even as dive bars go, it's a shithole. Expect lots of underage drunk art students and the antics that go with it.
Listed in: Pratt Island
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Review from Lisa A.
Updated - 2/23/2010 1 photo
$3 drink happy hour (until 8pm) folks.
pints and mixed drinks.
that's all i'm saying....1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/1/2009
Another on again, off again rainy Saturday afternoon in the K. When we walked in we were greeted by… Read more »
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Review from molly c.
2/23/2010
i personally cannot speak to the crowd at this place on any other night but a monday.
front room was crowded and the door to the patio was SLAMMED SO LOUD. SO OFTEN. and there was a pervasive sent of B.O. and weed that seemed to float over the whole place.
"so, molly," you may ask, "why the 5 stars then?" well, humble reader, i'll tell you.
the happy hour, which lasts until 8 p.m., provided me with $3 jameson and ginger ale.
and that, my friends, is "as good as it gets." -
Review from john h.
Brooklyn, NY
1/20/2007
Alibi sometimes smells like an old keg farted, but that's dive bars for you. This is the least pretentious place I've found to drink within a 10 minute walk of my apartment. Big Buck Hunter, pool, bar games, plus the deck make it fun for the whole family.
Listed in: Fort Greene Favorites
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Review from Koku K.
Brooklyn, NY
10/30/2007
Typical dive. No frills, and the drinks are inexpensive. Pratt students and locals abound. I usually fall into Alibi. It's not a destination place.
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Review from Todd H.
Oakland, CA
8/24/2008
This place is truly a shit hole. Another yelper summed it up best, it's like an old friend who's not very interesting but reliable. That said, not once but twice. Drinks are cheap, the jukebox generally holds good tunes. Usually full of Pratt students and assorted locals. It's generally filthy and if your with the right people it can be a good time.
