Freak Bar

Before or after you marvel at the ragtag cast of sword swallowers, fire breathers, and acrobats at the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, you should grab a local brew at Freak Bar with like-minded misfits and weirdos. Attached to the sideshow’s Seashore Theater, the bar is a breezy, welcoming space filled with a yard sale's worth of creepy clown art, fake skeletons, action figures, and other knickknacks. If the Coney Island Brewery crowd feels too bro-ey, this is where you should come to hang out with cooler locals who sport rainbow hair and septum piercings while sitting around on worn, mismatched couches. Feel free to bring your dog too.