Brooklyn’s Rustik Tavern greets eager Brooklyn-ites desperate for some grit with style. Rustic, the word sans le “k”, refers to anything country rather than city, which could be applied to Brooklyn as compared to Manhattan maybe, but certainly not like a comparison to say Davie, Florida, where riding a horse through the McDonald’s drive-through is not only socially acceptable but a normal thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.

Rustic can also be applied to anything simple, artless or unsophisticated. This second definition is not so easily applicable to the Rustik Tavern. Although you could wear your flannel button-front shirt with your worn-in Levi’s and fit in, the contents of the walls make this place anything but artless. The neighborhood art gallery, the Pratt Institute, has agreed to lend the new dive paintings to decorate with on the regular.

Uncooth, rude and boorish are other synonyms of “rustic” and although I’m certain a few patrons who have had one too many will fit the description, the general feel of the place is quite welcoming. Perhaps these slight deviations from the original meaning of the word are signified by the mysterious “k”.

Rustik’s menu is full of standard, boring but satisfying pub fare options disguised under literary pseudonyms. The Franklin is their fish ‘n’ chips option ($9) and The Willoughby is just another name for their classic buffalo wings ($8) that come in BBQ, teriyaki, jerk, sweet n’ sour, lemon pepper or plain. Dessert is just as standard with one stand out item for $4 called Just Two Scoops!. Overzealous use of the exclamation point, I agree, but this mix of vanilla ice cream, nutmeg, cinnamon and a drizzled shot of Bailey’s almost makes it appropriate.

The beer and wine lists are of a reasonable size and include unheard of worldly options. Try a pint of the Morland Old Speckled Hen from Suffolk England just for the sheer genius of its name or the thick Grimbergen Blonde from Jumet Belgium with a serious alcohol content of 6.9%.