Here is a list of some great places to check out for trivia night in Chicago:
The Schoolyard Tavern (located at 3258 N. Southport Ave)
Neighborhood – Lakeview
When – Tuesdays @ 8 pm
Trivia Night at the Schoolyard is always a lot of fun. The crowd is consistently full and everyone always seems to enjoy themselves there. It is held every Tuesday night at 8 pm in the bar’s back room and the atmosphere is very laid back. Teams of 3 to 5 people compete in a general trivia competition for prizes ranging from Schoolyard gift certificates to free rounds of drinks. Admission is $5 per person. In my experience, the back room generally fills up rather quickly and it can sometimes be a little hard to hear the emcee so get there early if you want to get a good seat. The food at the Schoolyard is always decent and the specials on Tuesday include $5 appetizers and $2.50 Bud Light drafts.
The Local Option (located at 1102 W. Webster)
Neighborhood – Lincoln Park/DePaul
When – Wednesdays @ 8 pm
The Local Option hosts another laid back trivia night on the north side. The event is hosted by an emcee and with teams up to five people. Admission is free. The competition is seven rounds of mostly general trivia with one audio round where teams have to guess the artist and title of a song clip that is played. The prizes for winning are a percentage off of your total bill; 50% for first place, 25% for second place, and 10% for third. In my experience here, the crowd on trivia night can be somewhat inconsistent which can make it a little less fun if there aren’t many people to compete against. However, the emcees do a very good job of keeping the game entertaining.
Fiesta Mexicana (2423 N. Lincoln Ave)
Neighborhood – Lincoln Park/DePaul
When – Wednesdays @ 8 pm
While I must confess that I have never personally attended trivia night at Fiesta Mexicana I have heard lots good things about it. I have, however, been there for many late night/early morning burritos which I thoroughly enjoy. Their trivia night is typically hosted by two emcees with teams competing in several rounds of general trivia. Specials include half price margarita pitchers and admission is free. You can also get big burritos for about $5 every night of the week.
The Hidden Shamrock (2723 N. Halsted)
Neighborhood – Lincoln Park
When – Tuesdays @ 8 pm
Pub Quiz night at the Hidden Shamrock has teams of up to five competing for cash prizes (size depends on the number of teams competing). The competition consists of seven rounds of general trivia. There’s usually a pretty good crowd here on Tuesdays; enough people to make it fun but not so many that it’s uncomfortable. Admission is $20 for a team of up to four and $25 for a team of five. The Hidden Shamrock has a very authentic Irish feel to it, with two fireplaces and a lot of authentic Irish patrons. The food is decent and the drink specials on Tuesdays include $2.50 bottles of Miller products and $3.50 pints of Blue Moon.
The Globe Pub (1934 W. Irving Park Rd)
Neighborhood – North Center/Lakeview
When – Tuesdays @ 8 pm
I can honestly say of all the trivia nights I’ve attended, the emcee at the Globe Pub is by far the most entertaining. The bar’s website boasts “our quiz night has made a bit of a name for itself about town and we can safely say that we host the finest quiz night north side of Chicago courtesy of Quizmaster Dave Ahrens.” Teams here range from four to six and admission is $5 per person with all proceeds going to benefit the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The competition consists of seven rounds of questions on a very wide variety of topics. They do a great job here of getting creative with the questions which makes it a lot of fun. Quiz night specials include $4 Beamish and $7 chicken fajitas.
Elephant & Castle (160 E. Huron St.)
Neighborhood – Gold Coast
When – Tuesdays @ 7:30 pm
I’ve had a lot of fun at the trivia night at Elephant & Castle. The bar is located in the Radisson Hotel and Suites on Huron so getting there can be kind of a hassle but the crowd always seems to be pretty good. It is a Pubstumpers game which means that it consists of 5 rounds of questions, 2 rounds of music clips, and 1 round of pictures. The game itself is a lot of fun and the hosts usually do a pretty good job of entertaining the crowd. However, the downside is that drinks and food here are a little more expensive.
