Chicago pub quiz

October 20, 2006 9:22 AM

What bars have good pub quizzes in Chicago?

I have done pub quiz-like things a few times, and I've enjoyed it - I like the intellectual and competitive aspects of it, and it seems to make just sitting around drinking more legitimate. However, I've never really been in a league or gone to a consistent pub quiz night or anything like that. I've tried to a few times, but both times, in Chicago, I've gotten there with friends and it's been "we don't do that anymore" or "you've got the wrong night" (even though I was sure that I didn't, from the information on the internet). It was disappointing. So where are good pub quizs in Chicago and where can I find accurate information about when and where to show up?

posted by jcwagner to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total)

One of the reasons that it's hard to find in Chicago is that three or so years ago, it was outlawed as a form of gambling. Most of the pub quiz nights I went to had a small pot (every participant put $5 in to play) that was split among the winning team. I think that once the fun of winning money or prizes went away, many bars did away with trivia nights altogether.
posted by smich at 10:21 AM on October 20, 2006

My brother and his friends go to Rocks in Lincoln Park for their Tuesday night Trivia Night. They seem to have a good time at it - you might want to see if other bars have something like a trivia night as opposed to a pub quiz, though I don't know how big the difference is.
posted by bibbit at 10:39 AM on October 20, 2006

Doing a little more searching, Schoolyard Tavern is starting some pub quizzes on the 24th, and Ginger's Ale House has them on Sunday nights. I've been to both bars and liked them, though I know nothing about the quizzes.
posted by bibbit at 10:45 AM on October 20, 2006

The Pub on the campus of the University of Chicago has trivia night every Tuesday at 8:00. You have to pay $1 to get in the pub (unless you're a student or faculty) and $3 per person to register your team. Five rounds of eight questions each. Winning team gets 2/3 of the pot (they usually leave with around $100), and second place gets the rest. There's an emphasis on goofy team names and raucous cheering when your name is called. Quite fun, except the part where we always get our asses kicked. It's in the basement of Ida Noyes Hall on 59th street at Woodlawn.
posted by I Am Not a Lobster at 11:10 AM on October 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

I think that Grizzly's Lodge on N. Lincoln (near Martyr's) has a pub quiz. It's kind of more of a restaurant than a bar, but it's definitely got a bar aspect to it. One caveat -- the food is the most disgusting I've ever had in Chicago. Stick to the beer.
posted by penchant at 11:17 AM on October 20, 2006