Photo by @trivianyc / Instagram
From the universal love of Jeopardy to the Black Mirror-esque HQ Trivia, the opportunity to show off that you know that Opatovce is a village in Slovakia and that Jenna Fischer’s first acting gig was for a sex-ed video is intoxicating. Still, nothing beats the feeling of putting together a group of oddball friends for IRL pub trivia.
There are plenty of trivia nights throughout Brooklyn for you to explore, whether you’re using it as an excuse to drink on a Tuesday or to make use of your late night Wikipedia binges. Here are some top picks for each night:
Sunday
Skylark Bar
477 5th Ave., Park Slope
7pm
If your trivia group wants to pretend that the weekend will never end, trivia night at Skylark Bar is the best place for perpetual daydreamers. With the help of ‘70s-inspired decor, pinball machines and a collection of board games, you won’t want to leave after the last question has been called. To make matters even better, the trivia is chock-full of bonus rounds with shots as prizes.
Pacific Standard
82 4th Ave., Boerum Hill
8pm
When a bar has been running trivia for 10 years, you know it must be something special. This California-inspired microbrew pub serves up 16 beers on tap, a nice selection of bar snacks and a cozy vibe that’ll give you a nice break before having to go into the office on Monday. This trivia was made for true beer nerds – the last round is a test of your beer tasting skills!
Golden Years
221 N 4th St., Williamsburg
7pm
Pull yourself away from Golden Years’ 25-option whiskey menu to win (relatively) big at Brainstormer Pub Quiz. There are 12 taps, six rounds, and plenty of hearty food options.
Monday
Alligator Lounge
600 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg
9pm
Feeling hungry, broke and dying to show your Tinder date how smart you are? Look no further than trivia night at Alligator Lounge, where every purchase of a beer comes with a free pizza. If you’re going to be cheap, might as well lean into it.
P.S. Trivial Dispute will often post a trivia question for you to answer on their Facebook page for a free shot on the afternoon of trivia night
The Gate
321 5th Ave., Park Slope
8pm
If you’re looking to up your clout on UnTappd and Instagram at the same time, stop by for trivia at The Gate. Their immense tap list and large outdoor area has something for everyone.
Tuesday
Black Rabbit
91 Greenpoint Ave., Greenpoint
8pm
Private booths with swinging doors, casual board games and prohibition-style decor would be enough to bring me to Black Rabbit on any weeknight, but the “world’s nerdiest trivia night” puts it over the edge to make it a must on Tuesdays. Cancel that Seamless order and show your friends that you didn’t technically fail chemistry over a bratwurst and beer.
Parklife
636 Degraw St., Gowanus
7pm
New to Gowanus but sister venue to longtime neighborhood venue Littlefield, Parklife is a combination beer garden and taco stand which features a sprawling backyard and Tuesday night trivia. Tuesdays at Parklife also mean 2-for-1 drafts til 9pm. Trivia includes an audio round, rapid-fire round, and history round,.
Fawkner
191 Smith St., Boerum Hill
8pm
Parents better call a babysitter for the night: there’s a strict no stroller policy here – good justification to let loose over the vegan-friendly food options and fun cocktail menu. If your team can win it all, you may need to have your sitter on speed dial since they also give out tickets to comedy shows at the Bell House & Union Hall, along with a massive $50 gift card to the winner.
Berg’n
899 Bergen St., Crown Heights
7:30pm
We’ve all been in this situation: Your friend group wants to have trivia night, no one can agree on food options and there’s obviously no time to go home first. Luckily, there is an easy solution with trivia at Berg’n, a beer hall created by the founders of Smorgasburg with a number of food vendors.
Wednesday
Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer St., Williamsburg
7:30pm
Through the consistent booking of influential artists like Beth Orton, Norah Jones and Joanna Newsom, Pete’s Candy Store has been a staple in the Brooklyn music scene since 1999. The ex-general store’s Wednesday night trivia will test your brain power through six rounds of questions that range from general knowledge to visual identification. There’s always something to do at Pete’s, and that top prize $75 bar tab is worth fighting for.
Uncle Barry’s
58 Fifth Ave., Park Slope
9pm
With 18 beers on tap, a growing cocktail menu and plenty of patio space, this friendly Park Slope bar will satisfy everyone in your trivia group. They allow outside food, which means you can sneak in that delivery order if your stomach starts growling in the first round.
Putnam’s Pub & Cooker
419 Myrtle Ave, Clinton Hill
8:30pm
Whether you’re looking for Scottish Salmon or a taste of one of their house-made drafts, there’s plenty of delicious food and drank options at Putnam’s. Put your phone in your pocket and potentially win Putnam’s relatively huge $100 first-place prize.
Thursday
B61
187 Columbia St, Cobble Hill
7:30pm
NPR listeners and those familiar with Pulitzer Prize winners will love trivia night at the divey B61. The bar is located under the gourmet Mexican restaurant Alma and the menu includes pints of mojitos. This trivia is ideal for bookworms since John Chaneski, NYC’s favorite quiz guru, always comes with a healthy stack of books to give out as prizes.
No trivia on Friday & Saturday
OK, all of your friends know you’re the smart one. You can take a day off of trivia. Go check out an indie bookstore instead!
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A correction to your description of “The Gate” … they hostilely do NOT allow dogs on the patio anymore. If you try to bring one they’ll shoo you away and pretend they were never dog-friendly to begin with.
Noted and updated, thank you!
Went to Atlantic Social for trivia last night….they definitely do not have trivia! Seems like they either haven’t had it in months or never had it in the first place- I got conflicting reports.
So sorry about that – I’ve removed it from the list.
Starting in May, Huckleberry Bar in Williamsburg will have our ThinkWhileYouDrink trivia nights every Tuesday at 8pm.
I think there’s also a pub quiz at Motorino in Brooklyn on Tuesday nights… Just to make your list more complete.