The Best Bar Trivia Nights in NYC

Bar trivia is the only acceptable reason to shush your friends in public. It is a weekly ritual of cheap beer, aggressively chewed pens, and the sudden realization that nobody at your table knows the capital of North Dakota. New York takes its pub quizzes seriously. Teams spend years chasing a league championship, and the best hosts command loyal followings that border on cultish.

We combed through the city to find the most competitive, entertaining, and well-run trivia nights happening right now. Skip the disorganized games where the host reads from a phone. These are the rooms where the audio rounds work, the ties are broken fairly, and the bar tabs are actually worth winning.

The Waylon

Hell's Kitchen · 736 10th Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

A tight country saloon with honky-tonk on the jukebox and Frito pie on the menu. Tuesday nights at 8 PM belong to the NYC Trivia League, and the competition in this room is fierce. The crowd is mostly locals who know exactly how many points they need to make the season championships. Expect to answer hard questions about geography and obscure television shows while drinking cheap domestic lagers.

Go for: The most competitive Tuesday night in Midtown. Know before you go: Space is tight, so arrive by 7 PM to claim a booth.

Pete's Candy Store

Williamsburg · 709 Lorimer St · $ WebsiteMap

The beloved back room of this neighborhood institution hosts Quizz-Off every Wednesday at 7:30 PM. It is a true six-round gauntlet featuring general knowledge, audio rounds, and visual identification. The room is narrow, the questions are difficult, and the regulars do not mess around. You will need a well-rounded team to have any hope of placing in the top three and walking away with the cash prize for your bar tab.

Go for: The chance to win a real bar tab. Know before you go: Get the grilled cheese.

Metropolitan Bar

Williamsburg · 559 Lorimer St · $ WebsiteMap

The Wednesday night trivia at this long-running gay bar is a welcome pivot from the highly structured league format. Drag queens host the 8 PM pop-culture quiz, which leans heavily into music, television, and queer history. The fireplaces are going in the winter, and the massive outdoor patio is open year-round. It feels more like a house party than a standardized test.

Go for: A loud, highly social Wednesday night. Know before you go: Happy hour runs until 8 PM, so grab your drinks right before the first question.

Post No Bills

Bushwick · 253 Bushwick Ave · $ WebsiteMap

A cash-only Bushwick corner bar that keeps things strictly analog. Monday night trivia at 8:30 PM is run in-house, featuring a music round, current events, and free shot questions to keep the energy up. The best part is the format control. The team with the lowest score gets to pick a category for the following week, giving everyone a fighting chance.

Go for: A relaxed, low-stakes game with cheap drinks. Know before you go: Hit the ATM before you arrive.

Mockingbird

Park Slope · 213 7th Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

New York finally has a zero-proof trivia night. This all-day cafe transforms into a non-alcoholic cocktail lounge in the evening, hosting its own pub quiz on Tuesdays. You get all the rowdy team debates and obscure history questions of a standard trivia night, just with zero-proof agave spirits and adaptogenic botanicals in your glass.

Go for: A clear head on Wednesday morning. Know before you go: Check out our Park Slope neighborhood guide for dinner spots nearby.

Alligator Lounge

Williamsburg · 600 Metropolitan Ave · $ WebsiteMap

The legendary dive bar where every drink order comes with a free personal pizza. Monday night trivia is run by Trivial Dispute at 8 PM. It gets packed fast with a crowd that has been drinking cheap beer and playing Skee-Ball since 6 PM. The trivia is standard general knowledge, but the chaotic energy of a hundred people eating tiny pizzas makes it memorable.

Go for: The best Monday night deal in the borough. Know before you go: You will smell like a pizza oven when you leave.

Fulton Ale House

Bed-Stuy · 1446 Fulton St · $$ WebsiteMapProfile

A surprisingly large sports pub that flies the flag for the Buffalo Bills on weekends. Monday nights at 8 PM belong to LitUp Trivia. Between rounds, you can play darts, use the dedicated chess tables, or figure out where to go next using our Bed-Stuy guide. The hosts keep the pacing fast, meaning you are never left staring at a blank answer sheet for too long.

Go for: A laid-back neighborhood crowd. Know before you go: The bar has an excellent list of European drafts and single malt scotches.

The Winslow

East Village · 243 E 14th St · $$ WebsiteMap

A British-style gin bar bordering Gramercy that takes Monday nights seriously. The 7:30 PM NYC Trivia League game draws large groups of coworkers and college friends. They clear out some of the high-top tables to make room for standing teams, but you still need to claim space early. The cocktail program here is vastly superior to a standard pub, making it a great option for a date.

Go for: An incredible gin selection while you argue about history questions. Know before you go: Seating is strictly first-come, first-served.

Sláinte

East Village · 304 Bowery · $$ WebsiteMap

This massive Bowery pub has been pouring great Guinness for two decades. The Wednesday 7 PM game is loud, crowded, and perfectly suited for large groups who need room to spread out. The layout features excellent sightlines to the host and multiple screens, so you never feel isolated in a back corner. Expect heavy competition from the local post-grad crowd.

Go for: A classic, high-energy pub quiz. Know before you go: It is loud, so you will need to lean in to hear your teammates.

e's BAR

Upper West Side · 511 Amsterdam Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

This neighborhood favorite is packed with board games, comfortable booths, and a solid burger menu. Tuesday trivia starts at 7 PM and commands the entire room. The competition is friendly but focused, and the two-drink minimum per player is easy to hit with their rotating specials. It is the kind of place where locals become regulars after one visit.

Go for: A reliable Tuesday night hangout. Know before you go: There is a two-dollar entry fee to play.

Dive 75

Upper West Side · 101 W 75th St · $ WebsiteMap

A basement-level living room of a bar, complete with a massive fish tank and candy jars on every table. Tuesday night trivia brings in a loyal local crowd to answer tough questions while drinking solid craft beer. The aesthetic is pure nostalgia, and the volume is low enough that you can actually hear your team deliberate over an answer.

Go for: The ultimate neighborhood basement vibe. Know before you go: They do not serve food, but you are welcome to bring your own.

The Canuck

Chelsea · 202 9th Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

New York City's only Canadian sports bar leans into the bit with hockey jerseys, poutine, and Labatt Blue. The Tuesday trivia game starts at 5:30 PM, making it one of the earliest and most civilized options in the city. It is the perfect post-work window for anyone who wants to play a full game and still be on the train home by 8 PM.

Go for: An after-work game that lets you get home early. Know before you go: The poutine with mushroom gravy is mandatory.

Halyards

Gowanus · 406 3rd Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

A comfortable corner bar with a loyal Brooklyn following. Thursday night trivia at 8 PM features four themed rounds and a unique format for breaking ties. Instead of a standard sudden-death question, teams have to tell a joke, and the audience votes on the winner. It keeps the room engaged and guarantees a loud finale to the night.

Go for: The comedy tiebreaker. Know before you go: Order the toasted cheese sandwich.

Bierhaus NYC

Midtown East · 712 3rd Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

Lederhosen, communal tables, and giant glass boots of German beer set the stage for this massive Monday night game at 7 PM. The cavernous room encourages loud cheering, and the long beer hall tables are perfect for groups of eight or more. When your team gets a question right, you are expected to raise a glass and make some noise.

Go for: Pretzels, bratwurst, and high-volume trivia. Know before you go: You will end up talking to the team sitting next to you.

TALEA Beer Co.

West Village · 102 Christopher St · $$ WebsiteMapProfile

The sleek West Village taproom of this women-owned brewery hosts a polished NYC Trivia League game on Monday nights at 7 PM. The space is bright and comfortable, and the fruit-forward sour ales are a welcome change from standard pub drafts. The crowd is attentive, and the audio system is crystal clear.

Go for: Great beer in a beautiful room. Know before you go: Check our West Village guide for a post-game dinner plan.

Black Forest Brooklyn

Cobble Hill · 181 Smith St · $$ WebsiteMap

This German beer hall runs a tight Tuesday night game at 7:30 PM. The long wooden tables fill up quickly with steins of Hofbräu and plates of schnitzel. It is a great winter spot when you want to settle in for a few hours of heavy food and hard questions. The staff is incredibly efficient at keeping the beers flowing during the lightning rounds.

Go for: The ultimate cozy pub atmosphere. Know before you go: The backyard is open year-round if you need fresh air between rounds.

Astoria Tavern

Astoria · 33-16 23rd Ave · $ WebsiteMap

A classic, no-frills Irish pub that anchors the neighborhood drinking scene. Wednesday night trivia at 8 PM draws a massive crowd of regulars who take the game very seriously. Use our Astoria guide to find some pre-game Greek food, then post up here for the rest of the night.

Go for: A perfect old-school Queens pub experience. Know before you go: The questions lean hard into history and geography.

The Shout NY take

Trivia is the great equalizer of New York nightlife. You do not need a reservation, a cover charge, or a velvet rope to get in. You just need a pen, a beer, and a friend who knows the capital of North Dakota. Tip your bartenders, do not shout the answers, and never look at your phone.