Remember sitting in class learning the quadratic formula? Or what Millard Fillmore accomplished as president (which, apparently, was nothing)? Or that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell? Remember how you felt sitting there wondering if you would ever for the rest of your days use this information? Well... your time has come for Chapel Hill pub trivia.
Pub trivia really does have it all: camaraderie, drinking, fun facts, and the opportunity to assert your dominance over friends and strangers through quick recall of useless trivia. Honestly, I can't think of a better way to spend a week night.
Below I have compiled the ultimate list of bar trivia locales in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. The list may seem overwhelming but that is only because trivia nights are hella dope and extremely popular.
1. Country Fried Duck
Just because it isn't Thursday doesn't mean you can't get your Duck on. Everyone knows that the $2.50 everything deal can't be beat, but not everyone knows you can show up on Mondays at 9:00 pm to kill the trivia game.
#SpoonTip: Some weeks CFD will break out themed trivia nights like The Office or Spongebob trivia—so make sure you check their Facebook page before heading over to make sure you're in the zone!
2. Steel String Brewery
On Tuesdays at 9:00 pm, you can make your way to Carrboro for some far-out trivia (literally Steel String is the farthest on this list from Franklin Street). But maybe that just means you should take your time once you arrive and enjoy some bitchin' craft beers.
#SpoonTip: Every second Friday Steel String has a live DJ spinning Southern Rock, Boogie, Funk, and Soul.
3. He's Not Here
On Tuesdays at 9 pm, he might not be here, but you definitely should be. Not only is trivia at Franklin Street's only beer garden fun, but it aims to raise money for Timmy Global Health, an organization working to expand quality healthcare worldwide. I can't think of a better reason to drink and play games than in the name of charity.
#SpoonTip: A Blue Cup is 32 oz. which is equivalent to about three regular beers. Plus dogs are allowed at He's Not so I am not sure where the downside is here.
4. Goodfellows
A cozy little downstairs bar with prices as low as their ceilings, Goodfellas (as we say down South) offers pub trivia every Tuesday night at 10:00 pm. And once your team blows away the competition with its superior command of useless facts, stick around for karaoke immediately after and sing that Beyonce song you have been practicing in your car for six years.
#SpoonTip: Goodfellows is home of the Pickleback Club. If you sign up and manage to take 100 pickleback shots over the course of however many months or years you get a plaque with your name on it and you will forever be immortalized in your friend group as the Pickleback King.
5. Linda's
Twice as nice for half the price Linda's offers team trivia two nights a week: Tuesday and Wednesday from 8-10 pm. And if that's not enough, I hear they have some killer drink specials those days so you can either drink away the sorrows of your loss or toast to the heroism of your victory on a budget.
#SpoonTip: Recently, you fine folks voted to name Linda's home of the best drunchies in Chapel Hill. And might I just say their cheesy bacon fries and hot wings are two of my personal favorite culinary creations.
6. Back Bar at Top of the Hill
TOPO's Back Bar offers a killer trivia night every Wednesday at 9:00 pm (though I hear it doesn't really get going until 9:30ish). Even if your team doesn't manage to take home one of the weekly prizes, you can still enjoy some specialty cocktails with your homies. And isn't that really what life is about?
#SpoonTip: On Thursday nights, Back Bar transforms into Throwback Bar where a DJ spins all the best hits from the 90s and early 2000s. I also hear you can order a Yoo Hoo Shooter guaranteed to give you flashbacks to a simpler time when you would get home from school and watch Hey Arnold! in your cargo pants and light up Sketchers.
7. Yester Years
Grab your team of up to six and head over to Yester Years in Carrboro for dope trivia in a comfy AF setting every Wednesday at 8:00 pm!
#SpoonTip: Yester Years converts to a bomb ass coffee joint called Gray Squirrel every morning. Their hot chocolate comes accompanied by a shot glass of coffee-flavored whipped cream sure to tickle your tastebuds... ç'est magnifique!
8. Old Chicago
Wednesdays at 8:00 pm, you can meander down Franklin Street a little ways to get your trivia on at Old Chicago. Take a right at the metal street art and if you hit Pantana Bob's, you've gone too far.
#SpoonTip: If you manage to stick around until 10:00 pm, you can get your hands on a personal one-topping pizza for only $3. Thats chump change. That's couch coins, and that's one hell of a deal for anyone living on a college budget.
9. Pantana Bob's
But if you do happen to hit Bob's, don't worry because they offer Wednesday Trivia too! Except they begin at 10:00 pm, so maybe round one at Old Chicago and round two at Bob's?
#SpoonTip: University alumnus Michael Brown painted the Paint By Numbers mural outside Pantana Bob's back in 2003, one of nearly 30 murals he painted across Chapel Hill.
10. Tyler's Taproom
On Wednesdays at 10:00 pm Tyler's Taproom in Carrboro stays open late night to accommodate trivia night for you fine folks. And while you're slaying the trivia game go ahead and get some of their world famous mac and cheese. You'll thank me later.
#SpoonTip: The same folks that own Tyler's Taproom are also responsible for bringing us the Carrboro Bottle Shop just down the street. There you can find a wide variety of ales, wines, elixirs, and specialty sodas for the adventurous drinker.
11. Carolina Coffee Shop
When there are students in town there is trivia going down at Carolina Coffee Shop right on Franklin. Thursday nights. 9:00 pm. Be there.
#SpoonTip: Carolina Coffee Shop opened up back in 1922 and has been a staple in the Chapel Hill community ever since, making it the oldest restaurant in North Carolina.