10 Best Trivia Nights in DFW

Nothing can feel as unproductive and costly as going out drinking. So why not work in a competitive match of trivia? Bring the right team to one of these trivia events in DFW, and you can turn imbibing into an educational and perhaps even free activity.

These 10 trivia nights offer prizes and drink and food specials. Find one that suits you and prepare yourself to argue with a friend about what year Home Alone 2 came out, how many Grammys Quincy Jones has and where the Replacements are from. It costs nothing to play.

Goat Head Trivia at the Nines
The Nines
2911 Main St.
Every other Monday

Travis Taylor and Nathan Adams have big personalities and quick, vulgar wit, which makes Goat Head Trivia one of the best trivia nights in town. Teams can be up to five people, so bring friends you can rely on and who have knowledge of different things.

“Rarely do you see hosts of a pub quiz with any personality that isn't best described as grey paint, let alone hosts that consistently host at high levels, often reaching 100 percent," Taylor says of himself and his partner. "Goat Head bar trivia at least makes you laugh as you feel like a total idiot.”

He and Adams usually play a silly Netflix series on the screens behind them, and music that’s a combination of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Trainspotting soundtracks. Inexplicably, there's also a fog machine working in the room. The Nines in Deep Ellum offers half off all food and drink specials on Mondays, so come with an empty stomach.

Trivia with Ice Cole
Martin House Brewery
220 S. Sylvania Ave., No. 209, Fort Worth
First Thursdays

For about three years, Ice Cole has been hosting a trivia night at the Martin House Brewery in Fort Worth.

“My little brother works there, and my old roommates work there, so they're literally family to me," Cole says. "It's been going long enough, we have a lot of regulars that come out for trivia nights, and they've developed interteam rivalries. It's a blast watching them enjoy it as much as I do.”

If you are a lover of IPAs, then Martin House has you covered. There are eight beers on tap, and we highly suggest trying the Salty Lady — nothing beats drinking a beer at the brewery where it was made. Trivia usually starts around 6 p.m.

Speak-Easy Trivia Wednesdays
Tanstaafl
409 N. Bowen Road, Arlington
Every Wednesday

Not only is Tanstaafl hard to say, but it’s also a bar that’s somewhat off the grid in Arlington. However, Tanstaafl — which just celebrated its 41st birthday — has one of the best trivia nights in DFW at 8 p.m. every Wednesday.

“Tanstaafl's Bar-Curious Trivia on Wednesdays is one of the better trivia experiences I've had," regular Harley Dear says. "The ladies who run trivia are whip-smart and write great questions. There are a few teams who play every week, and the names get pretty creative. My favorite team name is Boner Witch.”

Out of all the trivia nights, this one has the cheapest drinks, with $2 wells. And if you lose at trivia, you might even win a consolation prize.

Pub Guys Trivia
E.J. Wills
18208 Preston Road, Suite D3
Every Tuesday

If you're a University of Texas at Dallas student or you live in North Dallas or the northern suburbs, this is your trivia night. E.J. Wills has many drink options, and the food is fantastic — particularly the burgers.

Pub Guys host trivia in multiple locations and transcend at keeping score. They go so far as to post the team names and scores on their website, so when your rivals lose it’s displayed for all to see. Nothing is better than winning and having proof of it.

Expect some dad humor. This trivia night starts at 8 p.m. every Tuesday.

Trivia Taco Tuesdays
Cool Beans
1210 W. Hickory St., Denton
7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. every Tuesday

It’s Tuesday and you want tacos, but you also feel trivial. Don’t look further. Denton’s Cool Beans has you covered. For $5 you get two beer or veggie chili tacos, chips, queso, salsa and a soda — pretty ideal for a University of North Texas student looking for a bar within walking distance.

The atmosphere is an old dive bar with wood-paneled walls, darts and pool. There are 38 beers on tap, so your friends are likely to be extra indecisive.

It's also all ages until 9 p.m., so feel free to bring the kids or younger siblings. If you can’t make the 7 p.m. trivia, another one starts at 9:30 p.m.

Most Challenging Trivia
Trinity Hall
5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, No. 250
7:30 p.m. Sundays

This is one of the longest-running trivia nights in Dallas and the most challenging. It's held on to regulars for some time, so expect some intense rivalries. There’s never a theme, but there are four rounds consisting of 12 questions, plus one picture round.

Not only are there prizes for the top four teams, but there is also a "jackpot" question. It's posed to a random table, which only has 30 seconds to answer. Each week the jackpot gets bigger by $10. The biggest jackpot won so far was $360. So while other trivia nights offer bar tab prizes, you can make actual money at Trinity Hall.

It’s at 7:30 p.m. every Sunday, and get there early because seats fill up. Also make sure to try the blue cheese fries.

Monday Trivia
Braindead Brewing
2625 Main St.
8 and 9 p.m. Mondays

Braindead sits in the middle of booming Deep Ellum, and the trivia night run there by Sporcle Inc. is different than most. There’s a point system in which you answer and gamble on what you feel is most accurate.

“It's generally quieter and you can hear better, but what I loved about Braindead is that you play on a wager, so before you turn in your answers, you mark down how confident you feel about your answers from 1 to 10 and can get more points on the answers you feel most confident about,” Jessica Amador says.

If you can’t make the 8 p.m. trivia time, there’s another one that starts right after at 9 p.m. First place gets a $25 Braindead gift card; second gets $10. Parking is a little tight in the area lately, so Uber it.

#CraftTrivia
Hopfusion Ale Works
200 E. Broadway Ave., Fort Worth
Every other Sunday

If you want to avoid crowds and prefer to bring a crowd of your own, Ice Cole’s Hopfusion trivia is the place to go. The best part of trivia at a brewery is that the beer is fresh and usually cheaper than at regular bars. Cole has also been trying new things lately.

“It's a smaller crowd, so it gave me a chance to change format and play with new ideas, like visual and audio rounds," he says. "[I'm] working on some video rounds for the future.”

So hop on over to this trivia night, which takes place every other Sunday. Make sure to use the hashtag #CraftTrivia in your social media posts.

Goat Head Trivia at Ten Bells
Ten Bells
232 W. Seventh St.
Every Wednesday

Who doesn’t love Ten Bells? This cat-friendly covered patio is one of the best spots in Oak Cliff. Trivia there is very competitive and fills up fast, so get there early and bring a good team name with you. So far, Radical Quizlam is a force to be reckoned with.

Lots of Oak Cliff locals join in on the fun — including employees of Texas Theatre, so brush up on your film knowledge. Since Goat Head is hosting, constant laughing, screaming for repeats and being called out on stupid answers (answering "Hansel" instead of "Hanson" during the music round) are guaranteed.

This trivia night has a first-place prize of a $50 gift card. Second gets $25.

Game Changers Trivia
Game Changers
122 W. Mulberry St., No. 100, Denton
Every Wednesday

This is the best trivia option for true geeks. In addition to trivia every Wednesday, Game Changers also has arcade games, board games and cheap drinks.

“I like it because it's a simple format. Inexpensive drinks — $3 everything — and they have an arcade," David Piper Jr. says. "Plus Valerie is one of my favorite bartenders. Gift certificates for winners.”

Game Changers also takes a group shot of the winners for its Facebook account. If you have a quirky sense of humor and an addiction to Galaga, show up at 7 p.m. Wednesdays.