by Anthony Schnabel & Adam watts
schnabelan@mnstate.edu
wattsad@mnstate.edu
A night of playing pub trivia is like riding a roller coaster.
Trivia players cheer for highs and groan for lows. They are elated for correct answers and disappointed for wrong ones. A good trivia quiz zigs where you think it will zag and turns when you least expect it. But at the end of the night, players can’t wait to get back in line and ride again.
Luckily for F-M college students, they never have to wait long to get back on the trivia thrill ride.
Bars around the area hold trivia nights every weeknight, each providing a unique experience with different trivia formats and themes, prizes and specials.
Below is a guide to 12 bars in the F-M area that have pub trivia nights and everything you’d need to know about each one.
Dempsey’s Irish Pub
Details: 226 N. Broadway, Fargo; Fridays at 6:30 p.m.; theme changes each week; drink cards given as prizes; happy hour 4 – 7 p.m.; on Facebook
Dempsey’s offers tavern style food, cocktails, draft beers, live music and karaoke. Trivia features a fresh theme each week, with great specials and a consistent base of contestants.
“It’s really fun because of how competitive it is, also the atmosphere of Dempsey’s is my favorite in the downtown scene,” said Christian Moffett, a regular F-M trivia player.
Wurst Bier Hall
Details: 630 First Ave. N, Fargo; Thursdays at 9 p.m.; theme changes each round; beer tokens given as prizes; on Twitter and Facebook
Wurst Bier Hall is a German-style restaurant and bar with industrial decor, offering an array of craft beers along with specialty sausages and other German-style foods. It’s also known for Das Boot, a drinking game featuring a giant glass of beer shaped like a boot. The multi-hour trivia includes a number of rounds, each round offering a new theme and prize.
“I like the competition aspect,” said Dalton Hanson, a regular trivia attendee at Wurst. “It consists of different themed rounds, so it’s fun to see what you know and don’t know.”
Fargo Billiards and Gastropub
Details: 3234 43rd St. S., Fargo; Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.; prizes include a $30 tab for first place, $20 tab for second, $10 tab for third; on Facebook and YouTube
Gastropub Quiz Night consists of three six-question rounds, with winners determined at the end of the third round. It provides a unique trivia experience featuring bonus rounds and lifelines, and requires more strategy to win than just answering questions correctly. While playing, one can enjoy their large menu and 38 tap beers.
“It felt kind of like a game show atmosphere at times,” said James McMahan, who plays trivia in Fargo at least once a week. “They give you lifelines like you’re playing ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire.’ I thought those were really cool … Plus the meatloaf sandwich is, oh, so good.”
Rhombus Guys
Details: 606 Main Ave., Fargo; Mondays at 8:30 p.m.; Rhombus gift certificates given as prizes; half-price large pizzas during trivia; on Facebook and Twitter
Rhombus Guys isn’t your average pizzeria. It offers 34 gourmet-style pizzas and a loaded drink menu including “Rhombus Recipes,” specialty drinks concocted at the bar, found only at Rhombus Guys. Trivia usually consists of 25 general knowledge questions.
“It’s awesome because you get half-off pizzas, and there are no themes, so every question is random,” said Connor Teske, who plays trivia at Rhombus Guys every week. “Bring a group with different interests, and you will do well.”
Pounds
Details: 612 First Ave. N., Fargo; Tuesdays at 9 p.m.; pop culture themed; drink tokens and $25 gift card given as prizes; $1 off tap and rail drinks and $2 off appetizers during trivia; on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Pounds offers made-from-scratch food and drinks, items like burgers, sloppy joes and garden grilled cheese. Each week, Pounds trivia features pop-culture themes. Past themes have included comic books, Disney and “Trailer Park Boys.” It features prizes for each of the three rounds, plus an overall winner.
Labby’s Grill & Bar
Details: 1100 19th Ave N., Fargo; Wednesdays at 9 p.m.; random themes; prizes include gift cards and random raffles for shirts and hats; specials include $3 off appitizers, $3.50 Long Islands; on Facebook and Twitter
Labby’s is an American-style sports bar near the Fargodome. Labby’s great family environment allows kids to play until 10 p.m. Hump Day trivia offers customers random raffles throughout the night with chances to win t-shirts and hats. Overall winners receive a $25 gift card. Questions vary from current events to pop culture, along with sport themes.
“I really enjoy the overall atmosphere of Labby’s, especially the raffles,” said Kameron Giffey, a regular at Labby’s. “I have won t-shirts multiple times.”
Fargo Brewing Co.
Details: 610 N. University Dr., Fargo; Wednesdays at 7 p.m.; mutiple themed rounds; prizes are drink tokens; on Facebook and Twitter
Fargo Brewing Co. features trivia provided by Trivia Mafia, with multiple rounds including a name-that-song round, a picture round and several themed rounds. Make sure to look up the Internet-only question on triviamafia.com before the game starts. Located inside Fargo Brewing’s loading dock, the taproom features graffitied picnic tables and repurposed wire spindles used as tables. Enjoy one of Fargo Brewing’s many beer choices produced in-house or pet the trivia moderator’s dog, Zoe, who wanders around the taproom. Fargo Brewing does not provide food but encourages patrons to order in. Deek’s Pizza, located across the street, provides expedient delivery to the taproom.
“Trivia at Fargo Brewing is the hardest and most fun trivia that I have ever attended,” said Kate Roehrich, who plays trivia throughout F-M with her trivia team the National Treasures. “I never have any idea what the topics are going to be … and, if you don’t know what’s going on, there is always beer.”
Vic’s Bar & Grill
Details: 420 Center Ave., Moorhead; Fridays at 7 p.m.; rounds are themed; gift cards given as prizes; on Facebook
Known for it’s bingo and hamburger happy hour, Vic’s also offers a wide selection of tap beer and bar food. Trivia Mafia runs the multi-themed questions at Vic’s, which is located on the south side of Moorhead Center Mall.
“Both the bingo and the trivia are extremely fun and relaxing, ” said Beth Truman, a fan of Vic’s. “You get to win cool prizes and drink great beer. What’s better than that?”
The Bowler
Details: 2630 S. University Dr., Fargo; Fridays at 8 p.m.; occasional themes; prizes included Bowler bucks, free pitchers, free shots; specials include $3 Captain Morgan, Bacardi, Chuck Norris, Ninja Turtle shots, $3.50 Tito’s Vodka, $4 Jack and Crown Royal; on Facebook
Trivia at the Bowler starts at 8 p.m. and features a host of prizes throughout the night. Patrons can enjoy a Gina’s Pizza or one of the many drinks on special every day at The Bowler. After trivia is Adult Toy Bingo at 10:30 p.m.
“They give away a lot of prizes — sometimes tickets, sometimes drinks,” said Brett Wittmier, who has DJed at The Bowler. “But at 10:30 p.m., it’s sex toy bingo … that’s when it really gets crazy.”
Sidestreet Grille & Pub
Details: 404 Fourth Ave. N., Fargo; Mondays at 8 p.m.; weekly theme; prizes included gag gifts, drink cards and gift certificates; on Facebook and Twitter
Sidestreet offers customers a relaxed atmosphere, with every bar amenity. The bar’s new location opened in the past year due to a flood-control project near its former home, but offers the same great food and drinks. Each week, the trivia theme is posted on Sidestreet’s Facebook. The themes range from Shakespeare to Star Trek. After every round, the winner gets to grab a small gift from a bag, which might be a free drink or food. The top three competitors get a gift card.
“Besides the fact they have an awesome new bar, if you win a round in trivia you get to draw from a cool bag of little gifts,” said Anna Persson, a regular at Sidestreet.
J.C. Chumleys
Detail: 1608 Main Ave., Moorhead; Wednesdays at 8 p.m.; prizes include free pizza, round of cocktails, round of draft beers; Mug Night special; on Facebook
A popular hangout for Moorhead college students, J.C. Chumleys holds a trivia night every Wednesday. The bar features a dance floor and has a DJ or band playing on the weekends. Chumleys’ mug night is a great deal for trivia players. Players can buy a 32-ounce mug for $2.50 and fill it all night with domestic drafts for $4.
Drekker Brewing
Details: 630 First Ave. N., Fargo; Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m.; gift cards given as prizes; on Facebook
Drekker Brewing is a Fargo-based craft brewery offering a unique beer selection. Try beer flights or limited-run beers while sitting down for a round of trivia. Drekker does not provide food but does encourage patrons to bring their own. Recent themes have been “Breaking Bad” and “Back to the Future” trivia.
“Trivia at Drekker is the same as at Pounds,” said Brady Moen, a frequent trivia player. “It’s even run by the same guy. Great beer there, though.”