10 Sacramento-area pub quizzes where you can think while you drink

The cold, wet winter months can prompt a retreat to some of Sacramento’s coziest bars and restaurants, and nothing complements a warming drink like a heated yet friendly pub quiz. All you need are a few partners and Sactown’s roundup of the season’s most engaging, challenging and fun trivia nights around the region.

Bonn Lair
The tight confines of this intimate East Sacramento institution not only keep out the winter cold, but also transport patrons into the heart of the English countryside. Quiz participants have the opportunity to “finish the lyrics” of popular songs while snacking on “British nachos” (chips served below a blanket of beans and cheese) and Scotch eggs (hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage, rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried), coupled with any one of Bonn Lair’s wintry dark stouts and porters.
Team Size: Maximum 4 people
Prizes: First Place team receives $25 worth of drinks, while second and third place teams receive four drink tokens.
Sundays. 8:30 p.m. 3651 J St. 455-7155. bonnlair.com

Streets
This J Street haunt formerly known as Streets of London winds down its weekend with one of midtown’s most renowned quiz nights. And while the competition is often fierce as the emcees challenge teams with everything from anagram puzzles to Family Feud-style questions, a comforting selection of hearty appetizers, warming drinks (like Tuaca apple cider and Bailey’s hot chocolate) and crisp, cold pints helps balance out the bonhomie.
Team size: Maximum 6 people
Prizes: First and second place teams receive $30 and $20 gift cards, respectively.
Sundays. 9 p.m. 1804 J St. 498-1388. streetsoflondon.net

Kilt Pub
At Arden-Arcade’s Kilt Pub, one pint earns you one hint—a fair trade for many pub quiz veterans looking to trade the edge of the workday for the competitive edge of trivia night. In addition to an impressive selection of draft and bottled brews, the pub also offers its popular Guinness garlic mushrooms and onion battered green beans to keep minds sharp. And while the venue’s dual trivia-night events officially start at 7 p.m., stake an early claim in order to participate—tables fill up fast.
Team Size: 2 or more people
Prizes: 30 percent off the first place team’s bill, 20 percent off for second place, and 10 percent off for third place
Mondays. 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. 4235 Arden Way. 487-4979. kilt-pub.com

DeVere’s Irish Pub
Every Monday, droves of trivia lovers in both Davis and downtown Sacramento converge at the region’s two DeVere’s locations to test their trivia wits. In Davis, quizmaster “Dr. Andy” is known for his trademark weekly Shakespeare question, while Chris Findlay in Sacramento always challenges players with a grand finale anagram. Teams should arrive early to grab a seat and catch the end of happy hour that runs from 3:30–6:30 p.m.
Team Size: Maximum 6 people
Prizes: Gift certificates worth $50 for first place, $25 for second place, and $15 for third place
Mondays. 7 p.m. 1521 L St. 231-9947. 217 E St. Davis. 530-204-5533. deverespub.com

Out of Bounds Brewing Co.
This recently opened Rocklin craft brewery offers an opportunity to try one of its house-made tipples—from the Big Gun Chocolate Maple Porter to the Elevation 6225 Pale Ale—while also competing in a multimedia trivia challenge in which teams are tested with sound, video clips and other clues. Trucks from Sacto MoFo’s food-truck fleet drop by each week for competitors hungrier for more than just victory.
Team Size: Maximum 6 people
Prizes: Complimentary pints
Tuesdays. 6 p.m. 259-1511. 4480 Yankee Hill Rd. Rocklin. outofboundsbrewing.com

The Boxing Donkey
Every Tuesday, trivia lovers pack the bar at this Roseville mainstay for MC Sam Bruno’s quiz night—one that promises “prizes, fame and fortune” to the lucky winners. Patrons can enjoy everything from a classic pint of Guinness to Bacon Bloody Mary paired with “pork wings” glazed in a chipotle honey sauce, all while testing their knowledge on everything from music to history to current events.
Team size: No requirement
Prizes: 30 percent off the team bill for first place, 20 percent off for second place, appetizer coupon for third place
Tuesdays. 7-9 p.m. 300 Lincoln St. Roseville. 797-3665. theboxingdonkey.com

Stirling Bridges
Rally up a team and head over to this Carmichael watering hole on Tuesdays for a night of brain-stimulating entertainment, in which event organizer Kim Rich covers a variety of challenging topics from mathematics to science to history. Participants are encouraged to try offerings from the bar’s Brewery of the Month (it’ll be the Auburn-based Knee Deep Brewery throughout December) and some of the gastopub's appetizers (like its popular bacon-wrapped sweet potato bites), while losers won’t be downhearted for long—Stirling Bridges’ “happier hour” starts at 9 p.m.
Team size: 1-6 people
Prizes: First place earns a $30 gift card, second-place team win a round of drinks for the table and third-place winners receive Stirling Bridges glassware
Tuesdays. 8 p.m. 5220 Manzanita Ave. Carmichael. 331-2337. stirlingbridges.com

Fox & Goose
Like its great open mic night and epic breakfast fry-ups, Kevin “The Ice Man” Ice’s pub quiz night is one of the signature events at this celebrated R Street pub. Teams of up to four people compete in four rounds of eight mind-bending questions—e.g. “Who is the earliest-serving U.S. president with grandchildren still alive today?” (Answer: John Tyler)—earning drink tickets, pub merchandise and ultimate bragging rights along the way.
Team Size: Maximum 4 people
Prizes: Drink tickets and drawing from Fox & Goose’s “swag box”
Tuesdays. 7 p.m. 1001 R St. 443-8825. foxandgoose.com

Alley Katz
Geeks Who Drink, a group that organizes pub quizzes around the nation, comes to Alley Katz twice weekly to test locals on their aptitude for wordplay and their ability to “name that tune.” Taylor Wynn, the “Geek” host of the evening, doles out free beer (from one of the bar’s 80 taps) to teams that answer bonus questions and occasionally offers a themed quiz night (recent themes include The Hunger Games and Ghostbusters). The top three teams win gift certificates, while the second-to-last-place team also wins the coveted “pity pitcher” just for trying.
Team Size: Maximum 6 people
Prizes: Gift certificates worth $25 for first place, $15 for second place, and $5 for third place
Tuesdays and Thursdays. 7:30 p.m. 2019 O St. 442-2682

Samuel Horne’s Tavern
Folsom’s most popular trivia night is at Sam Horne’s, started by regulars who take turns hosting for about a year (currently it’s Michael Raines) and create their own sets of questions. And although the 20 American craft beers on tap, like the quizmasters, are always rotating, participants can always count on Horne’s bacon and blue cheese fries—a quiz night staple.
Team Size: Maximum 4 people
Prizes: Drink certificates
Wednesdays. 7:30 p.m. 719 Sutter St. Folsom. 293-8207. samhornes.com

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