In Search Of...Seattle's champeen pub trivia quiz night

This has got to change: the most comprehensive information on quiz nights in this town is a four-and-a-half-year-old article from the PI. We know it's outdated--it mentions that the "team to beat" at the George & Dragon isn't Elvis, or even Spear Britney, but some team named Spiny Norman we've never heard of even though we've been playing there for three years.

Although we're regulars at the George & Dragon (Tuesdays at 8 -- our team name usually features a Smurf pun), we've experimented with other venues such as the Irish Emigrant. But it's hard to find information on how good a pub's trivia contest is. Our team (without Seattlest, who was busy that night) recently tried the quiz at Redmond's Celtic Bayou, and found it fine but lackluster.

So we're asking you: where's the best place in Seattle for pub trivia? Does the George & Dragon, the top Google hit when you search for Seattle "quiz night", really offer the best trivia quiz? (In which case, we'll stock up on Rolaids, 'cause they've got friendly bar staff but stereotypically British food.) Send us your suggestions, tell us why you love them, and we'll see if we can persuade our teammates to reach out and explore other venues. We will pass the lowdown on to you. And on some misty future day, we'll officially crown some venue the best trivia quiz in (the greater) Seattle (metropolitan area), at least according to Seattlest.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By James in Arts & Events on October 25, 2005 1:48 PM

Comments [rss]

Noah

Check out this thread on AskMeFi -- http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/25721. More suggestions/recommendations.

Kate

The EMP's Liquid Lounge has trivia every Wednesday at 7 pm. It's great--accessible questions, good food, happy hour until 9 pm.

Anthony

Well, I used to play at George & Dragon about 5 years ago, back when you didn't have to show up 3 hours early to have a place to sit, and I remember Spiny Norman. I hated Spiny Norman. They won every week, and they cheated.

Margaret

I've participated in the quiz at O'Shea's for awhile now, along with fellow Seattlest-ite Audrey. It's run by a funny Scottish man who doesn't always have the right answers, so it's sometimes a case of: "That's the answer for tonight." It provides much amusement and an extra quizzical element. Food's not bad, either.

James Callan

It's not so much that the food sucks as that it's just godawful unhealthy. Though I do love the shepherd's pie. The fish & chips can be either good or inedible, though.

josh

(oops. I didn't mean for my name to be a link to her post.)

I do like the idea of a championship-style battle of the seattle pub quizzes. Someone should really make up a bracket and we could all bet on the winners. Even better would be a Battle of the Seattle Pub Quiz All Stars in which the Irish Emigrant's finest would face off against the George and Dragon returning champions in trivia death matches.

-

Anyway, it's definitely easier to convince people to go out on a school night when the promise of tasty pub food awaits. Although I'm more of a black bean burger guy, my friends make the Emigrant's cheeseburgers part of their weekly ritual.

Dan

I have to say that the food at the G&D does not suck. The bangers and mash? Good! The shepards pie? Good! The English breakfast? My favorite!

Oh, and here's the previous roundup.

Seth

If you are interested in a quiz night that you can easily win, may I suggest Fado, on 1st ave. downtown. I was there to watch a baseball game, and so didn't participate, but the questions included (I'm paraphrasing, but this was the jist) "Who was the Democratic nominee for President in 1984?" and "What college did O.J. Simpson attend?" Among my fellow patrons, mostly slackjawed tourists, confusion reigned.

James Callan

Frickin' Google. That's an excellent roundup, and I swear I hadn't seen it before. My post is a pale echo, not a shameless aping.

I'm mildly partial to the Emigrant for the food, 'cause the G&D's food frankly sucks. And the quiz can be interminable, especially if you've been saving a table for 2 hours beforehand.

josh

I have to put in a good word for Carolyn who did a pub quiz roundupearlier this month on Metroblogging Seattle.

I'm still partial to the Irish Emigrant, mostly because old habits die hard and finding a table at G&D was always way too much of a challenge for a non-Fremonter.