An expert's guide to bar trivia in Chapel Hill and Carrboro

In school, students learn a lot of facts — some of them more valuable than others. Trivia can be a great way to turn this knowledge into prizes.

Monday

Start off the week by dropping knowledge at Country Fried Duck’s trivia at 9 p.m.

The five rounds of challenging trivia range from a top-40 music round to a poetry round and are accompanied by drink specials. At the end of the night, everyone gets a prize. This week, prizes included sunglasses, a beach ball, t-shirts, hats and a $50 gift card for the winning team.

Tuesday

Trivia really gets going on Tuesdays, with an array of options around town. In Chapel Hill, there’s Linda’s, Goodfellows and He’s Not Here, and in Carrboro, there’s Hickory Tavern and Steel String Brewery.

The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro differ and so do the bars’ atmospheres and clientele. Linda’s is a popular spot for trivia, which goes from 8 to 10 p.m. For those students who are looking to double up, Goodfellows trivia just down the street starts at 10 p.m.

If you’re looking to trivia for a good cause, He’s Not Here’s trivia has been benefitting UNC’s chapter of Timmy Global Health for over a year and a half, said former Timmy president and UNC senior Sarah Boland.

Timmy is a national non-profit health organization that sends medical service teams to Latin America.

“It started out as a one-time event to help us fundraise,” Boland said. “It was a great success.”

According to Boland, it has since become a weekly event.

“It’s our biggest fundraiser and has helped get the word out there about our organization,” she said.

He’s Not Here charges a $10 entry fee for each team who plays trivia, and all that money goes directly to Timmy, Boland said. In the past academic year, trivia at He’s Not has raised $3,600 total for Timmy.

Venturing into Carrboro, the trivia crowds change to older graduate students and non-students. Hickory Tavern has trivia from 8 to 10 p.m. and Steel String’s trivia starts at 9 p.m. At Steel String, free beer is rewarded to the winning team of each round, but for Carrboro resident and trivia frequenter Chris Hill, the appeal goes beyond free beer.

“It’s an entertaining social event where I can drink some good beers, hang out with good friends and answer some interesting questions,” Hill said. “Plus, the host is a boss.”

Wednesday

Wednesday boasts an equally solid array of trivia options. If you couldn’t get enough of Linda’s trivia on Tuesday, come by again on Wednesday for a round that starts at 8 p.m.

Old Chicago, Top of the Hill’s Back Bar and YesterYears Brewery in Carrboro also offer trivia that starts between 8 and 9 p.m., all offering a host of different prize options.

Pantana Bob’s will also be doing trivia on Wednesdays at some point this fall, said manager Corey LaPrade, but details haven’t been finalized.

At YesterYears’ trivia, the host is a part-time employee of the company, and according to the brewery’s founder David Larsen, she runs the show.

“She researches everything,” he said.

The most recent week’s trivia at the brewery even featured a round dedicated to late actor Gene Wilder.

Thursday

Things start to slow down on Thursday with only one trivia option on Franklin, Carolina Coffee Shop, which hosts trivia from 9 to 11 p.m.

Saturday

There’s no trivia on Fridays, but on Saturday night, Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in Meadowmont holds a weekly trivia night starting at 9:30 p.m.

Sunday

The town takes a break from trivia until it all starts back up again on Monday.

@ryansalch

city@dailytarheel.com