Best Locations for Trivia Nighs in Aurora
by Linda Than
No matter if you're looking for a fun evening out with friends, an after work unwind, or a mental domination session of your peers, Trivia Night has always been a fan favorite!
In general, trivia nights gained their popuarity in the 60s. Then in the 70s, "Pub Quizzes" exploded in the UK which helped expand the entertainment genre into what it is today. One of the main reasons why Pub Trivia Events were so popular among the younger generations, was because it combined socializing, competition, and a alcohol into a mid-week stress relief.
Catching on to this new and fun way of keeping patrons staying longer and coming back weekly, Bars and Restaurants started to incorporate these "Trivia Nights" as a way to boost sales on their naturally slower nights, (Mon-Thurs).
According to CNBC and Readers Digest, some establishments can nearly double their weekday sales with a great Trivia Night!
Now the question becomes, how do I know a "Great Trivia Night" from a regular one?
That's where this article comes in! Since 2021, when Trivia started making it's way back into establishments following the COVID shutdown, I've personally attended multiple Trivia Nights in the Denver Metropolitan area. I've also met with collegues to get their takes on the pros and cons all over! After some painstakingly intense, (...and now that I think about it, collectivly expensive) data collection, I'm proud to share with you my Top Selections for the Best Trivia Nights in the Aurora/Denver/DTC area!
1) Alpha Charlies Trivia on Tuesday Night
Making our top spot is Games and Trivia Entertainment's Tuesday Night Trivia at Alpha Charlie's Tap and Tavern!
Alpha Charlie's is a military bar with multiple TVs, great food and drinks, and two dinning areas. Located on Arapahoe and Peoria, this Bar/Restaurant is full service and centrally located to provide a perfect "after work" trivia competition with co-workers and locals, while waiting for the I-25 traffic to calm down.
Regular Trivia Host - 10/10.
OMG, the BEST! Funny, engaging, friendly, and energetic.
Trivia Difficulty - Easy to Very Hard. (Scale of Easy to Very Hard)
A well rounded team of your favorite friends will suffice. You can also join a team if you don't have one and make some new friends
Trivia Style - 10/10 Interactive, Fun, New.
Gameshow Style Games or General knowledge Trivia based on player numbers. Different, new, and more fun than basic trivia for sure! No matter how many teams, it's always competitive.
Atmosphere and Vibe - 10/10.
The music, sound, energy, and lighting are perfect and family friendly. Plus the host is extremely charismatic and hilarious which adds to the entertainment.
Number of Participants - 7/10.
Between 4-8 Teams of 12-28 players weekly.
Trivia Prizes - 9/10.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes depending on the number of teams playing. Prizes range from Gift Cards to physical items.
Food Quality - 10/10.
Great food! All cooked to order and comes out on time. Substitutions welcome.
Drink Quality - 10/10.
Yummy drink options especially the "drinks of the game".
Price Point for food & drink - 5/10 $$$.
Expect to spend about $25-$35/person here.
Service Staff - 10/10.
Bartenders, and Waiters have all been phenomenal everytime. Friendly and attentive.
Cleanliness - 10/10.
Tables, chairs, floors, plates, silverware, bathrooms all very clean. One bathroom has an occasional sewage smell to it, but not a deal-breaker.
Overall Rating - 9.1/10
2) Parkside Eatery on Wednesday Night
With our number Two spot, Triviality does Trivia on Wednesday Night.
Parkside is an Eatery, which is similar to a food court in the mall for those of your that've never heard the term. It's Home to Gina's Kitchen, Lucky Bird, Gerra Coffee and Ice cream, Taco Choi, and the Parkside Bar and Seating area, which holds 8 TVs, (at the time of this article, they only have 7 working).
Located on Alameda and Sable, this Eatery is full service and located next to Five Guys and ChebaHut.
Regular Trivia Host - 6/10.
Silly, Quick-witted and friendly
Trivia Difficulty - Medium to Hard. (Scale of Easy to Very Hard)
A well rounded team of your favorite friends and family is recommended.
Trivia Style - 10/10 Visual, Audible, Fun.
General knowledge Trivia with Video, Audio, Mashup, and multiple answer questions. Plus it has some fun twists to the game based on performance.
Atmosphere and Vibe - 8/10.
The music, and energy, are refreshing. It's a family friendly place but the sound could be better.
Number of Participants - 8/10.
Between 12-16 Teams of 30-45 players weekly.
Trivia Prizes - 7/10.
1st, and 2nd place prizes. There might be one for 3rd place, but I've never heard it announced.
Food Quality - 8/10.
This place is an Eatery so multiple food options are available based on your mood.
Drink Quality - 8/10.
Great tasting drinks the majority of the time. You can catch a miss or two but they're happy to exchange it.
Price Point for food & drink - 7/10 $$.
Expect to spend about $20-$30/person here.
Service Staff - 10/10.
You have Bartenders at the bar and workers behind the counters at the Eatery, but no actual staff. The people there are very nice and happy.
Cleanliness - 6/10.
Tables, chairs, floors, can get crumby since there aren't regular bussers at this eatery, tables are self cleaned the majority of the time. Bathrooms maintained well, though I wish they had paper towels vs the air dryers.
Overall Rating - 7.8/10
3) Cedar Creek Pub Wednesday Night Trivia
Third up, and also on Wednesday Night is Trivia with Jen at
Cedar Creek Pub located on the University of Colorado Capus. It's a tight fitting and cozy place with a first come, first serve setup for trivia. Teams of 2-4 can sit pretty easily, but larger groups should arrive early to get a table. This venue only has a few TVs that showcase the trivia and the Host only has a speaker to read the questions, so sitting closer is recommended.
Regular Trivia Host - 3/10.
Friendly and experienced, not too exciting though
Trivia Difficulty - Easy to Very Hard. (Scale of Easy to Very Hard)
A team of your favorite friends and family with an older knowledge pool is recommended.
Trivia Style - 3/10 Basic Visuals
General knowledge Trivia with Audio, Photos, and physical answer sheets. Great for typical trivia, but she's not bringing anything new to engage the younger crowd.
Atmosphere and Vibe - 6/10.
The energy is lively which is always a plus! However the two times we showed up, the teams kept to themselves. Light banter here and there, but interactions were limited to the line to turn in your answer slips. Who knows, maybe people were worried about their answers being stolen!
Number of Participants - 8/10.
Between 10-15 Teams of 20-30 players weekly.
Trivia Prizes - 7/10.
1st, and 2nd place prizes.
Food Quality - 6/10.
Food quality was decent, especially for typical "bar food". However tastes are subjecive so we'll let you be the judge!
Drink Quality - 6/10.
The Margaritta's are yummy, but a little watered down according to my team. I like mine a little muted personally but again, you'll have to try it out on your next visit.
Price Point for food & drink - 8/10 $$.
Expect to spend about $20-$30/person here.
Service Staff - 6/10.
Friendly, but possibly understaffed. The ladies were moving around constantly, but the checkup on us was minimal. This might be a good thing during Trivia though, since focusing on the questions and answers is top priority for most.
Cleanliness - 8/10.
Tables, chairs, floors, bathrooms all very clean. I wish they had paper towels in the bathrooms though.
Overall Rating - 6.1/10
4) TGI Friday's SIN Sundays Trivia Night
Fourth on our list is Trivia for the Service Industry (S.I.N.) at the TGI Friday's located in Northfield. This night was actually more fun than we were expecting to have! Although it is ran pretty late, I love the idea of providing an option to the workers in the area, to have some fun, food, and drinks before heading home for the night! The host rotates pretty frequently so it might be subject to change, but I'll give you a general review and leave the experience up to you.
Regular Trivia Host - 4/10.
Friendly and full of hopeful energy. Not enough to wake you up though
Trivia Difficulty - Easy to Hard. (Scale of Easy to Very Hard)
Any team of your friends, family, or co-workers you want to hang out with, will be the perfect formula for the night.
Trivia Style - 6/10 Music, Visual, and General trivia rounds, all submitted digitally
General knowledge Trivia with Audio, Visual, and critical thinking rounds. Very well rounded. I love the digital answer sheet options, as long as nobody is cheating! Plus the questions are from all walks of life which makes it interesting.
Atmosphere and Vibe - 2/10.
The energy is low and quiet. The host trys to lift up the crowd but you can tell everyone is fighting off exhaustion. Everyone keeps to themselves, and there are no points of engagement or encouraged interaction between the teams.
Number of Participants - 4/10.
Between 3-8 Teams of 8-15 players weekly.
Trivia Prizes - 4/10.
1st, and 2nd place prizes, but only to that specific TGI Friday's. Not valid anywhere else.
Food Quality - 3/10.
Food quality was pretty low. Normally TGI Friday's has good food, but apparently on the late sunday night shift, good meals are hard to come by.
Drink Quality - 6/10.
Good drinks, even in the late night hours!
Price Point for food & drink - 8/10 $$.
Expect to spend about $15-$30/person here.
Service Staff - 4/10.
Very Friendly, but obviously understaffed. For our crew, it did take a while to get our meals and follow up was quite minimal.
Cleanliness - 8/10.
Everything seemed pretty clean minus the first set of silverware. The times afterwards, we had no problems with anything though.
Overall Rating - 4.9/10
Trivia at bars normally only goes for 6 months to a year, unless the establishment continues to see profits and consistent costomer engagement. Although we researched and reviewed many places, unfortunately, at the time of this article, many of those places were no longer offering weekly trivia. Only the most popular and consistent locations made our list this time, however, we will be looking to make an update to this list as 2024 rolls in so keep on the lookout!
Also let us know which places you frequent, or would like us to check out. Suggestions are always welcome as our purpose is to help build a better community for fun, engaging, and unique experiences that bring everyone together!
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