Uptown’s top trivia nights

By KC Stanfield

If you like alcohol and think you’re an intellectually superior being, then there’s no better event to go to than trivia night at a bar.

There are places all over San Diego that offer deals on drinks and a chance to win some bar credit and bragging rights for those smart enough to win. But not all trivia nights are created equal, so here are some of the best bar trivia nights in the Uptown area. These rankings are based on quality of the prizes, happy hour discounts during the competition and how transparent each bar is with their prizes and events. Factoring in things like atmosphere and competition would have been ideal, but that would require visiting all the trivia nights under the Uptown sun, which sadly wasn’t a feasible endeavor. With that out of the way, here are the top five:

1. Urban MO’s Bar & Grill
7 p.m. every Monday

DSCN4108webtop — Play trivia on Mondays at Urban Mo’s. (Photo by KC Stanfield)

Hands down, the best trivia night goes to Urban MO’s Bar & Grill. It offers double the prize money compared to the average trivia nights. First place gets $60, second gets $40 and third gets $20. Not only that, but the trivia night overlaps with its Broke A$$ Mondays, which means $4 happy hour cocktails and food.

2. Wang’s North Park
7 p.m. every Wednesday

Wang’s North Park has trivia on Wednesdays. (Photo by KC Stanfield)

Wang’s North Park takes home the silver medal. First place wins $30, second scores $20 and third receives $10. On top of that, their coinciding happy hour includes $6 martinis, lemon drops, cosmos, $4 well drinks, $3 domestics and half off on appetizers. And to sweeten the pot, the event is also a part of Sunset Trivia, which holds two $1,000 cash prize tournaments each year; the team with highest score out of every bar affiliated gets the big prize.

3. Shakespeare Pub & Grille
7 p.m., date varies monthly

The Shakespeare Pub & Grille is another great trivia contender with their semi-regular quizzes, which happen about twice a month. They offer a whopping $100 for first place and $75 for second. It’s free to enter and you can play solo or join a team of up to six people. Unfortunately, happy hour ends when the questions begin. The next quiz night is April 26, but it’s advised to get there early to grab a seat and register — plus you’ll be just in time for happy hour.

4. U-31 Cocktail Lounge
6:30 p.m. every Wednesday

The U-31 Cocktail Lounge takes fourth place overall, but definitely has a great weekly trivia night compared to many others in North Park. It offers the usual $30, $20 and $10 rewards for the top three participants, but the real deal is the 50-cent wings (with the purchase of a beverage). If you come in first, you could buy 60 wings.

5. Hillcrest Brewing Company
7:30 p.m. every Tuesday

DSCN4111web — Hillcrest Brewing Company plays trivia on Tuesdays. (Photo by KC Stanfield)

Rounding things off is Hillcrest Brewing Company. In case you’re lacking in a particular subject, you can form a team to fill the gaps. Like two other entries on this list, the prizes are $30, $20 and $10 in gift cards for the first, second and third places. In addition to the trivia night, full-sized beers are $2 off.

—KC Stanfield is SDCNN’s editorial intern. Hutton Marshall contributed to this report. What bars do you think should have made the list? Email the editor at [email protected].