Olivia TaylorAre you smarter than a 5th grader? You probably are, but if you’ve ever joined in on a trivia night at your local pub or bar, you might be surprised about how much you still may not know about science, math, pop culture, and even the world!
There are a lot of pubs and bars that host trivia nights in Ottawa with many of them part of a larger, region-wide league. If you want to tease your brain, here are the best places to do it!
Level One Game Pub
Address: 14 Waller St, Ottawa, ON K1N 9C4, Canada
Contact Details: +16136957529
Operating Hours: Monday, 4:00 pm to 12:00 am, Tuesday to Thursday, 2:00 pm to 12:00 am, Friday, 2:00 pm to 2:00 am, Saturday, 12:00 pm to 2:00 am, Sunday, 12:00 pm to 12:00 am
Level One Game Pub has been a go-to for young Ottawans to sit back, relax, and enjoy board games and trivia nights over pints of beer, drinks, and bar bites. The pub lets you stay and play as many games as you want for $9 on top of your food and drink orders.
Every Monday, the pub hosts a Geek Trivia night where guests can join in on answering random questions about pop culture, gaming, and all sorts of trivial knowledge. A trivia master will give out the questions for teams of 2 to 6 people.
Teams must register their names, pay the $2 per player, and try to win as many rounds to earn a spot in the league. Scores will be added up each month, and the team with the most points will be declared the winner!
| Tips: Geek Trivia night at Level One Pub starts at 6:30 pm with an additional themed event at 8:30 pm. Slots tend to fill up fast every Monday, so reservations and early registration are a must-do to secure a spot in the league. You can make reservations here. You’ll need to come up with a team name during the registration, including the number of players per team. So, round up all the details for the sign-up as early as you can! |
Clocktower Brew Pub
Address: 140 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7, Canada
Contact Details: +16135624878
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 11:30 am to 12:00 am, Friday and Saturday, 11:30 am to 1:00 am, Sunday, 11:30 am to 10:00 pm
Trivia nights at Clocktower Brew Pub are designed to give your team’s brains a twist. They’re not your usual geeky, pop culture trivia nights; they’re really going to make you think outside the box to win a point!
The pub’s trivia nights usually happen on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Most questions are geared towards math, science, and other trivia that you may have never known.
You can join in on the fun with your team while you munch on Clocktower Brew Pub’s chicken wings, craft beer, sandwiches, burgers, and more! Most trivia nights are hosted in the Rideau branch, but you can stay tuned to their Instagram page for more updates!
| Tips: Clocktower Brew Pub hosts Happy Hour every Sunday to Thursday from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm onwards. You can enjoy discounted drinks and food during the trivia night! The pub doesn’t usually announce specific themes for trivia nights, so stock up on all sorts of trivia you can find on the Internet for preparation. |
Pour Boy
Address: 495 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 5J7, Canada
Contact Details: +16136957687
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 2:00 pm to 2:00 am
Pour Boy is located near Ottawa’s Chinatown and hosts different kinds of fun events for guests to join in while they enjoy pints of beer, cocktails, and pub fare. They brew their own Pour Boy Lager here for only $5 a pint too!
The pub hosts two trivia sessions every Tuesday at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm. They call it Trivia Tuesdays, and don’t reveal the theme explicitly until the day itself (although you can find hints on their Instagram posts about it).
To energize your brain, a few popular bites here are the Louisiana-style chicken and waffles, grilled cheese sandwich, veggie burger, and Philly cheese steak. They also have lots of beer on tap like red ale, pale ale, wheat ale, and IPA to go with your food.
| Tips: Pour Boy not only hosts Trivia Tuesdays, but they also host Open Mic Wednesdays, Comedy Thursdays, and Bingo Fridays! There is always something fun going on in this pub, and seats tend to fill up very quickly unless you make a reservation in advance. Just make sure to inform them which event you’d like to join when you enquire online or via phone. |
The Lieutenant’s Pump
Address: 361 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1M9, Canada
Contact Details: +16132382949
Operating Hours: Monday to Tuesday, 4:30 pm to 1:00 am, Wednesday to Saturday, 11:00 am to 2:00 am, Sunday, 11:00 am to 1:00 am
The Lieutenant’s Pump has been around Elgin Street since 1984, serving up a wide variety of beer, spirits, wine, and food for locals and tourists. The British pub looks very classy on the inside, but it also hosts a variety of fun events now and then.
For starters, they host a trivia night every Monday to break away from the classy British pub vibe they boast. Anyone coming in on Monday evenings can join in on the fun, even if you’re seated all the way in the back (their sound system is loud and clear).
Trivia night starts at 6:30 pm and 9:00 pm with special $9 rates on 20-ounce pints of Budweiser and Mill Street Organic beers. Themes are chosen at random, and although they don’t have a league, these trivia nights are a good way to end the Monday blues!
| Tips: The Lieutenant’s Pump requires reservations for Monday Trivia Night. For groups less than 10, you can reserve a table in their online booking table here, while larger groups must give the pub a call for enquiries. |
Playback
Address: 1860 Bank St #3A, Ottawa, ON K1V 7Z8, Canada
Contact Details: [email protected]
Operating Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Want to join in on a trivia night that lets you win big prizes? Playback is a bar to visit if you’re up for a more challenging trivia night with your friends.
Playback hosts a monthly trivia night in collaboration with Outside The Box, an events organizer that specializes in trivia nights for pubs all over Ottawa. Playback’s trivia night runs for two hours and charges a $15 admission fee that already includes a free drink.
Winners of the monthly trivia night get free entry to Playback’s Archery or Room Escape Games. Teams of 2 to 6 players must arrive early for the event or else lose their spot or miss out on points (because they won’t wait for you).
| Tips: To join Playback’s monthly trivia night, players must be at least 19 years old and older to participate. The bar doesn’t sell food, but you’re free to bring your own meals to the bar when you join the event. Reservations are required to join the trivia night. You’ll have to decide on a team name and a team captain to represent the team during the event! |
O’Grady’s Outpost
Address: 25 Tapiola Crescent, Ottawa, ON K1T 2J7, Canada
Contact Details: +16138001033
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday, 11:30 am to 12:00 am, Saturday, 10:00 am to 12:00 am, Sunday, 10:00 am to 12:00 am
Trivia Night Wednesdays at O’Grady’s Outpost gives guests a chance at winning a $25 gift certificate for any of the pub’s pub fare and drinks. You can get a round of drinks for free with that value!
Best of all, there’s no admission fee to join in on the competition. All you need to do is show up by yourself or with a teammate and battle your brains out with other pubgoers.
There are no set themes for trivia nights, but prepare to answer questions about pop culture, music, movies, and maybe a bit of math or science. Questions are random, with the slight chance of really thinking outside the box (all for good fun though!).
| Tips: O’Grady’s Outpost has an outdoor patio within the parking lot. This means you’ll be surrounded by cars if you choose to dine and drink outside. It’s best to reserve a table in advance for trivia nights every Wednesday. The pub gets fully booked fast, so making the call ahead of time can help you secure a comfortable seat during the event. |
Irene’s Pub Restaurant
Address: 885 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1S 3W4, Canada
Contact Details: +16132304474
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday, 12:00 pm to 2:00 am, Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 am to 2:00 am
Tuesdays at Irene’s Pub Restaurant is trivia night hosted by the Trivia Hall of Fame, running from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The fact that the event is hosted by the Trivia Hall of Fame means the winning team can keep tabs on other winning teams across Ottawa!
Questions during the event will be random with no particular theme set in stone. Generally, the event covers everything from pop culture to science and the occasional weird things you never thought you knew.
Even if you don’t win, you’re likely to take home new trivial knowledge you can use as an arsenal on other trivia nights in Ottawa. There’s no admission fee, but it wouldn’t hurt to celebrate your tiny wins with a round of draft beer!
| Tips: Since Irene’s Pub Restaurant is located in the Glebe, parking can be difficult to find, especially on Tuesday Trivia Night. The nearest parking lots you can park at are at Lansdowne Park or the City of Ottawa Parking Glebe. If you’re hungry but have a sensitive stomach, Irene’s Pub Restaurant offers gluten-free options on their menu! |
The Royal Oak
Address: 180 Kent St, Ottawa, ON K1P 0B6, Canada
Contact Details: +16134228269
Operating Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 11:30 am to 12:00 am, Thursday to Friday, 11:30 am to 2:00 am, Saturday, 11:00 am to 2:00 am, Sunday, 9:00 am to 12:00 am
The Royal Oak has 12 locations all over Ottawa, and most of them host trivia nights every day of the week! This is a pub chain to keep on your radar if you’re constantly on the watch for trivia nights more than once a week.
The events are hosted by the Trivia Hall of Fame and usually run from 7:00 pm onwards. Usually, players get a round of multiple choice questions, “fill in the blank” questions, or rush rounds where the first player to guess the right answer wins the point.
Sometimes, the hosts may ask players questions centred on a specific theme or topic or have them play a round of Final Jeopardy. Overall, there’s something to look forward to almost every night across Royal Oak’s branches in the city!
| Tips: Although trivia nights at Royal Oak are free to play, there are limited slots available. You’ll need to reserve a slot in advance in order to play for free. The best way to reserve a table is to give them a call. Come up with a team, usually between 2 to 4 players, and a team name. Make sure to tell them you’re calling for trivia night so the staff can place you near the host! |
Atomic Rooster
Address: 303 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1X7, Canada
Contact Details: +16135691000
Operating Hours: Monday to Tuesday, 4:00 pm to 2:00 am, Wednesday to Friday, 12:00 pm to 2:00 am, Saturday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 2:00 am
Atomic Rooster is a casual go-to for Ottawans seeking live music shows while chowing down on bar fare and beer, but the pub also turns into a hub for trivia fans every month.
The event runs from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm and is hosted by comedian Justin Thuss of Half-Cocked Trivia. Aside from answering trivia questions, you’ll also be treated to a round of laughs during the event (but don’t let the jokes distract you!).
Half-Cocked Trivia happens only once a month on Tuesdays, so expect slots to be full when the event comes around. There’s no fee to play trivia here, but Atomic Rooster does have weekly specials if you want to boost your brain with some food!
| Tips: Every Tuesday, Atomic Rooster offers in-house butter chicken with basmati rice for just $15. The promo will run until closing on Tuesdays, so you don’t have to worry about last calls for orders! Aside from trivia nights, Atomic Rooster encourages locals to submit artwork and get them featured inside the pub. Artworks rotate every month, and you can register yours here. |
St. Louis Bar and Grill
Address: 399 Elgin St Unit 2, Ottawa, ON K2P 1M9, Canada
Contact Details: +16132311116
Operating Hours: Monday to Thursday, 12:00 pm to 12:00 am, Friday to Saturday, 12:00 pm to 1:00 am, Sunday, 12:00 pm to 12:00 am
St. Louis Bar and Grill has been grilling barbecue and chicken wings for Ottawans since 1992, but their saucy and smokey offerings aren’t the only things they’re known for. St. Louis Bar and Grill hosts weekly trivia nights every Wednesday, led by comedians.
Trivia nights here typically run for two hours with a game system prepared by the Hub of Trivia and Events. They’re a games and events organizer that specializes in hosting party activities and team-building experiences, so the mechanics run quite differently.
Instead of answering on a piece of paper or by raising your hand, each team will need to use a smartphone to submit their answers. Only one person can submit the answer (usually the team captain), while the other chip in on the questions!
| Tips: St. Louis Bar and Grill’s trivia nights require prior reservation. You’ll have to call the bar to secure your slot before they run out! |
Barley Mow
Address: 1541 Merivale Rd, Nepean, ON K2G 5W1, Canada
Contact Details: +16136952669
Operating Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, Thursday to Saturday, 11:00 am to 1:00 am, Sunday, 11:00 am to 11:00 pm
If you want a chance at winning gift certificates at Barley Mow, join their trivia night every Tuesday at the Merivale branch starting at 7:00 pm.
Barley Mow has eight branches all over Ottawa with select branches offering trivia nights on Tuesdays. It’s only the Merivale branch, however, that hosts it every week, while the others once a month or every two weeks.
The mechanics are simple. Reserve a slot, create a team, come up with a team name, and answer as many questions as you can until you score the highest points!
| Tips: If you want more prizes, Barley Mow also has a Check-In and Win promo wherein you post photos of your time at the pub and share them to their Facebook page with the hashtags #barleymow and #checkintowin. Winners with the best entries get a $25 voucher on top of the gift certificate for winning trivia night (it’s possible!). If you’re in the Canadian military, you are entitled to a 20% discount on dine-in meals. This applies to members of the Canadian Armed Forces and veterans. The promo cannot be used on items that are already discounted, however! |
Whiprsnapr Brewing Co.
Address: 14 Bexley Pl, Nepean, ON K2H 8W2, Canada
Contact Details: +16139155372
Operating Hours: Wednesday to Thursday, 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Friday and Saturday, 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Sunday, 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Do you think you’re the biggest Simpsons fan in the whole planet? Try your luck at answering Simpsons trivia at Whiprsnapr Brewing Co!
If you’re not a fan of The Simpsons, don’t worry, as the brewery hosts themed trivia nights on Thursdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Topics and themes change every event, but their Simpsons trivia is a big hit among the locals!
There are usually 6 categories per event and teams of two to six players can join in on the fun for free! You’ll have to email the brewery first to reserve your slot or simply book your table on the website!
| Tips: Whiprsnapr’s trivia nights are family-friendly and dog-friendly (unless specified otherwise or if the timing is past your kids’ bedtime). It’s best to contact the brewery for more information about any upcoming trivia nights to ensure topics are child-friendly on the day of your visit! |
