This week we went to our first ever Sunday-evening trivia outing at Logan Bar and Grill. Logan just opened up this past year, and is run by the same folks who own Northside in Bucktown. As an additional plus for me, personally, I was able to walk there, and even had time to run home and get sweaters for the team on a chilly night. Very convenient.
The specials of the night were $4 Fat Tire and $4 Shiner Bock. Which isn’t that special, since the price of the Fat Tire and Shiner Bock as stated on the menu was also $4. That’s like going to McDonald’s and having a $1 sale on everything on the dollar menu. The food is standard bar and grill fare….decent, but we’ve had better.
The trivia is similar to what we encountered at Cans. It was hosted by Whaddayaknow? Free Team Trivia, which basically consists of rounds where you can wager more based on how confident you are about your answer. You are allowed one full song to answer each question, determine your wager, and drop off the answer in a receptacle at the bar. There were 2 first-half rounds, 6 questions each, and we could wager between 1-6 points. The 2nd half rounds were also 6 questions each, and we could wager between 2-12 points. Halves were broken up by a picture round and an identification round (both handouts). There are 2 final questions, which can be worth up to 10 points, but you are penalized for missing them.
We played as the Fringe Trimmers. The trivia itself was all general trivia, and for the most part, was fun and fair. The MC had a tendency to ramble incoherently at times (actually at all times), which sometimes made listening to the actual questions difficult. It was kind of like a cross between going to a trivia night and an auction. For example, a question might be “What is the capital of Georgia?” He would ask “Hey guys, there’s a state, it’s here in the United States. The state is Georgia. Georgia. Georgia is the state. It has a capital. There is a capital of Georgia. I want to know the capital of the state. The state is Georgia, it’s here in the United States, and I need to know the capital.” It reminded me of The Whether Man from the Phantom Tollbooth. Know what I’m talking about? No?
We’re not sure where we ended up for the night in the standings, since we missed the last 2 final questions. To be honest, I’m not sure I would trust the guy who was tallying our scores (despite his Asian heritage). We do know that prizes were awarded for the top 4 teams, but are unsure of what those prizes might be.
However, on an extremely positive note, one of the questions was:
“On the show The Office, what is the name of Andy Bernard’s a cappella group from Cornell?”
HOLY SHIT! We were psyched. It was awesome. It made the whole night so much better.
It was a fun night, and so far, the only place that serves up trivia on Sunday night, so that alone makes it worthy of a shout-out.
+ Good question variation
+Exclusive Sunday night option
– Specials aren’t that special
– Manic MC
Logan Bar & Grill
2232 N. California Ave., Chicago
8pm to 10:30pm
Free admission
2.5 paws (out of 4)
Here Comes Treble is a group of Chicagoans who want to share our love of trivia nights with the rest of the city. Follow us as we search for the best pub quiz in town!
Here Comes Treble is now Chicago Hearts Trivia! 
