Night · 8 ideas · easiest first
A group of four to six
The group chat has been going for two days and the plan is still 'something'. Groups need a venue with a built-in activity, otherwise the night is three people talking and three people on their phones. Everything below works for four to six and most of it can be booked today. From the cheapest and loosest to the ones that need a reservation and everybody on time.
Weekday brunch with the group
The weekend brunch, moved to a Tuesday: no wait, no noise, half the price, and a table for six.
- Cost
- $18–28 per person
- Best when
- Any weekday morning you can all get off
- Cheaper
- Weekday brunch menus skip the weekend surcharge and the bottomless upsell.
- Skip it if
- Nobody can get a weekday morning. Then it's Sunday at 9 am sharp.
- Bring
- Everyone's actual arrival time.
Trivia night
A free reason to sit in a bar for two hours with a team, arguing about state capitals.
- Cost
- Free to play, $8–9 a beer
- Best when
- Tuesday or Wednesday, 7 pm
- Cheaper
- Winning teams usually get a bar tab. Lose, and you still only paid for the drinks.
- Skip it if
- You hate losing in public. It happens weekly.
- Bring
- One person who knows sports and one who knows 90s music.
Two people over, food delivered
Not a party. Two friends, a couch, takeout split three ways, and nobody has to find parking downtown.
- Cost
- $20–30 each
- Best when
- Friday or Saturday, 7 pm
- Cheaper
- Everyone brings one thing instead of ordering. A pot of pasta feeds four for $12.
- Skip it if
- Your place is a mess and that stresses you. Then go to theirs.
- Bring
- A deck of cards for when the conversation runs out. It won't.
Bowling, the cheap lane
An hour of a thing that's hard to be good at and easy to be loud about. Groups of four to six are perfect.
- Cost
- $15–25 per person with shoes
- Best when
- Weeknight evenings; weekend lanes get leagues
- Cheaper
- Weekday afternoon specials are often half price per game, before 5 pm.
- Skip it if
- Someone in the group bowls in a league. Nobody wants that.
- Bring
- Socks. You forgot socks.
An arcade bar
Pinball, old cabinets, a beer in a cup holder, and a first date where nobody has to maintain eye contact.
- Cost
- $10–20 in credits plus drinks
- Best when
- Thursday nights, before the weekend crowd
- Cheaper
- Set a credit budget at the door. Many run free-play on a slow weeknight.
- Skip it if
- You want to talk. It's loud by design.
- Bring
- Quarters, if it's that kind of place.
A private karaoke room
Your own room, your own playlist, a buzzer for drinks, and nobody outside the door can hear you.
- Cost
- $8–15 per person per hour
- Best when
- Friday or Saturday, book ahead
- Cheaper
- Weeknights are often half the weekend room rate.
- Skip it if
- The group is two people. Rooms want four or more.
- Bring
- A playlist drafted in advance. The first ten minutes are always wasted scrolling.
A band you've never heard of, in a small room
Two hundred people, a $15 ticket, a bar in the back, and a band playing like it matters.
- Best when
- Any night the listing looks interesting
- Cheaper
- Door price on a weeknight is often less than the weekend advance price.
- Skip it if
- You need to sit down. Small venues are standing rooms.
- Bring
- Earplugs. Seriously.
An escape room
Sixty minutes locked in with five friends and a timer. You'll find out who panics.
- Cost
- $30–40 per person
- Best when
- Weekend evenings, booked a few days ahead
- Cheaper
- Weekday slots are often $5–10 cheaper. Full rooms of six cost less per person than a room of two.
- Skip it if
- Anyone in the group hates being told the answer.
- Bring
- The whole group, on time. They start without you.