Get a bird's-eye view of downtown Chapel Hill at this Franklin Street brewery and restaurant.
(919) 883-4167
100 E Franklin St 3rd Floor
(Route 86)
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
35.9132
-79.0557
Top Of The Hl Rstrnt & Brewery
Last updated 6.13.09
What People Are Saying About Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery
The Owner
Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery
Owner
Created to prevent a national chain restaurant from occupying this same space, Top of the Hill was conceived to be the social crossroads of Chapel Hill- a mingling place for graduate students, faculty, town residents, tourists, undergraduates or anyone lucky enough to find themselves in the Southern part of heaven. We strive to provide not only a great dining and social experience, but one that is intrinsically linked to Chapel Hill and Franklin Street. Please enjoy the view over historic downtown and make sure to take time to look at our collection of historic Chapel Hill…
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short – The spacious interior includes a large bar with signature beers brewed on-site. Step out onto the patio and enjoy your meal at one of the outdoor tables. Menu offerings are more sophisticated than other restaurants on Franklin, with appetizers like creme fraiche shrimp cerviche and entrees such as oysters Florentine gnocchi and chef's filet mignon. More traditional diners will like the buttermilk fried chicken, and lunch options such as the Top cheeseburger and paprika chicken sandwich.
Was there when MJ was there
by bumkneeguy
I was there the same night the previous reviewer was there. I counted over 300 people try and get to MJ. The staff was as polite as they could be but some people were really obnoxious in their efforts to get to MJ or to take pictures or both.
By the way, there is always food available when I go to Top of the Hill. However, they stop serving dinner and go to their bar menu at 10 because the bar crowds are so large and want to take over the tables so they can't serve restaurant patrons well.
- Pros: Friendly Staff, Location, Beer, Food
- Cons: None
Rude Staff
by JenniferAnderson
I have always enjoyed going to TOTH due to the fact that it is a great view of Franklin Street and a decent crowd. I have been going there consistently for many years after the football games. However, I have been very frustrated recently due to the arrogance and difficulty of the staff. It all comes down to poor management. I can understand not taking game day reservations, but why would they turn away people because "they are no longer serving lunch, etc" on a mid afternoon game day AND they stop serving food at 10PM. They could make a ton of $$ here after the games. Also, Michael Jordan was there tonight, and one of the managers kept telling everyone not to take pictures (based on MJ's request) and while everyone was following "the rules", he kept saying that he was going to ask anyone to leave that tries to take one. I am a professional and don't need a 20 something year old that I will be kicked out of the place. He could have politely said that MJ has requested no photos please and got the same point across. Also, since when does MJ control what the fans of CH do?
- Pros: Atmosphere, beer selection
- Cons: Difficult Staff
Going DOWN HILL!!!
by Pumpkin4352
A group of friends and I made the grave mistake of thinking TOTH would be a good selection for dinner this past week... the experience was nothing short of disastrous! I used to go to this place all the time, and can honestly say it has gone DOWN HILL fast! It seems like this restaurant now intentionally targets a very drunk crowd of sloppy beer chuggers and NOT diners. Our party (consisting of 8 people) came out to celebrate a birthday. There had been a football game earlier in the night, and the bar was not super crowded. However, our party waited almost three hours to be seated!!! Despite having reservations, we were barely permitted upstairs by the incredibly rude door security (who at 5'3" wouldn't have been able to bounce anyone, if necessary). We were told we would not be allowed to go up and meet our party until out table was ready to be seated; this did not stop them from filing in a semi-conscious group of drunk undergrads. Once upstairs, we were groped by hideous drunkards. Our server seemed bothered to have a table, the food wasn't good. TOTH- leave the frat parties to the frat houses... not your early evening Saturday night dining. I've talked to a lot of people who have had a very similar experience. If you want to be burped and spilled on, go to Top of the Hill. If you want a nice dinner, let me suggest the Lantern or Elaine's.... or *anywhere* else on the strip.
- Pros: Location
- Cons: Door Staff, Management, Clientele
The Details on Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery
The Extras:
You can light up in designated areas, and Top of the Hill sells cigars.
Know Before You Go:
Top of the Hill is located on the third floor of the building.
Category:
Catering, Bars & Pubs, Brew Pubs, Restaurants
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Date Spot, Group Dining, Special Occasion Dining
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
Yes
As Seen In…
Message from Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery
- Micro Brewery
- Outdoor Dining available
- Fine Dining Experience
Created to prevent a national chain restaurant from occupying this same space, Top of the Hill was conceived to be the social crossroads of Chapel Hill- a mingling place for graduate students, faculty, town residents, tourists, undergraduates or anyone lucky enough to find themselves in the Southern part of heaven.
We strive to provide not only a great dining and social experience, but one that is intrinsically linked to Chapel Hill and Franklin Street. Please enjoy the view over historic downtown and make sure to take time to look at our collection of historic Chapel Hill photographs.
We have been awarded over 25 "Best in the Triangle" and "Best of" Awards including Best Restaurant in Chapel Hill, Best Micro Brew and Best Outdoor Deck, among others.
Our beer selection is unbeatable and our menu, served at both lunch and dinner, offers eclectic upscale American cuisine.








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