09/30/08

Great patio...fun place.

by JaneKF

The food is good. The service is usually great. Keith is the best bartender there. He always remembers my name and asks me how school is going. Pretty neat that that can still happen these days. Yea Keith!

• Pros: Keith!
• Cons: Sometimes slow service.

09/14/09

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

09/05/09

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

10/13/08

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

09/07/08

Pleasant Experience for Outsiders

by csburdick

We're new to the area and wanted to try some new places around the Triangle area. Top of the Hill was one of the places we've tried, and will definitely go back. The outside deck is great, friendly people, and a great place to be and relax. Great exclusive beer, although one waitress was rude.

09/06/08

I went for an early lunch.

by yummyemilie

I ordered the lizard chips (deep fried pickle chips and halepeno pepper rings), and the wild mushroom cripsy grit cake. The lizard chips were so so. Too much batter, and kinda tough. The dipping sauce with it was tasty.

I was totally won over by the grit cake. I was nervous to order it b/c I don't generally like grits, but I felt like trying something new. It was Perfectly crisp outside , soft yet gritty inside. the cashew sauce was perfectly seasoned and very creamy. They were generous with the mushrooms, which were fresh and perfectly meaty. There wer little bits of tomato on top that were the most perfectly ripe, bright red tomatoes I've ever had.

I will go back again soon.

• Pros: service, good variety on the menu, good beers made on site.
• Cons: you may have to walk a bit from your parking

08/31/08

Good view and food,nice beers, but GREAT MAGIC

by DennisandLorraine

My wife and I took our daughter and her boyfriend to this place. The food was good (American Fare) the beer was great, as was our waitress, but the guy doing the magic tricks was superb. We went to the Magic Castle once in LA and I thought those guys were good. This guy was like David Blaine...he was fantastic. My daughter doesn't normally go for that type of thing, but when he had her school ring on his keyring, her jaw dropped. We're going back later this fall.

The view from the terrace was great, so if it's good weather try to sit outside. Oh yeah, get the beer with the blueberries in it. Thank you Top of the Hill.

On the Down side- parking was a little akward and we did have a bit of a wait to eat (we did go on Friday.)

• Pros: Beer and Magician was Superb
• Cons: Had to wait to eat, and parking was tricky

08/27/08

Really, what's the fuss?

by jolo2

This is going to sound elitist, but TOTH appeals to a certain crowd - younger and/or less discriminatory palates who like the beer selection and location. Otherwise, I just don't get it. Parking is the usual challenge in Chapel Hill. Food is fair but hardly "fine dining" as some reviewers have stated, unless you're comparing against nearby fast food places for college kids (which I'd probably prefer anyway). If we call this a 5-star fine dining establishment, then what do you do with Tullulahs, Lantern, Elaine's, Crooks Corner, etc. a few blocks away? Don't get me wrong, there is nothing particularly wrong about TOTH, it's just not terribly unique. Order a fried appetizer and you'll get the usual pub fare - heavy on the batter and kinda generic on the palate. Order a steak and you'll get a steak, nothing more or less. (The menu is reasonably diverse, so most people can probably find something they like.) Order a drink, and you'll wait a long time, then probably end up getting something decent. :) It's a fine place for people watching esp. on weekend nights after the dinner crowds leave. All in all, I don't mind when people say let's meet at TOTH, but if I'm picking, I'd much rather go to the many other fine choices on Franklin or elsewhere.

• Pros: People watching/mixing, central location
• Cons: Average food, slow service, parking

08/01/08

2 hour limit on groups?!

by Hadley1013

I was part of a group of 15 who went to Top of the Hill for dinner last weekend. We each ordered appetizers, a couple of drinks and then entrees (the entrees took at least 30 minutes to arrive), ate our food and asked for our checks. We had arrived at 6:30, so by the time 8:30 rolled around the restaurant was emptying out - there were empty tables all around us.

While we were waiting for our credit cards to be charged, the manager (Rebecca) came over and rudely asked us to leave - and then came back 10 minutes later with an even more forceful approach, this time saying that another party was waiting for the table. We were told that there is a 2 hour limit on groups and we had unfortunately exceeded our time slot.

SERIOUSLY?! A limit on groups and once you exceed 2 hours they kick you out?! I've never heard of that before, especially at a more upscale restaurant such as this, and it certainly wasn't communicated when we made the reservation. To me, turning over tables and accommodating other reservations is a management problem - especially in the case of our group which was dining at a normal pace (not dawdling).

Further, Rebecca should have checked with her server to make sure the checks were settled before she started harassing us. I might even go so far as to suggest that she find a creative way to use one of the, I don't know, maybe TEN other empty tables around us to accommodate the next party.

I was appalled at the audacity of this manager (and the restaurant's policy) and I would recommend that anyone looking to dine with a group seek out another venue.

05/04/08

Decent Beer and lots of women!!!

by Hsheff17

Stopped up at Top of the Hill to try their beers......unfortunately the bar was so crowded I settled with a scotch and water since I didn't know when I was getting back up there. One thing I can say is this is where the women go!!!

• Pros: Beautiful women and decent liquor selection
• Cons: Slow service