Top Of The Hill Restaurant & Brewery

My group and I went to TOPO when visiting Chapel Hill for dinner. It was pretty busy in the evening, but there were a couple tables open. We journeyed up a couple flights of stairs to reach the top floor of the building for the restaurant. There was an outside portion as well which seemed to be an option, but we we were quickly seated inside.I ordered the buttermilk fried chicken, my friend got the mexicali bowl, and my brother ordered the top burger. I was thoroughly impressed with the fried chicken dish. The chicken was tender and juicy on top of delicious mashed potatoes along with a moist biscuit. There is so much more to the dish than suggested by the name, so I was a big fan! My friend was unable to finish her bowl, so she was able to take it away and bring it home. Overall, I had a positive experience at TOPO and would return!

The food is pretty expensive but the view is beautiful so you were basically paying for the view. At the time, I wasn't drinking alcohol but it's a pretty popular none-the-lessPart 2 more than a year later: it was so hot but still nice view, great sunset and I'm glad we went then. Service was ok, the waitress seemed to be a bit overwhelmed and hot so I felt kinda bad but one person didn't even eat until they brought out mayo more than 10+ mins later after forgetting

It was a hot day and we just wanted food! We had heard plenty about the Top of the Hill and were honestly worried it was a tourist trap for Chapel Hill. We assumed the food would be mediocre or bar food. We are SO glad we didn't follow our thoughts! Top of the Hill has a great location on the corner of Franklin and Columbia. You will need to park on the street or in the city parking lot across the street. I would remiss if I did not mention that they could use a bit of air freshener in the elevator. Luckily, you can also take the stairs! We were greeted and taken directly to our table. We were seated on the outdoor patio. Our table overlooked Franklin street and it was perfect. The interior of the restaurant/brewery is clean and modern with an open concept. The outdoor area had regular tables as well as bar height tables. We placed our order. The table had Lizard Chips - sliced dill pickles & jalapeños crispy fried in TOPO beer batter, served with Baja dipping sauce. Oh sweet baby Jesus! We tore those up and could have had a second serving! Others had the Mexicali Bowl - brown rice, black beans, mixed cheddar cheeses, pico de gallo, avocado, pickled jalapeños, sour cream & crisp tortilla strips as well as Salmon Salad - grilled 8oz Salmon on your choice of salad: house, goat cheese, Baja or Thai dressings. All of our dishes were wonderfully seasoned and arrived to our table hot. The wait staff was also very attentive, even during a lunch rush. We also enjoyed mid-day cocktails. Overall the meal was perfect.

My son and I arrived in Chapel Hill late one evening around 945 which was close to the restaurant closing time. The servers who were cleaning up were more than gracious to accommodate the two of us for a late night meal. We sat at the bar and ordered our food and drinks like normal. There was no rushing us, none of the employees were anxious for us to leave so that they could get home. For this reason alone, I would give it four stars, but the food was excellent as well.With the exception of having to park on Franklin Street or in a nearby garage and walk a little way, the restaurant is convenient to just about everything in Chapel Hill. I highly recommend top of the hill for anyone coming into Chapel Hill for athletics, culture or anything else.

We enjoyed our lunch! The street corn salmon and the jambalaya were the highlights. The mushroom got cakes were solid but the sauce is too rich. Definitely add the shrimp. The service was personable. The beer is average. The location is great. The hush puppies were not cooked all the way through.

This little spot was perfect for lunch on a Sunday. With Brunch options and drink specials we really enjoyed it. We had a diner with autism and they were accommodating and kind!!!

Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery, also known as "TOPO," is a UNC and Chapel Hill institution. TOPO is located atop the intersection of Franklin and Columbia Streets, the epicenter of big Carolina basketball postgame celebrations, in the heart of downtown Chapel Hill. This place is busy and popular year-round and especially during Carolina basketball and football seasons. My wife and her co-residents tried to come here to watch the 2022 Final Four game between Carolina and Duke (Coach K's last game), but it was full so they went to Linda's up the street instead.TOPO has been a regular dinner spot for my wife and her co-residents during her four years in Chapel Hill. When she brought me here for dinner, there was another group of residents and attendings on the patio. We arrived just before 6pm on a Thursday (non-game night) and were able to snag one of the high-top tables that overlooked Franklin Street. It was nice. I can't think of any other restaurants or bars in Chapel Hill that have as good of a city view, so this place definitely has that going for it.TOPO is also a versatile spot, functioning more as a sit-down restaurant during the daytime and more as a bar Thursday-Saturday nights (open until 2am those nights). This is a brewpub; they brew their own beer on-site. TOPO has multiple award-winning brews, a few of which are noted below. Along with beer, they have a full bar serving several different types of cocktails ($8-16 each) including a variety of mules ($8 each). The cuisine is American. During our dinner visit, most apps, salads, sandwiches, and bowls were priced in the $10-15 range and most entrees were about $15-30 each.Here's what we got:Beer* Beer Sampler ($13) - five-ounce pours of all of TOPO's six draft beers' Kenan Lager - Best in Show, Carolina Championship of Beer' Bell Tower Blueberry Wheat - Platinum Medal, World Championship of Beer' Old Well White - Platinum Medal, World Championship of Beer' Quite Right IPA' Alma Mater Amber Ale' Blackwood Mountain StoutStarters* Jalapeno-Cheddar Hushpuppies (6 for $6.99) - cornmeal hushpuppies with jalapeno, cheddar cheese and buttermilk, served with white cocktail sauceEntrees* Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($18.50) - locally-sourced crispy fried breast with mushroom cream gravy topped with diced tomatoes and scallions, mashed potatoes, garlic-sauteed French beans, and a buttermilk biscuit* TOPO Whiskey & Coke Braised Beef ($23.99) - boneless beef short rib slow-braised in a Whiskey & Coke sauce with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoesIf you've never been to TOPO before, the Beer Sampler is a great way to go. You can sample all of TOPO's draft list without committing to a full glass. When we visited, there were six beers on tap, regularly $6-8 per serving. The sampler came with a neat and informative placemat menu. It had a description of each beer along with tasting notes. My wife's favorites were the Quite Right IPA followed by the Bell Tower Blueberry Wheat. I thought all six beers tasted good and I didn't have a favorite. It was a three-way tie between the Kenan Lager, Old Well White, and Alma Mater Amber Ale, all of which were very different. I guess what I'm saying is you really can't go wrong with any of the in-house beers here.My wife recommended the Jalapeno-Cheddar Hushpuppies. She likes them because both their texture and flavor stand out. I agree - they were tasty and addictive. The Jalapeno-Cheddar Hushpuppies are one of the apps that she and her co-residents like to order and share. Others they like to get include the Lizard Chips ($9.50), which are sliced dill pickles and jalapenos deep-fried in TOPO beer batter and served with a "Baja" dipping sauce, and the Sweet Potatoes & Peppadew Pepper Jelly ($11.99), which are sweet potato fries with a cream cheese and pepper jelly.The entrees that we got, the Buttermilk Fried Chicken and the TOPO Whiskey & Coke Braised Beef, are TOPO classics. The fried chicken is an entree that one of my wife's attendings, who has been in Chapel Hill for decades, usually orders. It was yummy. Crispy, tender, and not too greasy. I liked the mushroom cream gravy and I thought both it and the green beans went well with the chicken. The braised beef was hearty and satisfying. I thought the meat was a little dry, but it was flavorful. I do recommend both of these dishes if you want to try what TOPO "is known for."Service was good, from the hostesses up front to our server, Coale. All the staff we interacted with were polite and efficient, and everything we ordered came out in a reasonable amount of time.We parked for free in a paved lot behind the restaurant. You can enter the lot via a small driveway on S Columbia St between TOPO and the Ackland Art Museum. TOPO is located on the third floor (highest floor).TL;DR version - I give TOPO four stars not for any one reason, but for the whole experience as a brewpub with a good view, good service, good drinks, and decent food.

This is my second time here and I hope I'll be back soon. Every time i visit the energy of the space is always amazing. If you visit you have to sit on the patio and enjoy the view of Franklin St which we did at sunset and it has to be one of the best views in Chapel Hill. Some friends and I went on a Monday and they have a special called Mojito Monday so of course we started with a round of strawberry mojitos. They were the bomb! A generous amount of mint and rum is what makes a good mojito and this place does it just right. After the mojitos i moved on to try the blueberry wheat beer because of how much I had seen it across the yelp page. It was sweet and refreshing which was surprising because i expected a heavy overly sweet beer but it was perfect for a nice dinner pairing. I ordered the ahi tuna salad and it was good not great but i really enjoyed the sweet sauce they drizzled across it. Overall I really enjoyed my dinner and I would recommend this place to anyone.

Really great food and stunning views!! We came here on a Friday evening and got sat down quickly. On this particular night they didn't take reservations since it was before a football game, but there was no wait for us. We got there at sunset, and might I say, the views are stunning. We definitely got a good spot: right on the edge that overlooks Franklin. We started off with the pothouse rolls for an appetizer, and they were so buttery and cheesy! The rolls were soft and sweet, but complimented the salty butter/garlic combo very well. For entrees, I ordered the whiskey braised beef that came with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. The beef was a little drier than what I would've liked, but it was flavorful! The mashed potatoes were good, but it could've used a little more sauce. Overall, great meal here!

Stopped by for a late lunch and it did not disappoint. We were the third table there around 2:30pm and were sat on the patio under the shade, enjoying the nice afternoon breeze overlooking part of Franklin St. Nice relaxing atmosphere. I ordered the Mushroom grit (polenta) cakes with shrimp swimming in a cream sauce, which had a wonderful flavor. My son had the salmon linguini meal that was a refreshing (cold) summer plate with cucumbers and cool to the palette. Both were different choices for us and we enjoyed until the last bite! Our server was super friendly and very attentive.