Brewery Profile

Top Of The Hill Restaurant and Brewery

In downtown Chapel Hill, a visitor stepping into this multi-level restaurant and brewery finds a long-running brewpub format rather than a production taproom set apart from food service. Established in 1994, Top Of The Hill Restaurant and Brewery has a full-scale brewing system inside the same facility that serves its restaurant patrons, with beer made on a 10-barrel system. The setting is built for on-site drinking: extensive indoor seating, a dedicated bar area, and a large outdoor patio that looks over the Franklin Street and Columbia Street intersection. For visitors exploring Chapel Hill’s beer options, the appeal is partly that the brewing operation is visible in the context of a busy downtown restaurant, with house beers served directly from bright tanks to the taps.

Travelers moving through the Triangle often look for a mix of regional craft beer standards and something tied to the place they are visiting. This stop fits that pattern through a lineup that typically includes year-round staples, seasonal releases, and experimental offerings. Core styles generally include a Kölsch, a robust amber ale, and hop-forward IPAs, giving visitors a range from lighter and cleaner to maltier or more hop-driven pours. Because the brewery began by making beer for its own restaurant customers, the experience is centered on drinking the beer where it is brewed rather than touring a separate production site. Those interested in Chapel Hill’s older brewpub culture may find the continuity of that model useful context for the visit.

For practical planning, the main reason to visit is the on-site experience: indoor tables, bar seating, and the outdoor patio provide different ways to spend time depending on weather and crowd levels. The patio is one of the clearest visitor-facing features, especially for anyone wanting a view of a central downtown intersection while having a beer. The taproom or bar is the place to confirm the day’s pours, since seasonal and experimental beers can change. Beyond the restaurant, select beers have limited local distribution in cans and kegs within the immediate Triangle area, but availability away from the brewery should not be assumed. Visitors specifically seeking a particular style should check what is pouring before making the stop.

Top Of The Hill Restaurant and Brewery operates a full-scale brewing system within its multi-level facility located in downtown Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Established in 1994, the operation initially focused on providing house-brewed beers exclusively to its on-site restaurant patrons. The brewery utilizes a 10-barrel system, allowing for consistent production of year-round staples alongside seasonal and experimental offerings. Core styles typically include a Kolsch, a robust Amber Ale, and various hop-forward IPAs, all served directly from the bright tanks to the taps. The venue features extensive indoor seating, a dedicated bar area, and a large outdoor patio overlooking the intersection of Franklin Street and Columbia Street. Beyond the on-site consumption, TOPO maintains limited local distribution of select brews in cans and kegs throughout the immediate Triangle area.

Website available

100 E Franklin St Ste F, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514-3629

Phone: 9199298676

Website: http://www.thetopofthehill.com