I've come here pre Covid several times and the food was always very good. I want to start by giving a huge shoutout to our waiter John. 1000 w smile, friendly, attentionate, sweet and very informative. I ordered the wild mushroom shrimp grit cake entree. I was expecting wild mushroom only had a few slivers of those. The grit cake was very thick and oily. The drinks were good though. The view is great and service is wonderful. Go for the drinks and go eat elsewhere read more

TOPO Distillery - Wild mushrooms Grit cake with shrimp - Distilleries Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I went here on a Friday night and was able to be seated immediately for 4 on the balcony with a great view of Franklin Street. The waitress was very attentive and friendly and we were able to our food and drinks with no difficulty. The Buttermilk fried chicken, and TOP burger were both good, although the Jambalaya, and Braised beef didn't meet the expectations, as well as the drinks. Other than that the service was great and the appetizers were very good. This is a good option for a family night, or a friends out if you're looking for somewhere with pretty good food and atmosphere. Also if you call early enough you can have a reservation in place, we went during a non-conference basketball game, and an away football game so the crowd was smaller as well so it may be much busier during home conference games. read more

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WOW!!! What an experience!! Anyone that drinks alcoholic beverages should take this tour. Prepare to have your mind blown!!! The owner of the distillery, Scott, was our tour guide. I purchased a Groupon for (4), which included the history of the distillery, the comparison of TOPO's pure organic spirits compared to other supposedly "high quality" and "made locally" spirits, a tour of the stills, free samples of the products and (4) shot glasses. We were all also given a small beer from the TOPO brewery to enjoy. The tour takes about 90 amazing minutes. We sampled the vodka, spiced rum, gin, moonshine whiskey, eight oak whiskey, reserve whiskey and hurricane mixer. All of which were organic. The spirits are made with red winter wheat, grown locally in NC. Several of these spirits have also won awards. My favorite was the vodka and I purchased a bottle along with a bottle of the Hurricane mixer. Also, I've always hated gin (I had a bad experience with gin in my youth) and TOPO's gin won me over! When I have family and friends visiting me from Michigan, I am definitely bringing them here. read more

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would love to keep coming here to eat but the parking situation not ideal and now they have predator towing people are literally getting towed constantly that come to visit with us when we go to franklin street this not the way to keep customers loyal franklin street goer i hope this gets solved read more

TOPO Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Usually I'm the one to spot Living Social deals and purchase them, but Husband spotted this one and bought it for us. HAH...whiskey and vodka, that's my guy! The Top of the Hill brewery folks have invested a lot of money to create top-of-the-line organic spirits, and we can all see and sample what they're doing by taking an inexpensive tour! Seriously, do you have anything better to do on a Sunday afternoon then spend an hour with a couple guys who have put their hearts and soul into this and want to share their enthusiasm by showing us the complicated process and letting us compare and sample? :) They'll start you off with one of their brews, if you'd like...plenty of hospitality here. The place is spotless (even the bathroom, ladies!) and you leave with not only a nifty TOPO glass, but pride knowing our state will soon become known for these high-quality spirits. Sadly our state also keeps them from selling us anything on the spot, but you better bet we're gonna keep our eyes open for some of their smooth TOPO vodka, and try to snag one of the nifty "Age Your Own Whiskey" kits! TIP: You don't have to have a Living Social deal to get in. Show up with ten bucks and you'll be welcomed in. Location is on Graham right off of Franklin. Parking is no problem! read more

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Though I'd seen the TOPO vodka in the North Carolina section of the ABC store, I'd not really been tempted to give it a try. But after having a chance to listen to Mr. McMahan talk passionately about their products, and their process (everything that goes into their vodka is from inside North Carolina), I knew I wanted to give this vodka a try. Vodka is my drink of choice for the family cocktail hour, and most of the other times as well, so I was looking forward to what this locally produced, organic version would taste like. I had tried the Texas product, Tito, and was underwhelmed - at least as a sipping vodka, no smooth, creamy finish at all - of course, it is pretty cheap, under $25. My choices in vodka are the non-Russian, European brands, and I prefer the vodka on the rocks with a small lemon twist, so the entire taste process, and especially the smoothness of the finish, are primary. TOPO Vodka ( $28.95) is pretty darn good sipping vodka, better than many of the international brands that are heavily advertised, and definitely preferable to Tito. It has a better start than finish, a little on the raw side at the end. I'll definitely keep a bottle or two on hand read more

TOPO Distillery - Nice bottle, nice drink. - Distilleries Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Sunday Funday at TOPO Distillery on my first ever Distillery tour, what a perfect way to spend the afternoon! Started the tour out with a TOPO Lager while we waited for everyone to arrive. The tour was broken down into 3 parts - introduction, tour of the distillery and a tasting. Our tour guide, Esteban, was awesome and provided us with a fun, informational tour! My favorite part was, of course, the tasting. We got to sample all of the TOPO organic spirits: Vodka (he even let us sample the Vodka infused with Serrano Peppers), Piedmont Gin, Carolina Moonshine Whiskey and Eight Oak Whiskey as well as a few other spirits to show you how much better their product is! My personal favorite was the Piedmont Gin and now that you can purchase one bottle per person per year I can't wait to try a Fitzgerald per Esteban's recommendation! I highly recommend that you check this place out. Thanks Rose and TOPO Distillery, I had a blast! read more

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Went here for the UYE put together by Rose L. (Thanks, Rose!!) Our tour guide, Esteban, was very knowledgeable and clearly enthusiastic to share what he knows about the science and the art of distilling spirits. I was surprised that at the tasting, we got to sample the competition's wares as well as TOPO's. Yeah, they were THAT confident in what they make. If you have visitors from out of town and are looking for something to do that is not 'run of the mill,' take them here! You won't be disappointed. (...and be sure to follow it with a trip to the Top Of The Hill Restaurant, just a 10 minute walk away, like we did. Good times!) read more

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We went here as a large group last year, and it was great! We went on our scheduled date (or so we thought), and found it closed. So one of us called the phone number that was listed on our reservation, and someone actually answered, said he was at the UNC basketball game, but would be right there. Well, while we were waiting on him to get here, one of us double checked the reservation and realized that it was for the following Saturday! Oh man, not only were we embarrassed but we also felt terrible that he'd left the game! He arrived quickly, and he could not have been more gracious or forgiving - and he went ahead and gave us the tour! It was my first distillery tour and I found it interesting. The equipment is stunningly beautiful (seriously), and the samples were plentiful. If you have never been, it is worth the trip! Add it to your to-do list. read more

I have now visited TOPO Distillery two times and I have to say this place is just awesome. This should be on your top 5 places to visit while in Chapel Hill. TOPO is one of five organic distilleries in the south. They are making some delicious gin, vodka, moonshine, and whiskey. This is a true distillery and once you walk in you will know what I'm talking about. No secrets here they will tell you anything you want to know. As of Oct. 1st you can now purchase a bottle of liquor from the actual distillery yay!! The tour is awesome, walk in to a large open space and you will be greeted with a beer (from Top of the Hill yes they also brew their own beer). Sit down and listen to the entertaining men behind the biz (Scott and/or Esteban). After learning more about the industry and TOPO you will get to walk into the actual distillery and see how these spirits are really made. It's quite a site to see if you've never been to a distillery before. This is top of the line equipment and they are doing it right, even down to the bottling. What I love about TOPO is their passion for what they do, they not only put out a killer product but they also stand behind it 100%. When it comes to sustainability and the community TOPO shines. Grab a group of friends, take your co-workers, plan an event, or just stop by solo. You'll have a great time learning and tasting some yummy organic spirits. read more

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Wow, where to start?! I planned a private tour with TOPO Distillery as part of a UYE I recently put on. Working with TOPO to organize a group of twenty-five attendees could not have been easier and from the perspective of "event planner", this is a WONDERFUL option if you're looking to organize a large group for an informative tour about Top of the Hill distillery, restaurant and even some tid-bits about the brewery as well as a great spirits tasting. Our "spirit(s) guide" Esteban, was absolutely fantastic! Knowledgable, funny and insightful. He definitely delivered the most well-rounded tour I've ever experienced. The distillery itself is comprised of two rooms, one large room with high ceilings, lots of lighting and couches/seats for the group to sit on. We spent about the first 20-30 minutes learning about the distillery, which, aside from the actual tasting, was definitely my favorite part. TOPO DOES actually distill all their own spirits in house using local, organic products. The second 30-40 minutes is spent in a side room that houses the distillery and bottling equipment. Here you learn about the actual distilling process, the science and logistics behind the spirits. The "strippers" (i.e. distillery machinery) are the largest I have ever seen, reaching all the way to the distilleries tall ceilings! Finally, you end the tour by tasting ALL of TOPO's spirits (and they have a lot!). Generous pours of their organic Vodka, Piedmont Gin, Eight Oak Whiskey and Moonshine Carolina Whiskey. In addition to tasting TOPO's products, you also have the chance to taste some other basic vodka's/whiskey's to compare taste and smell. My favorite spirits were the gin and the eight oak whiskey (surprising, since I'm not a huge whiskey drinker!) Truly, the BEST distillery tour I've been on to-date and one that I'd quickly recommend to friends. TOPO currently offers both Groupon and Living Social deals for their tours for $10/person, and you really can't beat that price for this 90 minute experience. And BEST of ALL, you can now BUY a [ONE/person per year] bottle of liquor directly from the distillery (thanks to a new NC law passed as of October 1, 2015). You bet I now have a shiny bottle of TOPO Piedmont Gin in my liquor cabinet! read more

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A classic chapel hill staple. Fun for a night out. They do have good food, a little overpriced for the quality in my opinion. Ambiance is great. Gets extremely crowded late night and on game days. Very fun and lively atmosphere. There's a separate bar downstairs that is more chilled out and relaxed, called Back Bar, which is my personal favorite out of the two. read more

Add this to your "To Do" list! We had such a great time at the TOPO Distillery Tour & Tasting. The TOPO tour guide was a good showman and I really appreciated their transparent marketing and commitment to being organic and locally sourced. The equipment was quite impressive and looks expensive. My favorite tasting was the TOPO Eight Oak Whiskey; it goes down smooth. Brian T. liked all of them but said he needed to try them all again *headshake*. The other tastings included: TOPO Vodka, Piedmont Gin, and Moonshine Carolina Whiskey. All of them offered a pleasant uniqueness outside of the mainstream widely distributed liquors. Special thanks to Rose L. for setting up the UYE and TOPO Distillery for the tour and tasting! read more

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Man we love this place AND are so grateful for it being so close! Decided to do one of their tours for a Friday date night, and was so glad we did. We learned so much- especially when it comes to knowing what is in your normal spirits- SO helpful! The owner took us through all of the educational pieces, then a tour, and then tastings- we had the best time. And ps- while we waited we had some good beer that is the TOPO brand (which if you are not local you will not be able to enjoy- so go over to the restaurant and get some!!). Funny the things you learn, as we consider ourselves a bit educated on spirits- ha, we realized we only had small tid bits of the true, full story! We left with two shot glasses, some amazing bitters, a great bottle of gin, and a world of knowledge! read more

What a great tour !! We had no idea that such a great distillery existed in our close proximity. Note that this place is across the street from Al's Burgers. FAR from the TOPO Restaurant. We started off with a draft beer and were treated to samples of EVERY type of liquor that TOPO produces. It is a top notch establishment and their liquor is delicious !! We should all patronize TOPO and look for their liquor in your local ABC Store. read more

Went on a tour that we found on Groupon and it was so much fun! The owner, Scott, was giving the tour, and he was so knowledgeable and fun to listen to. The first part was information about distilling liquor, the history of TOPO, and an explanation of what we would be tasting. Then we had a brief tour through the distillery to check out all their equipment. The best part was of course the tasting...we got to taste vodka, gin, rum, moonshine, and whiskey. We also had the hurricane mix that was delicious! I normally wouldn't just sip on these types of liquors straight but they were really smooth, and at no point did I feel I needed a chaser haha. A group of us were there for my birthday, and Scott was so nice and hooked me up with a t-shirt. Would highly recommend this tour! read more

What an experience...I went on a tour here for a UYE put on by Rose L. and it was a blast. I didn't even know what to expect, just figured it would be cool to see a distillery. I mean I thought it would be fun and I'd learn some stuff, but Esteban (our TOPO tour guide) killed it! I really enjoyed myself and learned a lot about how Vodka, Gin, and Whiskey are made. The TOPO facility is very clean and impressive, and Esteban is just a great friendly host. We all got to start the event off with a sampling of some Top of the Hill lager to enjoy while everyone arrived and it was excellent. For the first part of the tour Esteban gave a brief lecture about how spirits are distilled, the major differences between each type, and explained what TOPO is all about: distilling great tasting spirits made from locally sourced organic ingredients. I have a lot of respect for that, and from the sounds of it there are not a lot of other distillers that do this because of its challenges and impracticality for large scale production. All I got to say is the taste of all TOPOs products is proof they are on the right path. I'm not a huge fan of Vodka and I just don't like Gin, I'm a Whiskey/Bourbon drinker through and through. Nonetheless I really enjoyed TOPO's Vodka and even their Gin...to my surprise. Esteban explained that they spice their Gin with less juniper berries than most others out there do, so it doesn't taste like your drinking a pine tree, I thought it was very well balanced and smooth. I found it and all their spirits to be nice, clean, and perfect to sip on because of the complex flavor profiles. In fact I'd have to say, hands down, all their spirits are among the cleanest tasting liquors I've ever had. I was most interested in trying their Eight Oak Whiskey. I learned that all whiskey comes out clear when its freshly distilled, this is what is also referred to as White Lightning, hooch, etc. Whiskey and Bourbon as you and I know it are made brown and delicious from being aged in oak barrels. TOPO's Eight Oak Whiskey is great and comparable to top shelf Whiskeys with much higher price tags. I'd have to say I'd rank it up with the best I've ever had. I found it to be smooth and rich with a dry, leathery, oakey flavor up front and a great spicy caramel finish...so good! Definitely one of my new favorites! The Vodka is what really blew me away! Even though it has a vanilla flavor it just taste so much better than most other vodkas. Forget Tito's and Grey Goose, this is the smoothest Vodka I've ever had! Especially the Vodka infused with Jalapeño and Serrano Peppers! I'll have to try that infusion sometime cause it was nothing short of amazing. I learned a lot about spirits and distilling in general here, plus I got to check out all their distilling equipment. TOPO is just the best! their equipment and facilities are top notch just like all their spirits! Not only did I have a a great time here, I was also introduced to several great liquors, of which TOPO's Eight Oak Whiskey and their Vodka will now be in my regular rotation of drinks I keep on hand. read more

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DISTILLERY! TopO distillery is a distillery! You can tour it and try samples. It's a lot of fun, and you learn a lot about the distilling process. Unfortunately you cannot buy any product on the tour, because of state politics. That's not their fault. State politics are important. So go and tour! read more

We went there for a tour that we bought off Living Social. Esteban McMahan gave us a few free beers while we waited for the tour to start and then gave us a great tour of their facility. Esteban was very patient and explained the whole story of distilling, their process, and their business. He was very passionate about the product they made. Word of warning, at the end of the tour, they let you sample some low quality spirits vs their vodka and gin. Don't drink too much of the crap liquor. That stuff is one step above paint thinner. We had a lot of fun on the tour and learned a lot about alcohol distillation. I'd definitely do it again with friends. read more

Great tour - full of knowledge and patient with the clueless. Thanks to our state government you can now buy exactly 1 bottle per year (after showing your ID) from this distillery. They sell (almost) everything at the ABC stores as well, but super nice to be able to take home a bottle you just tasted. I'm no vodka connoisseur, but this stuff tastes great! read more

If you have not visited a distillery before, you should definitely check this one out! Not only that the tour was great, the liquors they produced were top notch as well. I usually had such a hard time finding parking in downtown Chapel Hill, but there was ample parking space right outside the distillery. Once arrived, we were welcomed with a glass of TOPO beer while waiting the tour to start. The tour started with a brief history of how everything got started. After that, we moved into distillery, where the tour guide explained the process in details. At the end of the tour, we had the opportunity to taste the gin, vodka, and moonshine whiskey. When tasting the liquors side by side with the other popular brands, you can definitely tell that TOPO has superior products. My favorite was the vodka infused with serrano peppers. It had a solid pepper flavor with a spicy kick. Overall, the tour was educational and fun! Thanks to Rose for setting up this amazing UYE. read more

We also used a LS voucher, and loved this tour. Highly recommended, both for the sheer fun of the tour and the educational value. And the vodka is absolutely the BEST I've ever tasted. To mix this stuff with anything except ice and maybe a little vermouth is sacrilege. We now keep a bottle in our fridge at all times. We'll be back, bringing friends and house guests. Just a great surprise! read more

This place was fantastic. We scheduled a tour for a birthday celebration and they went above and beyond with helping us schedule it and accommodating our group. They were an absolute pleasure to work with as well as incredibly knowledgeable on their products in comparison to other brands. The spirits that they produced were also amazing and definitely turned a few non Gin drinkers in our group with their well balanced Gin (highly recommend). My only regret is that I can't give more than 5 stars. Thank you again Esteban and TOPO for a fantastic birthday that I will always remember! read more

Recently we visited TOPO, we live in Texas so Tito's was a house hold name before our tour. However, going on a distillery tour and tasting all the fine spirits they make converted me to possibly drinking too much of their Vodka.... My husband and I purchased a Groupon for the tour and it was a great experience. We really enjoyed the tastings and the tour Scott took us on. It was interesting seeing the equipment and learning about how TOPO makes their alcohol and doesn't poison its consumers in the process (thank you). read more

Ya'll this place is great. I'm horrible and forgot the name of our tour guide, but he was absolutely amazing. We went in the middle of a Thursday afternoon, nobody was in there and the guy came out and gave us a complete impromptu tour. He gave us samples of all their products (highly recommend the Eight Oak Carolina Whiskey). You guys, this guy was soo nice, he didn't even accept our tip. He was truly so knowledgeable and really enjoyed teaching us about distillery. He also gave us free samples and free shot glasses to take home! Great place to check out, also great liquor! Highly recommend. read more

This place is amazing! Our Spirit Guide, Esteban, was courteous, pleasant, super knowledgeable, and absolutely hilarious! He even walked out with us after to make sure we got to our vehicle safely after the tour. On top of all that wonderful tour experience, their products are delicious. Everything from the lager we started with before the tour, to the spirits we sampled after was highly impressive. Their vodka and whiskey were super smooth. I'm not a huge fan of gin, but I think I might come around after sampling theirs. Don't even get me started on their Hurricane Mix; it's quite possibly the best cocktail mix I've ever had. None of this is an exaggeration folks. Take you and your friends to this place right now for a damn good time. Unless they're closed; then you should try again Friday or Saturday. I know I'll be back again with more people real soon. read more

The TOPO Distillery tour really lifted my spirits on a dreary, wet afternoon. We were welcomed with a glass of TOPO lager, which we enjoyed while waiting for everyone to arrive. We all took a seat and were given the background of how the distillery came to be, and how they are differentiating themselves by being entirely organic. We then walked through the distillery and heard how each of the spirits are made (from scratch) and got to peek in a couple of the machines. Pretty cool - though don't test me on what I learned - I'd fail! Finally, onto the tasting. We started by comparing Titos Vodka with TOPO's version. One sniff and we could tell the difference (Titos smelled like rubbing alcohol - good for disinfecting wounds but not for sipping). We also tried their gin and whisky and as a special treat, we had their vodka flavored with Serrano chilies. I loved that one! Perfect for bloody marys & caesars. I'll be flavoring the bottle I purchased to ensure a yummy brunch. Thank you SO much Rose L. for making this event happen and thank you TOPO Distillery for sharing your passion and delicious spirits with us. Cheers!!! read more

TOPO Distillery - Yelp Tastes TOPOS! - Distilleries Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Esteban was a wonderful guide! TOPO is a top notch facility! It was nice to learn how they still make everything in small batches using organic ingredients. Esteban also does a taste test at the end where you compare to other well known brands and right away you can see the huge difference in the quality of what TOPO produces. It's simply the best! When you're in the area book the tour in advance because they are very small groups around 8. read more

Andrew was the BEST BARTENDER IVE EVER ENCOUNTERED! He was so inviting, knowledgeable, as well as personable. I would love to come back and have another cocktail, this is a great spot. read more

I didn't like the taste of the liquors on the distillery tour. The guy is a good presenter though and made me laugh a lot.

$40 for 2 people for essentially 2 shots per person seemed.... ok I guess. I had thought we were getting shot glasses as part of the package but I was mistaken. The presenter was friendly and knowledgeable. I was impressed. I would rate more highly but my main bug bear there were some walk-ins..... late..... that delayed the entire tour/presentation for those of us that paid. And if they did pay in any fashion, I didn't see that happen from start to finish. Not to be overly ornery, but kids running around (also apparently without having booked OR paid) preventing me from seeing/hearing and poking holes in the packaging and messing around with the bottles etc got the nervous tic in my head going and made me concerned about buying the product. read more

The beers are good and the balcony is great. Can't say the same for the cocktails though. Tastes like a pre-mix.

Grrrross. Everything tastes like rubbing alcohol. Bought the whiskey bc it was decent after tasting all the garbage. Drinking that now and it's complete garage. read more

Came out to visit our daughter and husband in August, and they took us to a tour w/ esteban. Outstanding facility, and the tour was also great, and personal.Esteban doesn't mind sharing his craft w/ you, or answering our dumb questions. The highlight of the tour is comparing their product against the so called competition-hands down they win. Bought an whiskey barrell aging kit to bring back to Minnesota fro continued good memories, til we come back next year. read more

Great spirits, and the tour is so interesting and fun! Highly recommend! Such a fun thing to do on a Friday night either as a date or with a group of friends. read more

I have been to this restaurant a few times, it is very nice to sit out on the patio and overlook Franklin Street below. Today I took my cousin from Australia and my 3 children for lunch ($90 for 3 kids meals with 3 sodas, 2 glasses of wine, 2 adult meals and appetizer including tip). All of the food was eaten and we were very happy with the portions and quality and taste. The service was great, everyone was polite and attentive. On the way out we all used the rest room and it was beyond disgusting. the smell, the run down condition and our feet STUCK to the floors. Our shoes were making noise all the way out of the restaurant. The guys said the men's room was just as bad. I almost wish we didn't go in there because it really took away from our overall experience. I would have quietly mentioned it to a staff member on the way out but the hostess was eating lunch at the bar and I didn't want to interrupt her. I like to take out of town guests to Chapel Hill and we usually eat at this restaurant, I will give it another chance so I hope that this bathroom condition is not the new norm. I have been more comfortable in big city public restrooms. read more