Hilltop Brewing Company

No Longer In Business

Just went back after 6+ years. Beers are WAY better than my last visit in 1990 or so. Much more consistant. The barleywine is their star attraction; stay away from the Frog Grog. Several taps for non-Hilltop brews - Tupper’s is a staple. Food is pretty run of the mill.

Standard brewpub/sports bar appearance, the place is split up into two distinctive areas with pool tables and other bar games on one side, and the bar area on the other with the brewing area in full view. On nights when they have a band it is painfully loud to the point of being unplesant. Thir house brews are mostly boreing and continually lacking in body. Occasionally you’ll be able to find a gem on the tap list but there is generally atleast a couple that can keep your glass filled. Service can be slow at times. Food is better than average with the german potato salad being top notch. the owner is an ornery older german man who is fun to converse with if things are slow. The place overall is about the best you’ll find in VA. Beach and can be quite plesant for lunch.

August 2003: Run of the mill brewpub in a strip mall. The beers were actually pretty good, but nothing to stand out here in terms of locale, service or food.

Typical sportsbar/brewpub. Their beers have been notoriously inconsistant for the last 3-4 years. Sometimes they are dead on and other times they aren’t worth the money it cost to brew them. Their hefeweizen is the most frequent and flagrant violator. Food is rather good for a place of this type, and it is probably the highlight of any visit. Pizzas in particular are top-notch. Unfortunately, this is the best beer place in Va Beach. Seriously need to fix the consistancy problem.

Standard bar with a few pool tables. Got there at 9:30 and the kitchen was already closed so I could not try the food. Every house beer I had was very very very bland. They had a "deal" on the dunkleweizen for $2 a pint but when I got it I realize that it was because it was a bad batch (strong vinegar/tart cider aroma and tastes) that even my nonbeer-geek friends could smell and taste. The one positive of this place is they have about 6 taps from other breweries, when I was there they had old Dominion oak barrel stout, Tuppers hop pocket, Aventius, Victory Moonglow, Jever, and a Framboise.

Well, this place inside looks exactly like any typical sports bar. As a matter of fact, it’s leaning towards tacky. However, the beers and the food more thatn make up for it even if the service is sketchy at times. Typically they have four or five of their standards plus a seasonal and a guest or two. The food is standard bar food but seems slightly higher quality. The service has been good generally, but once was rather slow and non-attentive. Worth going to especially in VA Beach.