Trending
Don’t let the outside fool you. Take a step inside the Top of the Hill Restaurant and Pub on Van Meter Way, along W.Va. 88 in West Liberty and be greeted with warm smiles in a clean and comfortable dining room where patrons of all ages enjoy a meal, a snack or a favorite alcoholic beverage.
Owner Cindy Johnson, a life-long resident of West Liberty, took over the former neighborhood bar in July and recreated a true restaurant/pub with plenty of tables and bar space in a clean, bright family-friendly atmosphere. She also operates the adjacent grocery store.
A widow, Johnson decided after her husband died she needed to do more than “sit on the couch.” So with plenty of friends and family to encourage and help her transition into a business owner, she employed her creative skills to put her stamp on the redesigned interior of the pub. It’s cheerful and bright, with a working fireplace and homey atmosphere.
“I have a strong background in tourism so when the former owner retired, I bought the place. Pubs are the hub of a community, and I thought we needed a restaurant here,” Johnson said.
Johnson said while there is a bar in the pub, the emphasis is on food. The Top of the Hill is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Breakfast is served all day on Sunday and is fast becoming a popular breakfast spot for the after-church crowd. Patrons can fill up on bacon and eggs, pancakes, french toast, sausage and gravy and biscuit, fresh fruit and more. In warm weather, a large deck is open in the rear.
Located a stone’s throw from West Liberty University and about four miles from Bethany College, the Top of the Hill is frequented by the college crowd, but as Johnson points out, “you might have four college kids sitting at the bar with a 70-year-old neighbor, and a family with kids eating at the tables. The West Liberty Historical Society meets here. It’s a unique mix. You just have to come in and see for yourself.”
Two menus greet hungry customers. The lunch and dinner menu is served from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and offers daily specials, hot sandwiches and mashed potatoes, burgers, wings, soups, salads and homemade desserts. Johnson said the apple dumplings served with vanilla ice cream are alone worth the drive to West Liberty.
The pub menu, served all day until an hour before closing time, offers tasty treats such as spinach and artichoke dip, fried veggies and cheese planks, Liberty chicken dip served with flat bread, pub pretzels and Guinness shrimp poppers.
One item Johnson said is common to old-time pubs is the Ploughman’s Plate. At the Top of the Hill, the Ploughman’s Plate is piled with gourmet cheeses, a selection of turkey breast and ham, rustic bread, olives and fresh sliced apples or grapes. These plates come in various sizes to feed two to more than two dozen.
Johnson employs about 12 people in the two businesses including several West Lib students who have become “part of the family.” Her sister co-manages the restaurant/pub, and a WLU student serves as business manager. Her daughter-in-law is the bookkeeper, and her son serves as a consultant to the business.
“We say ‘Life tastes better at the Top of the Hill.’ Just give us a try,” she added.