Hill Top Inn

Wife and I were evaluating options for dinner on a cold snowy night; based on recommendation of the Hotel Clerk we chose Hill Top Inn and were pleasantly suprised. I had tuna steak over spaghetti squash wife had the Haddock special. Some restaurants have to manufacture «good» food through fancy aioli or sauces. I personally prefer a meal that is just good without the need for tricks. The spaghetti squash was perfectly al-​dente in a fresh tomato marinara. The friendly proprietor greeted us post dinner and we expressed how much we enjoyed dinner. Next time I am in Elmira it would be a tough decision to pick somewhere else to dine.

For the lack of better places this is passable though I can’t define it as good. Service is great but I think they need to stick to American classics such as fries and steaks then try to experiment. We ordere Potatos au gratin and got more of a Potato chowder under the melted cheese then Au Gratin.
The views were spectacular but I think that a periodic change of decorations (like a huge wreath) might be in order. But again I am not the one to judge as I don’t live around there.

I had the absolute pleasure of dining here the other evening on the last night of my vacation traveling around the Finger Lakes. It was above and beyond what I had expected. It is a restaurant that you must see in person to truly understand how special it is and to be part of their warm hospitality.
Let’s start with the view. It is of course the first thing you notice upon stepping out onto the deck and it is extraordinary. There is simply something that elevates the night when you can see a sunset going down as you order your first bottle of wine.
On this particular evening, Pat Kane was playing Irish music out on the deck. The music was perfect for a summer evening dinner. It was lively but also quiet and relaxing. You know Pat is a true professional since he played to the crowd. It was nice to be able to walk around their deck after dinner with wine in hand and simply take in the night and the music. No need for concern once the sun goes down since they have a large fire pit on the deck to keep everyone comfortable.
As for our meal, it was delicious. I had the Athena Chicken which was a perfectly cooked breast of chicken topped with sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese and artichokes. I loved the Mediterranean flavors paired with the pinot noir that our server helped us select. I did not take any photos of our food and wine because I was thankfully too busy enjoying the meal and atmosphere.
The restaurant creates a perfect evening out. Whether a large group looking to have a fun gathering or a couple hoping for romantic charm, this is the place to go. I truly hope I have the chance to return again for another special night.

Still awesome four years later! The view is still tough to beat. The service is still great. Friday nights they have an incredible prime rib dinner. And they still have an awesome liver special on Tuesdays.

Beautiful view of Elmira, a little pricey for families. The food was good. Bartender didn’t know how to make drink. good thing for google. Fun place to go with other couples. Not really kid friendly.

A very nice place to spend an evening. Food was good, but nothing spectacular. The pork tenderloin was good, the vegetables were sadly over cooked from being frozen. The gluten free desert was good. The best part was the flat bread appetizer. Service was very good, the server was very well versed on the menu, he was polite and the food came out promptly.

I took my fiancé here for our 6 month anniversary last night, and it was absolutely perfect! The staff were kind and polite, and even came and asked if she had a sister that used to work there because she looked like one of the past staff (which I thought was really great — they aren’t afraid to be friendly, and make a personal connection even for a short time, while the guests are at dinner). We also saw a manager come out and stop by a few tables (including ours) to make sure everything was perfect — which it was.
The view was also incredible! I cannot wait to come back here when the leaves turn colors. They also have a patio (with seating) and a gas fire burning outside if you get chilly.
As for the food… amazing! I had chicken, and my fiancé had the pork chops. Both were tender, flavorful, and very decent size for the price — I paid about $ 56 with taxes and good tip. Both of us took the leftovers home because it was just that good. And my fiancé had this potato-​sour crème-​cheddar dish as a side which we both tried, and even though we were both stuffed to the brim, she made sure to bring that home as well.
Overall, the perfect place to go celebrate, (or have a social event, as we saw there was some sort of celebration going on in the main hall), or just to have an evening out every once in a while.
Will definitely be returning soon!

Haven’t been here in a while so I had heard some good reviews so we went last night with friends. The place looks great. It clean, inviting and the view magnificent. I had made reservations a when we got there it wasn’t too crowded. Had to wait a little to get seated but we chose to sit outside on the patio which is why we came.
Wanted to know about a few items on the menu and the waiter did not have the answers. Had to ask someone whether they had a «soup of the day» We asked about the Kobe Beef Burger and he had no idea what that was. IMO a waiter should know everything about the food on the menu or it does not look professional. The salad and app came up pretty quickly and it was fine. My husband had the onion soup which I though was really good. I ordered the Crab Cannelloni and was a little surprised it came with spaghetti sauce. It said on the menu it was supposed to come with a brandy cream marinara. They didn’t tell us there was a change. I was disappointed. The other folks had the Seafood Diavolo and Eggplant Parm. I think the sauce was the same on all of it. Besides that we had to wait for more than 45 minutes to get the entrée. And when it came we could tell it had been sitting at the pass for a while because they were warm and slightly dried out.
We had the homemade bread pudding and ice cream which was good but took forever to come, like they were making the bread first!
So I find the food OK, I think for the price in our city I expected a little more. The service was Ok because the waiters were nice enough but disorganized. They could use more training.

March or early April 2014, my first and only (so far) trip to Hill Top. Love the location and the view. Overlooks Elmira and the rivers. I don’t believe they are open in the winter. Very pleasant and accommodating waitress and bartender. We sat inside in a booth so we had a good view of everything inside and out. A most relaxing atmosphere. I had some of the best salmon ever. Asked how it was cook and was told convection oven. Whatever… it worked! Like everything about the place – food, drinks and seating, and am looking forward to going back.

Had a great time here with some coworkers last summer. The patio here offers a great backdrop to a meal with friends.

I was invited to have dinner here the night before my interview in Elmira. I was here with 4 other colleagues this past Tuesday night.
The location isn’t really on «top» of the hill, but high enough that you can see the entire town of Elmira from the outdoor patio. This is supposed to be one of the nicest restaurants in the area.
Once you park, you will come across a kind of lodge-​feeling structure but without the antlers and animal skins… and more lights, curtains, trims, and tablecloth. It’s like a country family restaurant coziness but a much more upscale feel. However, that down-​home family-​esque feel still trickles through the candles and wood trim. You can actually come here in fairly casual dress. I can totally see people in khaki shorts and polos here, but I think you can pass with jeans and a T shirt. I had jeans and a polo and fit in just fine.
There is both indoor seating in a nice looking high-​ceiling room with tables spaced out very comfortably and outdoor seating with tables all around. There is a fire pit and lots of open space outside. I’m sure a cigar and scotch would go well with a crisp fall night and spectacular view, but not this night…
Anyway, we ordered the salami/​cheese/​olive plate, seared ahi tuna, and fried calamari for appetizers. The tuna was very nicely done, seared perfectly. The calamari was pretty decent. The salami/​cheese/​olive plate was pretty standard, nothing I couldn’t have done myself with ingredients from the local grocery. I had the surf and turf, which had a lobster tail and a 6 oz filet mignon. I don’t like my meats red or even pink in the middle, but I had mine done medium anyway. It was cooked perfectly to the specification. The lobster tail was on the smaller end of the spectrum, but still quite tasty. I ordered this with the salad + crumbled bleu cheese and italian vinaigrette, and their signature au gratin potatoes. The salad was very dinky in my opinion. Wish they put more bleu cheese on it too. The au gratin potatoes were very good; I’ve never had anything quite like it. I usually have au gratin potatoes in a scalloped form with a thinner sauce. This was chunks of potatoes in a rich, creamy sauce and baked to a slight browning on top. I also had the french onion soup which was one of the better examples I’ve tried. 90% of the french onion soups out there taste like someone dropped a beef bouillon cube in a thing of salt water and added some cheese and onions, but this one wasn’t too salty and had a nice thick layer of provolone on top. Very tasty.
Dessert was absolutely fantastic. I had the Fried Spring Rolls, which had apple pie flavored ice cream rolled in a pastry wrap and fried. OMG SO GOOD. It truly was epic.
Their beer selection is pretty decent. They have offerings from the local Horseheads Brewery, as well as a few other craft selections. They serve the 22oz bombers with a glass and they have a marble wine bottle holder to keep it cool. I’m a fan.
Overall, I think this is a great place to dine out for a change of pace. You get a little more upscale but still a homey laid back atmosphere. The view of the city from afar is spectacular. The service was very good, I have no issues with our waitress whatsoever. The prices run a little over what I would expect for a place like this, but whatever. I give this place a solid 4 stars.

Excellent meal. Went here with family while we were all in the area. Tuesday night and the place was almost completely empty. School was starting on Wednesday morning which might account for that. I had the special which was sausage over pasta with a creamy red wine sauce and roasted red peppers. The sauce was rich and creamy. Everyone else really enjoyed their meals as well, the sole exception being my mother. Her Tilapia arrived under-​cooked and when it came back she did not care for it. I tend to avoid all but freshwater fish when I’m not within a two hour drive to the ocean (to avoid frozen). The food overall was good, not outstanding, but the view was amazing and watching the lightning storms from eye level was a sight to behold. My father had recommended the place based on the diner he had here last Thanksgiving and I would certainly come back again.

Here’s the deal — since Pierce’s 1894 closed, Hilltop has steadily been trying to position itself as the ‘fine dining’ place in Elmira, and they’re doing OK. The view is spectacular, the owner (a local) is always around, and the service is friendly. But the food is really nothing special. Example — last summer I was excited to see «Clams Casino» show up on the menu… but they were pre-​frozen stuffed clams (bread stuffing) not Clams Casino. I had a steak — it was grocery store quality. Hum-​drum. I’ve had other things here that were equally so-​so. Now… don’t get me wrong. The food comes out hot, there’s nothing dicey about eating here — you’re not going to get something horrible or that will make you ill. You’ll probably like your meal and not feel ripped off in any way. But it could be so much more.
I know — the locals will hate me for saying that, but Hilltop really needs a trained executive chef. If they’d do that — instead of the owner playing chef and hiring kids to cook… they could have a real gem. When Pierce’s was in their heyday, they had dishes that became local specialties. The 1894 fillet was an individual beef wellington with an oyster on top. You won’t find anything like that at Hilltop. It’s a mish-​mash of «American“and «Italian» stuff offered up in an Irish pub. It’s all «good quality» — but there’s nothing unique about any of it. Did I have that Chicken Parm at Hilltop… or at Tonino’s in Horseheads… or at Sorge’s in Corning? It’s all the same. The wine list here is very pedestrian, but since the owner is more of a pub-​guy and likes beer… there are some good craft beers available.
Here’s the problem — every Elmira restaurant that has ever tried the «trained chef» approach is now R.I.P. Corning gets away with it… Ithaca gets away with it… but for some reason Elmira can’t pull it off. Pierce’s had a good run 30 yrs ago but couldn’t survive in this economy… the last recession took Brennan’s out in the ‘90s… Elmira is an «Olive Garden» kind of town and a really tough place to be in the hospitality business… so with that realization I’m going to give Hilltop 4 stars for doing what they can do and still staying in business — and for really trying to improve things over time. A big-​name chef or great wine service is probably not in the cards, so I’ll just be happy they’re here and keep sending people up the hill instead of out to the chains at the mall.
UPDATE: 7÷18÷2013
Took a party of six back to Hilltop for dinner — the best words for the recent experience would be «utter fiasco». The dining room was half-​empty, yet we had a nearly 30 minute wait for our table. I’m not going to critique the food again other than to say it was mostly mediocre at best. The best items anyone in our party had were from the raw bar– steamed clams. But $ 1.00/clam for tiny cherrystones (which should be served raw, not steamed… too small to steam) was a rip-​off. The biggest problem, as always at Hilltop — was the kitchen. The appetizers came out in dribs and drabs so literally no-​one at the table could eat together. It was 20 minutes between the first serving and the next. I had a nightly special (always a mistake) — steak tips with fried onions and mushrooms. It was almost inedible — had a pronounced «this is re-​heated beef» flavor — you all know what I’m talking about. The $ 5.99 steak tips at Ponderosa are much much better. My daughter had a salad that was 90% chopped garlic — also inedible. Her husband had some kind of pasta that was over-​cooked to the point of being mush. This night, Mr. Sullivan had at least 10 teenagers milling around, some were serving, others taking orders — but none of them knew what they were doing. The wait staff at Hilltop has no formal training, nor does the kitchen, nor does the bar (The bartender insisted on calling «Dr. Frank» — a great local vintner — «Dr. Franc» as in the French Franc. Whatever — but still ignorant of the products he was selling.
Bottom line — We spent nearly THREE hours held hostage on the Hilltop’s uncomfortable banquet chairs — it was not a pleasant experience. The tab with a 15% tip was close to $ 300, and that does not include two bottles of Dr. Frank’s sparkling Brut @ $ 40/​bottle. All in we spent nearly $ 400 on a party of 6 — a complete waste of money IMO. Two stars.

Service was good, but the food wasn’t great. Not much flavor in the pasta sauce. I expected much more for the price.

I always love coming to this Elmira restaurant. Like all the other reviews say, you can’t get a better view in the area. They have a great bar, and offer several local beers and wines. The service was good, and the bartender was especially knowledgeable. I’d recommend calling for reservations, especially on the weekend. The last time I was there, I had the scallops au-​gratin, which were excellent. The scallops were cooked perfectly, and the sauce was very flavorful. The potatoes that were served with the dish were great as well. If you haven’t been to Hill Top before, give it a try… this is definitely one of Elmira’s best.

Great food and amazing sunset view.

Had dinner here this past weekend with the team from our restaurant. We had a table outside on the patio overlooking the city, it was beautiful. The service was great, the food was good and the beer on tap had me very pleased. Certainly a place that I will go back to again, especially with the addition of a deck and tiki bar that is coming this month!