The Hill - A New Restaurant in Morgan Hill, CA

Downtown Morgan Hill has been undergoing a metamorphosis over the last five years. More and more great restaurants and vibrant hangout places are popping up. The newest establishment to open their doors is called The Hill at 17330 Monterey Street. This is the location of former Champs Family Bar and Grill, but when you walk in the door all reminders of the former bar have been replaced with a newer more refined, yet still fun ambience. The name, The Hill, is paying homage to Morgan Hill, one large wall and the tables are covered with black and white photos of early Morgan Hill. The owners, Tony, Dustin, and Carrie have worked hard to visually set their place apart.

Dustin is a chef and the menu that he has created is a mix of healthy and indulgent. A mix of solid bar food, and enough choices for a dinner out. They opened on Thursday, and Gavin and I went down to check it out and get a bite for dinner. On Friday afternoon, I met a couple of girlfriends for a drink and munchies. They were busy both times. During my evening visit there was a young lively crowd. They have a 3 foot Jenga game that many people were gathering around to play. The game was later replaced by music, but we had left before that started. On Friday afternoon, it was an older age group (my age) of couples and groups of ladies, gathering for a bite to eat and visit. They have a lounge upstairs that is perfect for hanging out and still keeping an eye on the activity below. Again, I left before the music started, but I was told that they had a band coming in. They plan on bringing in bands on a regular basis, and I know they have a cover band coming in tonight.

The Hill Salad

The menu as I said was a mix of healthy and indulgent. The healthy: We had the Hill Salad, and it was delicious! The plate of mixed greens was topped with grilled chicken, quinoa, dried cherries, honey-spice walnuts, and all tossed with a passion vinaigrette. The chicken was cooked perfectly and there was a lot sitting on my salad. I loved the dressing and them mix of quinoa – brilliant! The indulgent: I loved their fried mac and cheese! Do I really need to say more? It was served with a smoked sriracha aioli. It’s a must try! Along with the salad and mac and cheese bites, Gavin and I also shared their Californication Flat Bread. The flat bread was very substantial – topped with artichoke, bacon, seared onions and pesto. I am looking forward to having this again. I had a chardonnay and Gavin had an IPA – this was a perfect easy dinner out on a Thursday evening.

The Californication Flat Bread

Fried Mac and Cheese Bites – YUM!

On Friday afternoon my friends and I ordered the Buffalo chicken wings – spicy, in a more traditional Buffalo sauce (they were not bright red). We had the sweet potato chips which were topped with crisp bacon, blue cheese sauce, and green onions. All indulgent! We also tried their slurrys. They have a specialty drink called a slurry, and yes, they go down easy! They have named their creations with clever morgan hill monikers. We tried the Morgan Thrill (passion fruit, pomegranate, and blood orange), the NoMoHeatYo (classic mojito flavors), and Toro Twist (Passion fruit, pineapple, hint of citrus). They graciously split two of them for us to share. While they have three more for me to try, right now my favorite is the Toro Twist. But the other two were also yummy!

Buffalo Wings

Sweet Potato Chips

NoMoHeatYo Slurry

A bit back to the decor. They have Madonna Inn bathrooms! That’s as in you need to be sure to check out the loo.

As you can tell, I am not a restaurant critic, but I really liked The Hill. The ambiance is fresh, the food is wonderful (I would like to try the boar burger), the slurrys go down easy, the service is upbeat (Kayla and a young man were both totally on the spot), and the owners are friendly and engaging. They very much are welcoming you into their “home” and want you to relax and enjoy. They have worked hard to create this new space in Morgan Hill. I look forward to many visits to The Hill.