By Megan Jones, Advertising Manager and Review by Ian Beabout, Staff Writer
Tired of eating in the Union? Want a fun night out with friends? Is the Tavern too far of a walk? Well you’re in luck! West Liberty is welcoming a new restaurant and bar to the Hilltop.
The G-Top is a branch off from Generations Restaurant & Pub in Wheeling, W.Va. The Restaurant got its name from the spanning of four generations owning the family business. The G-Top is the second location owned by the family and will be run by Michael Duplaga.
The G-Top will be open to both college students and the public Wednesdays through Saturdays. The goal of the environment is for Hilltoppers to come relax, listen to music, dine and have a good time.
Students who were looking for a job near campus hit the jack pot with The G-Top.
Isabella Preston, a sophomore, said, “I wanted to work there because it’s close, I won’t have to spend a lot on gas money.” Another thing Preston enjoys about her job is the laid back work environment. She said, “The dress code is relaxed and I feel like since I will be working and still be surrounded by my friends it won’t feel like work.”
West Liberty and Generations worked together to transform the Gary E. West Center into The G-Top. The university and restaurant are excited to see The G-Top flourish since it is located directly across from campus by the cabins. Duplaga is enthusiastic about wanting to work with students who have ideas about special events.
G-Top will serve a full menu, including steak, pasta, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, pizza and a full bar, according to Duplaga. Restaurant hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. The bar will remain open till 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There are hopes for a delivery service to the main campus as well.
Homecoming weekend was the grand opening the much-hyped G-Top and our staff writer, Ian Beabout, had this to say about it:
G-Top is located down a typically West Liberty-esque windy, Roadworthy Drive and occupies a beautiful location. Both the exterior and the interior are wooden and feel very much like the sort of cabin one might find at the Oglebay resort.
Inside, it’s decidedly a sports bar, not unlike Primanti Brothers or something of that sort. The menu doesn’t particularly break new ground, but offers a variety of American favorites such as your burgers, your fries, your shrimp, and so on – and of course there’s the bar.
Interestingly there’s a live DJ, which kind of threw me for a loop and was far too loud for my tastes. It didn’t quite agree with my personal interest in dining out – I go out to eat a nice meal and enjoy the company and conversation of friends.
A minor quibble, perhaps – but not exactly the vibe I look for. The food itself was quite tasty. I ordered a reuben at the suggestion of the staff and was not disappointed with it, nor the accompanying onion rings. It was also fairly affordable, so not a bad choice for the “struggling college students” in the audience.
Overall, I’m very glad this sort of thing is offered as we are very much in need of a nice restaurant / hangout, but it’s obviously inclined toward the sports-fan party type, not the shy “prefer to talk” types such as myself. I would personally have preferred a quieter place to go and distress after a long week, but the food is very good and it has its place.
