By Arden Berry | Arts & Life Editor
Each piece of sports memorabilia covering the walls at Hilltop Tavern was picked out and hung on the wall by Matt Fatheree, co-owner of the restaurant with his wife, Tiffany Fatheree.
Before Hilltop Tavern opened at 13701 Woodway Drive in late 2025, the Fatheree’s opened The Butcher’s Cellar in the same area. After creating The Butcher’s Cellar, Matt said the concept for Hilltop Tavern stemmed from a desire to start a sports bar.
“I think after having a really more, not formal, but a nicer restaurant, we wanted something that was a little more relaxed, more family-friendly, kid-friendly,” Tiffany said. “We don’t really have anything on this side of town. We have George’s, but going this way just to watch sports or watch something.”
Layla Bazan | Photographer
Hilltop’s initial menu had about 200 different items.
“So it’s constantly being evolved,” Matt said. “We got some stuff on here now that will probably stay permanently. But we are fixing to make another change to the menu and add another five or six things to it.”
Their two restaurants and their Scratch House Catering business, located right next door to Hilltop, use the same chefs.
“Our chefs are creative, and they don’t like sticking with the same thing,” Tiffany said. “I know it makes some people mad, but it’s also kind of cool to come in and see what’s different. And eventually it will come back around, but it’s fun to have something constantly changing. Because I’m one of those people that like to order the same thing over and over. And here if they take it off, then it kind of pushes you to try something new.”
For students trying Hilltop out, Matt said he would recommend the “House Made Mozz Stick” as an appetizer.
“It’s about 12 inches long,” Matt said. “It’s huge. And it’s absolutely amazing. If they come out here, they have to try that.”
For the entree, Matt’s favorite is the “Tavern Smash Burger,” but the menu also includes chicken fried steak, a chicken sandwich that can be made a “Dirty Bird,” which adds tavern buffalo sauce, coleslaw and pickles, and the “Tavern Dog.”
Layla Bazan | Photographer
“I had someone stop me yesterday,” Tiffany said. “They were having their ‘Tavern Dog.’ And he was like, ‘I just love this thing so much … they take the actual dog and they cut it in half and then they put all the stuffings inside.’”
Aside from its sports bar atmosphere and eats, Hilltop Tavern is also home to the official watch party for Baylor’s away football games.
“Usually the cheerleaders are here,” Tiffany said. “It’s loud and fun.”
But Hilltop’s connections to Baylor do not end there. Among the items on the walls, Tiffany said they currently have two Baylor Line jerseys hung up.
“I like the Baylor Line jerseys,” Tiffany said. “My husband has his Baylor Line jersey up there from 1997 … And then our son’s, Cason’s, hanging up there … And then Addison, we haven’t gotten hers yet. But we have three Baylor Line jerseys that will eventually be up there. So I like that. A little personal.”
As for the other decor, the couple knew where to find decorations from about 14 years of owning The Findery, a furniture and decor shop that has since closed. Matt said he ordered memorabilia off eBay and Etsy.
“[I] just started ordering stuff … I kind of like all this, so I just put it up,” Matt said. “We missed a couple of sports, I think. My mother and father give me a hard time about it. But for the most part, we captured most everything in here.”
Even with his Baylor roots, Matt said he incorporated multiple schools in his decorating.
“People say we don’t have enough Aggie stuff,” Tiffany said. “… We have a Baylor alum and then alum by choice. We kind of prefer Baylor.”
Hilltop Tavern is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. According to the Baylor website, Hilltop offers 10% off foods and fountain drinks to those with a valid Baylor ID.
