Best Disney’s Hollywood Studios Restaurants – Where to Eat

Guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park can dine in the “Star Wars” universe, Andy’s Backyard from “Toy Story,” or at restaurants trapped in the past. How do visitors to Walt Disney World determine the best Hollywood Studios restaurants to enjoy during their day?

Hollywood Studios, within Walt Disney World, has made significant changes regarding attractions and dining over the last several years. For example, the rise of Galaxy’s Edge led to two new Star Wars-based attractions and two new higher quality quick service dining options.

However, based on its design, Disney’s Hollywood Studios can become busy and feel crowded. That theme park makes an excellent place to take a break enjoying some good food. So, which Hollywood Studios restaurants provide the best food and experience?

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Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants: Table Service

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has six table-service restaurants. The recent addition of Roundup Rodeo BBQ in the Toy Story Land area of Hollywood Studios has helped add another option. Some guests express surprise that the Star Wars area, Galaxy’s Edge, does not have a sit-down dining option. Until Roundup Rodeo BBQ opened, the two newest sections of Hollywood Studios lacked table service.

Since Hollywood Studios creates such large crowds with the headliner attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash, those guests need somewhere to eat. Disney’s Hollywood Studios contains six different table service restaurants. Most of those qualify as challenging to acquire dining reservations.

Advanced Dining Reservations at Hollywood Studios

At Walt Disney World, guests use the My Disney Experience system to book advance dining reservations. This can be done by most as early as 60 days in advance. Several Hollywood Studios restaurants can take much work to get a reservation.

Using data from MouseDining, we know the most-searched-for dining reservations at Hollywood Studios by its users. To no one’s surprise, the new kid on the block, Roundup Rodeo BBQ, which opened last year, claimed the title of most-searched-for Hollywood Studios restaurant.

Based on the popular Fantastmic! Dining Package, the rest of the options are influenced by guests’ desire to have a reserved seat for that nighttime spectacular. We will discuss the value of the dining package later in this resource.

The remaining order for most searched for Hollywood Studios table service restaurants is:

• Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre
• Hollywood & Vine
• 50’s Prime Time Café
• The Hollywood Brown Derby
• Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano

Ranking the Hollywood Studios Restaurants: Table Service

We will focus on why you would dine at each of these six table service restaurants at Hollywood Studios.

#6 Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano

Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano offers basic Italian food options that will appeal to most families. The ambiance in this dining location offers a ceiling full of twinkling lights and reservations are often easiest to get in this spot.

This is a great spot if you want to secure an easy-to-get dining reservation or have picky eaters in your group. Also, Mama Melrose’s offers numerous allergy-friendly entrees and appetizers.

#5 Hollywood and Vine

Hollywood & Vine, the character buffet Hollywood Studios restaurant, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The breakfast buffet costs $42, with lunch and dinner costing $59. The characters at breakfast time come from the Disney Junior franchises. Lunch and dinner use the theme of Minnie Mouse having a dinner party.

The two main advantages of Hollywood and Vine are the all-you-care-to-eat aspect and the Disney Junior characters. If you have younger ones that will engage with the Disney Junior characters, the breakfast option at Hollywood and Vine makes a great option.

#4 50’s Prime Time Cafe

This process of ranking Hollywood Studios restaurants escalates in difficulty at this point. Any of the remaining four could be number one through number four, depending on the people being asked. Still, decisions had to be made.

50’s Prime Time Café takes guests back in time. Many people will be taken back to their grandparents’ house based on the décor. The retro counters and television screens will force you to think of days many decades ago.

Most guests speak very highly of the southern comfort food here. The menu includes classic favorites like fried chicken, pot roast, and meatloaf. Entrées come with sides such as mashed potatoes, green beans, and mac & cheese.

Mind Your Manners

Oh, about those green beans, 50’s Prime Time Café creates the idea of a family meal with your “relatives” serving you. This means guests must be on their best behavior, or momma will be upset. Cast members will request your best table manners, such as no elbows on the table, putting your phones away, and eating ALL your vegetables. Parents, if you have ever wanted someone else to make your kid behave at the table, then 50s Prime Time Café is for you.

The theming and cast member interaction make this table-service dining experience magical. Even though this Hollywood Studios restaurant ranks fourth on this list and the fourth most searched-for dining reservation, please do not think this place will not provide a great experience.

If you want more information about this place’s greatness, check out our more comprehensive review of 50’s Prime Time Café.

#3 Hollywood Brown Derby

In another tough decision, this most upscale dining at Disney’s Hollywood Studios ranks number three on our list. The Hollywood Brown Derby provides the highest level of dining at Hollywood Studios.

The Hollywood Studios version of this restaurant utilizes décor of a bygone era in Hollywood. The inside of the restaurant reproduces many aspects of the original Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant in California. For example, many caricatures adorn the walls here.

The best quality of food one can find at Hollywood Studios resides at Hollywood Brown Derby. For example, the Filet Mignon here earns high marks from food critics. The “Our Famous Cobb Salad” continues to impress guests even though the portion size is smaller than in 2020.

Speaking of 2020, many things have changed at Hollywood Brown Derby since then. Many popular items no longer exist on the menu. The famous Hollywood Brown Derby Burger is nowhere to be found on the menu. Cast members say it is not coming back either. A few other former favorites have disappeared from the menu.

Based on price increases and a more limited menu, Hollywood Brown Derby fits into the number three position on our list of best Hollywood Studios restaurants. Once again, do not let these negatives hold you back since the food quality will impress. If you are looking for upscale dining at Hollywood Studios, this table service option would be the choice. For a more thorough review, you can take a look at our Hollywood Brown Derby review.

#2 Roundup Rodeo BBQ

The newest addition to the restaurant choices at Hollywood Studios is Roundup Rodeo BBQ. This unique all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurant invites guests to pretend to be toys in Andy’s backyard. Creative Andy designed a BBQ restaurant out of everyday items like blocks, game pieces, and school supplies, to name a few. Since guests are “toy-sized,” the scenery places you in that environment.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ adds a nice touch for fans of the “Toy Story” movies. If Sarge announces that Andy is coming, you will be instructed to freeze. Since you are a toy, you should not move when Andy is around, right? All the cast members in the building will start yelling, “Oh no, Andy's coming! Freeze!” so you will be encouraged to play along. Andy's voice will play over the speaker. After that, Sarge will give the all-clear before everyone resumes movement.

The BBQ family-style meal provides plenty of choices. You will not leave this place hungry. The $45 per adult price for all you care to enjoy dining inside a theme park offers reasonable value. Also, despite being a BBQ place, plant-based diners have many options.

Based on the first few months of operation, Roundup Rodeo BBQ serves as a well-needed upgrade in terms of dining at Hollywood Studios. Though better BBQ options exist on Walt Disney World property, such as The Polite Pig, the food quality meets the guests’ needs nicely. Of course, it is hard to beat all-you-care-to-eat dining.

See our Round-up Rodeo BBQ review for details on our experience dining here!

#1 Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre

One of these Hollywood Studios table service options needed to be declared a winner. As mentioned earlier, any of the top four could have been declared the winner. However, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Restaurant offers just a little more for your dining experience.

Like 50s Prime Time Café, this place returns you to a bygone era. Most of the seats are shaped like classic cars. Also, a large “drive-in” style screen plays a constant loop of classic sci-fi movie ads or trailers, cartoons, and other videos used at drive-ins in that period.

The menu provides standard drive-in menu options like burgers, fries, and shakes. The most significant weakness of this restaurant involves the limited menu. However, this place works well for picky eaters. Also, more straightforward menu items would work better here based on the low lighting needed for the drive-in theatre setting.

Though the menu options are limited, the burgers are some of the best ones inside a Walt Disney World theme park. The milkshakes earn high marks too. Adults can order “boozy” versions, also. We recommend the onion rings as an appetizer to share before you enjoy one of the many burgers at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre.

Overall, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre provides the best balance of value and quality. Still, any of the top four table service restaurants make an excellent choice for table service dining. Since Hollywood Studios can be very busy, the chance to enjoy an air-conditioned relaxing sit-down meal will recharge for the rest of your theme park days.

Fantasmic! Dining Package

Almost all of the Hollywood Studios table service restaurants offer a Fantasmic! dining package. Roundup Rodeo BBQ does not offer one at this time. Fantasmic! is the nighttime spectacular at Hollywood Studios. This happens in a larger outdoor stadium at Hollywood Studios. Depending on the time of year, seats can be challenging to acquire for this nighttime show.

By purchasing a Fantasmic! dining package, you reserve a seat for the show. It would be best if you still arrived early but would not have to stress about where to sit.

These dining packages cost more than a standard table service meal, as you would expect. The meals include an entrée and appetizer (or dessert) or the buffet if selecting Hollywood and Vine, along with a non-alcoholic beverage. Guests also receive one voucher for guaranteed seating at Fantasmic! in a reserved area.

On average, the dining packages cost about $20 more than the meal alone. If you want a less stressful experience, then this option deserves consideration. You must reserve by making advance dining reservations with Walt Disney World.

Best Hollywood Studios Restaurant: Quick Service

The quality of quick service (also known as counter service) restaurants have dramatically improved at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Many Hollywood Studios quick-service restaurants now provide better food than five to ten years ago.

We feel that four of the quick service options provide way better food and experience than the rest.

Not the Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants: Quick Service Dining

For this resource section, we will focus on the ten quick service options in which you can purchase a full meal. The smaller snack stands will not be factored into this section. Still, we will mention many of those in the best snack section.

Dockside Diner

Dockside Diner, located in the Echo Lake area of Hollywood Studios, sells a theme park standard, the hot dog. This large boat setting specializes in hot dogs. The menu changes often. Still, this place usually offers four different types of hot dogs. Some examples include a Bacon Macaroni & Cheese Dog or a Pretzel Hot Dog.

PizzeRizzo

PizzeRizzo, primarily the “puffy” pizza capital of Hollywood Studios, resides in the Grand Avenue area near Muppet*Vision 3D. This place also sells some subs.

If you are a Muppets fan, you can enjoy some of the theming. Also, PizzeRizzo has upstairs seating. You will often find that seating is less busy and quieter. In fact, you might find bloggers on their laptops seated up there.

Quick Service Group of Restaurants on Sunset Boulevard

As you walk down Sunset Boulevard towards the Tower of Terror attraction, you will see some quick service stands on your left. Three of them are located there with outdoor seating.

These three options, Fairfax Fare, Catalina Eddie’s, and Rosie’s all-American Café, offer some non-traditional options like waffle bowls and a “plant-based” lobster roll. The waffle bowls at Fairfax Fare show a slight improvement but come with a slightly higher price point.

Middle Ground of Quick Service Hollywood Studios Restaurants- Backlot Express

Backlot Express provides guests with a diverse menu. This restaurant in the Echo Lake area offers some decent theming for a basic counter-service restaurant.

This menu consists primarily of burgers and sandwiches. However, plant-based diners can find a decent teriyaki tofu bowl here. If you need some chicken tenders, this location tends to sell a better version for that level of dining.

Best Hollywood Studios Quick Service Restaurants

For this article, we are down to three remaining quick service dining options. In fairness, we will combine two options into one restaurant.

#3 Woody’s Lunch Box

Woody’s Lunch Box, a popular quick service restaurant, continues the idea of dining as a toy in Andy’s backyard, like at Roundup Rodeo BBQ. However, this dining option involves a walk-up counter and outdoor seating.

The food quality here counts as above average. Some popular items include the totchos, grilled cheese sandwiches, bbq brisket sandwiches, and the “pop-tarts.” They also have a breakfast tater tots dish with eggs.

We rarely hear criticism of the simple but tasty food here. The popularity of this dining location shows that people enjoy it.

Nonetheless, this Hollywood Studios restaurant presents several logistical problems with dining here. Depending on the crowd level, you may have to mobile order food two or more hours in advance. If you wait until you are hungry, you may need something else.

Also, once you get your food, you must find a place to sit. May the odds ever be in your favor with that. Woody’s Lunch Box has limited seating. If the seating situation was better, we could argue that this is number one on the list. For sure, with better seating and ordering procedure, Woody’s Lunch Box would be number two.

Speaking of number two, the next quick-service dining option surprised us.

#2 ABC Commissary

ABC Commissary offers a simple theme. Yet, the mostly indoor air-conditioned environment offers a significant positive compared to Woody’s Lunch Box and Backlot Express. This place can be busy during lunchtime due to the air conditioning.

The menu offers non-traditional items with quality flavors that can be recommended for guests. We suggest the Shrimp or Pork Carnitas Tacos, the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich, and the plant-based California Burger. They also have more standard fare.

Though we would enjoy a better theme for this quick service location, this place offers one more advantage, especially over Woody’s Lunch Box. ABC Commissary has a drink station. Guests may refill their soft drinks while dining at ABC Commissary. Refilling your soda cup right before you leave ABC Commissary might save you some money on beverages as your day continues.

#1 Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo in the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge area of Hollywood Studios technically presents guests with two quick service options. However, we have combined them into one since the main item at Ronto Roasters can be found at Docking Bay 7 when Ronto Roasters closes each day around 3:00 p.m.

Ronto Roasters

About Ronto Roasters, we enjoy this quick service location. If it were open past 3:00 p.m. at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we would have it ranked number one by itself. However, with the limited menu and early closing time, this place does not qualify on its own as the best Hollywood Studios restaurant.

Yet, Ronto Roasters specializes in wraps. They offer four wraps depending on whether it is breakfast or lunchtime. They are Ronto Wrap (pork), Ronto Morning Wrap (pork and eggs), Triple Suns Breakfast Wrap (plant-based), and Zucchi Wrap (plant-based). The seating here is more than Woody’s Lunch Box, but still not great. However, the theme of Star Wars-based street food on Batuu works here.

Real Winner

Nevertheless, the real winner is Docking Bay 7. The Ronto Wrap can be found at Docking Bay 7 for the dinner menu. However, Docking Bay 7 needs Ronto Roasters to be a complete option. Docking Bay 7 does not currently serve breakfast. In the past, Docking Bay 7 at Hollywood Studios did sell breakfast. However, that breakfast was average and paled compared to the Ronto Roaster breakfast wraps.

This well-themed quick service restaurant takes guests into a working hangar bar in the Star Wars universe. The Chef, Strono “Cookie Tuggs, runs a food freighter. The Disney backstory reveals that this chef serves menu items based on all the chef’s travels in the galaxy. You can read all about the Star Wars food options in Galaxy's Edge here.

Though Docking Bay 7’s menu has experienced some issues with names used for the cuisine, the food is quite good. The Fried Endorian Chicken Tip Yip receives rave reviews from guests. This crispy chicken entrée comes with mac & cheese and roasted vegetables. Items like this prove that Walt Disney World can create excellent quick service meals.

Also, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo offers one of the best vegetarian options at Walt Disney World. The Felucian Kefta and Hummus Garden Spread consists of plant-based “meatballs,” herb hummus, and tomato-cucumber relish, with a reasonably well-flavored piece of pita bread.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo makes a rare combination of worthy theming and quality food. Very few places allow you to enjoy pork ribs with this theming style.

Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants: Snacks

Any discussion of snacks at a theme park becomes difficult, distinguishing a quick or counter service meal from just a snack. For example, some people think of a Ronto Wrap as a snack. We would disagree, but this explains the issue. For our purposes, a snack would be anything most people would not consider a meal.

Of course, some grey area still exists when determining the best snack at Hollywood Studios.

We have also heard snack suggestions for the pretzel or charcuterie board at Baseline Tap House. The pretzel at Baseline Taphouse is probably the best pretzel on Walt Disney World property. However, Baseline Tap House often can be a challenge to get seating. It takes a commitment to enjoy most days. Thus, we decided to leave that one out.

Another sometimes suggested snack option at Hollywood Studios involves the Peanut Butter and Jelly Shake at 50’s Prime Time Café. However, we left this off the list since you currently cannot order this from the Tune-In Lounge next door. If you must make an advanced dining reservation to order an item, then it is hard to define it as a snack. For the record, that milkshake tastes great.

Yet, we have a few suggestions for when you need a little bite to eat to keep you going during your theme park day. Be advised that Hollywood Studios offers far better, sweet snacks than savory ones. Of course, sometimes you need a Mickey Pretzeln.

#6 Glazed Almonds at Nut Wagon Cart

This snack cart near Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway provides an easy-to-enjoy snack. These roasted almonds come glazed with cinnamon and sugar. The cart rarely has a long queue. These almonds function as a great snack to take with you as you move from attraction to attraction at Hollywood Studios.

#5 Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie at The Trolley Car Café

The Trolley Car Café functions as the Starbucks location for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests can purchase standard Starbucks beverages and food items. However, the Trolley Car Café sells a Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie.

The current version of that iconic treat is called the Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie. This evolution of this snack involves two soft carrot cake cookies with creme filling in the middle. Though we preferred the previous incarnation, this treat still deserves respect for options at Hollywood Studios. In addition, Trolley Car Café also sells an Earl Grey Cupcake that comes topped with Orange buttercream frosting, which some guests claim is the best snack at Hollywood Studios. During certain times of the year, Trolley Car Café sells a red velvet version of the Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie.

 #4 Ice Cream from Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction

Over in the Echo Lake area, you can find Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction. Gertie, the iconic dinosaur, can be found in this area.

Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction is not open every day. Still, if you find it open, enjoy some ice cream with Gertie. If it is the winter holidays, you might see Gertie with a Santa hat.

#3 Outpost Popcorn Mix at Kat Saka’s Kettle in Galaxy’s Edge

For a savory snack, we must venture into Galaxy’s Edge to Kat Saka’s Kettle. The food and beverage stand sells an Outpost Popcorn Mix. This popcorn features many colors. Apparently, in Batuu in the Star Wars universe, popcorn looks a different color than on planet Earth. The popcorn in this mix also provides sweet and spicy flavors.

#2 Wookiee Cookie at Backlot Express

This popular Star Wars-themed cookie provides enough sweetness and portion size to be shared. The Wookiee Cookie consists of two large oatmeal cookies with vanilla cream filling garnished with a milk chocolate sash on top. The sash is supposed to cause us to think of our favorite Wookiee, Chewie.

This cookie makes a great snack, and Backlot Express offers plenty of relaxing space. If you prefer, you can get a Jack-Jack Num Num cookie over at the Market stand near Toy Story Land. We prefer the Wookiee Cookie.  Also, let this be a reminder of the proper spelling of the word “Wookiee,” which looks off next to the word “Cookie.”

#1 Raspberry Lunch Box Tart at Woody’s Lunch Box

The Lunch Box Tarts at Woody’s Lunch Box should remind some of being a small child thinking the Kellogg’s toaster pastries were so delicious. Woody’s Lunch Box offers two versions year-round. They are:

• Chocolate-Hazelnut Lunch Box Tart (chocolate-hazelnut stuffed pastry coated in maple fondant and candied bacon)
• Raspberry Lunch Box Tart (raspberry marmalade stuffed pastry coated in a strawberry fondant and crispy pearls)

Both Lunch Box Tarts cost under five dollars. They offer a lighter sweet treat. We find the raspberry version provides a more consistent quality than the chocolate-hazelnut version. In addition, Woody’s Lunch Box offers seasonal Lunch Box Tarts so watch for those.

Also, unlike the rest of the menu at Woody’s Lunch Box, these tarts are easy to acquire via mobile order.

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