As you might expect, Walt Disney World is home to many family-friendly restaurants offering uniquely “Disney” dining experiences, like one restaurant we recently visited where a pony ride happens every hour. However, it sometimes goes under the radar that Disney has ample options for less in-your-face, more upscale dining, too, even in the middle of the theme parks.
We dined at one of Disney World’s more upscale restaurants. This is one of the more expensive restaurants found within one of the theme parks. Below, we take you through the entire menu with prices and photos, and determine if eating here is worth it. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including Disney World changing access options to popular lounges and a Disney World makeover experience available to all ages.
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Putting the Hollywood in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant is the signature dining location at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it just rolled out a full slate of new menu items. The restaurant draws on the Hollywood lore of power lunches and classic stars to deliver a perfect atmosphere for escaping the bustle of the theme park.
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We recently enjoyed dinner at The Hollywood Brown Derby in a big group and wanted to bring you along for a look at almost every item on the menu.
This restaurant is supposed to emulate the golden age of filmmaking and is inspired by the real-life restaurant of the same name. In its heyday, the original restaurant in Hollywood, California, was known as a place to find fine food and glamorous company, and had a loyal following of movie and entertainment industry celebrities.
One of its locations was near the famous intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, which also inspired the name of another Disney’s Hollywood Studios restaurant, Hollywood & Vine.
The original Brown Derby in Hollywood featured caricatures of the restaurant’s famous clientele, a tradition dating back to 1929. The Disney World location follows this same tradition with drawings of various celebrities decorating the walls.
The main room of the restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is an open space with a raised level of tables circling the dining room. There is also an outdoor lounge patio available for dining, though we recommend it mainly in the more temperate times of the year.
Appetizers at The Hollywood Brown Derby
All diners receive warm bread on the table ahead of the various appetizers you might order.
Some of the food at The Hollywood Brown Derby is more sophisticated than average “theme park food” and provides an opportunity to try some dishes that are not as common for Americans.
We started with the escargot for $21, which we enjoyed. It was warm and buttery as expected, and good with bread. Don’t tell your kids what it is.
The restaurant also serves char-grilled octopus as an appetizer for $20. It comes with herb-roasted potatoes, chimichurri, and chipotle-harissa aïoli.
The beet and kale salad is $13 and is made of spinach, warm bacon vinaigrette, goat cheese cream, beet purée, and candied walnuts.
House-made ravioli is $15 and is the menu’s only plant-based appetizer. It comes with English peas, carrot purée, and pickled alba mushrooms.
The charcuterie board technically comes from the restaurant’s lounge, the attached bar area, but we could order it inside the main restaurant. It’s $23 and consists of expected meats and cheeses.
Entrées at The Hollywood Brown Derby
Now onto the main dishes.
The Hollywood Brown Derby’s signature entrée at Disney World has roots in the restaurant’s real Hollywood location. The Cobb Salad was created at the original Brown Derby by owner Robert Cobb out of leftovers in the fridge when theater magnate Sid Grauman, the proprietor of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, wanted a midnight snack.
You can find that refreshing, filling salad at the center of the menu for lunch and dinner, priced at $30.
The filet mignon is $56 and comes in a rhubarb-red wine demi-glace with Yukon gold potato and braised endive.
A member of our group recommended a delicious combo, adding filet mignon on top of the Cobb Salad. It was a perfect combination of two of the best things on the menu.
The Hollywood Brown Derby has several other entrées, too. The fried pork chop is $45 and comes with Yuzu Buerre Blanc sauce and vegetables. During our meal, the “vegetables” were peaches and radishes.
The pan-roasted halibut is $54 and is served with leek vichyssoise risotto, peas, and citrus.
The braised center-cut short rib is $54 and is served in a hominy purée with roasted vegetables, smoky adobo glaze, and beef jus.
Stuffed butternut squash is $34 and the menu’s only plant-based entrée. It comes with potato-chickpea-vegetable filling, roasted spring vegetables, and mushroom-lemongrass “cream” sauce.
A seafood fregola is available for $51 and comes with steamed clams and mussels, poached scallops, fregola pasta, spring greens, and crab-saffron cream.
As enhancements to any entrée, diners can add cheddar potatoes for $12, glazed carrots for $10, or wild mushrooms for $12.
Desserts at The Hollywood Brown Derby
If you have room left for dessert after your meal at The Hollywood Brown Derby, the restaurant has some great options.
The Decadent Chocolate Cake is $14 and comes with raspberry sauce, chocolate ganache, and fresh raspberries. This was very good, and I loved the tight layers.
The grapefruit cake is $14 and consists of vanilla sponge cake with grapefruit syrup and cream cheese icing.
The orange-hazelnut chocolate cake is $13 and is served with hazelnut cream, coffee whipped cream, praline cookie crumble, orange panna cotta, and chocolate sauce.
The honey pot de créme is $14 and comes with strawberry compote, salted streusel, and ginger sponge cake.
The vanilla-fruit cheesecake is $14 and comes with peach sponge, strawberry panna cotta, streusel, strawberry-peach compote, mango coulis, and crunchy tuile.
Planning for The Hollywood Brown Derby
Overall, we found The Hollywood Brown Derby to be worth its higher price point, provided guests are looking for an upscale meal. This is a wonderful step back into the golden age of Hollywood that is the perfect sit-down meal that the entire family can enjoy during a day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Although the food is more elevated than most Disney World restaurants, it does not have any age restrictions. Guests of all ages can eat here, including young kids. There is also no dress code.
The Hollywood Brown Derby is typically open from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The menu is the same for lunch and dinner.
Due to its upscale menu with expensive food, The Hollywood Brown Derby takes up two table service credits on the Disney Dining Plan rather than the standard single credit. We recommend a restaurant reservation here, but you can also try to walk up.
Continue your Disney World dining planning with our recent reviews of Disney’s rowdiest restaurant and a bar that might be better than Trader Sam’s.
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