Have you ever spent all morning inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios going on rides, watching shows, then think about your lunch options and say to yourself, “I want to eat at the most expensive restaurant in the park!” No? Funny, me neither.
So what brings me to the most expensive restaurant inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Curiosity, really. A desire to dine in a replica of a Hollywood landmark, and to see if the experience is worth the hefty price tag that comes with it.
Where is it?
The Hollywood Brown Derby is located inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The restaurant is located near the corner of Hollywood Boulevard (the main street you enter on) and Sunset Boulevard, near Animation Courtyard. They are open 11am – 8pm for lunch and dinner. Entree prices range from $35-$60, thus the $$$ listing by Disney. Reservations are recommended, and valid theme park entry is required.
It’s true to the original, though!
Staying true to it’s Hollywood roots, the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant also has celebrity caricatures inside!
Get to the food, already!
Right. You don’t want to be bored with restaurant details, you’re here to see the food! So let’s get to it:
We love free bread!
Disney knows the way to my heart is through free bread. These basic yeast rolls were simple, warm, and served with salted butter. No need to overcomplicate things when a simple well done roll is perfect, and these were, in fact, perfect. Excellent start!
Scallop test.
I saw sea scallops on the appetizer menu, so of course I had to try them. My scallop test is to determine if these seared scallops are just as good, or better, than scallops I can get at home. I’m happy to report that these scallops were just as good as what I can have locally! Between the two was a piece of pork belly. I’ve never had pork belly before. It was okay, something different.
We tried steak.
Sadly, this menu item was only available for a limited time. We tried the Filet Mignon with Walt’s Roast Beef Hash. The steak itself was nicely prepared, as one would expect at a signature restaurant. The roast beef hash was different. Not exactly something I would expect with steak, but it was good. The fried egg, if I remember correctly, is one of Walt’s preferences. I’ve had a fried egg on a burger, I wasn’t expecting a fried egg on steak. Again, it was different. Not bad, just different.
Signature dessert!
This dessert, however, is a Brown Derby signature item! This is the famous Grapefruit Cake! Let me first say that this picture does not capture the portion size accurately. This serving was huge! Easily a two-person dessert.
Now let’s get into the details about this dessert. It’s vanilla sponge cake, with cream cheese frosting, and grapefruit syrup. The grapefruit flavor is heavy on this one! Despite having numerous cake layers, I found this dessert to actually be light and refreshing! “Oddly refreshing” was my comment to my server because I didn’t expect it to be. This dessert is definitely on my must-have-again list but next time I’m going to bring a friend to split it.
Exceptional service.
As one would expect at a signature dining restaurant, the service at Hollywood Brown Derby was exceptional! The servers are dressed professionally, and are quick to offer menu suggestions and recommendations. From the moment my table was ready, to after settling my tab, the service from the staff was fantastic!
But was it worth the price?
This is where things get iffy. Hollywood Brown Derby is a replica of the original, so the setting is quintessential old Hollywood. There’s a price for nostalgia and stepping back in time. The level of service was fantastic, which adds something to the cost. (like all signature dining at Disney)
The dishes that I tried were really good, with the dessert being the highlight. Sticking to only Brown Derby signature dishes, such as the Cobb Salad, would no doubt feel like you were back in old Hollywood rubbing elbows with famous celebrities. Looking at the menu now, I can see it being appealing and unappealing, depending on your preferences.
Luckily, should you not want the full Brown Derby experience, there is an outside lounge should you desire a quick appetizer and a Grapefruit Cake Martini.
Was it worth the high price? Yes, but no. I appreciated the ambience and the feeling of stepping back into old Hollywood. The Grapefruit Cake was fantastic and something I’d recommend to anyone who is curious to try it.
I’ll put it like this: Hollywood Brown Derby, if I wanted a sit down lunch or dinner at Hollywood Studios, would be my third choice. Sci-Fi Dine in and 50’s Prime Time, in my opinion, have a more accessible menu, better theme, and with a cheaper price tag.
This was a nice experience, I’m glad I tried it, but I’d rather spend my vacation dollars at a few other restaurants before this one.
Disney Rover 