The Best Restaurant In Hollywood Studios Has Nothing to Do With Disney

Over the years, Walt Disney World Resort has changed in a lot of ways, from one theme park to four, building two water parks, completely changing the Downtown Disney District into Disney Springs, and so much more. Each of Disney World’s four theme parks have also undergone a lot of changes, with some of the biggest changes coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In the past five years alone, Disney added two new (and very popular) lands to the area — Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

There are so many great places to eat during your visit to Hollywood Studios, including 50’s Prime Time Café, Backlot Express, Sci-Fi Dine-In, BaseLine Tap House, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, and Woody’s Lunch Box. However, in my opinion, the best restaurant to eat at in the theme park has nothing to do with Disney. It isn’t based on any IP or themed after any ride in the Park. It is just a gorgeous dining spot with absolutely mouthwatering food that will definitely have you coming back.

I am talking about The Hollywood Brown Derby.

The Brown Derby is located on Hollywood Boulevard and features a menu of high-end ingredients cooked to perfection. The lunch and dinner menus are very similar, and I recommend your table try an appetizer, entrée, and dessert to get the full experience. Some of the top picks for an appetizer include Roasted Bone Marrow with Braised Beef, Pickled Mustard Seed, and Fig Crostini. For those who may want something a little lighter, the Tomato and Burrata Caprese is always a solid choice.

For both lunch and dinner, there are a variety of absolutely incredible dishes, but I always stick to the Our Famous Cobb Salad. In fact, the Brown Derby Famous Cobb Salad is one of my favorite dishes of all time. I dream about this salad when I’m not at the Park and look forward to it as I plan every Disney World vacation.

The Cobb Salad is fresh, flavorful, crispy, and just perfect. Everything is finely diced, and the waiter mixes the salad for you tableside. Pair it with a warm piece of fresh bread? I’m almost drooling just thinking about it. And fun fact, The Brown Derby is actually the inventor of the Cobb Salad, so you know they know how to make the perfect one!

If you want something other than the Cobb Salad — which would also make a great appetizer for sharing — I highly recommend the Filet Mignon. The filet is served with Root Vegetable Beef Hash, Charred Sweet Peppers, and Green Peppercorn Sauce. For those who love seafood, the Seafood Cioppino and Sustainable Salmon Coulibiac are always good choices. If you are a fan of chicken, the Brown Derby serves a Free-Range Chicken Coq au Vin that is juicy and super flavorful.

Just like the Cobb Salad, The Brown Derby is also known for one of its desserts — the tart and sweet Grapefruit Cake. Now, normally, I am not a fan of grapefruit, but this cake is delicious. The cake is made of a Vanilla Sponge Cake lightly soaked in Grapefruit Syrup. Then, in between the layers and on top of the cake is a sweet Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s a must-try!

If Grapefruit Cake isn’t your thing, then The Brown Derby also serves Crème Brûlée with a Citrus and Cherry Compote, a Chocolate Cake, and Chocolate-Coconut Cake.

If you haven’t tried The Hollywood Brown Derby at Hollywood Studios, you are missing out on a truly incredible meal! I highly recommend giving this restaurant a try on your next trip. Reservations are highly recommended, but if you eat at an off-time, you may be able to snag a table without a long wait.

Suppose you can’t get into the restaurant, no worries! There is an outdoor lounge attached to the restaurant. The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge only offers a few dishes, including the Cobb Salad, but there are also a number of gorgeous and delicious cocktails.