There’s no question that Hollywood Brown Derby remains one of the best places to eat inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The food can be exceptional, the service is polished, and several dishes during our recent visit absolutely lived up to the restaurant’s signature dining reputation.
But there’s also another side to the experience that’s harder to ignore these days: the prices.
Paul and I recently dined at Hollywood Brown Derby with Phil and Pauleen Murphy, two of our favorite Disney foodies who are always willing to try the more adventurous menu items with us. The restaurant had just rolled out several seasonal menu updates, so we were excited to see what was new. While there were definitely standout dishes worth talking about, we also walked away discussing whether some of the pricing felt justified for a restaurant that still very much feels like you’re dining inside a busy theme park.
What Is the Atmosphere Like at Hollywood Brown Derby?
Hollywood Brown Derby is technically a Disney signature restaurant, but it’s important to set expectations appropriately.
This is still a restaurant located inside a theme park, and the atmosphere reflects that. During our meal, the dining room felt crowded and fairly loud. The restaurant has high ceilings and a large number of tables concentrated into the space, so noise tends to bounce around quite a bit.
You’ll also see the full range of theme park attire here. While some guests treat it like a special dining experience, others are coming in directly from rides and Florida heat. If you’re expecting a quiet, upscale signature dining atmosphere similar to something at a Disney resort, this probably is not going to deliver that same vibe.
That said, the classic Hollywood decor still gives the restaurant charm, and there’s definitely nostalgia attached to dining here.
How Was the Service?
Honestly, no complaints at all.
Our server was polite, efficient, knowledgeable, and very helpful with menu suggestions. Food arrived at a reasonable pace, drinks stayed filled, and overall service felt exactly what you’d expect from Disney signature dining.
Even when the restaurant was loud and busy, the service remained smooth throughout the meal.
Hollywood Brown Derby Menu Review
The Brown Derby recently updated portions of its menu with more seasonal offerings, and there were some clear hits and misses during our meal.
Complimentary Bread
The bread is great and there was plenty to go around. It’s served hot and perfectly crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, accompanied by a salted butter. It’s hard not to fill up on this bread.
Escargot – $21
Roasted Garlic Béchamel, Crispy Prosciutto, Puff Pastry
Phil and Pauleen absolutely loved this dish. They both have a much more adventurous palate than a lot of our friend group, and this immediately became one of their favorites of the night.
The roasted garlic béchamel sauce was rich and flavorful to the point where they were actively looking for more bread to scoop up every last bit. Even if escargot is not normally your thing, the sauce and puff pastry makes this dish approachable.
Shrimp Cocktail – $19
Avocado Mousse, Traditional Cocktail Sauce
This was a fairly standard shrimp cocktail overall, but the avocado mousse added a nice twist that made it feel slightly more elevated than your typical version.
The dish included four large shrimp, and while it was good, it didn’t necessarily stand out in a memorable way considering the price point.
Charcuterie Board – $23
Chef’s Selection of Monastrell Wine-cured Meats, Cheeses, and Accompaniments
I’m realizing more and more lately that charcuterie boards just are not usually worth the cost for me personally, and this one mostly reinforced that feeling.
I know this may be the moment where you truly cannot take the West Virginia out of the girl, but honestly? Give me a good old fashioned meat and cheese tray with predictable deli cuts and crackers, and I’m perfectly happy.
A lot of the cured meats just are not my thing, some of the cheeses can be a little too pungent for my taste, and the accompaniments rarely excite me enough to justify the pricing.
Paul, however, disagreed with me here. He thought the portion was solid and found the price reasonable for a Disney signature restaurant. So this one probably depends heavily on your personal taste preferences.
The Famous Cobb Salad – $40 with Shrimp
Spit-roasted Turkey, Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Blue Cheese, Avocado, Classic Dressing
Hollywood Brown Derby’s famous Cobb Salad is one of those iconic Disney dishes that many guests feel obligated to try at least once.
Presentation-wise, it’s beautiful before they mix it tableside. Unfortunately, I failed as the designated food photo person because I didn’t grab a better picture before they tossed it together.
Paul and I split the salad and added shrimp, bringing the total to $40. Without the extra protein, the salad alone is already $30.
And this is where I really start struggling with the pricing.
I will say Disney has improved the shrimp significantly. It used to come with just three smaller shrimp, but now they use rock shrimp and give you a much more generous portion, which honestly does make the additional charge feel more worthwhile.
Still, $30 for the base salad feels steep.
The dressing is very good, but personally, the greens themselves are not my favorite. For the price, I would love to see more darker greens or something with a little more flavor like arugula mixed in.
In the future, I’d probably either skip this entirely or see if there’s a smaller side version available.
Pan Roasted Halibut – $54
Leek Vichyssoise Risotto, Pea, Citrus
This dish was excellent.
The fish was perfectly cooked, incredibly fresh tasting, beautifully plated, and packed with flavor. Everything on the plate worked together really well.
My only struggle is the portion size compared to the cost. At $54, you’re essentially getting a piece of fish with a fairly modest thin layer serving of risotto.
If this had been my only entrée, I honestly would have still been hungry afterward.
But with all that said? I would absolutely order it again because it was that good.
Braised Center-cut Short Rib – $54
Hominy Purée, Roasted Vegetables, Smoky Adobo Glaze, Beef Jus
This was the star of the night.
Our server described the flavor profile as being similar to a Mexican street taco, and somehow that explanation ended up being completely accurate.
This is one of the newer menu items, and every single one of us at the table loved it. The smoky adobo glaze added so much flavor, and the dish felt rich without being overly heavy.
Honestly, I would return to Hollywood Brown Derby specifically for this dish and sincerely hope Disney keeps it on the menu long term.
Seafood Fregola – $54
Steamed Clam and Mussel, Poached Scallop, Fregola Pasta, Spring Greens, Crab-Saffron Cream
Pauleen ordered the Seafood Fregola, and after trying it, I was very glad I chose the halibut instead.
It wasn’t bad by any means, but for $54, it just lacked the level of flavor we expected.
Pauleen specifically commented that she was surprised Disney used bay scallops at this price point. We both immediately compared it to a somewhat similar seafood dish that used to be available at Flying Fish for a comparable price that featured significantly more premium scallops.
For us, this ended up being one of the misses of the evening.
We Skipped Dessert… and I’m Slightly Embarrassed About It
In what may be shocking behavior for a Disney food review, we actually skipped dessert.
Not because we didn’t want it, but because we prioritized squeezing in a few evening rides at Hollywood Studios instead. Sometimes Smuggler’s Run and Tower of Terror win over cake.
I stand by the decision… mostly.
Is Hollywood Brown Derby Worth It?
Overall, Hollywood Brown Derby still serves what is probably the best food inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The service is excellent. Several dishes were genuinely outstanding. The short rib and halibut especially felt memorable enough that I’d order them again without hesitation.
But there’s also no getting around the fact that the pricing is high, even by Disney standards.
To be fair, the prices are fairly consistent with other Disney signature dining locations. The bigger issue is that the atmosphere still feels heavily influenced by the fact that you are dining inside a busy theme park rather than an elegant standalone signature restaurant.
If you go in expecting exceptional food in a somewhat noisy theme park environment, you’ll probably enjoy the experience much more.
For us, Hollywood Brown Derby remains a restaurant worth visiting occasionally, especially for standout dishes like the short rib. But it’s probably not somewhere we’d prioritize every trip given the overall cost.
It may be worth trying at least once, especially if you’re looking for the best table service meal inside Hollywood Studios.
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