If there’s one dining experience I’m an absolute SUCKER for…it’s a Disney World lounge.

From the serene riverside environment of Nomad Lounge in Animal Kingdom to the absolutely delicious eats at places like Three Bridges Bar & Grill or Geyser Point Bar & Grill, I just can’t resist a comfy chair and a menu filled with small plates. Especially if it means I get to sample menu items from a fancier (and harder to get into) restaurant next door! And that’s exactly what I got to do on a recent visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

If you’re into the upscale, retro-Hollywood vibes, then there’s no question about where you should dine in Hollywood Studios — The Hollywood Brown Derby. But sometimes, you’re not ready to be quite that ritzy, and that’s totally okay. Recently, in the middle of a very humid (and unfortunately, sweaty) day at the park, I decided to stop by the restaurant’s more casual counterpart for lunch — The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge.

Atmosphere

The first thing you need to know about The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge is that it’s literally ATTACHED to the restaurant. You dine indoors for the regular restaurant, but the lounge is right outside the double doors on a side patio.

You can either walk up to the host and put your name down, or you can do what I did and use the Mobile Dine Walk-Up Waitlist in the My Disney Experience app. During my visit, there was only a 10-minute wait!

Once my table was ready, I got a text message alerting me, so I found the host by the entrance on the side of the building. There’s a small gate next to the bar where you’ll check-in.

The lounge doesn’t have a very large capacity, with only a few tables out on the patio. Thankfully, they’re all covered by umbrellas or awnings, so even in a light rain you’ll stay dry.

My table was set with a drink menu, a food menu, and a set of silverware when I arrived. Also, all the tables here are done up with white tablecloths…snazzy!

Now that we’ve covered the atmosphere, let’s talk menu!

Menu

Since this is a lounge, there’s a full bar outside where you can walk up and order if you’d like. The drink menu has a number of specialty flights, cocktails, and classics to choose from. There’s even a small menu with scotch and bourbon options.

There are also a few non-alcoholic drinks available, and they’re different selections from what you’ll find at other table service restaurants. Each drink is refillable and comes with a glow cube.

But what about food? Here, you can order anything from The Hollywood Brown Derby menu. There’s a full list of appetizers, entrees, and enhancements. The dessert menu is brought out separately.

The appetizers included offerings like Corn Bisque, a Charcuterie Board, a Shrimp Cocktail, and Escargot. They range in price from $15-$21 each.

There are quite a few entrees on the list, including Filet Mignon, Sustainable Fish, Free-Range Chicken and Dumplings, and of course, the famous Cobb Salad. That’s what the Brown Derby is known for!

(Side note — I’ll be honest that I was quite skeptical about that salad. How can a salad be SO good that everyone talks about it and wants to order it?! Well, you’ll see how my opinion changed on that subject.)

If you’d like some enhancements on the side, there are three options: Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese, Mixed Mushroom Saute, and Spoon Bread.

Now that we’re through the formalities, it’s time to EAT.

Eats

To start, I had to try out one of those unique mocktails! I got the Sunset Boulevard, which was made with Sprite and tangerine and comes with a glow cube for $5.99. I thought this was really refreshing, and the tangerine mixed well with the Sprite to give it a summery fruitiness. I recommend drinking it when it’s fresh before the ice melts.

For my appetizer, I got the Charcuterie Board for $21. It comes with an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, and accompaniments.

Starting on the meats and savory accompaniments end of the board, I was given hard salami and a bit of prosciutto, as well as some pickles and olives. The salami was hard and chewy with a rich flavor, while the prosciutto was thankfully not slimy like some other versions of the meat I’ve tried in the past. The pickles and olives were pretty simple, but both had a nice, sharp taste.

Next up was some blue cheese, which I found paired really well with the saltiness of the prosciutto. The cheese had a strong scent and flavor, but not so strong that it would be overwhelming for people who like blue cheese.

In the middle of the board, there was a whole-grain mustard that had a definite kick of spiciness from pepper. The crackers given along with the charcuterie are an orange torta coated with sugar. I really liked the flavor individually and with some of the meat and cheese combinations, but it would’ve been nice to have another cracker option that wasn’t sweet for some variety.

And finally, at the other end, we come to my favorite item! The cheese on the far side of the picture was strong in flavor and harder in texture, and my server told me its brine was bergamot and earl grey, which I really enjoyed. It paired well with all the meats, the crackers, and was just delicious on its own.

In the middle there was an onion jam that I wasn’t very fond of — it’s mostly just slimy and briny, but might be good for those who love onion jam. And finally, the white triangle is a drunken goat cheese which was creamy and much milder than some other goat cheeses I’ve come across.

Okay, now it’s time to talk about what I believed to be the STAR of the meal. This was my first time ordering Our Famous Cobb Salad at The Hollywood Brown Derby (or the lounge!) and I have to say that it did NOT disappoint. For $22, you get a salad topped with avocado, bacon, egg, tomatoes, spit-roasted turkey, blue cheese, and classic dressing. You can add chicken or shrimp for an upcharge, but I got it the basic way.

This is the Brown Derby signature dish, and BOY was it shockingly good! It was very light and fresh, which was perfect for me sitting out there in the summer heat, and I think it’s great for a mid-vacation meal when your body is craving vegetables after eating WAAAAY too much theme park food. The lettuce is chopped up nicely and all the flavors mix together really well.

Even with strong flavors like bacon and blue cheese, no one ingredient seems to overpower another, and the dressing brings it all together with a slight tangy flavor. The egg and avocado are nice and mild, which balances out things like the blue cheese. And if you don’t like one of these ingredients? You can ask for the chef to leave it off when you order.

I’m honestly kind of sad that it has taken me this long to try this salad, but I’ll certainly be going back to get it again! (I’ve been daydreaming about it since I ate it — don’t tell my boss!)

Finally, we come at last to the Spoon Bread, which is $8 and topped with lavender-honey butter. Just the description alone has my mouth watering!

Spoon bread is basically a lighter version of cornbread, and that’s exactly how I would describe this dish. There’s a rich, sweet corn flavor throughout and that butter really soaks in to make it soft and buttery. I could taste a bit of the honey, but not as much of the lavender flavor throughout. It’s not dry at all, even after I let it sit for a few minutes.

Essentially, I would compare this to the best sweet cornbread I’ve ever eaten. I’d happily order it again!

So will I be going back to The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge in the future? Let’s talk about it!

Overall

Overall, this was a GREAT lounge experience. You get the full Brown Derby menu to choose from, a nice outdoor seating area, and the service was excellent during my meal! That Cobb Salad really knocked my socks off and it alone would tempt me to come back and put my name on the Walk-Up Waitlist again.

The charcuterie board was alright, but for $21, it might be a smidge underwhelming to some. For me, it was probably a one-and-done. But that spoon bread? I would recommend that to anyone who loves cornbread and they’d probably be quite happy!

There’s a lot left on the menu that I’ve yet to try, including some very interesting-sounding eats. So for me? I would gladly come back, and if you haven’t been before, I’d recommend that you try it out at least once!

Nosh or Not?

Head on down to a lounge in Hollywoodland if…

• You want a high-quality meal without a reservation. If you had a hard time getting a reservation in Hollywood Studios (which can be tricky!), this is a great option. The quality of the meal will be good, and you’ll likely get some pretty great service. Plus, it was relatively easy for me to get in on a busy July day.
• You love to people-watch while you eat. This restaurant has an ideal location for people-watching and just enjoying the general atmosphere of the park! I was able to watch Daisy Duck interacting with guests from afar while I ate, and it made me feel like I was still in that Hollywood Studios vibe the whole time.

Head somewhere else in Hollywood if…

• You’re on a tight budget. Since this is the lounge to a signature restaurant, the food prices are a bit higher than at other table service spots. Especially if you’re planning on ordering entrees, you’ll want to budget a little extra to come here.
• The weather is unbearable. As I mentioned above, you’ll be eating outside here. Even though every table was covered by an umbrella or awning and there was a fan underneath mine, it could still be problematic to eat here if it’s stiflingly hot or raining so hard that it’s coming in sideways.

So there you have it — my full experience at The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge! I had a great time during my meal, and I’d be glad to go back in the future. Stay tuned to DFB for more restaurant reviews from all around Disney World.

With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. We’ve got a special discount code for DFB readers, too! Use WDW2023 at checkout for 25% off!

Click Here to See Our Review of The Hollywood Brown Derby!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Have you ever been to this lounge? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

The post REVIEW: We Finally Found an Easy Way To Get the Best Meal in Disney’s Hollywood Studios first appeared on the disney food blog.