Disney's Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge Review (A Delicious Yet Casual Outdoor Meal)

We visit The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios often. When we do (or when they have new menu items), we update this review to share our experience.

Sometimes, you need a meal that’s not a quick service but not a full-on table service restaurant. The kind of meal where you want good food without all the fuss.

There’s only one place to have that experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios- the Brown Derby Lounge. This is the outdoor lounge for the Brown Derby restaurant, which is the park’s signature dining location.

Now we love the Brown Derby. It’s included in our list of the top signature dining restaurants at Disney World. But eating there usually requires a reservation, and I had no plans to visit Hollywood Studios this afternoon, let alone dine there.

Outdoor lounge at Disney's Hollywood Brown Derby

Regardless, I found myself at Hollywood Studios. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the mood for a Ronto-Wrap, my usual grab-and-go meal. So, I decided to see if I could get a table on the outdoor patio at the Brown Derby Lounge.

As fate would have it, the long line near the entrance was for the bar. Plenty of tables and chairs were available at the lounge, which is usually open daily from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

After being seated, a server brought the menu for the lounge and the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant. I was delighted to see a few new menu options since we had last dined at the restaurant.

After perusing the menu and consulting the server, I ordered an appetizer and another item listed as an enhancement. This was a great way to try two items instead of ordering a full entree.

Per the server’s recommendation, I went with the roasted bone marrow. The menu describes the dish as “Braised Beef, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Fig Bread Crostini.”

At first, I was hesitant because my experience with bone marrow is limited. What I’ve tried has always tasted great, but there’s never been much sustenance.

Thankfully, this bone marrow came with a nice amount of crostini and was topped with braised beef and a few petite onions. The watermelon radish was also a nice touch.

Bone Marrow at the Brown Derby Lounge Disney World

If you ordered this as a shareable appetizer, it would work. However, you would want to each order something else because it wouldn’t go a long way. Nevertheless, it was delicious.

But the most surprising was the shrimp macaroni and cheese, described as “Herbed Breadcrumbs, Smoked Gouda Sauce.” I don’t know if I got the luck of the draw or what. But my mac and cheese had at least eight quality pieces of shrimp.

This was the perfect comfort food dish, and I enjoyed every bite. As the day went on, there were several times when I caught myself thinking, wow, lunch was delicious today.

And I think that’s how most meals at Walt Disney World should make you feel. This meal was by far better than most quick-service burgers and chicken nuggets.

However, given the quality, it was more expensive. But for approximately $40.00 for this meal and a soda, I was happy with my choice.

Since this meal, we’ve returned to the restaurant for dinner. We ordered the escargot to share for that meal, and we both had the free-range chicken and dumplings. Both dishes were outstanding!

However, I’ve given up on taking photos inside the restaurant. It’s a relaxed, dim setting that feels very elegant. Unfortunately, that means less than stellar food photos. So I stopped in for a late lunch by myself one afternoon and ordered the escargot at the lounge.

The menu describes this dish as “Roasted Garlic Béchamel, Crispy Prosciutto, Puff Pastry.” It’s every bit as good as it looks. It might be one of the best dishes I’ve ever consumed.

Both times I’ve had this dish, our server brought bread service to the table and mentioned using the bread to scoop up the leftover bechamel and prosciutto bits. It’s a lavish appetizer.

There was a pleasant breeze while dining at the lounge, and the temperature was in the low 80s. So it was one of those perfect afternoons for a late al fresco lunch.

If you’re ever at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and looking for a similar experience, try the Brown Derby Lounge. I can’t recommend it enough.

For more lounges at Disney World, you might enjoy the following:

Or you can preview our entire list of Disney Restaurant Reviews.

What Do You Think?

What do you think of this review of the Brown Derby Lounge? Do any of these items look appealing? Have you ever enjoyed a meal here or inside the restaurant? Let us know in the comments.