The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney's Hollywood Studios holds a special place in my heart because it has become a tradition for my husband, Jason, and I to eat there on our anniversary. It is our #1 favorite restaurant on Disney property and although we have not eaten everywhere just yet, we are sure that the Hollywood Brown Derby will always be our favorite.It all began in September 2010 when Jason and I took our 2nd trip to the World together to celebrate my 30th birthday. Jason proposed to me on my 30th birthday during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party while flying over London on Peter Pan's Flight! A few nights later, we got all gussied up and celebrated our new engagement at The Hollywood Brown Derby.
If I had time to think about it, I would've quickly updated the reservation with the engagement celebration. The staff were very nice in congratulating us and our waiter was more than highly skilled. You see my (now) husband is a meat cutter and he really put our waiter to the test on that occasion! After discussing exactly how the salmon was raised, we ordered our delicious meal.
We began with the Blue Crab Cake appetizer which is sadly now gone from the menu. Being from Baltimore we have a certain overwhelming need to feast on blue crab so sadly this was the only photo I was able to get :)
Jason, of course, ordered the salmon. It's so good he's had it every single time we've eaten there!
I had the beef filet on a bed of some fancy pants mashed potatoes. This is the best filet I've ever had - it is so tender and juicy! I always order my steaks medium, not medium well. You want it to be a little bit pink in the middle, it really makes for a better flavor!
We don't generally get dessert but we were on the free dining plan so we thought, what the heck? They brought me a free mousse dessert for my birthday!
Jason ordered the cheesecake - which I ended up eating most of!
I ordered the signature dessert - the Grapefruit Cake. Now if I were a fan of grapefruit, I think I would have loved this cake! However, I found out that I do not like grapefruit, I prefer sweet fruits, not sour ones.
We were really blown away by our fantastic experience! You know you've had a good time when you are sad to have to leave. My only criticism of this meal was that we were seated out in the middle of the room. Luckily we were seated right next to a very nice older couple who wished us well in our new life together.
Fast forward one year. I am so happy that I planned a very special dinner for just the two of us at The Hollywood Brown Derby the night before our Disney Fairytale Wedding. This time, we had purchased a Tables in Wonderland card which gives you 20% off food and beverage (including alcohol) at any participating location. I put the wedding as a celebration on our reservation and our experience was much better this time. I remember they gave us a set of the "Happily Ever After" buttons and they also seated us at a very nice private table in the top corner of the main dining room. The manager came by our table to congratulate us and he was just so nice! It was really a nice relaxing meal which is just what we needed the night before our wedding!
We ordered the Blue Crab Cake appetizer again and I was sure to get a photo this time!
We also split a bowl of the Lobster Bisque which sadly they do not have anymore :(
Jason got a fancy drink and I had a glass of red wine.
And, of course, Jason had the salmon which was a bit different this time but he loved it just the same.
I tried the Pork Tenderloin this time around. I will admit I generally have very simple tastes but the mango chutney rocked my socks! It was SO good!!!
While we were enjoying our dinner, we witnessed another couple get engaged! The guy got down on his knee at the table and the whole restaurant clapped. They looked so happy! It was such a beautiful thing for us to see on the night before our wedding that I forgot to take anymore pictures! Our waitress brought us free champagne and strawberries and wished us well on our life together. Another fantastic meal at The Hollywood Brown Derby!
One year later, Jason and I returned to the Hollywood Brown Derby for our 1st Anniversary.
This was hands down the best experience we've had yet! Before we went to the restaurant, we stopped in a few places looking for Anniversary buttons but came up empty handed. There was no need for all of that though because the manager gave us a pair when he seated us! This time we were seated at the best table we've ever had at a booth in the bottom right corner of the main dining room. It is in the corner farthest from the kitchen and feels very private. It's so private that you can't even hear the conversation at the next table! We made a note of the table number - 215. We will request it next time!
We started out with a round of drinks. I had to try Cheryl's Peach Tree Punch and I am SO glad I did!
Delicious!
The manager came to our table with a camera and asked us if he could be our paparazzi for this evening. Of course we said yes :) While he set up the shot, he asked to hear the story of how we met. After a few minutes, he came back to our table and presented us with this!
This was definitely the most magical thing that had ever happened to us at any restaurant! I will cherish this photo always.
Until now I had never really paid attention to the bread but it definitely deserves a mention, it is REALLY good! I love the whipped butter mmm...
We were very upset to find that the Blue Crab Cake appetizer had been replaced with a Blue Crab Spring Roll instead. The spring roll was excellent but not the same as our favorite crab cake.
Can you guess what entree Jason ordered? That's right! The salmon - this time on a bed of pasta and greens covered in a hot broth. A bus boy poured the hot broth at the table, it was really neat! We both thought it was fantastic but Jason said it wasn't quite as good as its predecessor.
I ordered the beef filet again - this time on a bed of delicious risotto! This was better than its predecessor and I thought that the risotto was a nice upgrade from plain mashed potatoes. Very good, that risotto!
I can't believe we have been lucky enough to eat at The Hollywood Brown Derby 3 times! I think the manager will know us pretty soon :) We love it because the food is top quality, the atmosphere is classy old Hollywood, and the staff are top notch. You never have to ask for anything, it is the type of place where the staff will anticipate your needs. Your water glass is never empty and your food comes on a very well paced schedule. We will return again and again!
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