Don’t you love Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Where else can you go for a dose of Old Hollywood glamour, a Star Wars fix, and a Disney Junior fun all in one place?
But in addition to all kinds of movie- and television-inspired fun, the park hosts some great food as well. Today, we’re taking a closer look at our Favorite DHS Restaurants. See if you agree with us!
50s Prime Time Cafe
One of my favorite spots to dine at DHS — or in all of Walt Disney World really — is 50s Prime Time Cafe.
This spot has it all. It’s super-themed, so when you step into the front door one of two things will come to mind:
- I am caught in a time warp, and my grandmother is going to bop into the room wearing a poodle skirt any minute.
- I’ve succeeded in stepping right into the Dick Van Dyke Show.
One of the 50s Prime Time Cafe Dining Rooms
And truly, the themeing is so utterly awesome here, it’s enough to keep me coming back again and again. But then, the food! It’s just like your mom made! Or grandmother. Or Aunt Gladys. Whatever. My point is, it’s really good and comforting and, well, swell. You know? The bee’s knees.
But even with all of that, they layer on another little bit of greatness with the staff, who play their “cousin” parts to a “T”!
Fried Herb Cheese at 50s Prime Time — Sooooo Good!
You had better keep your elbows off the table and finish those veggies, or you’ll be sorry. And don’t forget to memorize the color of the soap in the bathroom — they’ll want to have confirmation that you washed your hands!
Hollywood Brown Derby and The Brown Derby Lounge
Want to continue your time travels to the Golden Age of Hollywood? Then join me for a power lunch at the Hollywood Brown Derby.
Built as a replica of the Hollywood restaurant where movie types went to see and be seen, both the setting and the iconic caricatures covering the walls channel the original.
I can’t dine here without thinking of Lucy Ricardo gushing over Bill Holden!
Corner booth
But beyond pretending that I’m a movie star doing lunch, they also have some killer food. Go for classic signature dishes like Cobb Salad or Grapefruit Cake.
Personally, I love to dine here in the evening, and their Charred Filet of Beef is usually excellent. The sides change up regularly, but the steak has been fantastic every time I’ve had it.
Filet Mignon at Hollywood Brown Derby
The restaurant has also added another fun dimension with the opening of The Brown Derby Lounge. This bar is the perfect place to enjoy wine by the glass or a cocktail as well as some delicious food options from their tapas-style menu.
Wagyu Beef with Cognac-Mustard Aioli, Smoked Gouda Cheese, Bacon, and Avocado; and House-made Chorizo with Chipotle Mayo, Manchego Cheese, Pickles, and crispy Onions at the Brown Derby Lounge
I say don your glam sunglasses for your best people watching and head there right now!
Backlot Express
There are also some great counter service options at Studios. My favorite is Backlot Express.
I could wander around this prop-shop-meets-fast-food-joint for quite some time. There is so much to see here that it’s hard to tear yourself away and order already!
Dragon Prop – You Never Know What You Might Find Here!
But currently, the best reason to go there is to enjoy fun Star Wars-themed food! With so much happening to celebrate this beloved franchise, Backlot Express has debuted some great galactic eats.
Enjoy specialties like Corellian Spice Fries, the Royal Guard Burger, and even Dark Side Chicken and Waffles! (There’s even a kids’ version for the young Padawans in your party.)
Padawan Dark Side Chicken And Waffles
Unfortunately, to make room for all of the Star Wars food, they aren’t offering fan favorites like the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich and the Spicy Buffalo Chicken Breast Nuggets anymore. Here’s hoping both of these DFB favorites return in the future.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant
Dinner and a Movie. It’s the Great American Date! But just for kicks, consider combining the two at Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant.
Okay…so you may not see the latest Avengers flick. But what you will see are some ridiculously hilarious B movie clips, plus old Disney footage.
Take in the View at Sci-Fi Dine In!
And whether you choose to dine in a convertible car as you watch, or you opt for a picnic table in the back, there are some can’t-miss dishes I discovered here during my last visit! I would happily have that awesome Flame-Broiled New York Strip Steak again. Served with some yummy Mashed Potatoes, this is one of the best steaks I’ve had at Disney in terms of value and quality.
Flame-Broiled New York Strip Steak
And don’t skip dessert! Because the Out-of-This-World Turtle Cheesecake is so worth every calorie and extra minute on the treadmill.
Out-of-This-World Turtle Cheesecake
Hollywood and Vine Restaurant
So we’ve covered days gone by, Tinseltown during its heyday, and the best drive-in theater, ever — not to mention a stop in the prop shop.
But what if your party includes a hungry pre-schooler? Then be sure to book your table for Play ‘n Dine at Hollywood and Vine Restaurant. During breakfast and lunch, you can rub shoulders with all of your Disney Junior favorites. Kids can sing and dance while parents eat — so everyone is happy!
Disney Junior characters Doc McStuffins and Sophia the First make appearances here, along with Handy Manny!
Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First Have Recently Joined the Play ‘n Dine Lineup
The buffet is bountiful, and the theme is cafeteria to the stars, with a sleek, art deco feel. Be sure to save room for their dessert spread, which includes a Chocolate Fountain!
Dessert Station
Or would you prefer your character dining experience with the Fab Five? Then you’ll want to check out Minnie’s Seasonal Dine for the dinner hour!
Cherry Port Ham at Minnie’s Holiday and Dine Dinner
The theme changes up regularly for this character meal. During Christmas, we enjoyed Minnie’s Holiday Dine.
Minnie’s Silver Screen Dine is Happening Now Through March 20! (Photo ©Disney)
Look forward to other possible special themes this year, including a Celebration of Spring, a Summer Beach Party Blast, and a fun Halloween-themed Party!
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
has survived with all of the expansion taking place in the park, so I can’t help but brag on it one more time.
Mama Melrose Entrance
You may be tempted to dismiss Mama’s as just another fast casual-type Italian restaurant. Don’t. Because on our last several visits here, we have had some truly outstanding food. And the service has been uniformly some of the best that I’ve experienced in the last few years.
Pastas like the Penne alla Vodka as well as the Chicken Parmigiana are very good, but if you visit Mama’s, I highly recommend that you get the Charred Strip Steak. Topped with Aged Balsamic-Shallot Butter and a Chianti Wine Reduction, this is one of the best steaks — and steak values — that I’ve had at Disney World in recent years.
Charred Strip Steak at Mama Melrose’s
And the side dish of Four-Cheese Macaroni with Pancetta is equally as brilliant.
That wraps up my list of favorite dining spots at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but now I’d love to hear from you!
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I haven’t been to the Brown Derby in years. But the Cobb Salad is one of the best things ever.
I’ve seen recent pictures of the cobb salad and it looks like a mess.
When we had it it was beautiful in a deep high walled dish and served table side.
Just like the glamour shots they shot when you GIS Disney cobb salad.
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/dining/recipes/images/cobbsalad_lg.jpg
I hope they’re taking more care with that now…because it was very photogenic. And the recents pictures I’ve seen it looks really nasty.
Sam — I super hope so too, because I’m heading there for lunch very soon, and I always get the wonderful Cobb Salad. 🙂 That picture is beautiful! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you for this. In all honestly, I was not excited about the food options at Hollywood Studios – at all. Your post gives me hope that there are some good options there. Thanks!
I’m surprised you liked Mama Melrose. We shall never EVER darken their doors again. Robin ordered the Seafood Arrabbiata. The mussels were so undercooked that the shells had not opened on some. Worse, the seafood tasted of ammonia, which is a sure sign it had gone bad. This is inexcusable.
I had the charred strip steak. It was by far the worst steak I have ever had on-site. I wouldn’t have fed it to a dog.
Unfortunately, we verified that all the bad reviews of MM we had read before going were, in fact, accurate. Glad your food has apparently been uniformly good, but for the price, we shan’t risk it again.
We haven’t been to the 50s Prime Time Cafe in a very long time. We always enjoyed the food but if they haven’t they really need to have a signal that your party is not interested in being part of the fun and games…
Just do not think about HS as a food option for a sit down.
Nothing WOWs me here and with all the other great options at your finger tips, I’d rather dine there.
Even the counter service options do not have that creativity that other parks seem to be heading towards.
This is usually the park that we have a long day, head back to hotel to wash up, and hit Cali Grill at night.
Oh, I hope that the bad review of Mama Melrose’s is just a fluke! We have an ADR there for this coming Monday afternoon!
@Beth,
It’s just like any other restaurant, sometimes its just a bad day all around…
We’ve eaten there on bad days and decided later to give them another chance and the next time the meal was great.
Lee & Robin may have caught a bad meal while other people may have raved about theirs the same day!
Indeed you can get restaurants on bad days. A good example of this is Coral Reef in Epcot. We put off trying it because of all the horrible reviews. However, at least on the day we dined there, the food was great. One of the top 3 or 4 meals we’ve ever had on-site, and that includes Le Cellier and BlueZoo. So maybe Mama’s was just having an off day. However, it’s hard for Robin to forgive being served seafood that smells and tastes of ammonia!
It would be better if you used a picture of the food they are actually serving at Brown Derby lounge instead of something no longer on the menu.
We’ve been to most of these over the years and Mama Melrose’s is our favorite. Sorry to read someone had a bad experience there. Talk to the floor manager. They’ll make it right. Loved the pork chop. Actually like this place better than the Italian restaurants at EPCOT
We love 50’s Primetime (love the fried chicken) and the Sci Fi was a blast of fun. Both of these spots are always good bets.
My kids love Sci-Fi Dine In. That might be their favorite restaurant at WDW. As for me , I love that flame broiled steak they serve there. It might be one of my favorite meals at WDW, and I don’t even normally order steaks at restaurants!
Thanks to a past tip on this blog, my husband and I sat down with no ADR at the Brown Derby Lounge on a trip without kids. I would have never known we could just sit there, much less order the famous Cobb salad. It was a very enjoyable lunch!
Hold on… There are restaurants at DHS?
There is food other than Carrot Cake Cookies???????
I jest of course. This is our family’s favourite park. Definitely agree Backlot Express is the best counter service, I do wonder if it will be completely changed with Star – Money in the Bank – Wars taking over.
The only problem is it needs to be open longer during off peak! We walked up 3 hours before park close in September and it was closed!
Sadness ensued.
Kelly M — Well, it *is* hard to get past those Carrot Cake Cookies. 😉 I agree. It’s always a bummer to find one of your favorites closed.
Pam — That sounds fabulous! So glad we could help. A return trip to Brown Derby is on the DFB list soon, I’m thinking. 😉
Essie — Fried chicken is my favorite! 🙂
@Sam- I went to the Brown Derby in November, and the Cobb Salad was as beautiful as ever! Hopefully the ugly ones were just a fluke.
I also had the charred filet of beef- the mashed potatoes and green beans that accompany it now are AMAZING. It ranks as one of the best steaks I’ve ever had anywhere, let alone just on Disney property. Apparently they brought their a-game the day we went there!