Walt Disney World’s 50th Celebration is in full swing and taking place throughout all four parks!

We’ve tried a LOT of new food offerings as a part of the festivities. After all, there are OVER 150 new snacks. Now, we’re headed over for a reservation at Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to try out the TWO new 50th eats at this signature restaurant!

Atmosphere

You’ll find Hollywood Brown Derby in the center of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Look out for the giant hat on top the building! Did you know this restaurant was built to be a replica of the famous Hollywood restaurant with the same name?

There aren’t any special decorations for the 50th, but the dining space at Brown Derby is amazing. Tables and booths are scattered around a room that is somehow both cozy and grand with beautiful wood accents.

The room is well-lit by grand chandeliers and a few lamps spaced between the booths.

We especially love the hat-shaped wall sconces! This place is a blast from the past in the best way possible.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a replica of the OG Brown Derby without hundreds of celebrity caricatures lining the walls! These are replicas of the original caricatures that the real Brown Derby restaurants were so well known for showcasing. Keep your eyes peeled for a few in golden frames (most are black). The gold-framed pictures are originals from the real Brown Derby!

Our table was set with utensils, a bread plate, and a cloth napkin. Plus, we were given paper menus.

Now, let’s check out the menu!

Menu

The Hollywood Brown Derby has a menu of high-end dishes. You can start your meal with Appetizers such as Oyster and Brie Soup or a Charcuterie Board. Then, it’s on to entrees like the Ora King Salmon or Our Famous Cobb Salad. Note Brown Derby often swaps out a few items seasonally, like soups, a few desserts, and entrees, so you might find slightly different offerings on your visit!

There are two items marked special for the 50th. You can find these on the paper menu marked with a 50!

You can take a look at the Enhancements if you’re hoping to add a little extra to your main course (basically pricier extra sides). Then, you can wrap up your meal with a Dessert like the famous Grapefruit Cake!

Of course, Hollywood Brown Derby features a Kids’ Menu with options like Grilled Seasonal Fish and Vegetarian Pho.

And this restaurant has an extensive drinks menu of Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Featured Wines, After-Dinner Drink Flights…

…After-Dinner Drinks, Dessert Wines, Ports/Sherry/Madeira…

…and Cognacs/Armagnacs!

We hope you’re hungry; it’s time to check out those 50th eats!

Eats

The 50th eats on the menu include one entree and one dessert, so we’re starting out with the Filet Mignon with Walt Disney’s Roast Beef Hash for $49.

This dish is accompanied by Haricots Verts and Red Wine Sauce and served Walt’s way with a Fried Egg.

Now, first things first: this dish wasn’t very pretty. It redeemed itself in flavor though because it tasted awesome! We love a good runny egg, so we were psyched to see a beautiful fried egg resting on top of the steak. When we poked that egg, gorgeously runny yolk dribbled down everything. SO good.

The roast beef hash may not look like much (TBH we were kinda shocked when we first saw this pretty plate with that beautiful egg and then…this under it!), but it was also really flavorful without being overly salty. It had these HUGE chunks of roast beef and was a sizeable portion overall. Those haricots verts (AKA green beans)? Yeah, it came with just five green beans (at first it looked like just two then we found the other three hiding!). There weren’t very many but they were seasoned and cooked very well.

We ordered our filet mignon medium rare and it was the PERFECT temperature. The steak was nice and buttery and was left with limited seasoning so we could really taste the quality of the meat.

New addition to the menu at The Hollywood Brown Derby for #DisneyWorld50 . Filet Mignon with Walt’s Hash topped with a fried egg pic.twitter.com/wqGDb6qj6t

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 11, 2021

 

 

 

The whole dish came together VERY well. We don’t have a single complaint — even if it wasn’t the prettiest thing we’ve ever eaten. If you love a runny egg and a delicious steak, this dish would be right up your alley! Walt Disney was a simple Mid-west man that liked simple, hearty foods like chili, meat, and potatoes. We think he would have enjoyed it. 🙂 It was a really fun take on one of Walt’s favorites and a great way to celebrate the 50th.

For dessert, we tried out the 50th Celebration Baked Alaska for $12. First up: it’s REAL pretty.

This treat is Layers of Strawberry-Basil Sorbet, Vanilla Gelato, and Sponge Cake coated in Toasted Meringue and Caramelized Brownie Bites. We also noticed that it had edible glitter and a chocolate and raspberry sauce on the plate!

Look at this STUNNAH!

Time for dessert! 50th Celebration Baked Alaska with strawberry basil sorbet, vanilla gelato and sponge cake, topped with toasted meringue and brownies (📍The Hollywood Brown Derby) pic.twitter.com/o9OoBTiCrI

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 11, 2021

 

 

The strawberry-basil sorbet was sooooo good. It was mostly fruity with a very slight basil flavor that made it more unique. The vanilla gelato was a very thin layer but complemented the sorbet and the light sponge cake deliciously.

The toasted meringue was our favorite part though! It wasn’t overly sweet and had a stunning texture. Add the fun toppings of well-cooked brownie bites and the toffee-colored pieces of caramelized sugar and we were pretty happy campers.

Unlike the entree, this dessert had a BEAUTIFUL presentation — and it tasted as good as it looks! If you’re into meringue, this would be a great choice! Fair warning, Baked Alaska is a unique dessert because it’s frozen in the center with cake and slightly cooked meringue all around it, so there’s a lot going on. If you’re more into simple desserts, take a look at your other options.

Those 50th eats were pretty interesting, but should you make a reservation to snag them?

Nosh or Not

You SHOULD celebrate the 50th at Hollywood Brown Derby if…

• You’re planning to spend part of your Hollywood Studios today dining at a delightful table service restaurant. Brown Derby is an amazing option!
• You’re looking for more high-end eats to celebrate the 50th!
• You can’t say no to filet mignon with a runny egg on top. Can anyone?

You should SKIP these special eats if…

• You’re traveling on a budget. These eats are tasty but if you’re looking to limit spending, they might be a little too pricy.
• You’ve got picky eaters in your party. There are options for picky eaters at Brown Derby, but it definitely has more intricate eats.
• You have a lot of must-dos and not a lot of time in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. A meal at Brown Derby can be a bit of a time suck!

Overall

We very much enjoyed the 50th eats at Hollywood Brown Derby! The flavors were amazing and both felt like an appropriate way to wish Disney World a happy anniversary. Both foods feel vintage in the best way, just like Brown Derby. Seriously, when’s the last time you’ve seen Baked Alaska on modern menus? That’s an old classic! And “fancy” steak mixed with homely hash and eggs? Killer. If a table-service meal sounds like a good addition to your Hollywood Studios day, you might want to give these eats a try.

Still, there are a LOT of easier-to-access and MUCH cheaper 50th eats around Disney World. If you’re not planning to do a heavy and fancy meal in Hollywood Studios, you can still find some amazing 50th options around the park. For a yummy (and CHEAP) sweet, check out the Glimmer And Shimmer Blondie at Fairfax Fare! 

And, if you are considering visiting the Hollywood Brown Derby, make sure you check out some of our other reviews! This spot is one of our absolute favorites and has wowed us time and time again. The atmosphere, service, and food all make for a wonderful experience, but it IS on the pricier end. As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest reviews from Disney World!

Click here to see our last full Hollywood Brown Derby review!

Would you try these eats? Tell us in the comments!