The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge is a casual restaurant in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. Right outside of The Hollywood Brown Derby, the lounge offers a similar menu as the restaurant. Like most Disney World lounges, the Brown Derby Lounge does not accept the Disney Dining Plan or any discounts. In this post we’ll review the Brown Derby Lounge, giving thoughts on the food and value.

Lounges are an underappreciated aspect of Walt Disney World. With the entire resort rewarding those that plan far in advance, lounges offer and alternative for those that don’t. They generally have a strong menu if attached to a restaurant but guests don’t have to make a reservation and usually don’t have to wait long to be seated. Lounges are also some of the most relaxed settings in Disney World and, in our experience, offer some of the best drinks in the whole resort.

All of those qualities hold true for The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge. While the seating is limited, we haven’t had much trouble getting a seat. The lounge is set up in a little porch area right outside of the Brown Derby restaurant, with a small bar followed by about 15 tables. Sitting at the tables can offer a view of the Chinese Theater, Hollywood Studio’s icon. Guests likely won’t have a completely clear view of the theater as there are some shrubs and trees in the way but if you want to casually watch a nighttime projection or fireworks show then this spot isn’t bad. Despite being steps away from the park’s main thoroughfare, the lounge does have a relaxed vibe. I enjoy people watching and this is prime ground for that.

As far as theming goes, there really isn’t much of one. If we’re to extend the story of the restaurant and land that the lounge resides in, then guests are sitting on a porch somewhere in Hollywood enjoying the view. That’s a stretch though and really it’s just a nice place to sit and relax in the evening. The seating is all outside so if it’s a hot day then the umbrellas only help so much. Instead we recommend eating here in the evening once the sun goes down when it’s cooler and has a better atmosphere.

Moving on to the food, here’s a look at the Brown Derby Lounge menu. As I mentioned, they also offer the restaurant’s full menu along with the tapas listed in that link. Along with the Brown Derby Lounge’s convenience, getting high quality food at counter-service prices is the major selling point. There’s also a lengthy and promising drink menu.

This is The Famous Hollywood Brown Derby Cobb Salad. With a cocky name like that it better be good and it was! The salad comes with Greens, Turkey Breast, Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Avocado, Chives and Cobb Dressing. There’s a lot going on here and you best believe I spilled a decent amount while mixing the salad. The salad’s ingredients are incredibly fresh and delicious with the dressing adding a nice zest to the whole dish. When we first wrote this review 2 years ago, the price was deeply discounted at the lounge thanks to it being a smaller size then what’s inside of the restaurant. Now it’s the $20 it is inside. It’s a hefty salad and one of the best at Walt Disney World. That doesn’t mean it isn’t overpriced but it is shareable and delicious.

For our other small bites we went with the Derby Sliders which consist of Wagyu Beef with Cognac-Mustard Aioli, Smoked Gouda Cheese, Bacon, Tomato and Avocado. This was another winner. The beef patty was excellent and the other ingredients blended well. I was apprehensive on the avocado as I’m not generally the biggest fan but it was all delicious and one of the best burgers I’ve had at Disney World. This item came in at $17 which falls in line with other high quality Disney World burgers. The chips were also delicious and a great side item.

We’ve also tried the Lobster Bisque at the Brown Derby Lounge. While they seem to rotate through soups, all of them seem to be between $12-$15. The Lobster Bisque was rich and creamy. It could have used slightly more lobster in it but was a good option. I would recommend the other two dishes we’ve tried over it though.

Hollywood Studios isn’t exactly a mecca of restaurants but this was far and away the best value we’ve had at the park. Two really strong entrees for under $30 combined is a good deal not only in the Disney Parks but outside of them as well. Both items we ordered were ambitious takes on classic dishes and they succeeded. Outside of eating in the actual Brown Derby Restaurant, this was the best food we’ve had in Hollywood Studios and at a fraction of the cost.

The only reason I wouldn’t recommend The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge is if you were on the Disney Dining Plan. Since lounges aren’t on the Dining Plan your credits are worthless if/when you eat there. Otherwise, the quality and value of the food outweigh a lack of theme and make this a great spot to eat if you’re spending the day in Hollywood Studios.

Overall Rating – 9/10

Have you tried The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge? Let us know your thoughts, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Planning a trip to Disney World? Check out our guide here. You can also find more dining reviews here. If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney please subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email and like our social media pages. You can find all of those on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading!