Anyone else have a hard time finding good food in DHS?

[Gingerg11]

Everytime we are there we look and look but cannot seem to find anything appealing and I'm talking counter service and sit down. It just all seems so so and we end up leaving the park and eating at the resorts or DTD.

Anyone else have this experience? If not, what is your absolute must foodwise in DHS? People write about their favorites in the World but no one seems to have an every trip must do in DHS.

What's going on over there?

Jennie

 

[Pakey]

I think Brown Derby offers better food than 3/4 of the restaurants at WDW.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

We love 50's Prime Time Cafe!! We eat there every single time. We also enjoy eating CS meals at Backlot Express. Oh, I almost forgot, there is also a little place called Staring Rolls that is good.

 

[gleegirl]

My family and I were just at Mama Melrose for dinner today and they had just switched to a new menu. We tried a few new dishes and they were fantasic-- the NY strip steak on five cheese mac and cheese and the homemade gnocchi. They finally brought back Osso Buco, didnt try it this time, but its nice to see it back on the menu.

 

[dwelty]

I agree, counter service food options are lousy. brown Derby is good but expensive. this is the worst park for dining as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Steve Mahanahan]

Outside of Brown Derby there really isn't any good food. Maybe things have changed, but last year Mama Melrose was right up there with Coral Reef as the worst meal my wife and I had on property. Really bad, bland pasta and desserts that were obviously leftovers from the night before. Sci-Fi and 50's are OK, I guess, but they're not really something you'd go out of your way for food-wise (if your kids want to have an experience, fine, you pay out the nose for other character meals anyway.) We're planning our next trip around not eating (outside of a snack credit or 2) anywhere at DHS - we loved Brown Derby but we have other Signatures we'd like to try.

 

[OhThePain]

We usually have lunch at 50's on our DHS day. The chicken pot pie is good and my girlfriend gets a stacked sandwich. We split a milkshake and s'mores for dessert. I've been going to 50's since it opened and never had a bad meal there.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

We have been to all the restaurants, but no counter service. Here's our picks. All but Mama Melrose are in our review of dining 2010 (link at bottom).

I think Hollywood Studios is a park where timing is important. You have to get there early to ride and/or get fast passes for Toy Story to avoid long lines (hour+). Shows are on a schedule. If I only had 1 day, counter service is a better way to fit things in. But we go 2 or 2 1/2 days. If you want a nice dinner and don't mind ending HS a little early, you can take the boat to the Epcot area resorts (Boardwalk Inn, Yachtsman, Beach Club) and have dinner there or at Epcot (if park hopping).

Brown Derby -- The grouper with beets entree was on par with the best seafood entrees I had elsewhere at Flying Fish Cafe, Narcoosees, California Grill, and at home. The soup was outstanding (a brie cheese and oyster soup).... unique, lots of oysters, delicious! I see a lobster bisque on the menu now... Returned for lunch and the steak filet was very good, not the best, but very good still. Service was great both times. If on the dining plan, it uses 2 credits so that may bother some.... But if going here for the fantasmic package, appetizers are included even on the regular dining plan (not deluxe).

Sci Fi Diner -- the best thing here from my experience and what I read are the simple stuff -- burgers, onion rings, fries, etc. Fun for kids. This is our lunch place.

50s Prime Time -- This is more like good quality 50s diner food. It did the trick. Fun place and decor. We enjoyed our food but be warned about giant size desserts! If you are not a big dessert eater... you could easily share a dessert between 2, maybe 3 people. The milkshakes are to die for... I've only had 1 just as good (Dumsers at Ocean City, MD Boardwalk).

Hollywood and Vine -- Go for breakfast only.... and only if you have children 6 or younger. The characters are a lot of fun -- they dance to Disney Jr. songs with the children, much better than the usual table greetings (they do that too). Breakfast was basic, but good. Lunch and Dinner food was comparable to your truck stop budget buffet place (like Golden Corral, Country Buffet).

Mama Melrose -- went here in 2009. Won't go again. Just a very basic chain store - like Italian place. It would be good if we wanted the Fantasmic Package and only wanted to use 1 dining credit. That's about it. Food was ok.

 

[eliza61]

Never tried the Brown derby. Every thing else at HS is so-so. We do the sci fi diner simply for the atmosphere. we stick with burgers and shakes. the only time we will step foot in Mama melrose is when we need to do a fantasmic dinner package.
It is not bad simply so-so and since Italian is my favorite food, I refuse to do so-so italian.

We rarely eat at HS and prefer to just go over to the Broadwalk area.

 

[Quin]

We agree with you in terms of dinner, but it's a good opportunity to eat at one of the Epcot-area resorts (which we would not do on an Epcot day because, well, Epcot WS is really all about the restaurants, right?).

For lunch, lovelovelove Starring Rolls. I am not a huge fan of the dressings on the sandwiches but that's OK because they are overstuffed tall. Easy to split with DH - he takes the top half and I take the bottom half. You get a side item plus a dessert item if you're on a dining plan. And the dessert choices include all those ginormous cupcakes.

 

[thebigdisneydaddy]

Apparently we are in the minority here, but we loved our food at mama melrose. I wonder if the difference is that we go during non fantasmic times. I know when Fantasmic was only offered a couple of times a week, that restraunt would be extremely busy and not as good as non fantasmic nights. Anyway it is one of our favorites in the park, and the kids love the Spaghetti & meatball cupcake.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

We had a great meal at Mama Melrose's and a good one at 50's last trip. I am not a fan of most of the CS places but haven't tried the sandwiches at Starring Rolls yet. Agree that Brown Derby is probably the best as far as food. We rarely eat dinner there though ... usually head out to EPCOT or one of the resort restaurants. BD just seems way too much for lunch!

 

[TDC Nala]

Not at all. I eat at the Tune-In Lounge (my go-to right now is the turkey sandwich), the Brown Derby, and the burgers are good at Sci-Fi and one or two people can generally get in as a "hitchhiker" there (placed in the back of a car with a party of 3 or 4 in the front). Starring Rolls has good sandwiches, the Backlot Express isn't too bad and has indoor seating, and there is a nice little bar behind Studio Catering with the best pina coladas (out of a machine, go figure)

 

[koolaidmoms]

We had a nice meal at Mama Melrose when we were there in June. No it is not homemade Italian but for the amount of people they were feeding it was good. Chain restaurant like yes but decent too.

Honestly the steak was one of the best I have had in awhile.

Some thoughts on our meal and some pictures are in my blog here.

 

[lemondog]

Hollywood Brown Derby is delicious and had the best ahi tuna dish I have EVER had in my life! If you are willing to splurge on a signature restaurant...

 

[laine&connorsmom]

Starring rolls is really good for lunch, and 50's PT is decent...great shakes! We usually leave for dinner and eat in Epcot or at Boardwalk/Yacht Club then go to Epcot for Illuminations.

 

[River Country]

I have to say that this is the park with the least amount of decent choices, however. Hollywood Brown Derby was probably the second best meal i had on property ever, second only to Cali Grill.

There are some nice CS like Starring Rolls, get the cupcakes and get there early they close at 4

Hollywood and Vie is an OK breakfast option too if you have little ones otherwise skip it

50's PT Cafe is the best 1TS option in the park IMHO they have a bar which is nice and comfort food and the atmosphere is really cute with the old TV shows playing at your table

Mama and Sci Fi are not my fav's and i do not go there but it always seems crowded in both of them.

There is the Comissary whch is decent at best and Pizza Planet only if you need a drink otherwise it is Microwaved Pizza

So best CS is Starring Rolls
Best TS is Brown Derby
Best 1TS 50's PT Cafe

all good options if you are spending the whole day in HS

quick note if you are going to have bfast in the park make an early ADR at Hollywood and Vine only if you have little ones, and you get in the park before they open

Hope this helps

 

[clairemolly]

We are in the minority, but were very underwhelmed with our meal at Hollywood Brown Derby. However, we really enjoyed our meal at Mama Melrose. We usually get pizza for lunch from Pizza Planet. We've also left for dinner and gone to Cape May.

 

[sukhakuli]

It is difficult to eat at HS, especially if you are spending more than 2 days at the park.

The kids love Pizza Planet. I think because of the idea of it being Pizza Planet like in the movie, plus they just love plain old pizza. For a family that is not majorly in to pizza like mine is (my dh's birthday is this weekend, and he chose to stay home and eat pizza, so there you go. They LOVE pizza. Not trendy pizza, just plain old pepperoni pizza), it wouldn't be great.

We also love the Sci Fi for the atmosphere. The food is OK, but not bad. I had the chicken, and it was kind of greasy, but the entire family enjoyed the meal there enough that we will go back.

Mama Melrose is one that no one can even remember, so that says a lot. I was very sick the day we went, so I barely remember the food. I think I had tea and minestrone. dh said the pizza was OK. My parents were not in to the food; they said Olive Garden is better. Actually, I seem to remember they said "Well, it's no Olive Garden." LOL We have plebian tastes.

PTC would be a huge disaster for my family. My dh and kids are not in to diner food at all. And if someone corrects my kids' table manners, they would just cry. So we've never tried it.

We're doing the Brown Derby for the first time on our next trip, so we'll see how that is!

Oh, Poets corner is cute. I got some coffee there to help my throat when I was sick, and it was a cute little stop. I'll probably go again.

 

[mikeweider1]

We liked the Prime Time Cafe, but not necessarily for the food. There is the Starring Rolls place and it has the best cupcakes.

The Brown Derby is nice, but a bit pricey. We have been told, but never been there, that the Sci Fi Theater is nice and has good milkshakes.