I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Hollywood Brown Derby is my favorite restaurant in a theme park. Ahead of Le Cellier, Bistro de Paris, Via Napoli, you name it - I just love this place. From the Old Hollywood atmosphere to the impressive food and service, HBD is my favorite theme park restaurant, and currently one of my top 5 overall (up there with Artist Point, Jiko, Yachtsman, and Narcoossee's).
Brown Derby wasn't originally in the plans. But after I walked by and saw a certain new item on the menu, I decided that changing up my plans would be worth it. So I postponed Sanaa (until next time) and got an ADR for 11:30.
Soon after I arrived, Pete showed me to my table. He was very friendly, and he recommended the entree which I was already planning to order. I love when that happens
There are lots of great dishes are on the menu, from the
Cobb salad to the incredible
duck duo I had last time. Many other dishes (such as the salmon and grouper) were also tempting, but my mind was made up.
Do you see it yet?
Bison! Brown Derby added bison to the menu! There are only a few other Disney restaurants where I've noticed buffalo on the menu, including Artist Point (it's a classic dish there), The Wave (they serve a bison burger), and California Grill (it's not currently on the menu). I couldn't wait to try this dish.
From my table, I had a great view of the rest of the restaurant. The decor here is awesome.
My server, Cheryl, was extremely friendly. She told me that the bison had been on the menu for about a week - I certainly have no problem trying something that's brand new.
Since it was a hot day, I ordered a water and an unsweetened iced tea. Cheryl brought over plenty of lemon wedges which added some flavor to the tea, and she did a great job with refilling both drinks.
As usual, the meal began with Brown Derby's rolls (which were warm and soft on the inside). The butter is topped with a red clay Hawaiian sea salt, and like the butter at Jiko, it has a light texture and is easy to spread.
Finally, it's time for lunch! Here's the spit-roasted American bison. It was served with a slaw, white truffle croquettes, and a cocoa espresso barbecue sauce.
To me, bison doesn't really taste different from beef. However, it's a leaner choice, which is certainly a good thing. I thought this bison was delicious, and it reminded me of roast beef - a suitable choice for lunch. The sauce was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, especially when combined with the bison and the savory croquette.
The slaw was a cool and refreshing change from the rest of the plate. I'm not a fan of slaws that are creamy and full of mayo, so this was perfect for me.
Finally, the white truffle croquette. This was fantastic. Crunchy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside (like mashed potatoes), and with an earthy flavor from the truffle, this is one of the best side dishes I've tasted in WDW. I don't think I've ever liked a croquette so much.
After I finished the entree, it was time for dessert. I really like the
grapefruit cake at Brown Derby, but oddly enough, their fruit cobbler has also become a favorite of mine. Cheryl told me that the fruits in the cobbler were strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries - yes please!
This dessert is very different from
Artist Point's cobbler (which I also love), but it's so, so good. Those sweet, warm berries topped with not too much crust, some warm orange blossom honey, and tangy crème fraîche - wow.
Before I left, Cheryl offered me a cup of iced tea to go. I thought that was such a nice gesture, especially since it was so hot outside.
Once again, I loved Brown Derby. A lot of people have it ranked on the lower end of signature restaurants, and it commonly receives the criticism that it's not worth 2 credits on the
DDP. To that, I say:
thank you, Disney Dining Plan. Thank you for making this restaurant seem like a "bad value" using credits, thus making HBD an easy place to score last-minute ADRs. Brown Derby has been a favorite of ours since 2002 (we even had Thanksgiving dinner here in 2006 - I ordered the noodle bowl since I was a vegetarian at the time
), and while it hasn't always been in my top 5, we've kept coming back. I don't regret it.
Two of my kids now love the filet with teriyaki barbecue sauce and DH really enjoys the pork tenderloin. While I didn't really care for either of these, I found that I do very much like the rock shrimp salad. And then there is DD1 who really enjoys their sushi rolls. Plus of course, we have all liked the various flatbreads and different versions of the lava cake that we have had. Does our list of favorites sound familiar???
If you do get together, you must promise me that you will take pictures...and not just of your food/beverages.
). I'm very impressed that you made it to opening weekend! 
Which would definitely have been a deal breaker for me! 
