Spring has sprung around Disney World and that means new menu items have started to roll out at some of our favorite restaurants.

We don’t know about you, but we’re ready for all the fresh and fruity eats popping up around the parks — which is why we RAN to check out the new menu items that recently debuted at the Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Should you do the same, or is this new menu better left in the dirt? Let’s find out!

Atmosphere

Step back in time to one of the most delicious and historic dining experiences at Walt Disney World. The Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios meets all expectations.

While it’s only a replica of the famous Hollywood landmark restaurant, the food and service are just as good at this Signature Restaurant. Reservations go quickly as this is a popular spot for many — whether it’s their first time at Disney World or their fiftieth. In the lobby, make sure you check out all of the different celebrity caricatures that line the walls.

The dining room is similarly impressive, with cavernous ceilings and opulent chandeliers. There are a few different sections of varying levels, and it does get quite loud in here — so keep that in mind if you want to book a reservation here! Those with sensory issues or who are sensitive to loud noises may want to dine elsewhere.

Despite this, the dark wood accents and red leather chairs and booths help make this restaurant still feel cozy — like you’re in a tucked-away, secret space.

Menu

The menu here is definitely on the upscale side compared to what you’re probably used to seeing in a theme park, but Brown Derby does it well. You’ll find a selection of appetizers like escargot, shrimp cocktail, charcuterie, and a creamy corn bisque, plus entrées including filet mignon, shepherd’s pie, grilled salmon, and the famous Cobb Salad.

Of course, there’s plenty to drink here too — you’ll find a selection of handcrafted cocktails, an extensive wine list, plus beer and other spirits as well.

We know, we know, you’re ready for the FOOD! Let’s see what’s on the menu this time around.

Eats

Like any good Signature Restaurant at Disney should, your meal here starts off with Bread Service, which in this case means warm rolls and butter with sea salt.

The Bread Service here is great! It’s more than just your standard butter with that extra sea salt sprinkled on top of it, but it was creamy enough, light enough, and it didn’t stick to the roof of your mouth. This is a really nice start to your meal. The rolls themselves were nice and crunchy on the outside, but they were still soft on the inside. These are very, very soft — you can pull them apart. They were pliable on the inside and it all melted in your mouth. It was good, not earth-shattering, but it was just a nice kind of upscale feel to have that sea salt added onto the butter.

We also ordered the new Grand Marnier Liqueur-macerated Seasonal Fruit Burrata, made with lollo rosso, frisée, caramelized spiced pine nuts, and citrus vinaigrette.

This was really nice — we enjoyed the cheese on it and the strawberries were a nice touch. You can definitely taste the caramelized pine nuts, but they do have more of a spice to them that definitely stands out. The vinaigrette was nice and light, and the Grand Marnier is definitely present in this dish. This was more of a regular salad with burrata on top of it instead of a burrata-based dish. It was nice and light, but we’d order the Cobb Salad over this any day!

We ordered the Au Gratin Potatoes made with black diamond cheddar as an enhancement, and OH BABY were they good.

They’re definitely worth the enhancement. These are incredibly cheesy and rich, and just really, really nice. The sauce isn’t anything super heavy or thick, and that crunchy layer at the top was really easy to crack through and the crunch was such a nice addition. The potatoes themselves were soft without being mushy, and there was a really nice, hereby flavor going on as well.

The Sake-braised Pork Belly comes with apple-ginger purée, shiitake mushrooms, tasso ham, and shiso.

While we enjoyed the pork belly itself, the apple ginger puree was not our favorite, and we would have loved to have had a little bit more maybe apple to it — the ginger was definitely the more prominent flavor there. The tasso ham, the shiso, and the shiitake mushrooms were all good, but they were kind of at the bottom and not prominently featured. The pork belly was perfectly cooked and had a nice layer of fat before the actual layer of meat which pulled apart very, very nicely. Overall, this was delicious.

For our final entrée, we ordered the new Lamb Shank. This comes with a quinoa-pea salad, paneer paratha chips, and mint yogurt.

The lamb is nice and tender and pulls apart very, very well. It still has that nice flavor to it on its own, but there’s a deliciously spiced sauce that really makes it pop, especially when mixed with that mint yogurt. The quinoa pea salad is fine — you really have to like quinoa, but, man, the flavor is good. This is a really great option if you are already in the park and you don’t feel like going out to another resort or spending as much for that particular meal. The lamb literally melted off the bone when we got our fork in the vicinity of it. This was excellent!

Nosh or Not

You should make a reservation at the Hollywood Brown Derby if…

• You’re looking to celebrate something special while you’re at Hollywood Studios.
• You want a more upscale lunch or dinner.
• You want somewhere that provides a nice, relaxing atmosphere for a break from the parks.

You should skip the Brown Derby if…

• You aren’t really that hungry — the portions here are rather large!
• You don’t have time for a full, sit-down meal during your park day.
• You’re looking to stick to a budget — this restaurant is NOT cheap.

Overall

These new menu items were a HIT for us overall. That lamb shank was tender and delicious, while those potatoes will be invading our dreams for the foreseeable future. The pork belly was a solid option and while we did enjoy the burrata salad, we think we’ll stick with our beloved Cobb from now on! Make a stop at the Hollywood Brown Derby if you want to try these new eats!

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more new menu items popping up around Disney World and beyond! Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more.

REVIEW: And the Award for Most Improved Magic Kingdom Restaurant Goes to…

Have you been to the Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney World? Tell us in the comments.