Girves Brown Derby Photos (2025)

FAQs

What happened to the Brown Derby restaurants? ›

The Brown Derby restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard closed in 1980. The structure was dismantled in 1985, but the dome of its “hat” was preserved, incorporated as part of a small Korean shopping center that was later constructed on the site of the former restaurant.

Enjoy signature dishes like the famous Cobb salad—which follows the recipe from the historic California Brown Derby restaurant.

In the last few decades, much effort has gone into preserving the giant hat from the Wilshire location as a historical landmark. The only remaining Brown Derby is located at the Disney-MGM Studio theme park in Florida.

Shortly thereafter, in 1926, Somborn, Mizner and theater owner Sid Grauman built the first Brown Derby and called it the Little Hat. But Mizner said it was big enough to accommodate the swelled heads of many a personality.

The original Brown Derby opened in 1929 but has since closed. It's most famous food legacy is the Cobb Salad, which you can still order at the Studios Brown Derby, along with Walt's favorite desert from the original Brown Derby, the Grapefruit Cake.

There ended up being four Brown Derby restaurants but the very first one, which opened in 1926, was actually shaped like a brown derby hat.

Celebrate the taste of the Grapefruit Cake created at the original Hollywood Brown Derby in the 1940s!

The Hollywood Brown Derby at Hollywood Studios is inspired by a famous restaurant of the same name in California that was open from the 1920s to the 1980s. Disney's Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge is an outdoor patio attached to the restaurant. There are only a handful of tables, but most offer some shade.

There is no specific dress code for The Brown Derby restaurant, what you wear to the parks will be fine.

Due to its proximity to movie studios, it became the place to do deals and be seen. In the first of the Hollywood episodes of I Love Lucy ("L.A. at Last"), Lucy (Lucille Ball), Ethel (Vivian Vance), and Fred (William Frawley) have lunch at the Brown Derby.

Which Disney park has Brown Derby? ›

Recapture Hollywood's golden era when you dine at The Hollywood Brown Derby. Located on Hollywood Boulevard at Disney's Hollywood Studios, the restaurant is a replica of the hot spot that once hosted star-studded lunches, dinners and soirées.

Nope. It's yet another antique store find.

A warm doughnut covered in vanilla ice cream, drizzled with rich chocolate sauce and topped with mini fudge pieces, Wimpy customers confirm it's lip-smackingly good!

The name California first appears on local maps from the 1880s, and may derive from the California Gold Rush of 1849, but the reason for such an association is unclear.