Uncleromulus
Plain grey will be fine
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2001
I always liked the Brown Derby. Casually elegant, slow paced meals, piano player entertaining, the lounge for before/after dinner drinks..they even used to have (in their early days) street entertainers come in and mix with the dinner crowd. BUt that was the problem I guess--there never was much of a crowd. Every time we ate there, it was never more than 1/2 full, and usually lots less.
Fantasmic changed all that and the Derby became very busy. That last time we ate there was on a Fantasmic dinner package, and it was pure bedlam. People were screaming for the check BEFORE they even got their food. One lady was threatening the CM at the guest podium with a lawsuit if her dinner wasn't over in time for Fantasmic!! (they were about 1/2 behind in PS seatings at the time). Our server appeared rushed and frazzled--we didn't have a good time that nite and haven't been back since. But this trip we found ourselves planning to be at MGM around the dinner hour, and since the couple we were with did enjoy the food last time at the Derby, we decided to give it another try.
Our non Fantasmic PS were for 5:00 and we were seated immediately. The restaurant was busy even then--not long after, it was filled completely. The menu was essentially the same as when we last ate there, but I was pleased to see something "extra" in the way of beer choices. They had several draft beers available (including Kirin and Amber Bock) and bottle selections had Anchor Steam and a German Heffe-Weisen, among others. To Uncleromulus, this was like being admitted to the Garden of Eden!! And the dinner rolls (sourdough, I think) are out of this world good.
For appetizers, Mrs. U and I split the Cobb Salad. I know that many feel it's too finely chopped, but that combination of flavors can hardly be beat. I love it!!l
Entrees were also quite good. I had the Roasted Pork tenderloin over white cheddar grits, while Mrs. U opted for the beef tenderloin. Both were fine entrees. I had a small helping of Mrs. U's steak--had a pleasant , unique taste to it. Last time at the Derby we were told they marinated the meat in coca-cola. Don't know if this is still so, but whatever they do to it, it's good!
Our dinner companions were also pleased with their choices--that beef entree and the pan-fired grouper. My friend ordered his steak well done and that's exactly what he got--butterflied and cooked to near extinction.
Only Uncleromulus had room for dessert, and I went with the grapefruit cake. It was good, but seemd to lack the intense grapefruit taste I recall from past meals. In fact, were I to have eaten it w/o knowing what it was, I'd be hard pressed to identify it as grapefruit.
Service was good, but not great. Our server could hardly speak a word of English and we all had trouble understanding a word he said. And he had 5-6 other tables going at the same time, so he never really spent much time with us. But the food came out as ordered and in a timely fashion, so I supose that's the botom line.
All in all a pretty good experience at what I still feel is the best restaurant in any of the Theme Parks.
Fantasmic changed all that and the Derby became very busy. That last time we ate there was on a Fantasmic dinner package, and it was pure bedlam. People were screaming for the check BEFORE they even got their food. One lady was threatening the CM at the guest podium with a lawsuit if her dinner wasn't over in time for Fantasmic!! (they were about 1/2 behind in PS seatings at the time). Our server appeared rushed and frazzled--we didn't have a good time that nite and haven't been back since. But this trip we found ourselves planning to be at MGM around the dinner hour, and since the couple we were with did enjoy the food last time at the Derby, we decided to give it another try.
Our non Fantasmic PS were for 5:00 and we were seated immediately. The restaurant was busy even then--not long after, it was filled completely. The menu was essentially the same as when we last ate there, but I was pleased to see something "extra" in the way of beer choices. They had several draft beers available (including Kirin and Amber Bock) and bottle selections had Anchor Steam and a German Heffe-Weisen, among others. To Uncleromulus, this was like being admitted to the Garden of Eden!! And the dinner rolls (sourdough, I think) are out of this world good.
For appetizers, Mrs. U and I split the Cobb Salad. I know that many feel it's too finely chopped, but that combination of flavors can hardly be beat. I love it!!l
Entrees were also quite good. I had the Roasted Pork tenderloin over white cheddar grits, while Mrs. U opted for the beef tenderloin. Both were fine entrees. I had a small helping of Mrs. U's steak--had a pleasant , unique taste to it. Last time at the Derby we were told they marinated the meat in coca-cola. Don't know if this is still so, but whatever they do to it, it's good!
Our dinner companions were also pleased with their choices--that beef entree and the pan-fired grouper. My friend ordered his steak well done and that's exactly what he got--butterflied and cooked to near extinction.
Only Uncleromulus had room for dessert, and I went with the grapefruit cake. It was good, but seemd to lack the intense grapefruit taste I recall from past meals. In fact, were I to have eaten it w/o knowing what it was, I'd be hard pressed to identify it as grapefruit.
Service was good, but not great. Our server could hardly speak a word of English and we all had trouble understanding a word he said. And he had 5-6 other tables going at the same time, so he never really spent much time with us. But the food came out as ordered and in a timely fashion, so I supose that's the botom line.
All in all a pretty good experience at what I still feel is the best restaurant in any of the Theme Parks.
