Dinner At 50's Prime Time Cafe

Dining at Disney's Hollywood Studios can be an adventure, especially if you're eating at the 50's Prime Time Cafe in the Echo Lake area. Guests step back in time, right into Mom's kitchen where your cousins are cooking up stick to your ribs food to feed the whole family.


50's Prime Time Cafe


Mid-century design is what the 50's Prime Time Cafe is all about. From the moment you step in the front door of this home you know that you have entered someplace a little bit different. Straight off the set of a 1950's television serial, a series of charming kitchens create nostalgic nooks throughout the restaurant.

When you sit down at the table for dinner, you'll be asked to do your chores and peruse the menu. Don't worry, the chores are easy, and while you accomplish your task you can watch Uncle Walt on the TV.


Vintage Kitchen Seating
Uncle Walt On TV Overhead


Dad has quite the stock in his liquor cabinet, and a rockin' collection of Glow Cubes to give your cocktails a little extra shine. The Magical Star Cocktail is a long time Disney favorite for its combination of X-Fusion Organic Mango and Passion Fruit Liqueur, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, Pineapple Juice. It's fruity, sweet, and sour, with just the right pop of tropical fun. There's a full bar and Tune-In lounge at the front of this restaurant, so no matter what you're looking to sip chances are they can whip it up.

If you're not looking for alcohol, there's are still plenty of great drink options from creative mocktails to deliciously thick shakes. Sometimes - you just need a classic thirst quencher. I ordered an Iced Tea and "Mom" made sure that I had plenty of lemon to get me through the meal. She's a peach that Mom.


Magical Star Cocktail From Dad's Liquor Cabinet
Mom Made Sure I Had Extra Lemons


I ordered the Fried Herb and Garlic Cheese appetizer served with Raspberry Sauce, Grapes, Apples, and a Bread Crisp. This is an absolute if you're a fried cheese fan. It was so good. I was a bit unsure about the raspberry sauce, but the tart flavor balanced out the herb cheese to perfection.

My daughter (Tori) went with Chicken Noodle Soup. It was a hearty mixture of Chicken, Vegetables, and Egg Noodles but lacked something in the flavor department. Perhaps a dash of salt would have helped. The mild flavors would be awesome for a picky eater, or someone who is just looking for a light bite.


Fried Herb and Garlic Cheese with Raspberry Sauce
Chicken Noodle Soup


The entrees are where this meal really got tasty. Both Tori and I agreed that this was the perfect place for families that were looking to capture a time gone by during their Disney travels.

If you can't decide on just one thing from the menu order up A Sampling of Mom's Favorite Recipes. Tori has this combination that features a sample sized serving of Golden-fried Chicken, Fork Tender Pot Roast, and Traditional Meatloaf with all the fixings. A little bit of everything is what you get here, and even the less adventurous eaters will enjoy it.

I ordered Mom's Old-fashioned Pot Roast, which is slow-cooked 'til fork tender and served with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Brown Gravy, Julienne Carrots, and Celery. This was some fine pot roast and I really liked the way they incorporated the julienne veg. The roasted garlic mash was also above par. My one complaint was that I had an end piece of the roast and it was a tad dry. This was easily fixed when I was offered extra gravy, and I happily cleaned my plate.


A Sampling Of Mom's Favorite Recipes
Mom's Old-fashioned Pot Roast


Since we were part of the clean plate club, we moved on to dessert. OK - confession time. We were on the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan and there was no way we were turning down dessert at the end of a long day in the Park. We needed that extra boost of sugar to keep going.

I ordered Dad's Favorite Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layered Cake. It comes A la Mode, but I asked for mine without the ice cream because it just seemed like gilding the lily to me. This layered cake was one of the best things I have put in my mouth in a long time. The absolutely sinful combination of peanut butter and chocolate was like a perfect cake version of a peanut butter cup.

Tori went with a classicCheesecake topped with fresh Whipped Cream and Strawberry Sauce. Fresh whipped cream is what Disney's online menu says, however we had a big discussion while we were there that this restaurant actually used a non-dairy topping. The flavor here sang of "cool whip," very appropriate for the overall theme. The cheesecake wasn't anything special, so if you want to finish with WOW, listen to Dad.


Mini Cheesecake With Strawberry Sauce
Dad's Favorite Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layered Cake


A big thing we came away with an appreciation for after eating here was classic American foods cooked by our own Moms, and the regional twists that great American Moms add to these basic foods. They are cooking up some good meatloaf at the 50's Prime Time Cafe, but it won't be the same as the meatloaf made with love by your Mom.


Dinner At The 50's Prime Time Cafe


All in all I was really pleased with this meal. The food at 50's Prime Time Cafe is hearty and comforting, extraordinary in its simplicity, and able to appeal to a wide variety of patrons. It offers a taste of suburban mid-century America and is a great place for the less adventurous eaters in your party.

Have you eaten at 50's Prime Time Cafe recently? If not - what are you waiting for?