A Hollywood Journey

27. The Brown Derby

Hollywood, CA

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With a derby hat as an iconic image, The Brown Derby restaurant chain became synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood. The Derby restaurant is located in Beverly Hills, Wilshire Blvd and Los Feliz. The Hollywood Brown Derby, the second location to open, is branded as a part of Hollywood history. Due to its proximity to the movie studios, it became one of the places to see and be seen. With its grand opening on Valentine's Day in 1929, this branch was home to hundreds of celebrity caricatures and is thought to be the birthplace of the Cobb Salad. Owner Bob Cobb was said to have hastily put together some leftovers for showman Sid Grauman, and an American favorite was instantly created! One of its most iconic moments came in an episode of I Love Lucy, titled 'LA at Last' in which Lucy, Ethel and Fred are having lunch and their misadventure leads them to a disaster scene in which Lucy inadvertently causes a waiter to hit William Holden in the face with a pie. A classic episode to watch! Coincidently, Holden orders a Cobb salad in the episode. Most of The Brown Derby's locations were demolished or shut down, and this location was largely destroyed by fire in 1987. Currently, the W Hotels own the land. Before its demolition in 1994, this abandoned land was home to a family of punk squatters.