Brown Derby

The Brown Derby was a landmark restaurant in Los Angeles, frequented by celebrities during the Golden Age of Hollywood. It was known for being physically shaped like a brown derby hat, and was the birthplace of the Cobb salad.

The first Brown Derby, aka the Little Hat, was opened in February 1926 across the street from the Ambassador Hotel. The Derby was often the site of afterparties once the Ambassador Hotel's Coconut Grove. This was the only Derby that was actually built in the shape of a hat.

A second Brown Derby opened at 1628 Vine Street, near Hollywood and Vine on Valentine's Day, 1929. Other Derbies were later built in Beverly Hills (across from the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel on Wilshire and Rodeo) and in East Hollywood (aka Los Feliz) at Los Feliz Boulevard and Hillhurst. The Los Feliz Derby had a "car café" which emulated the then-new "drive-in" trend.

The Hollywood Derby closed in 1985.