Sometimes I hear people speak about the good old days. I appreciate the sentiment. However, I often remind people that the good old days were not as good as you might sentimentalize. Do you remember warming up leftovers without a microwave? What about party line phones? Speaking of phones, can you imagine going back to no mobile phones? Perhaps, the greater torture would be going back to the bag-style car phones.
If you are too young to remember any of those scenarios being possible, please forgive me. My real vocation often causes me to remind people that with every positive in life comes some negatives also. The sentiment to go back to the good old days forgets about the difficulties of those good old days.
Yes, the nostalgia of Formica counters reminds many people of simpler times. Yet, if you want old-fashioned comfort food during your day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then 50’s Prime Time Café should be on your short list. Of course, 50’s Prime Time café offers many features of that era, including Formica counters. As you might expect the best dining reservation timeslots for table service dining options at Hollywood Studios disappear quickly. Now, they fail to disappear as quickly as Genie+ slots for Slinky Dog Dash. Yet, table service reservations at Hollywood Studios disappear quickly. If you want to eat during peak hours for 1950’s comfort food, you should prioritize 50’s Prime Time Café.
Waly Disney World marketing tells us that at 50’s Prime Time Café we will find classic USA comfort food. Disney proclaims we will experience “50s kitsch and a good old-fashioned family gathering take you back to a bygone era.” A signature comfort food item shines here as “Aunt Liz’s Golden Fried Chicken.” Since the theming revolves around a traditional old school family gathering, the touch of naming this menu item after a relative adds to that. Based on your server, your waitress may come over to introduce herself as your “aunt.” Did she make this chicken? Guess we will never know. Usually, waitresses will remind you that “mom” is hard at work back in the kitchen making dinner.
This chicken entrée costs $25. The menu describes it as chicken served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and seasonal vegetables. Having not grown-up in the 1950s, I cannot evaluate the authenticity of this fried chicken. However, based on my experience growing up in the southern area of the USA, this tastes like I remember, good and bad. The sides also match the comfort food idea, good and bad.
On the positive side, they call this comfort food for a reason. If you grew up eating fried chicken often, this would bring back some of those memories. When combined with the old school TVs, vinyl seating, and kitschy decor, the setting for old school comfort rises to prominence. Though I would choose Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ fried chicken menu items over this, the chicken quality rates high. Still, this fried chicken offers a good outer coating. In addition, the chicken meat hidden within tastes juicy and tender. Of course, this theme park entree comes with vegetables. Actual vegetables to create a balanced meal at a theme park can be hard to find sometimes. This restaurant makes sure you eat your “veggies” but more about that later. The sides with the chicken work very well in terms of theme and balance.
On the negative side, this chicken stays on theme by being greasy. However, good thing you must put your mobile devices away here (or mom will be very upset). I doubt most phones could survive the grease factor if you eat this fried chicken and then play on your phone at same time. Though many disagree with me, I find the portion size small for a $25 menu item.
One more thing, the chicken and sides will be hearty and filling. Despite portion size, your will experience a solid mela that might weigh you down. Plan accordingly since your Tower of Terror Genie+ lightning lane time slot might follow this meal. If you want to enjoy one of the old school desserts here, the hearty nature of food should be evaluated when ordering.
No discussion of this place will be complete without a warning about the theme. Though some people see this as a negative, you may see this aspect as glorious. Unless your “relative” serving your food is told differently, they will enforce “mom’s” rules. That means no elbows on the table. That means not phones at the table. You will also be admonished if you fail to eat your vegetables or make other poor nutritional choices. The antics involved with this might be worth the price of dining depending on your group. Parents often love this since someone else is “yelling” at their kids to behave and eat their vegetables.
Yet, if your group hates being “that guy” over at the Magic Kingdom, have someone politely inform your servers that you are not interested in the friendly family-style banter. If you want to surprise a friend (or maybe lose a friend) take a timid person here but fail to warn them about the rules. That plan presents potential enjoyment for many. Yet, you might lose a friend, so be careful. Still, I have heard several stories of people who are still angry about being taken to 50’s Prime Time Café and being picked on for their table manners.
Overall, the theming and food explain the reason this place has difficult to get reservations. If you would love “family” interaction, simple comfort food, and a place to sit down to enjoy a meal, this place merits consideration. The fried chicken provides a great example of quality here. Though, I may squawk at the $25 price tag, the menu item and theming build on a good them park day. As always, eat like you mean it!
