Brown Derby restaurant, 4500 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, circa early 1940s

Posted on October 6, 2020 by

Brown Derby restaurant, 4500 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, circa early 1940s The fourth and final Brown Derby restaurant opened at 450 Los Feliz Blvd (not far from the famous Greek Theatre) in 1940, and this photo was probably taken the following year. Unlike the others, this version of the Brown Derby had a drive-in component known as the Car Café. One report I read said that it was Cecil B. DeMille who bought a chicken dinner restaurant called Willard’s and converted it into a Brown Derby!

Here’s another view, probably taken the same day:

Brown Derby restaurant, 4500 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, circa early 1940s

And old advertisement for Willards:

The building is still there but at May 2019, when this image was capture, it was a bank:

See also Menu for the Brown Derby Car Cafe, corner of Los Felix Boulevard and Hillhurst Avenue

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7 responses to “Brown Derby restaurant, 4500 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, circa early 1940s”

  1. Nina Hawes says:
    October 6, 2020 at 8:10 am

    Did you ever see the book The Brown Derby restaurant by Sally wright Cobb and Mark Willems?
    On the first TCM Cruise they had an exhibit from the Brown Derby restaurant and Mark Willems was there talking about it. I got the book after I came home and it is really fun with lots of photos and recipes.

    Reply
  2. Allen Carpenter says:
    October 8, 2020 at 3:07 pm

    I have some recollection of this place being a Louise’s Trattoria in the 1980s? And it was attached to a night club of some sort that did retro big-band swing music? And it was the place to go dancing for the hipsters of that period. They encouraged period costume.

    Reply
    • Martin Turnbull says:
      October 8, 2020 at 8:42 pm

      It was Louisa’s Trattoria when I was there last – which would have been I think late 1990s. I wish I’d known about the swing music thing!

      Reply
      • Charles Papert says:
        April 17, 2021 at 7:02 pm

        The building was divided into two halves in the 90’s–The Derby, which was the swing club mentioned above, and Louise’s Trattoria. The Derby was probably one of the more attractive incarnations of the space (it’s incredibly rare to find any images of the interior when it was Willard’s, the Brown Derby or Michael’s Los Feliz) and it is sad to see it house a Chase bank now, but thankfully the epic dome is still intact. However, a great local dining and drinking spot called Messhall has improved greatly on the Louise’s side, even exposing the remaining third of the dome (with original tile trim that has been covered up for decades) and a fun patio in the former Car Cafe drive up area.

        Reply
    • Rich says:
      October 14, 2020 at 2:21 pm

      I remember going to Louise’s Trattoria in the early-to-mid-1990s. Matter of fact, the maitre’d lived down the hall in my apartment building on Whitley, south of Franklin. I remember seeing a rockabilly band there, too. Not to be missed down the street on Hillhurst was tiny Yucca’s for some Oaxacan pulled pork tacos. I think it’s still there.

      Reply

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