Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in Monrovia

Our first Thanksgiving at The Derby and it is official, it is going to be our new Thanksgiving tradition. We lost our mother last year on 12/31/23 and we spent the last 22 years going to pick her up, 80miles away, and going out to eat. She hated cooking but loved good food and dinning out. This was our first Thanksgiving in 22 years that we stayed close to home and without our mom. First words out of our mouths, when we tasted the food was, “mom would have loved The Derby”, we, three grabbed our delicious cocktails and toasted to our mom’s honor. From the ease of making reservations to the prompt seating when we arrived, we enjoyed every minute. The meal was both traditional and they also offered the usual prime rib and steaks. We opted for the Turkey Thanksgiving meal. It was a generous plate of succulent turkey and the best stuffing I’ve ever tasted. Included sweet potatoes , perfectly al dente green beans, a tangy home made cranberry sauce , mashed potatoes and decadent gravy. It was all so divine. We ordered a side of Marsala mushrooms (I almost sipped the juices from the bowl because it was THAT good). The pumpkin pie Made with love and you could taste every spice. The nightcap was The Derby’s version of a spiked eggnog… oh my… I could have had three of these as my dessert…amazing. Our favorite part of our evening by far was Marta our server. She was cheerful, attentive, personable, and made us feel like we were her only table…and it was obvious she had many..yikes, the place was busy, but she made our dining experience memorable as did the rest of the staff, clearing plates, filling waters, etc. We’ve been to Ruth’s Chris, Maestros , and others for Thangsving over the 22 years we went out wit mom. Not one came close to TheDerby. Mom, would definitely be proud we found The Derby for Thanksgiving.

This place was amazing will most definitely be back !

The somm was fantastic. Her communication and style were great. Really added to the experience. All the dishes were well seasoned, balanced, interesting and well executed.

Let me just say that everything we ordered was chef’s kiss 🤌🏻 the ambience and attentiveness of the staff is also top tier. Definitely coming back soon.

Great food and service. Cook was friendly and funny. Served and receptionist were friendly and professional. Also attentive. Thank you!