Skywalker Grill Brings Lucas Ranch Cuisine to Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — Skywalker Grill will open Sept. 22 on the top floor of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a 300,000-square-foot project in Exposition Park representing a $1 billion investment by filmmaker George Lucas and his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson. The museum’s opening completes a decade-long effort to establish a world-class cultural institution in Southern California.

The museum’s galleries will span neoclassical painting, manga, digital illustration, and cinematic history. Its vessel-like building, designed by renowned architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, has a futuristic, biomorphic structure that is set to become an architectural centerpiece of Los Angeles.

Skywalker Grill was developed as a personal project by Lucas and Hobson, who wanted the restaurant to reflect the hospitality and natural bounty of Skywalker Ranch rather than create a heavily themed “Star Wars” experience. The 4,700-acre agricultural and film-production compound is located in Marin County, California.

The museum’s Los Angeles location followed proposals in Chicago and San Francisco that were sidelined by land-use disputes and local challenges. Ground was officially broken in Exposition Park in March 2018. The park already includes the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the California Science Center, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Lucas and Hobson partnered with the Rhubarb Hospitality Collection to manage the museum’s culinary operations. The international culinary firm was acquired by the sports and live entertainment investment company Oak View Group, and its portfolio includes London’s Royal Albert Hall and Sky Garden, as well as Ensemble Arts Philly.

Diego Cardoso, the group’s global vice president of culinary, spent nearly four years working with Lucas and Hobson on the menus. Initial tastings took place at Skywalker Ranch in Nicasio, California, where the team developed dishes using ingredients produced directly on Lucas’s Northern California property.

The ranch’s artisanal honey is used in a softened honey butter served with house-made sourdough and focaccia. Pasture-raised Wagyu beef from the property appears in several dishes, including a steak option and pasta Bolognese.

Cardoso and executive chef Ryan Kluver, a local culinary veteran who has worked at Los Angeles institutions Patina and Wally’s, combined high-end ingredients with classic American comfort foods. The menu includes crab cakes, a signature chopped salad, jumbo-prawn cocktails, mac and cheese, spinach artichoke dip, and pigs in a blanket.

Chicken tenders come with ranch crème fraîche and can be upgraded with an optional caviar supplement. Individual dishes range from $13 to $65. A chicken-and-mushroom crepe draws on a recipe inspired by a Bay Area restaurant frequently visited by Lucas and his daughter.

During early preview sessions, the $38 Skywalker Ranch Wagyu burger, served with grilled onions and aged cheddar on a brioche bun, became the standout popular item. Representatives said the Marin County ranch is working to double the size of its Wagyu cattle herd to meet the high volume of burger orders.

Wine pairings from Skywalker Vineyards are planned for the near future. The offerings will feature estate-grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and rosé.

Curved cherrywood ceilings and structural pillars shaped like towering trees give the interior a cinematic warmth. Guests check in at a dedicated host stand in the museum’s main lobby and take a private elevator to the top floor.

Costumed visitors are welcome, but all lightsabers and replica weapons must be checked at the entrance under the restaurant’s strict safety policy. For private events, the dining room has a specialized room with smart glass that can become opaque instantly at the flip of a switch.

The outdoor terrace overlooks Exposition Park and the downtown Los Angeles skyline. The beverage program draws on regional California produce, including a signature gin-and-ancho verde cocktail infused with golden beets and garnished with a red beet chip. As the ice melts, the chip slowly releases red coloring into the glass.

Skywalker Grill reservations became some of the most sought-after bookings in Los Angeles. After member previews began in mid-September, table reservations were fully booked through the end of the year. Walk-in guests can still order the full menu at the bar, which is reserved exclusively for non-reserved seating.

The founders’ goal of creating an accessible space for the surrounding community also extends to the museum’s food and beverage program. A casual ground-floor lobby cafe, also operated by the Rhubarb Hospitality Collection, offers New York-style and square-cut pizzas, tacos, salads, sandwiches, and soft-serve ice cream.

Most lobby cafe items cost between $9 and $15, while a grilled cheese sandwich is priced at $2. The cafe provides a faster and more affordable option for museumgoers.

Skywalker Grill is located at One Lucas Plaza, 3800 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. It operates beyond the museum’s regular gallery hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The venue is closed on Tuesdays.