Skywalker Grill, a new restaurant located atop the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, offers diners a unique culinary experience inspired by filmmaker George Lucas’s personal vision. Open since early September, the restaurant draws on ingredients from Lucas’s own Marin County farm, vineyard, and apiary, blending comfort food with locally sourced, artisanal products.
The eatery is distinct from the more overtly themed Star Wars food options found at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge in Anaheim, favoring a more grounded, approachable menu that reflects Lucas’s tastes and memories. The restaurant’s name references both the Star Wars protagonist Luke Skywalker and Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch, his film production and farm compound in Northern California.
Culinary director Diego Cardoso of Rhubarb Events & Hospitality Collection, the firm overseeing the restaurant’s food and beverage program, said the development process involved close collaboration with Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson. Together they refined the menu through multiple tastings, resulting in dishes such as a chicken-and-mushroom crepe inspired by a Bay Area restaurant significant to Lucas and his family.
The menu emphasizes comfort and Americana, featuring items like crab cakes, a chopped salad favored by Lucas, jumbo prawn cocktails, mac and cheese, and pigs in a blanket. Among the popular offerings is the $38 house burger made with Wagyu beef from Lucas Ranch’s own herd, alongside grilled onions and aged cheddar on a brioche bun. Other dishes incorporating the ranch’s Wagyu include steak and a pasta Bolognese. The ranch is currently working to expand its cattle herd to meet the restaurant’s demand.
Honey produced by hives on Lucas’s farm is used sparingly but thoughtfully, appearing in softened honey butter paired with house-made breads including focaccia and sourdough. The restaurant plans to soon introduce wines from Skywalker Vineyards, including rosé, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.
Cocktails at Skywalker Grill also highlight California-grown ingredients, exemplified by a gin-based drink featuring ancho verde, golden beets, and a red beet chip garnish that changes the drink’s color as the ice melts.
The restaurant is designed to be inclusive and welcoming to guests of all ages. Cardoso noted that the vision was always to create a space where families and groups could gather comfortably, with a relaxed atmosphere that accommodates energetic diners, including children. The dining room features curved cherrywood ceilings and tree-like pillars evoking a cinematic ambiance, with a nearby outdoor area available for louder groups.
Reservations have been in high demand since member previews began, with tables fully booked through the end of the year as of mid-September. Bar seating remains available on a first-come, first-served basis. Private dining options include a room with switchable glass tinting for greater privacy.
For those seeking a more casual option, the museum’s lobby cafe offers affordable fare including pizza, tacos, soft serve, salads, and sandwiches, with most items priced between $9 and $15.
Skywalker Grill is located at One Lucas Plaza, 3800 S. Vermont Ave. and operates Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday until 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.