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After nearly 17 years of planning and eight years of construction, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens today in Exposition Park — and so does its rooftop restaurant, joining a busy moment for Los Angeles’s cultural scene. The new eatery, Skywalker Grill, uses wine and some proteins from George Lucas’s Skywalker properties, aiming to blend familiar comfort food with elevated ingredients.
The museum sits on an 11-acre campus next to USC, the Natural History Museum and the California Science Center, and the 300,000-square-foot building brings movie memorabilia and fine art into one public collection. Among the works on display are film artifacts (including an X‑wing starfighter), large-scale murals by street artists and a noted Frida Kahlo self‑portrait — evidence of the museum’s dual focus on popular and canonical visual storytelling.
Menu and dining experience
Skywalker Grill’s menu was developed with George Lucas and Mellody Hobson and highlights produce and proteins from the Lucas portfolio. Expect choices that read familiar but rely on premium sources: a wagyu burger and wagyu Bolognese draw directly from ranch supply, while small plates mix playful and elevated flavors.
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Examples from the opening menu include small plates like fried mozzarella served with basil pesto and hot honey, and lobster corn dogs accompanied by a tarragon mustard and a spicy ketchup. A composed lobster salad arrives in olive oil, set over crisp baby gem lettuce with avocado, shaved vegetables and a sweet pepper jus. For children, the kitchen offers simple options such as croissant-wrapped sausages and chicken tenders served with a cheeky “caviar ranch” dip. Entrées range from New York steak frites with a jalapeño chimichurri to a crunchy chicken Milanese; a weekend brunch program is planned to begin in the coming months.
Design and atmosphere
Designed by Rockwell Group, the restaurant looks out over Los Angeles and pairs midcentury touches with contemporary finishes: handcrafted cherrywood panels, a statement chandelier and a meandering bar intended for casual drinks. The cocktail list includes a watermelon-lime drink rimmed with volcanic black salt called the Soft Launch, among other seasonal offerings.
Reservations are limited early on, but the restaurant will keep bar seating available on a first-come, first-served basis, and additional bookings will be released in the weeks after opening. Notably, visitors do not need museum admission to dine at the Grill; tables can be reserved through Resy when available.
- Opening date: Tuesday, September 22 (restaurant opens the same day as the museum)
- Location: One Lucas Plaza, 3800 S. Vermont Avenue, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037
- Hours: Monday–Wednesday 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.; Friday–Saturday until 9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
- Reservations: Available on Resy; bar seating is first-come, first-served
- Museum dining policy: Dining does not require a museum ticket
Why this matters now: the Lucas Museum is one of the most significant new cultural projects in Los Angeles in years, both for its collection and for how it repositions Exposition Park as a destination for visitors and residents alike. The rooftop restaurant extends that reach into the city’s restaurant map, offering a new option for neighborhood dining and tourist traffic.
For Angelenos watching how the city’s museum and dining ecosystems evolve, the opening marks a practical shift — more capacity for visitors in a part of town already anchored by major institutions, and a test case for how branded cultural projects integrate culinary outposts without gatekeeping access.
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