California's First Margaritaville Washes Ashore in LA

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Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

It’s time to set sail for Margaritaville, the colorful new daiquiri and fish taco destination by way of Jimmy Buffett. The colorful new casual chain has officially dropped its first California location at Universal CityWalk just above Hollywood, which means you can swim in any time for a drink, a cheeseburger, and a song.

Fans of Jimmy Buffett will find a lot to love at the freewheeling, neon-lit spot, from the endless sand and surf decor to the year-round Christmas lights and nautical/aviation mashup themes. And yes, there are lots of stuff parrots, vague nods to pirates, and tons of faux thatched roofs inside.

The brand new Margaritaville only soft opened recently, and will host a an invite-only grand opening event at the end of the month (though you can win tickets with this sweepstakes). That bash will actually feature a performance by Buffett himself, backed as always by the Coral Reefer Band.

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is currently open at Universal CityWalk, keeping hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with an extension to 11 p..m. on Friday and Saturday.

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA