Of this we can be certain: The margarita was definitely created in 1938 at the Rancho La Gloria in Baja. Or at Hussong\u2019s Cantina in Ensenada. Or at Tommy\u2019s Place Bar in Juarez. Or by Dallas socialite Margarita Sames for a party at her home. Or at the Balinese Room in Galveston. Or at the La Plaza Restaurant in La Jolla.
\nPerhaps it was born in London, as a drink called a Brandy Daisy; \u201cmargarita\u201d is Spanish for \u201cdaisy.\u201d Or perhaps it was called a Tequila Daisy. Or a Gin Daisy. And perhaps it was named for Ziegfeld dancer Marjorie King. Or a Hussong\u2019s regular named Margarita Henkel Cesena, daughter of a German ambassador.<\/p>\n
The facts are clear: nobody has a clue. Heck \u2026 we don\u2019t even know what the original recipe was. These days, the margarita is made with tequila (mostly), triple sec and lime juice. Or with simple syrup. Often with salt on the rim of the glass. But not always. The menu at this eternally jammed destination for elbow benders on Ventura Boulevard begins with a Margarita Clasica. Which quickly stops being so Clasica, and turns into Exotica. The first decision to make is tequila or mezcal. Then, flavored with naranja (orange) or damiana (a fragrant herbaceous shrub). Regular or picante (spicy). Finally \u201cup\u201d (chilled with ice), or \u201cdown\u201d (not chilled). And there are lots of house rules as well. And the list of margies goes on. Through the Cadillac margarita, with lemon and lime, and naranja liqueur. The Margarita JIbol with Rose\u2019s lime cordial and Seville orange oil. There\u2019s a Sour Apple margarita. A Creamsicle margarita. A Mangoneada margarita. A cherry-flavored Dirty Shirley margarita. A Baja Slaw margarita (cabbage! radish! fish sauce! vinegar!). A Salsa Verde margarita. A Guacamole Frozen margarita. Sooner or later, the need to eat something in the midst of all that tequila may well come upon you; some food is probably a very good idea if you hope to walk out on your own. The food menu, like the drink menu, is a bit \u2026 quirky. At Daisy Margarita Bar in Sherman Oaks, expect margaritas and more margaritas, plus a three-page list (in small type) of tequilas, plus more pages of mezcals, rums, whiskeys, gins and vodka. Food, too \u2014 all of which goes very well with the alcohol, says restaurant critic Merrill Shindler. (Photo by Merrill Shindler) In conclusion, the Daisy Margarita Bar is a must-visit destination for anyone who loves margaritas and Mexican food. With its extensive menu of margaritas and wide selection of tequilas, mezcals, and other spirits, there’s something for everyone. The food menu is also impressive, with a range of options to suit every taste and budget. Whether you’re a fan of traditional Mexican dishes or more adventurous cuisine, Daisy Margarita Bar is sure to please.<\/p>\n Introduction to Margaritas and Mexican Food Of this we can be certain: The margarita was definitely created in 1938 at the Rancho La Gloria in Baja. Or at Hussong\u2019s Cantina in Ensenada. Or at Tommy\u2019s Place Bar in Juarez. Or by Dallas socialite Margarita Sames for a party at her home. Or at the Balinese […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-20930","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dining"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.dailynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/LDN-L-DINE-DAISY-0905-02-1.jpg?w=1024&h=686&w=1024&resize=1024,686&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20930"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20930"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20933,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20930\/revisions\/20933"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nUsually shaken with ice. But also straight up without ice. Or blended into a slushie. And, thanks to the exhaustive margarita menu at the Daisy Margarita Bar<\/strong> (a bit of dual language redundancy), with any number of other ingredients \u2014 some of them kind of \u2026 zany.<\/p>\nThe Daisy Margarita Bar Experience<\/h2>\n
\nWe\u2019re told Daisy uses only \u201cMexican spirits \u2014 that\u2019s it.\u201d There are \u201cno chemical additives.\u201d No \u201cdiffuser production\u201d (whatever that is!). That \u201cthe producers are the celebrities.\u201d And the guiding principle is \u2026 \u201cSustainability, sustainability, sustainability.\u201d And, \u201cwe know salt can make or break a margarita. That\u2019s why all our margaritas come expertly pre-salted with a rim. Just the right amount \u2014 trust us.\u201d<\/p>\nExtensive Margarita Menu<\/h2>\n
\nIf you\u2019re a connoisseur of tequilas, there are three pages of them, in very small type. There\u2019s another page of mezcals. None are described as \u201ccon gusano\u201d \u2014 with a white worm floating in the bottom. I\u2019ve been told that\u2019s for tourists only.<\/p>\nFood to Accompany Your Margarita<\/h2>\n
\nIt begins with a \u201cCrudo\u201d section \u2014 raw seafood, in the style of the great Holbox Mexican seafood restaurant downtown \u2026 but more eccentric. The sauce with the half a dozen oysters (going for a pricey $30 for six) is a mignonette touched with hibiscus. The chintextle aioli with the yellowtail is more a sauce made of smoky Oaxacan chintextle chiles than a creamy aioli. It comes with the crab as well, which is also flavored with a salsa macha from Veracruz.
\nThere\u2019s toasted cancha corn kernels with the ceviche de pescado. And the agreeably spicy aguachile of scallops is made with strawberries \u2014 sweet and spicy. Ditto the aguachile of chayote squash, flavored with pineapple and coconuts.
\nYou like your margies with salsa and chips? At Daisy, there\u2019s charred tomato salsa molcajete, along with a triple salsa plate with crunchy tostadas. There\u2019s a sort of guacamole consisting of a smashed avocado that can be gilded with tuna carnitas or ribeye chicharron. It\u2019s an Empezamos appetizer? It\u2019s an entr\u00e9e? It\u2019s whatever you want it to be.
\nThe appetizers and the snacks could probably be rolled into one menu section \u2014 Small Dishes \u2014 though the snacks are somewhat bigger than the apps. Like the nice messy queso fundido, the top sirloin with potato chips, the cured yellowtail.
\nThe three tacos deserve their own section: marinated pork (with green apple slaw), grilled octopus, maitake mushrooms. As do the Fuertes: big dishes like the pollo asado with cauliflower pur\u00e9e, the chile relleno, and the fideo seco vermicelli with shrimp and chicharrones.
\nThere are four desserts. The flan de palomitas \u2014 caramel popcorn with popcorn \u201cfoam\u201d \u2014 is tempting, as is the Oaxacan chocolate tart. But I keep thinking about that Creamsicle margarita \u2014 tangerine! mole! coconut! More dessert than that, I don\u2019t need. Except maybe that Cherry margarita.<\/p>\nAbout Daisy Margarita Bar<\/h2>\n
\nThere are four wines, two beers and more than 100 tequilas \u2014 including these \u2014 at Daisy Margarita Bar in Sherman Oaks. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
\nTuna tostada at Daisy Margarita Bar in Sherman Oaks (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
\nThe dining area at Daisy Margarita Bar in Sherman Oaks (Photo by Merrill Shindler)<\/p>\nDetails<\/h3>\n
\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\n
\nA: 14633 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks<\/li>\n
\nA: 818-450-3994<\/li>\n
\nA: www.daisyla.com<\/li>\n
\nA: Margaritas and more margaritas, and a three-page list (in small type) of tequilas, plus more pages of mezcals, rums, whiskeys, gins and vodka. Food, too. Which goes very well with the alcohol.<\/li>\n
\nA: About $35 per person<\/li>\n