Universal CityWalk Hollywood

We went to Saddle Ranch Chop House for dinner. Even though it was 8:30, we waited half an hour for a table. The bartender handed over our Diet Cokes without accepting payment, and we watched mechanical bull riders until our pager went off. The portions at this place are HUGE. A meal is certainly enough for two, maybe three people. We ordered an appetizer which we barely touched, we couldn’t finish our meals by a long shot, and despite the desserts looking absolutely wonderful, we just didn’t have room for them. The service was outstanding, and a roving guitar duo stopped by the table and took requests. The food was just okay. I wouldn’t come back here unless I was looking for a night spot; the prices at the bar were good (comparatively) and there was a large and crowded dance floor.

After dinner we wandered and shopped – the shops are open late and there’s plenty of variety.

We capped off the evening with a movie at the theater here. Buying tickets gets you $5 off the parking cost of $10. The theater surprised me – it was very modern and lovely, but dirty and not at all well-maintained. Our theater still had trash in it from previous showings, and the bathrooms were dirty and out of toilet paper, paper towels, and soap. I’d choose a different theater next time.

Final Judgment: The Citywalk experience can’t be beat at night. The neon lights and signs are exciting; many on display are from the collection of an association dedicated to saving “antique” neon signs. The shopping and atmosphere are worth travelling to CityWalk for, and you can certainly find a dinner spot there. Skip the movies.

My wife and I spent New Year’s Eve 2006-2007 here.

was the most memorable time.. This was probably the first dates I had in LA with my love. He came to see me first, but this one was when I met his family.

It was fun.. warm out.. nice stroll around after dinner. It was really hot too, we had fun watching the children run around in the water display while the musicians were trying to sell their cd’s lol

Ahh, I’ve been here too many times. And honestly, if you’ve never been to City Walk, it may be interesting, with all the tourists traps :), water fountains, shops, and Jillians. But really, after that, there’s nothing much to do if you have no money, and no friends to make it worth while. And most of the time, especially if you’re locals, that’s what’s boring.

The movie theater’s nice and big though. :D

Basically Universal Citywalk is a big outdoor shopping mall with several restaurants. I wouldn’t come all the way to California just for this place. However, it’s got several places you could spend a decent evening, such as B.B. King’s. Plus it’s fun to browse in the stores on occasion (My favorite is Sparky’s). In the wintertime they sometimes set up an ice rink here, making Universal Citywalk a great place for a fun date. In the summer they have free music oon Friday evenings; this year it was 80’s flashback, if memory serves me right. All in all, it can be a fun place to visit!

(Attached pic: me acting silly with a gigantic strawberry margarita at the now-closed Gladstone’s…)