Inside Look: Daisy Margarita Bar, Los Angeles

Max Reis can’t escape flavored Margaritas. As a Los Angeles bartender whose goal it is to “surprise and delight guests with creative, unexpected cocktails” while working in Mexican restaurants, the public’s thirst for fruity Margaritas can sometimes be a frustrating cross to bear. Things finally came to a head at Los Feliz’s Mirate, which won the “Best Bar in the West” and “Highest Climber” awards at this year’s 50 Best Bars in North America and is an Imbibe 75 Place to Watch. Even though the award-winning bar features Reis’ unique cocktails that color far outside the classic template lines, such as a clarified Margarita, it still gets its fair share of fruity Margarita orders.

But rather than rail against it, Reis and Matt Egan, founding partner of Mirate, decided to lean into the fruitier side. They created Daisy Margarita Bar in LA’s Sherman Oaks neighorhood, using the tequila classic as a vehicle to introduce people to innovative techniques and little-known Mexican spirits and brands. To accompany the food-friendly cocktails, Chef Alan Sanz serves up equally creative takes on Mexican cuisine, such as taco arabe with marinated pork and green apple slaw and chile relleno with cashew mole.

Taking over The Sherman restaurant in an 18th-century building on bustling Ventura Boulevard, Egan collaborated with Alexa Nafisi-Movaghar, founder of hospitality interior design company Adean Studios, to transform it into a Norteño-esque cantina. Fortunately, the space already featured reclaimed wood paneling along its walls that they could build upon. “We wanted to highlight the western, old-world nature that the existing wood shelf provided, which is why we leaned heavily into the Mexican tavern/pulqueria mixed with underground taqueria,” says Nafisi-Movaghar. 

Shabby Elegante

The six-month build-out involved upcycling The Sherman’s furnishings, reupholstering banquets and refinishing the tables. But the biggest change was the restaurant’s floor plan, to create a clear line between the bar and dining space. The poor shape of the previous restaurant “made the process cumbersome and lengthy, as we had to tear the bar down to the studs,” says Egan, “… we essentially started over.” Fortunately, they were able to keep the over aesthetic intact, fitting everything else to complement their concept. 

“The space has so much soul left, and we were able to just layer on top,” says Nafisi-Movaghar. The rustic walls, worn concrete floor, and the thick layer of paint on the banquettes helped with the illusion that the bar has been there forever. “I love that we kept the old wood bar top,” Egan adds. “It’s a showpiece, not perfect at all, and it’s great.” The bold golds and greens, warm lighting, and even fringe on the lampshades balance the dark rustic elements of the space.

The bold golds and greens, warm lighting, and fringe on the lampshades balance the dark rustic elements. | Photo by Kort Havens

Cantina Decor

Artwork on the walls, such as the oil-paint portraits and macrame wall hangings, were sourced from flea markets and online marketplaces as well as Mexico, while the taxidermy, which includes a turkey’s middle finger, came from museums. And for a personal touch, Egan hung photographs from his travels throughout Mexico. The collection altogether captures the casual coziness of a neighborhood dive bar.

Meanwhile the jukebox, located near the entrance, is Reis’ passion project. “Some of my favorite cantinas have legendary jukeboxes, and this is my homage to that.” Here, it houses a selection of modern and classic Latin music, which Reis admits most customers may not be familiar with. But it also has Spanish takes on crowd pleasers like ABBA’s “La Reina del Baile.” And bars holding pop-ups at Daisy get to memorialize their visit by adding their playlist to the jukebox. To encourage guests to take the reins, the bar plans to offer jukebox tokens with every cocktail they order. Currently, it only accepts quarters.

Beyond the Fruity Margarita

And about those Margaritas? Yes, there are fruit-forward versions. But picture a Marg made with mango, pasilla mixe dried chile, Derrumbes Cenizo mezcal, Oaxacan mango brandy, lime, and chamoy, and topped with mango boba. For the adventurous, there’s the Salsa Bar category that features savory, culinary-inspired Margaritas like the Baja Slaw Margarita, with purple cabbage and radish, Mal Bien x Mirate mezcal, Oaxacan fruit liqueur, pulque vinegar, lime, and fish sauce. “At the end of the day, it’s Margaritas from top to bottom,” says Reis, “but reimagined with intention and curiosity.” For those who prefer something a little more familiar, the Cantina section of the menu offers inventive takes on recognizable classics such as a Margarita highball, as well as a Ranch Water and a Daiquiri in the “Not Daisies” category.

Through Daisy, the team not only reimagines everyone’s favorite tequila cocktail, but how people enjoy it. The goal is for guests to have fun while exercising their curiosity. “My hope is that people walk away having tasted something new, maybe discovered a spirit they’ve never heard of, and engaged with Mexican culture in a way that feels both exciting and deeply familiar,” says Reis. “It’s about exploration—but wrapped in comfort.”

Left to right: Mangoneada Margarita and Baja Slaw Margarita. | Photos by Matt Egan

Future Plans

Opened in April, Daisy has more tricks up its sleeve, in addition to that jukebox perk. The bar recently launched weekend brunch where the focus shifts from Margaritas to Micheladas. In the daytime, the frozen Guacamole Margarita is switched out for a strawberry Michelada, and brunch bites including a surf-and-turf breakfast burrito with beef machaca and shrimp. Soon to debut upstairs is the intimate Gilbert Perez Bar. The elevated, Mexican rum–focused bar will be an immersive concept that aims to transport guests through time and space, much like the best tropical bars. But also actually change up its decor and cocktails multiple times in an evening. Reservations for the staggered seating times, versus uniform set times, will motivate guests to experience “the various places the portal can take them over the course of multiple dines with us,” says Reis.

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