Just Go With It Filming Locations

Just Go With It (2011), starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, was filmed in a mix of glamorous Los Angeles locales and tropical Hawaiian paradises. Principal photography ran from March to May 2010. Below, I’m going to break down the major ‘Just Go With It’ filming locations in L.A. and Hawaii, including what scenes were shot there, behind-the-scenes tidbits, and tips for fans who want to visit these spots today.

‘Just Go With It’ Filming Locations in Los Angeles & Southern California

Rocco’s Tavern (Westwood, Los Angeles): The Bar Scene

Danny’s raucous bar scene, right after his disastrous wedding day, was filmed at Rocco’s Tavern in Westwood. This is where a heartbroken Danny (Adam Sandler) discovers the “power” of a fake wedding ring to attract women, setting the movie’s plot in motion.

In the flashback, Danny drowns his sorrows at the bar and improvises a sob story about a cruel wife, instantly charming a beautiful stranger. Rocco’s Tavern provided the lively backdrop, with its brick walls and sports-bar vibe.

The bar’s real name, “Rocco’s,” is visible in the film. It remained open to regular patrons during filming off-hours. In the story’s timeline, this scene occurs 20 years earlier than the main plot (hence, Sandler wears a prosthetic big nose for young Danny). No drastic set dressing was needed aside from period touches – the casual pub atmosphere was just right.

The restaurant has been in operation for over two decades, since 2000, and remains a popular spot among locals, particularly as a collegiate sports bar.

Rocco’s Tavern is located on LA’s west side, the neighborhood is home to UCLA and Westwood Village, with Beverly Hills and Bel-Air just a short drive away.

Beverly Hills Medical Center

Danny’s and Katherine’s workplace. A lot of pivotal encounters happen here, like Danny learning about Devlin, and it shapes the whole legend. Of course, the clinic never existed, but the building itself is very real. It’s located at 441–447 N Bedford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Next to a full ivy wall façade, we can see 2 businesses: Longmi Lashes By Daniel and Lorena Beauty Boutique. Unfortunately, as of 2025, neither ivy wall nor the beauty venues are present there. Today, there’s an office of HSBC bank and some cafeterias.

Malibu Beach House Party (Meeting Palmer)

Danny and his cousin Eddie (Nick Swardson) attend a wild house party on the beach, hosted by one of Danny’s former clients. Danny meets Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), a young sixth-grade teacher, and they hit it off. They end up spending the night on the beach together under the stars, until Palmer discovers Danny’s fake wedding ring in the morning.

Location & Address: A private beachfront estate in Malibu, California (near El Matador State Beach, 32350 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA). The party’s beach scenes were filmed on El Matador Beach

Production utilized a real stretch of coastline at El Matador Beach for the bonfire and morning-after shots. The mansion itself is a private residence. It is not open to the public, and its exact address was not disclosed. However, you can certainly enjoy a Malibu sunset at El Matador and imagine the party scene.

El Matador State Beach is open to the public (part of Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach). It’s accessible during daylight hours (generally 8 am to sunset) and is famous for its sea caves and rock arches; visitors can walk the same sands where Danny and Palmer’s romance sparked. There’s a parking lot off PCH with a steep trail down to the beach.

Keep in mind that no overnight camping is allowed on the beach (unlike Danny and Palmer’s cinematic sleepover). Malibu beaches can be crowded on weekends, but El Matador remains a picturesque spot for movie fans.

Palmer’s School in Los Angeles (Danny’s Apology Scene)

After their first night together, Danny tries to win Palmer back by coming clean – he shows up at Palmer’s school, where she teaches sixth-grade math. Palmer is on campus supervising students when Danny arrives to awkwardly apologize (and spin more lies).

The production chose a real Los Angeles-area school instead of a set, lending authenticity with actual classroom exteriors, hallways, and a working playground. I believe that the best visual match is Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks), located at 13645 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Built in the mid-20th century, the campus reflects classic Mission-style design, with arched colonnades and a chapel tower.

Beverly Hills Shopping

When Danny recruits Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his wife “Devlin,” he takes her on a luxury makeover shopping spree. So they head to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

The place on this still is Two Rodeo Drive, located at the intersection of Via Rodeo & Rodeo Drive; circular turreted building with the gold dome is the most distinctive landmark of this luxury shopping area. Surprisingly, today, almost 15 years after the movie was shot, this area looks exactly the same.

This high-end retail complex was styled to look like a European promenade. The curved street with cobblestones, ornate architecture, and luxury storefronts like Versace, Breguet, Tiffany & Co., etc., gives a kind of “Beverly Hills fantasyland” vibe. Directors often use it when they want a location to feel expensive, aspirational, or “fashion capital” without naming it explicitly.

Even if you are yet to make your first trip to LA, you definitely remember Rodeo Drive shopping from ‘Pretty Woman’ and ‘Clueless’.

In ‘Just Go With It’, Katherine tries on designer outfits to look like Danny’s soon-to-be ex. Those scenes were filmed at Barneys New York in Beverly Hills. We see the elegant atrium of Barneys, with Jennifer Aniston’s character commenting on price tags and style.

This was the actual Barney’s New York flagship in Beverly Hills for decades. Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler were filmed browsing and bantering in the store’s center atrium. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice Barneys’ signature spiral staircase and sleek displays in the background.

Barneys New York Beverly Hills closed in 2020 after the company’s bankruptcy. The building now houses a Saks Fifth Avenue store. Fans can still visit the location – the exterior and much of the interior layout remain similar. You can literally walk in Katherine’s footsteps on the same marble floors. Photos are allowed, but be courteous as it’s an operating luxury store.

Hotel Casa del Mar (Santa Monica): “Devlin” meets Palmer

The historic Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, used for a key meeting scene. In the movie, Danny’s assistant Katherine (Aniston) first meets Danny’s girlfriend Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) while posing as “Devlin”. The upscale beachside hotel serves as the neutral ground where Katherine, freshly made-over, convinces Palmer that Danny’s “ex” is out of the picture.

Casa del Mar is a landmark luxury hotel right on Santa Monica Beach. In the film you can spot the Mediterranean revival architecture and large windows facing the Pacific.

“Pizza Hut”: Danny Meets with Katherine’s Kids

Danny needs Katherine’s two kids to pretend to be his own children as part of his escalating lie to Palmer. He brings Maggie and Michael (played by Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck) to Pizza Hut to butter them up. Over slices of pizza, the kids negotiate outrageous terms (Maggie demands acting classes and Michael wants to swim with dolphins in Hawaii) in exchange for their cooperation.

The architecture in this still gives us a good shot at pinpointing the exact Pizza Hut location. Brick walls with a specific dark-red and white mortar pattern match the former Pizza Hut at 5525 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, which kept the classic design well into the 2010s and was frequently used for filming (including “The Office” and local ads).

As of 2025, this building is occupied by another chain venue, ‘El Pollo Loco’, which is known for ‘Mexican classics made with fire-grilled chicken’.

JD McFunnigan’s: Kids World Family Fun Center

Palmer meets Danny’s fake family at JD McFunnigan’s. The production shot this sequence at Kids World, a real indoor family fun center complete with a cafeteria, climbing play structure, arcade games, and party rooms. At the time of filming (2010) it was a newly opened facility (formerly known as “Bright Child” play center) in Oak Park.

Location & Address: Kids World Family Fun Center, 618 Lindero Canyon Rd, Oak Park, CA 91377, United States. Kids World LA is open to the public. It operates daily, typically from around 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM for open play (as of 2025). Visitors can pay an admission fee to enjoy the multi-level play structures, ball pits, arcade, and café.

Hawaii Filming Locations from ‘Just Go With It’

Midway through the movie, the action shifts to Hawaii, where Danny, Katherine, Palmer, Eddie, and the kids vacation at a luxurious resort. In reality, the production was shot primarily on Maui (for the resort and beach scenes) and Kauai (for the jungle waterfall scene).

Adam Sandler is known for filming in Hawaii (e.g. 50 First Dates); for Just Go With It, he chose some of the most picturesque spots. Below are the key Hawaiian locations, which fans can indeed visit, including one of the most famous hotels in Maui.

Grand Wailea Resort (Maui): The Hawaiian Resort Scenes

The majority of Hawaii scenes were filmed at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort on Maui’s south shore. In the story, this is the fancy resort where Danny’s whole crew stays. All those sweeping shots of pools, waterslides, and beachfront cabanas – that’s the Grand Wailea.

Many comedic moments take place on its grounds: from Danny teaching Eddie’s son to swim in the pool, to the over-the-top luau where Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman have a hula showdown.

The Grand Wailea actively acknowledges its Hollywood connection. According to the resort’s FAQ, many Just Go With It scenes were filmed there, and staff can point out spots like the Hibiscus Pool or Chapel where filming occurred.

Notable scenes include: the lobby check-in (Danny’s crew arriving with garlands), poolside antics (Danny bonding with the kids in the water), Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) emerging from the ocean in a bikini, a homage to the iconic Dr. No beach scene, which was shot on Wailea Beach right in front of the resort. The paddleboat lagoon and wedding chapel visible in some shots are real features of the resort.

Kilauea Falls (Kauai): The Waterfall Hike Scene

One of the most memorable sequences is when Danny, Katherine, the kids, and Eddie hike to a majestic waterfall, where they splash around and reconnect as a “family.” This was filmed at Kilauea Falls on the island of Kauai.

After a jungle trek (which itself was likely shot nearby on Kauai), the group arrives at this breathtaking waterfall. In reality, Kilauea Falls is about 60 ft high, with a wide rock ledge creating a curtain of water into a calm basin.

The waterfall scene was shot in April 2010, when Kauai’s weather is generally good (though the area is quite rainforest-like). Cast and crew were choppered into the falls location due to limited access. In interviews, Jennifer Aniston mentioned this was her first time in Kauai’s jungles, and that the water was freezing!

Safety divers were on set since the actors do jump into the pool; Bailee Madison (who plays Katherine’s daughter) was a brave sport about swimming near the falls. It’s also said that between takes, Adam Sandler would crack jokes to keep the kids relaxed, as the thunderous water made communication tough.

Kilauea Falls is on private land near Kilauea town, on Kauai’s north shore (postal code 96754). It’s not a commercial park – the falls are on an estate formerly known as the Silver Falls Ranch. Coordinates roughly: 22.1905° N, 159.408° W.

In fact, a homeowner purchased the land and built a residence there, barring the former hiking access to the falls. Hiking to the base of Kilauea Falls is no longer allowed for safety and privacy reasons.

If you’re waterfall-hunting on Kauai, consider legal sites like Secret Falls (Uluwehi Falls), Ho’opi’i Falls, ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls, or Wailua Falls, which are beautiful and accessible. While they aren’t Kilauea Falls, they’ll give you that verdant Jurassic Park vibe. In fact, some tourists mistook Kilauea Falls in the movie for the more famous Kipu Falls or Wailua Falls.

Kauai even offers a Movies Tour that stops at filming locations from various films. Ask if Just Go With It is included, as some tours have added a “drive-by” of the general Kilauea area.

The Golf Course: Danny & Kids Golfing Scene

There is a brief scene where Danny bonds with Katherine’s son, Michael, by playing golf in Hawaii. This scene underscores Danny’s growing fatherly affection for the kids and shows Michael warming up to him, which will get even more after the swimming lesson.

Location & Address: Wailea Golf Club, Maui, HI – likely the Wailea Emerald Course (adjacent to Gannon’s restaurant) or the Wailea Gold Course. Both courses start from the clubhouse at 100 Wailea Golf Club Drive and feature panoramic ocean views.

One can spot small details, like the flagsticks and golf carts, that match Wailea’s equipment. The child actor (Griffin Gluck) later shared that Adam Sandler gave him some golf pointers in between takes and kept the mood fun. Sandler is an avid golfer, so he was “in his element” filming those swings.

Visiting Now: Wailea Golf Club is open to the public (non-members welcome). There are three courses: Blue, Gold, and Emerald. The Emerald Course and Gold Course are the newer, more scenic ones and are located up on the hill where Gannon’s/Gather restaurant is.

If you’re a golfer, you can book a tee time (expect resort prices around $200+ per round). Even if you don’t golf, the club’s facilities are accessible. The courses typically operate from sunrise to sunset; mornings are a great time to catch views of Haleakalā volcano, and afternoons offer stunning ocean sunsets.

Grand Wailea Swimming Lesson

Don’t miss a swim in the elaborate pool where Danny teaches little Michael to swim – it’s actually multiple interconnected pools with a water elevator and slides. Wailea Beach in front is public, so anyone can sunbathe or snorkel where Brooklyn Decker’s scene was shot. Parking for non-guests is limited (try nearby public beach parking and walk over).

The Spa Girls’ Day: Katherine & Palmer at the Spa

Spa Grande at Grand Wailea, 3850 Wailea Alanui Dr, Wailea, Maui, HI. This is the actual spa facility at the Grand Wailea Resort. At 50,000 ft^2, Spa Grande was one of the largest spas in Hawaii and served as the filming site for Katherine and Palmer’s joint spa day. Some interior elements (like therapy tubs and the relaxation lounge) appear in the film.

The spa features a Roman tub, Swiss jet showers, Japanese furo bath, and five specialty baths in a lavish “Termé Hydrotherapy Circuit”. Jennifer Aniston and Brooklyn Decker reportedly enjoyed filming there: Aniston has called the entire Hawaii shoot “heaven” and “a dream” because she adores Hawaiian spa vacations.

Spa Grande is currently undergoing some changes. (The spa was so renowned that it often topped “best spa” lists, but it temporarily closed in 2020 for renovations after a change in management. It is expected to reopen under a refreshed concept by late 2025.)

Historically, Spa Grande was open to both hotel guests and the public – non-guests could book services or purchase a day pass to the Termé hydrotherapy pools. When it reopens, anticipate similar access. Typically, the spa’s hours were 6:30 AM – 7:00 PM for facilities, with treatments starting from 8 AM.

Nicole Kidman “Hula Dance” Contest & Dinner Scene

The dinner was filmed on location at Gannon’s, a real award-winning restaurant. The film crew took over the restaurant in March 2010 and rebranded it as the fictitious “Oceano” for the shoot. All the restaurant staff on screen were actual Gannon’s employees serving as extras.

The choice of Gannon’s was deliberate: its broad patio could accommodate the complex scene with multiple actors and even a hula dance floor (used later for the contest). Locals were excited as major stars (Sandler, Aniston, Kidman) were on Maui for several days filming these sequences.

Bev Gannon, the restaurant’s owner and a famed Maui chef, welcomed the crew; she noted that the filmmakers “named the restaurant Oceano, but it is really the new Gannon’s Restaurant” in her press letter.

Nicole Kidman’s participation was a fun coup for the film – she gamely learned hula moves and donned a comedic costume. She and Jennifer Aniston improvised parts of their over-the-top dance-off, much to the crew’s amusement.

In interviews, Aniston said doing the silly hula battle with Kidman was “one of the most liberating, fun days” of shooting. Both actresses just “went for it” without vanity.

Local hula instructors were on set to choreograph and ensure the moves were humorously exaggerated but still recognizably hula. The Grand Wailea did, however, fully cooperate with production for other sequences.

Location & Address: Gannon’s Restaurant (now “Gather on Maui”), located at 100 Wailea Golf Club Drive, Wailea, Maui, HI. This upscale open-air restaurant on Maui’s Wailea Emerald Golf Course doubled as the fictional “Oceano” restaurant in the film

Visiting Now: The restaurant location is open to the public, though it has changed names. As of 2023, Gannon’s was taken over by a new group and rebranded as Gather on Maui, a Pacific view restaurant and bar.

The address and stunning setting remain the same. Gather on Maui is open daily, roughly 11 AM through dinner hours. Visitors can dine on the very patio where the scene was filmed.

Whether you want to sip a drink at the bar where the ruse began, shop like Jennifer Aniston on Rodeo Drive, lounge at the Maui resort, or chase waterfalls on Kauai, these locations offer a chance to relive the comedy. As Katherine (Aniston) says in the film, “Is this a dream? I think I died and went to heaven.” You might feel the same visiting these beautiful spots: just go with it and enjoy the adventure!