NOW OPEN
A New Chapter Begins at the Historic Panama Hotel Restaurant
A beloved San Rafael gathering place returns—honoring nearly a century of hospitality, flavor and neighborhood memories.
The doors are open and the tables are set. As of September 1, the Panama Hotel Restaurant has officially reopened, welcoming neighbors, travelers and longtime friends back to one of San Rafael’s most distinctive dining destinations.
A Story That Began at Home
Long before it became the Panama Hotel, the property was a two-story wooden Victorian in San Rafael’s Gerstle Park neighborhood. In the early 1920s, Maria and Joe Gargiulo purchased the home and began building a life rooted in hospitality. Maria welcomed boarders arriving at the nearby San Rafael train station, opening her home to travelers and helping the family meet its mortgage payments.
In 1926, Maria began selling tamales and enchiladas. Her cooking quickly earned a following, and her bold idea to add a restaurant to the front of the family home took shape. The original construction estimate was $5,000; family history says Maria negotiated it down to $3,000.
The Gargiulo family, the original home and the nearby train station—images preserved in the restaurant’s historical display.
Maria’s Pueblo and an Early Taste of California Cuisine
The family restaurant became known as Maria’s Pueblo, remembered as Marin County’s first Mexican restaurant. Joe, a trained chef from Italy, initially kept his position as a night steward at the San Rafael Elks Club. Maria eventually persuaded him to join the family restaurant, where Mexican and Italian influences met on the menu—an early expression of the cross-cultural cooking now associated with California cuisine.
Guests came for the food, but the warmth of the Gargiulo family made the experience memorable. Joe was also known for entertaining children at the restaurant with magic tricks.
Frank Gargiulo later operated Maria’s Pueblo; the family’s celebrations and treasured collections remain part of the property’s story.
A Place Where Memories Were Made
When Maria and Joe retired in 1956, their son Frank carried Maria’s Pueblo forward. The rooms held not only meals, but weddings, anniversaries and generations of celebrations. In 1946, Joe Gargiulo Jr. and his bride, Arrah, posed for a wedding photograph in the dining room. Fifty years later, they returned to celebrate their anniversary at the Panama Hotel.
The décor carried its own history. Maria purchased Mexican pottery during a 1938 trip and had it shipped by train to San Rafael. Pieces from the collection—and photographs of the people who shaped the restaurant—continue to connect today’s guests with the generations who came before them.
From Maria’s Pueblo to the Panama Hotel
In the 1970s, the Gargiulos sold the business to new owners Richard and Mimi, who expanded the property, embraced its bohemian character and renamed it the Panama Hotel. The boutique inn and restaurant became known for individually themed rooms, an eclectic collection of art and keepsakes, and a lush outdoor patio tucked into the neighborhood.
Through every era, the essential spirit has remained the same: a welcoming house, a memorable table and a sense that every guest has discovered something special.
The Panama Hotel’s intimate garden patio offers a relaxed setting for dinner in Gerstle Park.
The Table Is Set Once Again
The reopening was made possible by Hiram Diaz, whose connection to the Panama Restaurant began more than two decades ago when he first joined its kitchen as a chef. Today, his journey has come full circle: Hiram returns as a partner and the restaurant’s executive chef, helping lead the next chapter of a place that has been part of his own story for more than 20 years.
Under Chef Hiram’s leadership, the reopening brings fresh energy to this storied address. The menu is inspired by California coastal cuisine, drawing flavors and inspiration from food traditions around the world while preserving the beloved Panama classics that longtime guests know and love. The culinary team is serving colorful, thoughtfully prepared dishes that feel at home in the Panama’s historic dining rooms and garden patio. The experience is lively yet intimate—equally suited to a date night, dinner with friends or a special celebration.
A colorful spread of shareable plates from the newly reopened Panama Hotel Restaurant.
Fresh ingredients and vibrant presentation bring a modern touch to the Panama table.
Partner and Executive Chef Hiram Diaz and his culinary team bring the next chapter of the Panama Hotel Restaurant to life.
Come Be Part of the Next Chapter
Nearly a century after Maria began sharing her cooking with the community, hospitality is once again at the heart of 4 Bayview Street. We invite you to return, raise a glass and make a new memory at the Panama Hotel Restaurant.
REOPENED SEPTEMBER 1
Dinner Hours
Tuesday–Thursday • 5:00–9:00 PM
Friday–Saturday • 5:00–9:30 PM
Closed Sunday & Monday
Panama Hotel & Restaurant
4 Bayview Street, San Rafael, California 94901
(415) 457-3993 | PanamaHotel.com
