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Panama Hotel & Restaurant
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
41 reviews for Panama Hotel & Restaurant
Review Highlights
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This is another worthy jazz and cabaret joint I frequent primarily for the music. If you live in San Francisco and you like jazz, you should go this month. If you live in Marin and you like jazz, you should tonight. This is a very nice place with great service and very nice food served at very nice prices. I had a hamburger and it was very nice.
And as for atmosphere, you get more than what you pay for. It's a little oasis of a place in a quiet street. It's snug and quirky-charming inside like you stumbled upon it in Key West. I mean, I've always wanted to sleep over here (in their hotel, upstairs) - how many restaurants can you say that about?
It was a beautiful day yesterday and I had a wonderful leisure lunch with my mother and daughter. What more could a person ask for...
I love the decor of the Panama Hotel. The service was much better than average.
The food is average to me. I had the roasted pork grilled sandwich and it had ample serving of pork, brie, and apples. The apples over took the whole flavor of the sandwich so I really ended up having a roasted apple sandwich.
My mother had the fish tacos and she said they were okay. My daughter elected for the roasted beet salad and she said it was excellent and then she had the crab cake sliders that she said were unbalanced and lacked flavor.
Since I think the setting is so beautiful and food is okay I would recommend and also will return sooner than not for myself. It had been years since I was there.
I responded to an OpenTable promotion that the Panama Restaurant was part of. What a nice surprise. My wife and I would NEVER have gone here otherwise.
We sat outside on a very warm night. Our server, Ben, was very nice and very knowledgeable.
I had a roasted beet and goat cheese salad and a glass of Alsatian Pinot Grigio. I followed with a seared Ahi Tuna over pickled beets that was a special.
My bride had Tuscan toasts (goat cheese, roasted garlic etc) as a starter and the Calamari Fritte salad with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
It was a romantic little place with nice people and good food. The bill (sans tip) was $82.
We'll go back. There were too many things on the menu that we wanted but couldn't fit into one meal. Now there's a nice change!
I have a new "go to" restaurant when I'm visiting my parents in Marin. We've been there several times in the last six months, so I guess you can say that we're officially fans! It's been around for years, but for some reason it was never on our restaurant rotation. (Yeah, we were in a rut.)
We've tried several dishes during our visits and our favorite is probably the wild salmon, but the cheeseburger is a close second! Both are just perfectly cooked and really flavorful. The meatloaf (yes, meatloaf) and the pork tenderloin were other standouts. As far as appetizers go, we always have the Tuscan Toast Platter, which has a selection of olives, goat cheese, roasted garlic, and a caper/sundried tomato mixture. It's a perfect sized appetizer for three people and it's only $10! The Panama serves beer and wine only, but it's no problem because they have a nice selection.
If you're looking for a place that's off the beaten path with good food and friendly service (and outdoor seating available), I would suggest that you give it a shot. (They also have a charming little inn that they run that's attached to the restaurant. I was checking out the pictures of the rooms online and now I want to stay there!)
This is a total gem hidden away in a residential neighborhood. The burger will knock your socks off. Go with the dinner specials whenever you can.
Sit outside where hats are hanging to try on to keep out of the sun during the day, or enjoy the twinkling lights at night.
Live music and dancing to the standards close the deal here for me.
On a warm summer evening, sitting on the back patio, cooling off after a hot day.....the lights twinkling overhead....this place is so very romantic.
My favorite is the clamari salad - I have enjoyed a number of dishes here, like the steak and halibut (in season), but I always go back to that.
This place had steadily better-than-decent food in the most perfect setting.
Take a date, have a glass of wine and prepare to get laid!
Note: This is only based on their Easter Sunday Brunch Buffet.
It has been a while since I felt completely robbed by a restaurant. I went here with family for Easter Sunday Brunch. $35 per person for a small selection of food with no made to order stations like omelets or waffles. Coffee and juice were not even included. Here is what I had...half an eggs Benedict, one scoop of scrambles eggs, potatoes, and a small sausage. I paid $35 for that! The food was lukewarm and I swear it was completely mediocre when you factor in the price.
It may have been a buffet but exactly how much breakfast food can you stuff yourself with before you are full. And breakfast food is the easiest and cheapest food to make. My plate was worth $13 at the very most and it wasn't even hot...We ended up paying $100 for the two of us.
If you are ever in Maui, go to the Grand Wailea Hotel and go to their Champagne Brunch. It is $50 per person but there is an omelet station, freshly made donut station, a child station that is very low so that they can make their own plate, a seafood station, drinks included, desert station...oh, and I can't forget to mention that you get an ocean view on the terrace.
The Panama hotel is tucked away on the outskirts of Albert Park. From the outside it looks like a plain building, but within they house what you would call a "Staycation" which seems like a great idea when you drive by this hotel and don't realize that it is a hotel and restaurant.
We decided to have Sunday Brunch here with a group of friends. We arrived and found out that outside seating was reserved (boo because it was SO nice outside), but the Hostess said she could accommodate us within 10-15 minutes if we didn't mind waiting... awesome! So we waited by the bar, had a few mimosas, chatted and read the Sunday paper. Inside seating reminded me of someone's Uber elegant dining room. Small, but fashionable. Honestly, I was amazed by the bar stools... they were SO HEAVY. I guess I'm weird because I kept talking about it and got the evil eye from the BF to shut up about it lol. (yes, he does give the evil eye sometimes).
We waited our 10 minutes and were seated on the patio on green plastic lawn chairs... oh well, we wanted outside seating right? The menu was a small limited Brunch menu that consisted of 7-8 breakfast items and 4 lunch items. Our waiter was very nice and took our order within an appropriate amount of time. When the food came out, mine was no where to be seen. I was told the chef missed my order on the ticket so it would be another "couple" minutes for my food to arrive. In the mean while, I ate the BFs Spinach, Mushroom and Mozzarella Omelet and sneaked pieces of the AWESOME Praline French toast we ordered for the table. When my food did arrive it was "eh". They tried to over compensate for bringing my food late by bloping (bloping is not a word BTW) on two extra scoops of Polenta (I ordered the Creamy Polenta with Apple Sausage). So I didn't finish my food, but the Apple Sausage was VERY good and the Polenta was cooked perfectly.
For a Sunday Brunch, it is pretty pricey, but it's something you would expect at a nice Marin restaurant. Seriously, it's no Dennys. I'd probably go back to the Panama Hotel if I had company from out of town visiting. But for the usual breakfast meal for about 2/3 of the price I'd rather go to the Lighthouse Dinner :)
A well thought out wine list accompanies an interesting menu. I've eaten here many times. The burger is one of the best in Marin (if not the bay area) the salads are really good. Sometimes they miss, but more often than not the food is good. The outside patio is lovely. I didn't give it 5 stars as the service can be very spotty and personally I can do without the live music on week nights.
We just had lunch here yesterday based upon yelp reviews giving it 4 stars and were disappointed. We hoped for lunch but they were only serving brunch and they had a few lunch items so we decided to stay...maybe they were the wrong lunch items?? We ordered a quesadilla, the burger and the baja salad. The quesadilla came out looking nicely grilled but the cheese wasn't even melted and was luke warm at best. The baja salad had no flavor, some of the chicken was undercooked. The burger was very good but the fries were a little too crispy for my taste.
We sat outside which is very nice and the inside looked charming as well. Service was good but not great...nothing to complain or rave about - just ok.
I would kill for their roll
I came for a company lunch. I never knew they had businesses in this area. Muffin Mania, which I want to try next is next door.
I got the Lamb Gyro. It would be a 5 star dish if they didn't use plain tortilla. I was expecting yummy Gyro bread. That was a little weird, but the lamb was perfectly cooked. We got the Toast platter. The baked garlic was delicious.
The roll was sooooooooooo good. I had 2. Secretly I wanted to ask them one to take home, but I didn't want to appear greedy.
Several reasons this place lost stars
-1 service was very odd. The waitress was nice, but seemed rushed. This other waitress asked my co-worker if she wanted more bread, but never brought it out. The refill for ice tea came at the end of our lunch. They didn't open the sparkling water for my ED, who struggled to open it. The waitress also struggled. Should have opened it in the back.
-1 the atmosphere here is loud. I thought we were having a nice quiet lunch, but it was interrupted by the loud group next to us. It looks like other people are encouraging groups to come here, so that would be one reason I would hesitate to come again. The seating area are close to each other.
A great place to take someone for a special date. I'd call ahead to see if large groups would be there at the same time.
Oh, it is love.
The first time I came here was with my friend Jenny, and we ordered the special, halibut with curry sauce and maybe rice, I can't remember, but it was delicious, of course. The rolls are also delicious. The burger is huge but very good. Salads are great too, they are the perfect size. I believe Damien is the chef, he is amazing, anything he cooks I WILL eat.
I've only been on weekend nights, and they have live music. I loved it.
Atmosphere is great, a good place for a date. Feels like you're in Europe because the tables are pretty close together.
Overall very impressed.
Oh! And they have delicious brunch and mimosas!
Great place for a group lunch (tho I'd recommend reservations). It won't be the quickest meal you've had, but it will be worth it.
The baja salad is delicious as are the sandwiches. The staff is friendly and efficient. The prices are standard- solid for the value- but the ambience really sets the place apart. There's small courtyard seating and the interior is nicely decorated wtih color and is welcoming.
Definitely worth a try and repeat visits.
I really wanted to give the Panama 4 or 5 stars, but I just cant. Everything was just fine. The room was nice, the bed was comfy. The staff was a bit aloof, but efficient - they were accommodating when we wanted to stay an extra day at the last minute. I really wanted to try the restaurant, but we were on the go the whole time and the head chef was out of town. The continental breakfast was the exact same thing all three days we were there, which, being next door to Muffin Mania, was a bit disappointing.
I certainly expected more for 2 bills a night.
I have lived in Marin my whole life and only ate here one time for dinner. I remember it was exceptional and since my Hubby and I were staying there for three nights I figured we would get a chance to eat dinner here again. Nope, too much to do and too many people to see.
I did enjoy our room though, Marie's Pueblo room. There was a cute sitting area in front of our room with some sweet inpatients in flower holders. The bathroom was huge with a gigantic shower. There was a refrigerator and microwave available to use as well.
The weird things about our stay that ended up with a 3 star rating.....
when checking in we had to track down the front desk guy who was rather aloof.
there was a distinct smell of bleach, which was in the front lobby area where there is seating for eating.
all three continental breakfasts were exactly the same. The scones were really good though. The gal that was in the room to watch over us was way over fake in saying goooood morning.....
The bleach smell was there in the am as well. I think they just poured bleach into the cement and they power washed it off before breakfast service
the plus side- the room was cozy, and the bed was really comfy and you can't hear street noise from the room. There are thick drapes to cover the windows to keep the room dark in the morning. The cleaning people clean around the mess you make. The room we stayed in was the only one in the entire hotel where you can stay with your dog. We wanted to extend our stay an extra night and the front desk was very accommodating even though another person with a dog was to check in.
All told for the amount of money that was spend per night, it could have been a better stay, but I was satisfied enough to recommend Panama to out of towners. I am glad I was able to stay there finally, but it is a case of been there done that. I still want to go back and eat dinner!
I've been visiting this place for years and had my wedding rehearsal dinner here. I can't recommend it highly enough for food, decor, service and professionalism. The California/Italian/Mediterranean food is diverse and delicious, particularly the seafoods, soups and salads. The service is excellent and the style of the place is quirky but fun. Some nights even have live music. Check it out!
For a special event, Naomi the event planner is a dream to work with. For a reasonable price we got the whole restaurant reserved, hors d'oeuvres outdoors and the pick of the menu for dinner indoors. They even accommodated extra guests with panache. The hotel is quirky but nice, a good value in an excellent location.
DUUUUDE.....How have I never been here before. I was born and raised in Marin and never knew this place even existed. I guess I been hangin around with the wrong people - Jason R AKA Julio...he was born and raised in San Rafael and never once did he say - on one of our food exploration missions - Hey Snuz let's go sit outside at the Panama Hotel. Tisk Tisk Snuz - eStrike Von.
So that's my description of how unimpressed I am that I had never to the Panama Hotel. The Food was excellent although on the small potion side. I had a Lamb Gyro - solid but coulda ate 3 of them. I subbed fries for the salad - and this is the thing that really got me - you know when your finishing up your fries and there's little ones left that unless the fries were really good you wouldn't bother - well that was the majority of the fries I got but they were good and ate them all.
Solid food, at a great price and great ambiance. Looking forward to going back and trying more of the menu. If this place was in LA or MIA with decorations/ambiance the menu would be twice as expensive. The most expensive thing on the lunch menu was $17 on average everything was $12 - 15.
I'll have to say check this place out Fo Sho. and when you see how cool it is you can Thank Julio for not telling you about and Thank Me for havin your back.
Until today I didn't even know this place existed.
What a find!
I loved it!
I don't know about the hotel, but if it is anything like the restaurant, it will be worth exploring.
Wonderful lunch! Nice staff! Very relaxed and pleasant atmosphere!
Only problem was the wait service was a tad slow. We waited and waited for someone to come to our table to take our order. Then one waitress came and started asking about drinks, etc. . . . and then a 2nd one came up and started repeating everything with the 1st one still standing there. Was someone being trained? If so, couldn't tell which one.
Bus staff was quick and efficient. There seemed to be plenty of them and they seemed to know what they were doing. A+ for busing service. Maybe they should have been waiting tables?
After our plates were cleared it was a good 10 minutes, or more, before the wait staff (just one this time) returned to ask about dessert and coffee. She left the dessert menus and once again didn't return for some time.
I would have loved dessert and coffee, but we'd finally really run out of time for even a long lunch hour.
Maybe with some additional wait staff or more training, this one slight flaw can be corrected.
Love Love Love this place!
Even though I live in Marin, I have had many rendezvous at the Panama hotel. I've stayed in every room. My personal Favorites are Rosies room for the Balcony and the bidet, And the Honeymoon suite for the clawfoot bathtub in the room.
The food is amazing as well. I crave the Pasilla pepper stuffed with smoked chicken pistachios, cheese and sun dried tomatoes. Sooo Good! Their brunch is amazing as well. The french toast with carmilized pecans is just what you need when staying for a weekend so you can crawl back into bed.
I love this place so much I even had my 29th birthday in their outside courtyard. They even had a live jazz band playing, so my rockstar friend sat in and serenaded me. It was a night to remember.
I practically grew up here. My friends and I would come here every Tuesday night in high school to see Swing Fever and piss off the waitress by only ordering coffee.
Times have not changed much. It is still an excellent place to relax and hear Swing Fever on Tuesday nights (though a few members have died since I was in high school). From the lunch menu, I've had the Baja Salad, Quesadilla with Manchego, Panini Sandwich, Caesar Salad with Chicken and the Turkey/Avocado Club. And wine instead of coffee. It is expensive. But it's a treat. The only thing I haven't liked was the BBQ pork sandwich (the sauce was too sweet for me), but otherwise, I'm rarely disappointed. Their outdoor seating in the back garden is a big plus when you're paying $20 for lunch.
AND I'VE ACTUALLY STAYED HERE! It is a full-functioning hotel. My boyfriend and I decided to stay here for my birthday like 4 years ago. It was awesome. Totally cute rooms with balconies, great service, great staff, they really do accomodate whatever whims you have.
Dinner here is great, too. If you want to impress a date, or have a romantic evening out, dinner at the Panama is always a good choice.
What a gem. It is an old inn with a dining room and an outdoor dining patio. I have not been there is years, but after reading some reviews on Yelp am going back as soon as possible. My son's bar mitzvah luncheon (50 people) was on the patio and everyone loved the food as well as the atmosphere. I recall them having excellent caeser salad.
If you have excessive folks popping in because they love the bay area and using you as their hotel, you might consider off loading them to The Panama Hotel, which has some pretty interesting funkadelic rooms.
Totally adorable B&B! The rooms are clean, unique and fun! The restaurant is also great, and has well prepared new American cuisine with a lovely wine list (homemade deserts are awesome!) Highly recommended for a romantic get away.. plus under 150 a night, hard to beat for this boutique gem!
This place was my old neighbor, back in my short-lived GerstlePark days.
Needless to say, during my half a year of being a SanRafael resident, this place came in quite handy.
It housed my mother and sister-in-law, who quited enjoyed their stay. Brunch is a blast. Their praline french toast is to die for. And the patio is so quaint. And my man and I went there for dinner on a jazz night, and found the atmosphere and the food a real delight. If I'd hadn't been saving money at the time, I reckon I'd have been there weekly.
If you're looking for a fun hotel, stay here because it's also walking distance to the best bars SR has to offer.
Five stars for the hotel, will write later about the food...
Exceeded our expectations in every way. Wow, do I love suites, and Rosie's Room http://www.panamahotel... is perfect for us this winter: sunny warm sitting room, a balcony with comfy seating, a walk in closet with windows and a mini bar (!), great bed, claw foot tub and a bidet (!) Even had a wine bottle opener with a little knife so I could trim the cork of our champagne...this is one sexy place for a long winter's nap....
Now is later and it is time to talk about the food. The continental breakfast that came with the hotel stay was a mixed experience. The good part was sitting in the sunny window of their delightful dining room, reading the panels on the wall with photos and history of the hotel and its various owners and managers, granola, hardboiled egg, good scones, and half and half; the bad part was unripe fruit, icky tasting coffee, and no yogurt.
We came back for a late lunch and again, the experience was mixed. The good: the fried calamari salad was to die for. I have never had such a tasty perfect dish and I will dream about it for days and may have to come back just for that. The bad: being told by the waitress that she would take my order when my husband arrived, even though i knew he was not ordering just keeping me company, and then having her spill some of my own champagne and then be charged corkage after she had said she would not ( I had been prepared to pay it and had asked for champagne glasses and an ice bucket up front). And for some reason, we were never served bread. I am hoping this was an odd event for both parties, and not significant of the quality of service. I did not tip on the corkage.
So a 3 for the food service at the hotel, regretfully. i am going to go back and see if it was an anomaly. I have to have that calamari salad again!!
For the record, this is the first time I have ever brought my own bottle to a restaurant! It was New Year's eve and I wanted to drink one of the yummy bottles that had been gifted to us. Teaches me!
This is the best kept secret in Marin..and you East Bay'ers this is really in your backyard, Just over the bridge and Yes there is Parking! (Check out the back way taking Andersen Drive and turning left on Linardo St. and Right on Woodlin Ave...You miss all kind of traffic)
The Food is so fresh and the flavors just make your mouth happy. I especially like the Baja Seafood Salad. The Portion are huge! They have a two day burger, totally organic. It is fun to order a bunch and appetizers and share. The entrees are incredible. Very interesting wine list! I like the Tuesday and Thursday jazz nights. Wish they had music on Wednesday.
Excellent place to celebrate a birthday either lunch or dinner.
Cheers,
LenaB.
Hidden gem in San Rafael's Gerstle Park area. We had an excellent dinner here. Staff is a bit aloof...maybe too casual. We did not have reservations, so were not able to sit outside. The outside seems to have a better vibe than indoors. We will return!
Took a group there for lunch and had a delicious meal, while enjoying the warm and homey feel of this place. Everyone loved their meal. Will definitely return with one or more people, including business and personal.
My very first job was at the Panama Hotel. Of course then it was owned by Mimi and Richard, and Mimi's son (John Remak) and my brother and I all ran the place. Dan bought it from Mimi and Richard and really cleaned the place up. Nowhere near as funky as it used to be, but it still has a great atmosphere and the food is consistently good.
Summer time on the patio is wonderful and the rooms are all completely different in the hotel. Situated in a residential neighborhood, it really has a great feel and you can go for a nice walk after you eat.
I'm not really sure about the four stars, but it was certainly pleasant enough. The food was OK, but I stuck to the seafood salad because I'm ON A DIET PEOPLE. I ordered wine and they brought the bottle to the table and asked me if that was what I ordered, which confused me because I didn't have my glasses on, just pour it OK? don't make this a quiz. The weather was so lovely and there was a full moon so the patio was pretty much where everyone was sitting. The plastic chairs were flimsy, but I guess that's what you get for being outside. The bathroom was unique. I opened the door into a tiny tiny tiny "room" with another door, and realized someone was using the only toilet. If they opened the door I'd get hit, so I went back outside and tried to stay out of the way. When the other person came out, I went in to discover the tiniest facilities I've ever seen, up one step because they must have had to "invent" the plumbing in a closet. I'm not all about the bathroom people, but this place was bizarre. Fairly clean, but bizarre.
I don't know who rigged the place up, but they were not planning it, for get it if you are in a wheel chair. The service was pleasant, and the atmosphere was cute, so it gets a four star rating anyway.
We had an excellent time eating here for dinner. The service was a little slow on a Friday night but they had several big parties. The setting of the restaurant is nice and cozy, it had outside and inside seating. The food was delicious. I recommended the Ahi Tuna Cerveche was on point. Entree's was a good portion and tasted fresh. Dessert was my favorite, we had the white chocolate cheescake and Myer Lemon Tart. Yummy! I would definatly come back here to try their lunch menu and explore the dinner menu more!
This is hidden little gem in San Rafael. The atmosphere is open and airy and the chairs are oh so comfortable. The menu offers great seasonal options and a wonderful salads. My only complaint is the service. It's a bit pretentious - which is so unnecessary and unpleasant. Maybe it's because we had our toddler with us, but overall, she was well behaved.
The food...yummy yummy...the outside patio ...relaxing and pretty...inside is nice too...BUT the service is absolutely terrible every time we go.
there are a few kind/ sweet servers...but the time it takes to get the food out is way over the top.. and no one seems to care that works there.
I will still go ...but plan on not being in a rush you;;ll be there longer than you want. If you have the time...go, relax and enjoy a great meal
Could the reviews of the service have been that spot on? Yes. It all started out ok. The appetizers were brought out, the wine was poured. And then nothing. It took a while before we realized that we hadn't gotten our dinners. Apparently, there was a mix up in the kitchen. That always makes you wonder.
Finally, the food came out. Someone had reviewed the pablano chile as being divine. Not for me. My friend's burger was completely underdone.
It took forever to get someone's attention to send the burger back. Then that took forever to come back out.
Yes, they did top off our wine glasses, and were deeply apologetic about the undercooked burger... but people, that was only one of the three strikes that night.
I'm just afraid that I shan't ever be going back there. It just doesn't seem worth it.
The music here tends to annoy me (please don't tell my boyfriend, who loves it!), but the food is great. The stuffed poblano chile with quinoa rocks my world, but I miss the mole sauce they served with it over the summer--now it has a chile colorado sauce. The tea service is great. Sometimes tea service comes in a teapot adorned with scary masks, sometimes it comes in a cute elephant shaped teapot where the tea comes out of the elephant's trunk. The honeypot for the tea is also very cute and makes me feel like Winnie-the-Poo. However, if I have to hear any more "Swing Fever," I will feel like Whiney-the Poo...
Great food. Great atmosphere. Great crowd.
Set away from downtown in a quiet neighborhood. Trust me you'll enjoy it.
I'd give it 5 stars but I was disappointed in the service. i watched a hostess make a handicapped couple stand when it was obvious they were uncomfortable in their crutches. There were available tables everywhere but she kept telling them to stand.
I met a friend here today for a ladies' lunch, someone I knew via email but had never met. Alan and I had had dinner here w/ another couple several years ago. It was good, but I don't remember the details. So after Marilyn suggested lunch here I checked the Yelp reviews. A couple of people raved about the fried calamari salad, which captured my attention, of course. When we arrived the patio was fairly crowded. We sat inside in the dining room. It's an attractive, homey old room, painted in warm, earthy colors and full of interesting things to admire. The menu was extensive and had many intriguing offerings, from a poblano chile stuffed w/ quinoa, goat cheese and I forget what all else, to a crab cake po' boy to a 12 oz hamburger. Who eats a 12 oz hamburger?? But there was the calamari salad whispering in my ear, so I went w/ it. Marilyn ordered a lamb gyro, which looked more like a wrap. Before our dishes arrived a server came by w/ hot rolls and butter, then w/ water, iced tea and coffee. When our dishes arrived, my salad was generous, beautifully composed and very tasty, the calamari perfectly cooked, atop baby lettuces accompanied by small pieces of tomato and avocado. It was dressed w/ a nicely balanced vinaigrette. The lamb gyro was accompanied by an assortment of olives and looked tasty. Marilyn liked it. It was a lovely and pleasant place for lunch.
I'm giving 3 stars for being able to sit outside on a nice patio to enjoy lunch. I'm not giving any stars for the food selection. I can never find anything appealing on the menu. And, I've never been blown away by anything they serve.
The main reason we went to this place was to see "Swing Fever" a jazz band. Their performance wasn't really extraordinary. Wasn't bad but not terribly memorable. Which brings me to my review of the restaurant. The best thing about this place is the service. The wait staff were very quick and personable. The food tends to be on the very rich side. For appetizers we ordered the stuffed poblano chile. It was very heavy on the goat cheese. The pan seared chicken was moist but was overpowered by the flavors of garlic.
Sunday brunch at this place is a must. Excellent service and brunch menu. Dinnners are also very good with a somewhat limited selection - but very good. Fantastic atmosphere in a quiet neighbourhood.
We have tried Panama Hotel 3 times. The first two times, the food was good and the ambiance was nice. However, the second time it took over 20 minutes for anyone to even acknowledge that we were there. No sign of wait staff, no water, nothing. Thinking that our experience the second time was a fluke, we tried Panama Hotel again this week. After waiting 25 minutes for a waitress to even make eye contact, we left. So, I cannot tell you what the food was like this time. I can tell you that the service is terrible. What a shame.


