06/19/2026
A trip down memory lane...
Before Dinah’s Garden Hotel became the lush Palo Alto hideaway it is today, there was Dinah’s Shack, a beloved roadside restaurant that opened along El Camino Real in 1926.
It became a favorite stop for travelers, Stanford students, and locals, known for fried chicken, biscuits with honey, waffle potatoes, and a lively bar where guests carved their initials into the wood. Since Dinah’s Shack was so close to Stanford, local legend has it that a young John F. Kennedy stopped by during his Stanford days and carved his initials there too.
In 1957, Dinah’s Motor Hotel opened on the former apricot orchard behind Dinah’s Shack, bringing the Dinah’s name into a new chapter with tropical gardens, water features, a heated pool, and a resort-like setting right in the heart of Palo Alto.