After four years and a loyal following, chef Raul Sanchez is relocating Maya Del Sol Kitchen — trading Reynolds Avenue for a nostalgic return to Rivers Avenue, behind the revived Starlight Motor Inn.
There’s movement behind the scenes at Maya Del Sol Kitchen — and for fans of chef Raul Sanchez, it’s the kind of move that signals growth, not goodbye.
After four years in its current North Charleston home, Maya Del Sol Kitchen is packing up and heading to a new location behind the freshly renovated Starlight Motor Inn. The change comes as the restaurant’s lease at 1813 Reynolds Ave. reaches its end, with Sanchez serving his final guests there on Jan. 3.
About a month later, the restaurant will reopen at 3225 Rivers Ave., where Sanchez has signed a 10-year lease. The new space sits just behind the retro motel — and for the chef, it’s a return to familiar ground.
“It’s kind of nostalgic,” Sanchez said, recalling his earlier days operating Raul’s Taqueria and Mexican Grill nearby, according to the Post & Courier.
Same soul. Bigger canvas.
If you’re worried the move means a major overhaul — relax.
The heart of Maya Del Sol Kitchen will remain intact.
Locals have come to know the restaurant for its Thursday-through-Saturday, five-course tasting menu, a chef-driven experience that blends Mexican flavors with personal storytelling. Many of the dishes draw from family recipes and ideas that don’t neatly fit the typical expectations of a Mexican restaurant.
“It’s always a new menu,” Sanchez said, explaining that inspiration — not routine — guides his weekly offerings, per the Post & Courier.
That format will continue in the new location. But there’s more coming with it.
Sanchez plans to introduce cocktails — including margaritas and palomas — when the restaurant opens in early February, adding another layer to the evening experience.
More meals, more moments
The new Maya Del Sol will also expand its daytime presence.
Alongside dinner service, the restaurant will offer:
Lunch Wednesday through Saturday, featuring tacos, tortas, burritos, quesadillas, and rotating daily specials.
Sunday brunch, rounding out a full week of service.
The new space will include a spacious patio and room for private events, giving the restaurant more flexibility — and more reasons for people to linger.
What’s next at the Starlight
The move may be just the beginning.
Down the road, Sanchez is expected to take over the kitchen at the Starlight Motor Inn itself — a circa-1960s property that completed an extensive restoration in 2023. The motel now boasts 51 retro-style guest rooms, a pool, and a bar known as the Burgundy Lounge.
That future hotel restaurant concept will come later, once Maya Del Sol is fully settled into its new home beneath the cocktail den.
For now, the focus is clear: bringing a beloved restaurant back to a neighborhood that helped shape it — and giving it room to grow.
For opening updates, Sanchez encourages diners to follow @mayadelsolkitchen on Instagram.
This is a summary of an article published in the Post & Courier. Click here if you’d like to read that article.
