El Rancho Grande Mexican Food
Tulsa, OK
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Here's a rather elaborate sign outside of El Rancho Grande Mexican Food in Tulsa. Located along historic Route 66, the restaurant features one of the most impressive neon signs on the Mother Road. Complete with a glowing sombrero, animated neon elements, and a distinctive matador, the sign was designed to stand out among the busy stream of traffic traveling Tulsa's 11th Street corridor.

El Rancho Grande traces its roots back to 1950 when Ruby Rodrigues opened the restaurant at a downtown Tulsa location. The business moved to its current Route 66 home in 1953 and has remained there ever since. Over the decades, it has become one of Tulsa's most beloved restaurants and one of the oldest continuously operating eateries along the city's stretch of the Mother Road.

The sign is every bit as memorable as the food. Few surviving Route 66 signs combine this much neon, movement, and visual flair into a single roadside display. It remains one of the finest examples of mid-century commercial sign design in Oklahoma and a favorite subject for photographers exploring Tulsa's neon landscape. 10-05

Rancho Grande
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: Here's another shot of the sign at the El Rancho Grande Mexican food restaurant in Tulsa. As you can see from this photo, downtown Tulsa is not too far away. In fact, the recently restored Meadow Gold rooftop sign is located just down the street.

The El Rancho Grande first opened its doors in 1951 at a different location. It move over to this place on Route 66 in 1953. This neon sign is a delight to look at and is a Mother Road treasure. 11-10

UPDATE: El Rancho Grande remains in business today and continues to serve customers from its historic Route 66 location. The iconic neon sign underwent a major restoration in 2009 and remains fully operational, standing as one of the best-preserved roadside signs in Tulsa. I stopped in during 2026 and found the food to be good, though somewhat Americanized in style, reflecting the longtime Tex-Mex traditions that have made the restaurant a local favorite for generations. 06-26