Glenn's Cafe
Columbia, MO
Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans

Glenn's Cafe is a great example of how a piece of roadside history can live on even after the original building is gone. What began as a small roadside diner along old Highway 40 eventually found a new home in downtown Columbia, bringing its famous neon sign along for the ride. 04-09

The cafe first opened in the early 1940s as a combination gas station and diner serving travelers along the highway. In the 1980s, new ownership transformed it into a Cajun and Creole restaurant, but one thing they didn't leave behind was the vintage sign. Instead of tossing it aside, they carefully moved it to the new location, preserving one of Columbia's best-known roadside landmarks.

The restaurant has changed locations a few times over the years, even spending several years in nearby Boonville before returning to Columbia. Today, Glenn's operates inside the historic Tiger Hotel, where the old neon sign continues to remind visitors of the restaurant's roadside roots.

UPDATE: Glenn's Cafe remains open in downtown Columbia, and its original vintage neon sign continues to greet customers outside its current location. 06-26

Valois Cafeteria
Chicago, IL
Photo and info courtesy Dirk Burhans

Valois Cafeteria may not have the flashiest sign in Chicago, but what it lacks in curb appeal it more than makes up for in history. This Hyde Park institution has been serving customers since 1921 and is famous for its simple but memorable slogan: "See Your Food." 08-09

Instead of ordering from a waiter, customers move down the serving line and watch their meals being prepared right in front of them. It's a straightforward idea that has become part of the restaurant's identity and helped make Valois one of Chicago's best-known cafeterias.

Over the years, Valois has attracted everyone from neighborhood regulars to former President Barack Obama, whose favorite menu items are even highlighted inside the restaurant. Despite its fame, it has never lost the unpretentious feel that made it popular in the first place.

The sign out front may not be the most exciting you'll ever see, but sometimes it's what's inside that counts. Valois has been doing things its own way for more than a century, and that's reason enough to stop in if you're in the neighborhood.

UPDATE: Valois Cafeteria remains open in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, continuing its longtime "See Your Food" tradition more than 100 years after opening. 06-26

Keith's Cafe
Gardner, IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

Keith's Cafe is one of those signs that proves you don't need flashing neon to get someone's attention. Sitting along old Route 66 in Gardner, Illinois, the sign features a big rig truck that looks just a little rear heavy. Every time I see it, I think it would have been even better if the wheels actually turned. 11-08

It's a simple design, but that's what makes it so much fun. Instead of relying on bright lights or fancy animation, the sign uses a familiar image that would have caught the eye of truckers and travelers rolling down the Mother Road.

UPDATE: The current status of Keith's Cafe and its roadside sign could not be verified. Recent documentation confirming whether either still survives was not available. 06-26

Monty's Grill
Royal Oak, MI
Photo and info courtesy Richard Weiss

Monty's Grill is one of those little diners that would be easy to miss if you weren't paying attention. Tucked next to a couple of old roadside motels along Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, it looks like the kind of place that's been feeding hungry travelers for years. 01-07

The diner is small, with just a handful of tables and a short counter, but that's part of its charm. Known as the "Home of the Great Omelet," Monty's has built a loyal following with hearty breakfasts, burgers, and other diner favorites served in a friendly, no-frills setting.

I've always liked little places like this that seem frozen in time. Pair it with the vintage motels next door, and it's easy to imagine what this stretch of Woodward looked like decades ago when roadside travel was at its peak.

UPDATE: Monty's Grill remains open in Royal Oak and continues serving breakfast and lunch. The classic diner and its roadside sign are still welcoming customers along Woodward Avenue. 06-26

The Toast Cafe
Anderson, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Toast Cafe has one of the most fun diner signs you'll find anywhere in Indiana. Surrounded by rows of little blinking light bulbs, it almost looks like something that belongs outside an old movie theater. It's the kind of sign that's impossible to miss and reason enough to slow down for a closer look. 07-08

The Toast first opened in 1951 and quickly became a favorite spot for breakfast and lunch in downtown Anderson. For decades, locals filled the booths for hearty diner fare before the restaurant closed in 2013, leaving many people wondering if another classic eatery had been lost for good.

Fortunately, that wasn't the end of the story. New owners purchased the building, carefully restored both the diner and its iconic sign, and reopened The Toast in 2024. Today it's once again serving breakfast and lunch in much the same spirit that made it a local favorite for generations.

UPDATE: The Toast Cafe is open once again after an extensive restoration. Its classic marquee-style sign with the blinking light bulbs still welcomes customers to downtown Anderson. 06-26

Steamboat Cafe (Closed)
Hannibal, MO
Photo and info courtesy Richard Weiss

Steamboat Cafe looked like the kind of neighborhood diner every town ought to have. Located in Hannibal, Missouri, it was the sort of place where locals could stop in for a hearty breakfast, a cup of coffee, and a little conversation before heading on with the day. 07-08

The cafe became especially well known for its famous Pancake Challenge. Anyone brave enough could take on a giant six-pound pancake topped with a whole stick of melted butter, along with an entire bottle of syrup, and try to finish it all in just 20 minutes. It wasn't a challenge for the faint of heart.

Beyond the oversized pancake, the Steamboat Cafe was known for serving simple, affordable comfort food in a relaxed atmosphere. It wasn't trying to be fancy, and that's probably one of the reasons it became such a popular local hangout.

UPDATE: Steamboat Cafe has permanently closed. 06-26