Janson's Drive-in Hamburgers
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy chibbqking

Janson's Drive-in Hamburgers has been lighting up Chicago's Beverly neighborhood since 1960, and its brilliant neon sign is still one of the best you'll find anywhere in the city. On a busy evening, the glowing marquee is impossible to miss, drawing in customers looking for a classic Chicago-style hot dog, burger, or shake. While carhop service is long gone, the restaurant still offers takeout and outdoor seating. 02-09

Opened by brothers Jack and Tom Janson, the drive-in quickly became a neighborhood favorite thanks to its good food and unmistakable mid-century styling. The bright orange and turquoise building looks like it belongs in another era, and thankfully, so does the neon. After new owners took over in 2014, the restaurant received a careful restoration that brought the vintage lights, décor, and atmosphere back to life without losing its character.

The menu still centers around Chicago favorites, including Vienna Beef hot dogs served the traditional way on poppy seed buns, along with burgers, fries, and thick shakes. It's the kind of place where the food is great, but you'll probably spend just as much time admiring the building and that fantastic neon sign.

UPDATE: Janson's Drive-In remains open and continues serving Chicago-style favorites with takeout and outdoor seating. Its beautifully restored neon sign and mid-century building both survive and remain neighborhood landmarks. 06-26

Triple XXX Root Beer
West Lafayette, IN
Photo and info courtesy Alan Culley

Triple XXX Root Beer has been a West Lafayette tradition since 1929 and holds the distinction of being Indiana's first drive-in restaurant. Located just steps from the Purdue University campus, it's the kind of place that every road trip should include. While the carhops are gone today, the historic building and classic barrel-themed signs are still there to welcome hungry visitors.

Originally opened as a root beer stand, Triple XXX grew into a full-service restaurant while keeping the homemade root beer that made it famous. Today it's the only remaining Triple XXX restaurant in the country, preserving a name that once appeared on drive-ins across much of the United States.

The menu is packed with diner favorites, but the restaurant is probably best known for its hand-ground burgers, which it calls "chop steaks." The most famous is the Duane Purvis All-American, topped with peanut butter in honor of the legendary Purdue football player. It may sound unusual, but it's become one of the restaurant's signature items. Of course, no visit is complete without ordering a frosty mug of Triple XXX Root Beer, still made from the original recipe using pure cane sugar.

The restaurant has also earned national attention over the years, including a visit from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Even with the recognition, it still feels like the kind of hometown restaurant that's been serving generations of students, locals, and travelers alike.

UPDATE: Triple XXX Family Restaurant remains open year-round near the Purdue campus. While carhop service is no longer offered, the historic building, vintage signage, and famous root beer continue to make it one of Indiana's classic roadside stops. 06-26

For more photos and info, see Roadside Peek's Spotlight on the Triple XXX Root Beer of West Lafayette, IN

Penguin Point Drive-in (Gone)
Plymouth, IN
Photo and info courtesy Alan Culley

If you've ever driven through northern Indiana, chances are you've come across a Penguin Point Drive-In. This Plymouth location was one of the chain's most recognizable thanks to the giant neon penguin perched on top of its roadside sign. It was hard to miss, especially after dark, and became a familiar sight for travelers and locals alike. 05-09

The Plymouth restaurant opened in 1972 near the junction of old U.S. 31 and the Lincoln Highway. Like the other Penguin Point locations, it served burgers, breaded pork tenderloins, fries, and the chain's famous Big Wally double-decker sandwich, named after company founder Wallace E. Stouder Sr. It was the kind of place where generations of Hoosiers stopped for a quick meal on the road.

What really set this location apart, though, was the sign. The five-foot-tall neon penguin with its bright red feet gave the restaurant plenty of personality and made it one of the more memorable fast-food signs in Indiana. Unfortunately, that iconic topper didn't survive.

The Plymouth restaurant closed in late 2022 during a wave of corporate closures, and the remaining Penguin Point locations shut down the following year, bringing an end to a chain that had been serving northern Indiana for more than 70 years. Today the building still stands vacant, but the famous penguin has been removed, leaving only the pole sign behind.

UPDATE: The Plymouth Penguin Point permanently closed in 2022, and the chain ceased operations in 2023. The restaurant building remains standing but vacant, while the iconic neon penguin topper has been removed from the roadside sign. 06-26