Syd's Bar
Noblesville, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
Noblesville, IN home to this roadside bar lighting up the street with its neon signs. Syd's Bar also has an unforgettable name (especially when it's your own). This bar is found in downtown square Noblesville. The photos are fresh from 12/13/08. 12-08
Noblesville, Indiana is home to Syd's Fine Food & Spirits, a neighborhood bar that's hard to miss thanks to its glowing neon signs. Of course, the name caught my attention too! Located just off the downtown square, it's been welcoming customers for generations. The photos here were taken in December 2008. 12-08
Syd's traces its roots back to 1945, although the building has housed a tavern in one form or another since the late 1800s. Inside, it still has the feel of a classic neighborhood bar, complete with vintage booths, an old shuffleboard table, and plenty of local character.
Syd's Bar
Noblesville, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The menu is just as well known as the sign outside. Syd's is famous throughout Central Indiana for its breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, along with burgers, steaks, and other Hoosier favorites. Whether you're stopping in for lunch or spending an evening with friends, it's the kind of place that has become part of the community's routine.
The vintage neon sign fits the building perfectly and adds a lot of character to downtown Noblesville. It's always nice to see an old neighborhood tavern that has managed to hold onto both its history and its sign.
UPDATE: Syd's Fine Food & Spirits remains open on Noblesville's downtown square and continues serving customers from its historic location. The classic neon sign still lights up the corner and remains one of downtown's most recognizable landmarks. 06-26
Florentine Restaurant (Gone)
Columbus, OH Photo courtesy Michael Sekeres
The Florentine was a familiar West Broad Street stop in Columbus’ Franklinton neighborhood. For generations, families looking for homemade Italian food knew where to turn. Its longtime presence made it part of the neighborhood scenery as well as the dinner routine. 02-09
Tony Penzone founded the restaurant in 1945, and three generations of the family kept it going. Spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and house salad dressing helped build a following that lasted seventy-one years. There was no need to keep reinventing the place when customers returned for the dishes they already knew.
UPDATE: The Florentine closed in December 2016. The building survives, but the restaurant’s neon sign has disappeared. The family continued offering some signature sauces and dressings, preserving a taste of the business even after the dining room went quiet. 06-26
Pete's #2 Pizzeria (Rem.)
Chicago, IL Photo courtesy chibbqking
The neon at Pete's #2 Pizzeria gave this Chicago neighborhood restaurant a colorful introduction. “Since 1955” announced its history right on the marquee, letting passing motorists know the kitchen had been at work for quite a while. A fitting advertisement for a longtime pizza stop. 02-09
The family’s first pizzeria opened near the old Riverview Park, beginning a business carried through three generations. Recipes stayed in the family, along with a traditional approach to delivery: call the restaurant directly and let one of its own drivers bring dinner. The old neon suited that neighborhood identity.
UPDATE: Pete’s #2 remains open on Chicago’s Northwest Side, continuing the family’s pizza tradition. The classic neon sign disappeared around 2011, leaving the restaurant without the bright roadside detail pictured here. The kitchen carried on, though the approach became a little less colorful. 06-26
Lock View Restaurant
Sault Ste Marie, MI Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The Lockview Restaurant in Sault Ste. Marie offers more than a meal near the Soo Locks. Its sign caught my attention, especially when a closer look revealed where some of the old neon had gone. The familiar cursive lettering had found another home in the front window. 12-08
Lake Superior whitefish and lake perch are menu specialties, with several whitefish preparations and additional Friday offerings. Upstairs, diners can watch enormous freighters move through the locks while they eat. The neighboring Lockview Motel shares the name, although the two businesses have been separately owned.
UPDATE: Lockview continues operating seasonally across from the Soo Locks. The exterior sign has changed, but the cursive neon survives in the restaurant windows. Between the old lettering, fresh fish and passing ships, there’s plenty to look over before heading back out. 06-26
The Wheel Family Restaurant Restaurant
Hammond, IN Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi
The neon at The Wheel Family Restaurant keeps a familiar dining landmark visible along Indianapolis Boulevard in Hammond. Dating to the early 1960s, it began as The Big Wheel, part of a small Northwest Indiana restaurant chain. This location outlasted its companions. 01-09
Big Wheel restaurants also operated in Gary and Valparaiso before those locations disappeared. Hammond shortened its name to The Wheel in 1985, continuing with all-day breakfasts, generous portions, fresh-baked rolls and comfort food. The updated sign retained some roadside glow even as the name became shorter.
UPDATE: The Wheel remains open at its longtime Hammond location. Its neon continues welcoming customers to the last surviving restaurant from the original Big Wheel group. A familiar meal stop and a bright sign still make a good combination along the boulevard. 06-26
Barringer's Tavern
Indianapolis, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The “Beer” and “Lunch” neon at Barringer’s Tavern makes a straightforward invitation along South Meridian Street in Indianapolis. No complicated sales pitch needed here. The old sign supplies plenty of personality before visitors reach the door of this longtime neighborhood gathering place. 01-09
Barringer’s traces its history to 1879. Near the end of the southbound trolley line, it earned the nickname “Last Chance”—a final opportunity for refreshments before leaving town. During Prohibition it operated as a confectionery, while local stories describe drinks quietly passed through a rear window. Bowling and boarding-house uses added other chapters to the property.
UPDATE: New owners revived Barringer’s in 2019, restoring the building and preserving its neon sign. The tavern remains open, with the familiar lettering still glowing above South Meridian Street. Fortunately, this “Last Chance” received another chance of its own. 06-26
Emil's Steer Inn (Demolished)
Columbus, OH Postcard courtesy Michael Sekeres
This nighttime postcard shows Emil's Steer Inn lighting up U.S. 40 on the east side of Columbus. Advertised as an “ultra-modern eating place,” it invited motorists to “Steer out to Emil’s Steer Inn.” Quite a confident introduction, and the illuminated building certainly helped sell the invitation. Here's a look at what Emil's Steer Inn looked like inside. 02-09
Owner Emil Windmiller offered a combination drive-in, sandwich shop and restaurant, serving everything from a quick bite to a full dinner. A downstairs bakery supplied pies and pastries, while French ice cream added another reason to save room. Customers even received complimentary pickles and sauerkraut while waiting for their meals.
UPDATE: Emil’s closed in the 1970s and was later demolished. Redevelopment removed the distinctive building and signage, leaving postcards to recall the old roadside welcome. The modernity promised in the advertising belongs to another era now, but it still makes an appealing nighttime scene. 06-26
The Wheel Family Restaurant Restaurant
