Henry's Drive-in
Cicero, IL
Photo courtesy chibbqking

The oversized hot dog above Henry's Drive-In makes a colorful introduction along Ogden Avenue in Cicero. Its neon slogan, “It’s a meal in itself,” gives Route 66 travelers a pretty direct invitation to stop. This is the kind of sign worth admiring before checking the menu. 02-09

Henry’s began in 1950, growing from a hot dog wagon into a permanent neighborhood stop. Chicago-style dogs, Polish sausages, Italian beef and fresh-cut fries built its following. Order a hot dog beneath a generous pile of fries, accompanied by a pickle spear, and that slogan starts making sense.

UPDATE: Henry’s remains open at its longtime Route 66 location. The familiar neon hot dog continues greeting customers, preserving one of Ogden Avenue’s most recognizable roadside advertisements. Fortunately, both the oversized sales pitch and the meal behind it are still part of the trip. 06-26

B&K Root Beer
Van Wert, OH
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The neon mug at &K Root Beer in Van Wert makes a convincing invitation to stop for something cold. It resembles the sign at the B&K in Kokomo, IN, giving these independent drive-in stops a familiar roadside connection. After sunset, that glowing mug deserves another look.

A local tradition since around 1955, B&K retains the window-tray routine. Pull into a space, place an order and let the food come to the car. Homemade root beer is the signature attraction, with coney dogs, Spanish dogs and burgers supplying the rest of a classic drive-in meal.

UPDATE: B&K continues operating seasonally, closing during winter and returning with warmer weather. Its root beer mug sign survives, welcoming another year’s customers. A frosty drink and a meal at the car window remain a good excuse to slow down in Van Wert. 06-26

Jerry's Old South Tavern (Closed)
Van Wert, OH
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The bright red sign at Jerry's Old South Tavern brought some colorful advertising to downtown Van Wert. Neon lettering offered “Liquor, Beer, Wine,” leaving little doubt about the refreshments inside. When photographed, the tavern was still welcoming customers seven days a week. 02-09

The neighborhood gathering place later shortened its name to Old South Tavern, but the projecting sign remained a familiar feature. Its bold colors and lettering complemented the older storefronts, giving passing motorists another reason to notice the building. Sometimes the advertisement becomes as memorable as the business beneath it.

UPDATE: Old South Tavern permanently closed in May 2024. The building remains, but its neon sign has disappeared. The familiar gathering place and its colorful roadside invitation are now part of downtown Van Wert’s past. 06-26

Vito & Nick's Restaurant
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy chibbqking

The glowing windows at Vito & Nick's Restaurant offer a fitting welcome to this longtime Chicago pizza stop. The old-school neon looks comfortable here, adding another reason to pause before heading inside. Some neighborhood restaurants wear their history right out front. 02-09

The family story began with Vito Barraco’s tavern in the 1930s. His son Nick joined after World War II, and thin-crust pizza became the specialty. The restaurant moved to Pulaski Road in 1965, becoming Vito & Nick’s. Crispy, square-cut tavern pizza and homemade sausage helped build a following across generations.

UPDATE: Vito & Nick’s remains open at its longtime South Side location. The familiar window neon continues welcoming customers, while the restaurant carries on its traditional approach to pizza. The surroundings provide a colorful introduction to a meal with deep neighborhood roots. 06-26

Orange Garden
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy Chibbqking

The “Chop Suey” lettering at Orange Garden made a memorable introduction to this old-school Chicago restaurant. Dating to 1932, the business retained a dining room of dark booths, subdued lighting and familiar décor. The sign outside looked every bit as established as the surroundings within. 07-09

Classic Cantonese dishes built the restaurant’s following, with peanut butter egg rolls becoming a particular house favorite. For roadside visitors, though, the neon was an attraction before anyone ordered. It belonged to an era when a neighborhood restaurant could announce its specialty with a bright, custom-made display.

UPDATE: Orange Garden remains open, but the famous projecting neon sign was removed and sold at auction in 2022. The restaurant survived the change, although its exterior lost a familiar feature. Dinner continues inside without the old “Chop Suey” welcome overhead. 06-26

Mr. J's Dawg 'N Burger
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy Chibbqking

The signs at Mr. J's Dawg 'N Burger make a straightforward offer to hungry Chicago night owls: hot dogs, burgers and gyros. Serving customers since 1978, this downtown counter stop built its reputation on familiar food and hours that extended well beyond the dinner rush. 07-09

The menu brings together Chicago dogs, Italian beef, gyros and the Dagwood Special—a double cheeseburger with fries. There’s little ceremony involved: order at the counter and settle the question of what to eat after a concert or an evening out. The bright storefront supplies the roadside invitation.

UPDATE: Mr. J’s remains open, continuing its longtime role as a late-night meal stop. Its familiar signs survive, giving customers an easy place to spot when many neighboring kitchens have finished for the evening. Sometimes a glowing burger advertisement arrives at exactly the right moment. 06-26

Mack's Golden Pheasant (Demolished)
Elmhurst, IL
Photo courtesy Luke Mack

The restored Mack's Golden Pheasant marquee was a roadside attraction in its own right. An internal date of 1936 gave the sign an intriguing history beyond its years advertising this Elmhurst restaurant. Its colorful neon made a fitting introduction to an old-fashioned evening out. 11-09

The restaurant opened in 1948 and remained in the Mack family for three generations. Its Alpine-chalet appearance and Old World atmosphere helped make it a DuPage County favorite. A devastating fire in 1962 and later flooding brought setbacks, but rebuilding kept customers returning for decades.

UPDATE: Mack’s closed in late 2024 after seventy-six years, and the building was subsequently demolished. Fortunately, the marquee was removed beforehand and relocated to Indiana for preservation and possible future public display. The restaurant is gone, but its familiar neon received another chance. 06-26

Sparkle Shops Donuts (Gone)
Rockford, IL
Photo courtesy Kelly Sullivan

The neon at Sparkle Shops Donuts offered Rockford motorists a colorful suggestion for their next stop. Coffee and a fresh doughnut hardly needed elaborate advertising, but a bright sign certainly helped. This one supplied plenty of roadside appeal before anyone reached the door. 08-10

One of several Sparkle Shops serving the area, the business became part of the neighborhood routine for breakfast, coffee and something sweet. Its marquee recalled the years when independent doughnut shops added custom neon to the commercial streetscape. A quick purchase could come with something worth photographing outside.

UPDATE: The shop closed, and both the building and neon sign were removed during redevelopment. A Walgreens now occupies the site. Another familiar coffee-and-doughnut stop has disappeared, taking its colorful roadside advertisement with it. 06-26