New Mill Restaurant (Gone)
Rockford, IL
Photo courtesy Kelly Sullivan

New Mill Restaurant was one of those places where the sign caught your eye before the building did. The classic marquee, complete with its tilting martini glass, was a familiar sight along 11th Street in Rockford for many years. 08-10

The restaurant was part of the longtime New Mill family of businesses along the airport corridor, which also included the New Mill Motel and New Mill Tap. While the restaurant has since closed, it was a well-known stop for locals and travelers alike.

UPDATE: The New Mill Restaurant is gone today. The nearby New Mill Motel and New Mill Tap remain, but the fate of the restaurant's distinctive martini glass sign is unknown. 07-26

Chuc A Luc's Fishmarket & Grill
Rockford, IL
Photo courtesy Kelly Sullivan

Chuc-A-Luc's Fish Market Grill & Soul Food is one of those colorful places that's hard to drive past without taking a second look. The bright building stands out along Elm Street, and if you're in the mood for Southern cooking, you've come to the right place. 08-10

The menu is packed with Southern favorites, including fried catfish, fried chicken, rib tips, oxtails, collard greens, candied yams, mac and cheese, and, of course, fried green tomatoes. One thing that makes Chuc-A-Luc's a little different is the live fish tanks inside, where customers can even choose fresh catfish to be prepared to order.

UPDATE: Chuc-A-Luc's is still serving up Southern comfort food in Rockford, and its colorful building continues to brighten up Elm Street. 07-26

Parkway Family Restaurant
Mendota, IL
Photo courtesy Kelly Sullivan

Parkway Family Restaurant in Mendota, Illinois, is easy to spot thanks to its peach-colored roadside sign. It may not be the flashiest sign around, but it's the kind that lets you know a good home-style meal is just ahead. Parkway has long been a favorite with locals, serving hearty breakfasts and comfort food at prices that are hard to beat. 07-11

For years, Parkway Family Restaurant & Pancake House has been welcoming hungry customers with a menu full of breakfast favorites, including pancakes, crepes, French toast, skillet meals, and crispy hash browns. Lunch brings sandwiches, burgers, patty melts, and other diner classics. Family owned and operated, it's one of those places where friendly service is just as much a part of the experience as the food.

The peach-colored sign has become a familiar sight along the highway and has probably pointed thousands of travelers toward a good meal over the years. Signs like this may not grab all the attention, but they're part of what gives small-town America its character.

UPDATE: Parkway Family Restaurant & Pancake House remains open and continues serving breakfast and lunch seven days a week. The familiar peach-colored roadside sign is still out front, welcoming both locals and travelers alike. 07-26

Chipican Restaurant (Demolished)
Sarnia, ON Canada
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Chipican Restaurant in Sarnia, Ontario, was a longtime local favorite, best known for its distinctive teepee-shaped roadside sign. The unusual sign made the restaurant hard to miss and became a familiar landmark for travelers heading toward nearby Canatara Park. If steaks were on the menu, this was one place worth pulling into. 06-14

The Chipican opened in 1948 and spent nearly seven decades serving the Sarnia community. It earned a loyal following for charcoal-grilled steaks cooked over an open pit, along with hearty breakfasts and homemade pizza. In its early years, the restaurant also featured a jukebox and dancing, making it more than just a place to grab a meal.

The restaurant closed in 2016 after almost 70 years in business. A new owner later reopened the building as Lake Point Grillhouse and Lounge, but the restaurant closed again in 2021. After sitting vacant for several years, the building was demolished in 2025. The neighboring Chipican Motel has since been renovated into luxury apartments, but the restaurant is now gone.

UPDATE: The Chipican Restaurant building was demolished in May 2025 after several years of vacancy. The iconic teepee roadside sign had also been removed sometime prior to 2021. 07-26

Queen E Room Restaurant (Gone)
Iron Bridge, ON Canada
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The neon lettering on this roadside sign was enough to catch the attention of travelers passing through Iron Bridge, Ontario. It marked the entrance to the Queen E Room Restaurant, a longtime stop along the Trans-Canada Highway where motorists could enjoy a meal and take a break from the road. 06-14

The restaurant was part of the Red Top Motor Inn, a longtime roadside stop known for its distinctive circular office building and comfortable accommodations. Over the years, it served a variety of Canadian comfort food, including burgers, sandwiches, home-style meals, and locally caught Lake Huron fish. The name "Queen E Room" was a nod to the Queen Elizabeth Way, although the restaurant itself was located hundreds of miles away on Highway 17.

The sign's flowing neon script gave the property plenty of personality and fit perfectly with the motor inn's mid-century roadside charm. While the standalone Queen E Room name has disappeared over the years, the Red Top Motor Inn continues to welcome travelers passing through Iron Bridge.

UPDATE: The Red Top Motor Inn remains open, but the restaurant no longer operates under the Queen E Room name. It could not be confirmed whether the original neon sign still survives or was removed during later renovations to the property. 07-26