Wooden Shoe Restaurant
Holland, MI Photo courtesy Steve Felder
The giant clog-shaped sign at Wooden Shoe Restaurant fits right into Holland, Michigan’s Dutch heritage. With a windmill in the background, it makes a roadside scene worth stopping to photograph. There aren’t many restaurant signs that advertise their hometown quite this well.
The business began as a wooden shoe factory in 1928. After a Christmas Eve fire destroyed its downtown location in 1956, it rebuilt along U.S. 31, eventually including a restaurant, gift shop, and motel. Shoe production has ended, but the restaurant remains a breakfast favorite, serving diner fare, Dutch specialties, and homemade cinnamon rolls.
UPDATE: Wooden Shoe Restaurant remains open in Holland, and its distinctive clog-shaped sign survives. The former factory buildings now house other businesses, while the restaurant continues welcoming locals and travelers for a meal beneath one of western Michigan’s more unusual marquees. 07-26
Dutch Mill (Demolished)
Gilman, IL Photo courtesy Don Gardner
Yes, it is the Dutch Mill in Gilman, IL. Featuring a faux windmill that looks more two-dimensional than three, the building was hard to miss and definitely worth pulling over for a closer look.
The Dutch Mill was a classic roadside supper club that catered to travelers passing through one of central Illinois' busiest highway intersections. Inside were steaks, fried chicken, seafood, a cocktail lounge, and even live music and dancing on the weekends. It was the kind of place where you could stop for dinner and stay for the evening.
What really made the restaurant stand out, though, was the windmill. It may not have been the most realistic one ever built, but it did exactly what it was supposed to do—catch the attention of passing motorists. Roadside architecture like this gave restaurants their own personality, and the Dutch Mill certainly had plenty of it.
UPDATE: The Dutch Mill has been demolished, and both the building and its windmill-themed roadside sign have been removed. 07-26
Hi Mark Restaurant
Kokomo, IN
Photo and info courtesy Emily Steele
Here's the Hi Mark Restaurant in Kokomo, IN. This longtime roadside spot has been around for quite some time, and it's nice to see the vintage sign cleaned up and looking good again. A little attention can go a long way with an old marquee.
Over the years, Hi Mark has changed with the times. What started as a family restaurant has gradually evolved into more of a neighborhood bar and lounge, offering pub food along with pool tables, darts, karaoke, and late-night entertainment.
The sign is still the biggest attraction from the road. Fortunately, instead of replacing it with something modern, the owners chose to freshen up the original. It's always good to see an old sign preserved rather than discarded.
UPDATE: Hi Mark remains open in Kokomo as a neighborhood bar and lounge. Its vintage roadside sign survives and has been cleaned up and restored. 07-26
Here's Mayhew's Restaurant, originally identified as being in Sandusky, OH. It turns out this location was actually in nearby Port Clinton, where its roadside marquee sat right alongside the building to catch the attention of travelers using the bypass. 06-07
Lyle Mayhew was well known in the area, first operating a restaurant in Sandusky before opening his namesake restaurant in Port Clinton. The restaurant became especially popular for its homemade doughnuts, a recipe that remained well known in the region long after the restaurant was gone.
Unfortunately, Mayhew's eventually closed, and the building later became the Town Towers Motel Restaurant before disappearing altogether. The old roadside sign is gone as well.
UPDATE: Mayhew's Restaurant is no longer standing, and the vintage roadside marquee has been removed. 07-26
La Hacienda (Gone)
Indianapolis, IN Photo and info courtesy Emily Steele
Check out La Hacienda in Indianapolis, IN. Before it became a Mexican restaurant, this unique building was home to The Torch Restaurant, and thankfully one of its most distinctive features stayed behind—a gigantic sea-green torch rising right through the middle of the dining room. The building itself was just as interesting, with a futuristic mid-century design that looked like something straight out of the 1960s.
When La Hacienda moved in, it kept much of the building's original character, making it one of the more unusual places to stop for Mexican food. The large windows, angular roofline, and the torch itself gave the restaurant a personality that couldn't be mistaken for anywhere else.
La Hacienda
Indianapolis, IN Photo courtesy Emily Steele
The building later became another Mexican restaurant, Los Cuates, but eventually the property closed for good. Unfortunately, another great piece of mid-century roadside architecture disappeared along with it.
UPDATE: The former La Hacienda building is closed, and the iconic mid-century restaurant has been removed. The fate of the giant sea-green torch could not be confirmed. 07-26
Como's Restaurant
Royal Oaks, MI Photo courtesy Tony Craig
The black-and-yellow marquee at Como’s Restaurant is a familiar sight along Woodward Avenue in Ferndale, Michigan. Earlier captions placed it in Royal Oak, but this landmark belongs to neighboring Ferndale. Its distinctive star and bold lettering make you wish signs like this were still commonplace.
Dating to the 1950s, Como’s has weathered several changes, including a closure in 2017 that left its future uncertain. Fortunately, new owners restored the building, preserved the vintage sign, and reopened the restaurant in 2019 with a menu centered on Detroit-style pizza. The old marquee remained an important part of the restaurant’s new chapter.
UPDATE: Como’s is open in Ferndale following its restoration. The classic black-and-yellow sign survives and continues welcoming customers, keeping a recognizable piece of Woodward Avenue’s restaurant history on display. It’s good to see a revival that made room for the old neon-era character. 07-26
Wooden Shoe Restaurant
Dutch Mill (Demolished)
Mayhew's Restaurant (Gone)
La Hacienda (Gone)
La Hacienda
Como's Restaurant
