Mike's
Indianapolis, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

The old marquee at Mike’s in Indianapolis gets straight to the point, advertising “Great Food” and “Park In Rear.” Located just down the road from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s a welcome sight for anyone exploring the neighborhood before or after a race.

Now known as Mike’s Speedway Lounge, the bar and grill has long welcomed race fans alongside neighborhood regulars. Burgers, pizza, wings, and other pub favorites keep the menu familiar. Outside, the roadside sign suits the building perfectly, recalling a time when even a modest neighborhood tavern had its own distinctive advertising.

UPDATE: Mike’s Speedway Lounge remains open near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Its vintage marquee still stands, preserving a little roadside character along the way to the track. Whether you’re stopping for food or simply collecting photographs of old signs, it’s worth a look. 07-26

Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty
Minocqua, WI
Photo courtesy Dave Pophal

An appetite big enough for a lumberjack comes in handy at Paul Bunyan’s Cook Shanty in Minocqua, Wisconsin. The giant Paul Bunyan sign along Highway 51 makes this Northwoods restaurant hard to overlook. It’s a fitting welcome to a place where oversized meals and logging-camp atmosphere are part of the attraction.

Styled after an 1890s cook shanty, the restaurant serves family-style meals designed to leave nobody hungry. Breakfast brings homemade donuts, eggs, pancakes, sausage, and other favorites, while dinner features fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, and hearty sides. A bakery and gift shop give visitors another reason to linger before heading back onto the highway.

UPDATE: Paul Bunyan’s Cook Shanty remains open seasonally in Minocqua. Its towering lumberjack sign continues welcoming travelers, preserving the playful roadside appearance that suits the restaurant so well. Between the family-style platters and the fresh donuts, this is one stop where arriving hungry seems like a sensible plan. 07-26

Mr. K's Restaurant (Gone)
Chicago, IL
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The oversized parking-lot marquee at Mr. K’s Restaurant gave this Chicago eatery plenty of roadside presence. The building was recognizable, too: it had originally housed a Red Barn restaurant and retained the chain’s distinctive architecture after becoming an independent diner. Together, the sign and building made an unusual neighborhood landmark.

Mr. K’s attracted customers with generous portions of comfort food, including corned beef sandwiches, steak and eggs, and homemade soup. A complimentary bag of breadsticks with dinner was another remembered touch. Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night customers, it became a familiar gathering place on Chicago’s Northwest Side, with plenty of regulars returning for their usual meals.

UPDATE: Mr. K’s closed around 2009. The former Red Barn building was demolished, and the large roadside marquee was removed as the property was redeveloped into an AutoZone. Neither survives at the site, leaving photographs to preserve the restaurant’s distinctive combination of diner food and leftover fast-food architecture. 07-26

Mack's Fine Food (Demolished)
Elmhurst, IL
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The colorful pheasant on the sign at Mack's Golden Pheasant made this Elmhurst restaurant worth a second look. Advertising “Fine Food” and “Cocktails,” the neon display had plenty of personality. During restoration, a date inside the sign identified it as a 1936 creation, adding another interesting detail to this longtime roadside landmark. 11-09

The Mack family expanded the restaurant into its familiar alpine-style building in 1948 and rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1962. Czech and American favorites—including schnitzel, roast duck, and dumplings—helped build its following. Founder Frank Mack also raised exotic birds, which diners could once watch through large restaurant windows, giving the pheasant theme a connection beyond the marquee.

UPDATE: Mack’s closed in December 2024, and the building was subsequently demolished. Fortunately, the vintage neon sign was saved and relocated to a museum collection in southern Indiana. The restaurant is gone, but its colorful roadside pheasant escaped the wrecking ball. 07-26