Sugar Bowl Restaurant
Des Plaines, IL Photo courtesy Don Gardner
Hungry but with a sweet tooth to boot? Then stop by Sugar Bowl Restaurant in Des Plaines, IL. While the ice cream may not be the main attraction anymore, the classic bowl-shaped neon sign is still worth pulling over for. It's been welcoming customers since 1957.
The Sugar Bowl first opened in 1921 as a soda fountain, candy shop, and ice cream parlor before growing into the restaurant it is today. For years it was the place to stop for homemade chocolates and a dish of ice cream, and plenty of locals still remember those days.
The menu has changed over the years, with breakfast and lunch favorites now taking center stage, but thankfully the sign hasn't. Shaped like a giant bowl and glowing at night, it's one of the best surviving restaurant signs in the Chicago suburbs and looks just as good today as it did decades ago.
Places like this are a reminder that sometimes the sign becomes just as much a destination as the restaurant itself.
Sugar Bowl Restaurant
Des Plaines, IL Photo courtesy Tammy Terwelp
UPDATE: Here's another shot of the Sugar Bowl Restaurant marquee in Des Plaines taken on a snowy day. Many thanks to Tammy Terwelp for photo update. 11-09
UPDATE: Sugar Bowl Restaurant remains open in downtown Des Plaines. The original 1957 bowl-shaped neon sign still stands and continues to light up Miner Street. 07-26
Denver Grill (Demolished)
Tulsa, OK Photo and info courtesy Chris King
Here's the Denver Grill in Tulsa, OK. When this photo was taken, the old diner was just days away from being bulldozed to make way for a new arena. The food may not have been the greatest, but you couldn't argue with the history. Dating back to 1933, the Denver Grill had been serving downtown Tulsa for more than 70 years.
The restaurant moved into this building in 1955 and became a familiar stop for downtown workers, night owls, and just about anyone looking for a meal at almost any hour. It was never a fancy place, but that's part of what made it special.
The real showstopper, though, was the sign. The colorful starburst marquee looked like a firework frozen in midair and was one of the best pieces of roadside neon in Tulsa. Combined with the mural painted on the side of the building, it gave the Denver Grill a personality that newer restaurants just can't duplicate.
Sadly, progress won out. The property was acquired through eminent domain, the restaurant closed in November 2004, and the building was demolished shortly afterward to make room for the BOK Center.
UPDATE: The Denver Grill was demolished in late 2004 to make way for the BOK Center. The restaurant, its mural, and its colorful marquee are all gone. 07-26
Rochelle Beacon (Gone)
Rochelle, IL Photo courtesy Don Gardner
Here's the Beacon Restaurant in Rochelle, IL. The restaurant was well known for its steaks, but the roadside marquee wasn't bad either. It's another one of those signs that made you curious enough to pull off the highway and see what was inside.
The Beacon had been serving travelers and locals since the mid-20th century, and after a major remodeling in 1954 it became one of Rochelle's favorite places for a steak dinner. Before the main course even arrived, guests were treated to a relish tray complete with vegetables, cheese spread, and the restaurant's famous bean salad. It was a tradition that many people still remember today.
Like so many classic restaurants, the Beacon eventually disappeared, but not before leaving behind a lot of memories. In fact, its bean salad and steak dinners became so well known that local restaurants have occasionally brought them back for special "Beacon Night" events.
Unfortunately, the building is gone, and so is the marquee that once welcomed hungry travelers along Route 38.
UPDATE: The Beacon Restaurant is permanently closed, and its roadside marquee has been removed. While the restaurant is gone, its famous menu still lives on through occasional local tribute dinners. 07-26
Steer-In
Indianapolis, IN Photo courtesy Emily Steele
Here's an old Indianapolis drive-in that has seen a few changes over the years. Steer-In may not have the flashiest sign around, and the front of the building looks a little weathered, but that's part of its charm. Places like this have a way of looking like they've been serving good food forever.
The property dates back to the early 1930s, first operating as a frozen custard stand before becoming a drive-in. It took on the Steer-In name in 1960 and eventually grew into a year-round restaurant. While later additions expanded the dining room and ended carhop service, part of the original drive-in canopy was left standing, giving the building a nice reminder of its past.
The menu sticks with classic diner favorites like burgers, breaded pork tenderloins, homemade pies, and beef and noodles. One famous fan was Peyton Manning, who filmed a MasterCard commercial here, and the restaurant has also appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
UPDATE: Steer-In is still serving customers on Indianapolis' east side. The old drive-in may have lost its carhop service years ago, but the building and its vintage character are still very much intact. 07-26
Phil's Bar-B-Q (Demolished)
St Louis, MO Photo courtesy Dennis Dixson
Here's a great old barbecue sign from the St. Louis area. Phil's Bar-B-Q was already well known for its barbecue, but the roadside marquee was just as memorable. It had recently been cleaned up and repainted when this photo was taken, making the little pig holding the sign stand out once again. 12-05
Phil Polizzi started out selling watermelons in the 1950s before adding barbecue and eventually opening this restaurant in 1961. Over the years it became a favorite stop for St. Louis-style barbecue, especially the pork steaks, along with fried jack salmon, spaghetti, slaw, and homemade cherry crumb pie.
The sign has its own interesting story. It originally came from a local tavern called the Stumble Inn and featured a cartoon pig. After Phil bought it, the pig was replaced with a caricature of Phil himself wearing a chef's hat and his trademark handlebar mustache. When the sign was refurbished in 2005, the original pig design made its return, giving the marquee the look seen here.
UPDATE: Phil's Bar-B-Q closed at the end of 2018 after more than 57 years in business. The restaurant has been demolished, and the famous pig sign was removed. 07-26
Nicol's Restaurant (Gone)
Zanesville, OH Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Here's a nice looking restaurant from Zanesville, Ohio. Nicol's Restaurant had that classic 1960s look, complete with an old-fashioned soda fountain that made it feel like stepping back a few decades. Places like this were once common, but they're getting harder to find every year. 03-06
The restaurant first opened in 1947 and spent the next 70 years serving home-cooked meals, fresh-baked rolls, pies, doughnuts, and homemade ice cream. The soda shop was always one of its biggest attractions, giving customers a chance to enjoy a sundae or shake at the counter before heading back out on the road.
The vintage sign out front, topped with its colorful ice cream cone, fit the building perfectly and let everyone know there was dessert waiting inside. It's the kind of roadside sign that would have been easy to spot from a distance.
UPDATE: Nicol's Restaurant closed in 2017 after 70 years in business. The building has since been renovated into an event venue, while the restaurant's familiar ice cream cone sign was removed and sold to a private collector. 07-26
Sugar Bowl Restaurant
Denver Grill (Demolished)
Rochelle Beacon (Gone)
Steer-In
Phil's Bar-B-Q (Demolished)
Nicol's Restaurant (Gone)
