The Tropics Restaurant (Closed)
Lincoln, IL Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Here's one of the best-known signs along Route 66. The Tropics Restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois featured a towering neon palm tree that was nearly impossible to miss. If you were traveling the Mother Road, this was one of those places that practically invited you to pull over. 03-06
The Tropics opened in 1950 after founder Vince Schwenoha returned from military service in Hawaii and brought a little island inspiration back to central Illinois. The restaurant mixed classic roadside dining with a tropical theme, complete with bamboo décor, tiki touches, and its famous Tropicburger. Even after a devastating fire destroyed the original building in 1975, the restaurant was rebuilt and continued serving Route 66 travelers for years.
The real star, though, was that giant neon sign. With its glowing palm tree towering above the highway, it became one of the most recognizable roadside landmarks in Illinois and a favorite stop for photographers.
UPDATE: The restaurant is gone, and the building was demolished in 2014. Fortunately, the famous neon sign was saved, carefully restored, and relit near its original location in 2018, where it continues to welcome Route 66 travelers next to McDonalds. 07-26
Callen's Restaurant (Closed)
Union Grove, WI Photo courtesy Rick McOmber
Union Grove, Wisconsin is home to Callen's Restaurant and this eye-catching vintage sign. The restaurant has been around since the 1940s, and it's nice to see both the building and the sign getting a second chance after sitting vacant for so many years. 10-06
Over the years the restaurant changed locations a couple of times before settling into its longtime home on Main Street in 1970. It became a familiar stop for locals before closing in 2010, leaving the building dark for the next 15 years.
Fortunately, that wasn't the end of the story. New owners purchased the property in late 2025 and began restoring the old diner with plans to bring it back to life. Along with the building itself, the vintage roadside sign is also being preserved, which is great news since it's always been one of the restaurant's best features.
UPDATE: Restoration work is underway, with plans to reopen the restaurant once the project is complete. The familiar roadside sign remains in place and is being preserved as part of the restoration. 07-26
Dutch Pan Restaurant (Demolished)
Greenup, IL Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Check out this unique marquee for Dutch Pan Restaurant in Greenup, Illinois. At first glance it looks like a pretty typical roadside restaurant sign, but a closer look reveals a neat piece of its history. You can still see the outline of the original "Pantry" lettering underneath, a reminder of the building's earlier days as a Dutch Pantry restaurant. 03-06
After leaving the franchise, the restaurant became the Dutch Pan, but instead of replacing the entire sign, the owners simply modified the existing marquee. The result was a one-of-a-kind sign with its old identity still peeking through. It's little details like that which make roadside signs so interesting.
By the time this photo was taken, the restaurant had already closed and the building sat boarded up. Unfortunately, it didn't stick around much longer.
UPDATE: The restaurant was demolished in 2007, and both the building and the distinctive marquee are gone. A Casey's General Store now occupies the site. 07-26
Big Wheel Restaurant (Demolished)
Valparaiso, IN Photo courtesy Rick McOmber
Featuring a head-turning sign out front, Big Wheel Restaurant was hard to miss if you were driving through Valparaiso, Indiana. The giant wagon wheel towering above the restaurant did exactly what a good roadside sign was supposed to do—it made you look twice. 10-06
The restaurant opened in 1963 as part of the regional Big Wheel chain and quickly became a favorite with locals and Valparaiso University students. Families stopped in for breakfast and lunch, while plenty of college students made it one of their regular hangouts over the years.
As memorable as the food was, the sign was every bit as impressive. The oversized wagon wheel made it one of the more recognizable restaurant signs in northwest Indiana and a perfect example of the kind of eye-catching roadside advertising that once lined America's highways.
UPDATE: The restaurant closed in 2006 after more than 40 years in business. The building and its distinctive wagon wheel sign were demolished, and a bank now occupies the site. 07-26
Midway Eat
Random Lake, WI Photo and info courtesy Rick McOmber
The Midway Eat has long been a reasonable and tasty place to stop for breakfast in Random Lake, Wisconsin. The food may bring people in, but the old roadside sign out front is what catches your attention first. It's the kind of place that's easy to drive by unless you spot that classic marquee. 10-06
For years the restaurant was known as a simple highway breakfast stop, serving up the kind of meals that get travelers back on the road. Today the menu has expanded quite a bit, mixing Mexican favorites and barbecue with traditional breakfasts and Friday fish fries. It's an interesting combination that seems to work.
The restaurant also went through a period of closure before reopening under new ownership, giving both the business and its familiar roadside sign a new lease on life.
UPDATE: The restaurant is open once again and continues serving customers along Highway 57. Fortunately, the vintage roadside sign is still there welcoming hungry travelers. 07-26
Eddie's Grill
Geneva on the Lake, OH Photo and info courtesy Richard Weiss
Here's a neat little root beer joint found while driving along Lake Erie in the resort town of Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. Eddie's Grill is one of those places that's hard to pass up, especially on a warm summer day. The old root beer barrels sitting on the counter are enough to make you stop, and an icy mug of root beer tastes even better after a day exploring the shoreline. 01-07
Eddie's opened in 1950 and has remained a summertime tradition ever since. Inside, it still looks much like it did decades ago, with original booths, tabletop jukeboxes, and a menu filled with burgers, footlong hot dogs, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and homemade chili. The root beer is still served straight from the familiar Richardson barrels, just as it was when the stand first opened.
It's refreshing to see a place that hasn't tried to reinvent itself. Sometimes the old formula is exactly what keeps people coming back year after year.
UPDATE: Eddie's Grill is still operating seasonally from spring through early fall and remains one of the classic stops along the Geneva-on-the-Lake strip. 07-26
Callen's Restaurant (Closed)
Dutch Pan Restaurant (Demolished)
Big Wheel Restaurant (Demolished)
Eddie's Grill
It's refreshing to see a place that hasn't tried to reinvent itself. Sometimes the old formula is exactly what keeps people coming back year after year.
