The Tropics Restaurant (Demolished)
Lincoln, IL
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The towering neon palm tree at The Tropics Restaurant brought an unexpected touch of the islands to Lincoln, Illinois. Opened in 1950, the restaurant became a familiar stop along Route 66, with a sign that practically invited travelers to pull over. Its glowing tropical display was especially hard to resist after dark. 03-06

Founder Vince Schwenoha drew inspiration from his military service in Hawaii, giving the restaurant bamboo décor, tiki touches, and a menu featuring the Tropicburger. A devastating fire in 1975 led to rebuilding, but the restaurant continued welcoming highway travelers. Through those changes, the giant palm-tree marquee remained its most recognizable feature and a favorite subject for roadside photographers.

UPDATE: The restaurant building was demolished in 2014, but the famous sign escaped the wrecking ball. Following restoration, it was relit near its original location in 2018. It continues greeting Route 66 travelers beside McDonald’s, preserving a colorful reminder of the restaurant that once stood here. 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

The marquee at Dutch Pan Restaurant in Greenup, Illinois, rewarded anyone who looked closely. Beneath the revised name, the outline of the original “Pantry” lettering remained visible, revealing its earlier identity as a Dutch Pantry restaurant. It was a small detail, but one that gave this roadside sign a story of its own. 03-06

After leaving the franchise, the restaurant adopted the Dutch Pan name and reused the existing marquee. Rather than starting over, the owners altered what was already there, leaving traces of the old lettering behind.

UPDATE: Dutch Pan Restaurant was demolished in 2007, and its distinctive marquee disappeared with it. A Casey’s General Store now occupies the property. Photographs preserve the sign’s overlapping identities and a reminder of how roadside businesses sometimes changed names without entirely erasing their past. 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