Dairy Queen (Demolished)
Evergreen Park, IL
Photo courtesy Bruce R. Cassi / 1995

For over 40 years, residents enjoyed this seasonally operated Dairy Queen. Customers were served at two walk up windows. Many a time the servers had to yell at customers not to stand in the street while they waited in line.

In November of 1995, residents were elated to hear that a developer wanted to build a new year-round indoor Dairy Queen Braizer on a site next to the existing structure. After the new foundation was laid and piping was installed, the developer skipped town with the money from the bank loan. The bank took possession of the property in 1995. The neon was shaved off the sign and the sign was painted over in dark blue. The property was sold to the village in 1996 and a Chinese restaurant and a CVS drug store were later built here. Many thanks to Bruce R. Cassi for info. 04-07

UPDATE: Back in the day, Dairy Queen in Evergreen Park, Illinois, was a classic seasonal walk-up stand where a stop for a soft-serve cone was part of summertime. Like many of the older Dairy Queen locations, it featured a vintage roadside sign that was just as memorable as the treats it advertised.

The stand operated along South Kedzie Avenue for many years before closing for good. In late 1995, the neon tubing was removed from the porcelain sign, and the sign itself was painted over shortly before the building was demolished in January 1996. It marked the end of another classic neighborhood ice cream stand.

Today, there's little evidence that the Dairy Queen was ever there. The property has been redeveloped with newer commercial buildings, but photos like this help preserve the memory of one more piece of roadside Americana that has disappeared.

The Evergreen Park Dairy Queen was demolished in January 1996, and the vintage roadside sign was removed before the building came down. The site has since been redeveloped with modern commercial businesses. 07-26

Dairy Queen
Huntington, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The old Dairy Queen roadside marquees are becoming harder and harder to find. Fortunately, Dairy Queen in Huntington, Indiana, still has one of the classics, complete with glowing neon that gives the stand plenty of vintage appeal. 07-07

This seasonal Dairy Queen has been serving frozen treats from its walk-up stand for years and is one of the few locations that still captures the look and feel of an earlier era. One feature that makes the sign especially unique is the neon sundae at the bottom, a design that's much less common than the familiar Dairy Queen cone found on most vintage marquees.

It's always encouraging to see places like this still in business. While many classic Dairy Queen stands have disappeared or been replaced with modern buildings, this one continues to serve customers while preserving a small piece of roadside history.

UPDATE: The Huntington Dairy Queen remains open as a seasonal Treat location. Its rare vintage neon marquee, complete with the unusual sundae design, still greets customers today. 07-26

B&K Root Beer (Closed)
Kokomo, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

That frosty root beer mug is enough to make any roadside fan hit the brakes. B&K Root Beer in Kokomo, Indiana, still has one of the classic mug-shaped signs that helped make drive-ins so much fun during the golden age of roadside America. 12-08

The stand began life as an A&W drive-in in 1949 before becoming a B&K Root Beer. Over the years, it has continued serving root beer, coney dogs, burgers, sandwiches, and other drive-in favorites while remaining a popular stop for locals and travelers alike.

The mug-shaped sign remains the star of the show and is becoming an increasingly rare sight. Thankfully, this one is still standing and continues to welcome customers looking for a taste of a classic Midwestern drive-in.

UPDATE: B&K Root Beer was completely demolished and rebuilt with indoor seating for year-round dining.  The frosty mug was taken down. 07-26

B&K Root Beer
Van Wert, OH
Photo and info courtesy Alan Culley

Check out the neon at B&K Root Beer in Van Wert, Ohio. The giant frosty mug has been catching the attention of motorists along the historic Lincoln Highway for decades and remains one of the classic roadside signs in the Midwest. 12-08

Opened around 1955, B&K is one of those old-fashioned drive-ins where customers still pull into a parking space, place their order from the car, and have it brought out on a window tray. Homemade root beer served in frosted mugs is the specialty, along with Spanish cheese dogs, coney dogs, burgers, and other drive-in favorites.

Classic carhop drive-ins like this have become increasingly rare over the years, making places like B&K even more special. Thankfully, both the restaurant and its wonderful neon mug sign are still going strong.

UPDATE: B&K Root Beer continues to operate seasonally in Van Wert. The classic frosty mug sign still lights up the roadside and remains one of the area's best-known landmarks. 07-26