Tap Room
Ypsilanti, MI
Photo courtesy Jay Lin

The bubbling martini glass at Tap Room makes this downtown Ypsilanti tavern hard to miss. Installed in 1949, the neon sign still gives passing visitors a reason to look up. It’s a fitting welcome to a bar that has been serving customers since 1941. 09-10

The building dates to the 1840s, and an early-2000s expansion added space next door. One unusual feature is the low front door handle. Local lore connects it to workers bound for the Willow Run bomber plant during World War II, although the explanation remains unconfirmed.

UPDATE: Tap Room remains open, and its bubbling martini glass continues lighting downtown Ypsilanti. The old building, neighborhood atmosphere, and animated neon keep this a memorable stop—even if the story behind that door handle remains a mystery. 07-26

Anchor Inn (Demolished)
Indianapolis, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

The Anchor Inn had seen better days when this photograph was taken on Indianapolis’ east side. The building stood abandoned, but it wasn’t difficult to imagine a busier evening with cars outside and the neon glowing. By then, another neighborhood gathering place had gone quiet. 09-10

For decades, the Anchor Inn welcomed customers for barbecue, cocktails, and pony-keg carryout. After closing, the property deteriorated, leaving the empty restaurant waiting for a new use that never arrived. Its roadside appearance lingered for a time after the last meals were served.

UPDATE: The Anchor Inn was eventually demolished, and the property became part of the neighboring healthcare campus. The restaurant is gone, leaving photographs to record the building that once offered east-side regulars a meal, a drink, and a familiar place to meet. 07-26

Hallway Club (Gone)
Boonville, MO
Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans

The sign at Hallway Club in Boonville, Missouri, promised the “best tap beer.” That’s a pretty straightforward invitation from a neighborhood tavern, and the vintage display had enough character to make you consider stopping. Sometimes an old beer sign says everything it needs to. 10-10

Housed in a 1930s building in historic downtown Boonville, the club spent years serving food, cold drinks, and conversation. The older storefront added to its appeal, giving the tavern a setting that suited the sign hanging outside.

UPDATE: Hallway Club has closed, and its vintage sign has been removed. The building survives with a different use, keeping part of the scene intact even though the tavern is gone. This photograph preserves its roadside promise from the days when customers could still step inside and judge the tap beer for themselves. 07-26

Worl's Cocktails (Gone)
Cambridge City, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

The sweeping arrow at Worl’s Cocktails pointed customers toward a familiar tavern along the National Road in Cambridge City. With its neon lettering and generous curve, this was a sign worth noticing before you reached the door. After a couple of drinks, the arrow might have looked even squigglier. 10-10

Operated by the Worl family, the tavern welcomed locals and highway travelers for years. The building later housed Cole’s Dining & Spirits, which retained the antique wooden bar from Worl’s days. That business eventually closed as well.

UPDATE: Worl’s Cocktails is gone, but the historic building remains standing. The neon sign has been removed, taking away the arrow that once directed customers inside. Fortunately, photographs preserve its graceful shape and a little of the tavern’s National Road character. 07-26

Stein House Cafe (Demolished)
Boonville, MO
Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans

The Stein House Cafe had one of those signs that was impossible to drive past without noticing. Topped with a giant neon beer stein, it was a familiar sight in downtown Boonville and a favorite subject for roadside photographers. 10-10

Housed in an 1880s brick building, the Stein House served the community for more than six decades. Whether you stopped in for a meal or just a cold drink, the cafe became a fixture along Main Street and one of Boonville's best-known landmarks.

Sadly, disaster struck in April 2011 when an early morning fire tore through the building. The blaze destroyed the Stein House and spread to neighboring buildings, leaving little that could be saved. After plans to preserve the site fell through, the remains were demolished, bringing an end to one of downtown's most recognizable landmarks.

It's hard not to wonder what became of that great neon beer stein. Whether it survived or not remains a mystery, but thankfully photos like this keep its memory alive.

UPDATE: The Stein House Cafe was destroyed by fire in 2011 and later demolished. The fate of its iconic beer stein sign remains unknown. 07-26

Marco's Lounge (Gone)
Indianapolis, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

The “Dining Room” arrow at Marco’s Lounge offered a simple welcome to a longtime Indianapolis favorite. It wasn’t the flashiest sign around, but it had the familiar look of a restaurant where regulars already knew what they wanted. Sometimes an arrow and a name were plenty. 09-10

Marco’s served Italian-American dishes, steaks, and strong martinis during its 36-year run. Tuesday’s “Cheap Meat Night” became a local tradition, giving customers another reason to return. The restaurant built its following through familiar meals and an atmosphere suited to lingering over dinner.

UPDATE: Marco’s closed in 2021, and the building later reopened as another restaurant and lounge. The original signs have been removed. The dining tradition continues under a different name, while photographs preserve the old arrow that once pointed Marco’s customers toward their tables. 07-26

Iaria Tavern
Indianapolis, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

The Iaria's Tavern has been serving up great Italian food in Indianapolis for generations. Originally opened as a neighborhood grocery in 1913, it wasn't long before homemade spaghetti became so popular that the family turned the business into a restaurant. After Prohibition, Iaria's also became a neighborhood tavern, and it's been a local favorite ever since. 09-10

One of my favorite things about Iaria's is that it still looks like a place from another era. The vintage neon sign out front, the glass block windows, and the classic brick building all help give it plenty of old-school charm. Step inside and you'll find much of that same atmosphere still intact.

Four generations of the Iaria family have kept the restaurant going, serving many of the same Italian recipes that have been enjoyed for decades. It's not hard to see why this place has become an Indianapolis institution. If you're passing through Indianapolis and looking for some great Italian food with a side of history, Iaria's is definitely worth a stop.

UPDATE: Iaria's Italian Restaurant remains open and continues to welcome customers more than a century after first opening its doors. 07-26