Home Run Subs (Gone)
Detroit, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Here's the familiar sandwich guy outside Home Run Subs in Detroit, Michigan. The business name had changed, but the big fiberglass sailor still held his oversized sub as if nothing had happened. That's quite a lunch to carry around all day. 11-09

The location previously operated as a Tubby's Sub Shop, part of the Michigan chain founded in St. Clair Shores in 1968. When Home Run Subs took over, the mascot stayed behind, giving the new business a ready-made roadside attraction. His sailor outfit and enormous sandwich made him considerably more noticeable than an ordinary menu board.

UPDATE: Home Run Subs has closed, and the former Tubby's mascot has disappeared from this location. His whereabouts remain uncertain. Hopefully, this oversized sandwich salesman found another assignment rather than ending up in the trash. 07-26

Fast Eddie's Fried Chicken
Alton, IL
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

Elvis was larger than life outside the Elvis Is Alive Museum near Foristell, Missouri. A 16-foot cutout of The King in his white jumpsuit greeted Interstate 70 travelers, making this an easy place to spot. Whether you believed the museum's message or simply liked unusual roadside stops, that giant Elvis was hard to pass up.

Reverend Bill Beeny opened the museum in 1990 inside a former laundromat near Wright City. Its exhibits promoted his theory that Elvis had faked his death and entered witness protection. Purported documents, a recording claimed to feature Elvis's voice, and a replica casket gave visitors plenty to consider. A white Cadillac limousine added to the spectacle outside. Admission was free, so satisfying your curiosity didn't require much of a commitment.

UPDATE: Beeny closed the Missouri museum in 2007 and sold its collection on eBay for $8,300. The exhibits resurfaced in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in 2008 before that museum also closed. The giant cutout's fate remains uncertain, leaving one more unanswered question attached to this unusual roadside tribute to The King. 07-26

Lee's Chicken
Plymouth, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Plymouth, MI is home to a little chicken joint named Lee's Chicken which had a very jolly Santa with a beak walking back and forth in front of the building (Yes, he would wave his arms and cluck). in this case, this is a very much alive "roadside character". According to the Lee's Chicken website, the Lee's franchise here in Plymouth is one of the oldest franchise locations in existence and is a carry-out only facility. Family-owned for generations, it's been serving fried chicken from the same small building for decades. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 02-10

Brian Langkabel succeeded his parents, Joe and Irene, in running the family business. The chain itself began in Lima, Ohio, in 1966, founded by Lee Cummings and Harold Omer. Cummings was Colonel Harland Sanders' nephew, giving the chicken recipe an interesting family connection.

UPDATE: Lee's continues serving chicken from its longtime Plymouth location. Whether the Santa-chicken still reports for holiday duty isn't clear, but that waving, clucking welcome certainly gave this little carryout stand an advertising advantage. 07-26

A&W Root Beer (Gone)
Union City, OH
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's the bear mascot outside A&W Root Beer  in Union City, Ohio. The drive-in was closed for the season and sporting a “For Sale by Owner” sign, leaving its future uncertain. Hopefully, the bear wouldn't be out of work for long. 06-11

Dating to around 1957, the restaurant became a familiar stop for root beer, burgers, and its signature Alley Oop sandwich. Vintage ordering phones added another memorable touch inside. The business eventually dropped its A&W affiliation and became Bear's Rootbeer, carrying several longtime menu favorites into its next chapter.

UPDATE: The former A&W continues as Bear's Rootbeer at 800 East Elm Street, with the Alley Oop still featured on the menu. The original A&W branding and mascot are gone, but the old drive-in's food tradition continues under a different bear's name. 07-26

Football Player
Green Bay, WI
Photo courtesy Dave Pophal

Here's a football player who never drops the pass. The Receiver in Green Bay, Wisconsin, stretches above a giant football, making a catch that's lasted for decades. At 22 feet tall, this fiberglass player is tough to overlook, even in a town filled with Packers attractions.

Originally dedicated outside the Packers Hall of Fame in 1985, the statue represented a generic receiver. After several moves, it received a new identity on June 15, 2013, when it was unveiled in Donald Driver's likeness. A No. 80 jersey and his familiar receiving gloves honored the longtime Packers star, while nearby Pearl Street became Donald Driver Way.

UPDATE: The statue remains downtown outside the former railroad depot and received fresh paint ahead of Green Bay's 2025 NFL Draft. After years of moving around, this oversized receiver is still hanging onto the ball. 07-26