Republic Cafe and Ming Lounge
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser

The towering marquee at Republic Cafe and Ming Lounge  has been drawing people into Portland's Chinatown for generations. Even with much of the neon no longer glowing, it's still one of those signs you can spot from blocks away. 09-10

Opened in the early 1920s, Republic Cafe has welcomed diners for more than a century and remains one of the last survivors from Portland's once-bustling Chinatown restaurant scene. Alongside the historic Ming Lounge, it has witnessed decades of changing neighborhoods while continuing to serve Chinese food from the same corner.

The sign may show its age today, but somehow that only adds to its character. It's a reminder of a time when downtown streets were filled with glowing restaurant marquees competing for your attention after dark.

UPDATE: Republic Cafe remains open, and although much of the neon no longer lights, the landmark marquee continues to watch over Portland's Chinatown. 07-26

Swan Garden (Gone)
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jeff Raber

At first glance, Swan Garden looked like an old drive-in that simply decided to start serving Chinese food instead. The low-slung roofline and wide front windows hinted at its earlier life, making it one of those buildings that immediately caught my attention.

Long before it became a neighborhood favorite for Chinese food, the building was constructed as a classic roadside drive-in. Thankfully, many of those original design cues survived the conversion, giving the restaurant a personality that newer buildings could never match.

Inside, the retro atmosphere fit the building perfectly, with vintage booths and décor that felt like they had hardly changed over the years. It was the kind of place where the architecture was just as memorable as the meal.

UPDATE: Swan Garden has permanently closed, and the old drive-in building now sits vacant. The roadside sign has also been removed. 07-26

Lee's Cafe (Gone)
Centralia, WA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The rooftop sign at Lee's Cafe made it easy to spot while driving through downtown Centralia. Rising above the historic storefronts along Tower Avenue, it was one of those simple restaurant signs that gave the street just a little more personality.

For years, Lee's Cafe served Americanized Chinese food from this downtown location and became a familiar stop for both locals and travelers. The building itself blended into Centralia's collection of historic commercial blocks, but the rooftop sign helped it stand out from the rest.

By the time this photo was taken, the sign had already become a bit of a rarity. Rooftop restaurant signs like this were once common, but each year fewer seemed to survive. Sometimes it's those straightforward signs, quietly advertising a neighborhood restaurant, that end up being the ones you miss the most.

UPDATE: Lee's Cafe closed in 2008, and the rooftop sign has since been removed. The building remains and has been repurposed. 07-26

Fu Shung (Gone)
Tacoma, WA
Photo courtesy Lauren Freeland

The marquee at Fu Shung looked unlike just about any other Chinese restaurant sign. With its unusual shape projecting over South Tacoma Way, it hinted that the building had a much different life before diners started coming here for Chinese food.

Originally built in 1920 as the Realart Theatre, the neighborhood movie house entertained audiences for more than forty years before eventually becoming a dance hall and later the Fu Shung Restaurant. Rather than replacing the old theater marquee, the restaurant adapted it with bold neon lettering, creating one of Tacoma's more distinctive roadside signs.

UPDATE: The restaurant is gone, and the historic marquee has been removed. The former theater building still stands and awaits a new chapter. 07-26

Canton Restaurant (Gone)
Cottage Grove, OR
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The roadside sign at Canton Restaurant had just enough of an oriental flair to make passing motorists take a second look. It was the kind of eye-catching roadside design that fit perfectly along the old Pacific Highway.

Opened around 1950 as the Canton Cafe, the restaurant served Chinese-American food to locals and travelers passing through Cottage Grove. Owner Ben Chin, a World War II veteran, operated the restaurant until a new highway bypass diverted traffic away from town. Like so many roadside businesses, fewer cars meant fewer customers.

Rather than give up, Chin headed south and opened another Canton Cafe in Eureka, California, where his restaurant became part of that city's history as well.

UPDATE: The original Canton Restaurant building is gone, and its distinctive roadside sign disappeared many years ago. 07-26

The Pagoda (Gone)
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jeff Raber

Few restaurants have ever looked quite like The Pagoda. With its colorful rooflines and unmistakable oriental-inspired architecture, it stood out as one of Portland's most eye-catching roadside landmarks.

Built in 1939 and opening the following year, The Pagoda was Oregon's first restaurant designed specifically as a Chinese restaurant. Inside, diners crossed a small bridge over a koi pond before settling in for dinner, making the experience just as memorable as the building itself.

For generations, The Pagoda was a favorite Portland landmark and one of those places that people remembered long after the meal was over.

UPDATE: The Pagoda closed in 2008, and the building has since been remodeled into a bank. The roadside marquee is gone, but the restaurant's distinctive entrance arch was preserved and relocated. 07-26