Ming Wah Restaurant
Spokane, WA Photo courtesy Josh Hudgens / 2007
The weathered neon at Ming Wah had already earned its roadside character when this photo was taken. Standing along Spokane’s West Third Avenue, the sign looked like it had welcomed plenty of hungry customers over the years. It was worth a photograph before even considering what to order. 07-07
In 2020, the landmark sign collapsed while the restaurant was temporarily closed. Owner Kam Kwong wanted it restored, and community donations helped make that happen. The rebuilt sign returned in 2021, proving that a little local support can go a long way toward saving roadside neon.
UPDATE: Ming Wah continues serving Spokane customers, including takeout, and its restored sign once again marks the restaurant. Thankfully, this one’s story includes a return to the roadside rather than a trip to the scrapyard. 07-26
Peking Garden
Spokane, WA Photo courtesy Josh Hudgens / 2007
The Peking Garden sign had an unusual job for a while: advertising a restaurant that had burned down. Standing beside Sprague Avenue while the property awaited rebuilding, it kept the familiar name visible even without a dining room behind it. That’s quite a roadside survivor. 07-07
The restaurant returned, reopening in late 2004 with its old sign still marking the spot. It’s always encouraging when a business rebuilds without automatically discarding the feature that made it recognizable from the road.
UPDATE: The former Peking Garden became Happiness Chinese Restaurant. The property’s restaurant history continues under another name, although the original Peking Garden lettering no longer identifies the business. The fate of the original neon components remains unconfirmed. 07-26
Hung Far Low (Closed)
Portland, OR Photo courtesy Jeffrey Cook / 2005
The towering Hung Far Low sign was hard to miss in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown. “Chop Suey” and “Cocktails” made a pretty straightforward invitation, while the enormous display ensured nobody needed to stand directly outside to find the place. 11-07
Opened in 1928, the restaurant became known for its upstairs dining and lounge before relocating to Southeast Portland in 2005. The Chinatown sign was removed in 2008, but preservation efforts brought it back. Security Signs restored the landmark, which returned to its corner in 2010.
UPDATE: This sign for the Hung Far Low restaurant has been removed. However, word is the sign has been taken down to be repaired. This sign dates back to 1928. According to a Portland Mercury article, the sign should be put back up afterwards but nothing is certain due to the costs. 12-08
UPDATE: The restaurant closed in 2015, but its restored sign survives at Northwest Fourth Avenue and Couch Street. It no longer points toward the old upstairs restaurant, yet it remains a familiar reminder of the neighborhood’s neon days. 07-26
Ming Tree (Gone)
Shelton, WA Photo courtesy E Echtle
The Ming Tree sign added a welcome splash of neon to Railroad Avenue in downtown Shelton. It was the kind of restaurant display that made an evening drive more interesting, whether dinner was on the schedule or you were simply looking for something worth photographing. 04-09
Ming Tree occupied a building identified in local history as Shelton’s original post office. That gave the restaurant a story stretching beyond its menu, with the same downtown structure serving very different generations of customers.
UPDATE: Ming Tree is gone, and the building became the Wilde Irish Pub in July 2022. The former restaurant’s neon sign was removed, changing a familiar view along Railroad Avenue. The building continues welcoming diners, although under a different name and atmosphere. 07-26
Golden Dragon (Gone)
Portland, OR Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser
The two signs at Golden Dragon always caught my attention. High above the roof sat the faded "Buffet" marquee, while down at street level the long green "Chop Suey & Cocktails" sign stretched across the sidewalk, greeting downtown Portland with a look that had clearly earned every bit of its weathered character. 09-10
Golden Dragon was one of those classic Chinese-American restaurants that seemed perfectly at home in the city. It wasn't flashy or polished. Instead, it had the kind of well-worn appearance that comes from decades of serving customers while the neighborhood around it slowly changed. The faded paint, aging signs, and old storefront all worked together to create a scene that felt increasingly rare.
By the time this photo was taken, the rooftop marquee had already begun showing its age, yet that only made it more interesting. Sometimes the signs with a little rust and peeling paint have the most personality. They tell you they've been standing watch over the street for a very long time.
Golden Dragon (Gone)
Portland, OR Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser
Not long after this visit, the restaurant disappeared as the building was converted to another use. Both of the familiar roadside signs were removed, ending one more chapter in Portland's collection of vintage neon and old commercial architecture.
UPDATE: The Golden Dragon restaurant is gone, and both the rooftop "Buffet" marquee and the green "Chop Suey & Cocktails" sign have been removed from the building. 07-26
Golden Pheasant (Gone)
Sunnyside, WA Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Welcome to the Golden Pheasant restaurant in Sunnyside, WA. This sign is worth a trip to Sunnyside to see and is located next door to the tiki themed Safari restaurant. The Golden Pheasant opened for business in 1952 then was destroyed by a fire in 1972. 11-10
Opened in 1952 as Sunnyside's first Chinese restaurant, the Golden Pheasant became a longtime local favorite. A fire destroyed the original building around 1972 or 1973, but the restaurant was rebuilt and continued serving customers for decades while the familiar pheasant sign remained a fixture out front.
The restaurant closed in 2009, and the sign stood watch for another ten years before finally being removed in 2020 as the building was prepared for a new tenant.
UPDATE: The restaurant remains closed. The Golden Pheasant shut its doors in 2010. 09-17
UPDATE: The Golden Pheasant is gone, and the building now houses another restaurant. The landmark pheasant sign has also been removed. 07-26
Hung Far Low (Closed)
Ming Tree (Gone)
Golden Dragon (Gone)
Golden Dragon (Gone)
