Krakow Koffee House (Gone)
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Matthias Tippner

The first thing you'll notice at Krakow Koffee House is the glowing neon coffee mug with steam rising from the top. It's a simple sign, but one that does a great job of making you think about stopping for a warm cup of coffee. 01-09

Located beside the famous Alibi Tiki Lounge on North Interstate Avenue, Krakow added another splash of neon to one of Portland's more colorful streets. The coffee shop and market didn't stay around very long, but its modern neon sign fit right in with the neighborhood's growing collection of glowing storefronts.

UPDATE: Krakow Koffee House has closed, and its neon coffee mug is no longer there. 07-26

Virginia Inn
Seattle, WA
Photo courtesy Matthias Tippner

The Virginia Inn has been welcoming customers at First Avenue and Virginia Street since 1903, four years before nearby Pike Place Market opened. Known locally as the V.I., its familiar neon sign makes this Seattle institution worth a second look even if you’re only passing by. 08-09

Originally called the Virginia Bar, it began as a saloon beneath the Hotel Livingston. Over the decades, it evolved into a neighborhood restaurant and gathering place, retaining a connection to the waterfront city that existed long before today’s skyline.

UPDATE: After an uncertain period in 2025, employees purchased the business and the historic neon sign returned to the building that November. The Virginia Inn remains open, giving this longtime Seattle corner another chapter beneath its familiar lettering. 07-26

The Only Sea Foods (Gone)
Vancouver, CN
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

With a name like The Only Sea Foods, this Vancouver restaurant set fairly high expectations. Its neon seahorse leaping above the waves certainly delivered on the roadside advertising. The little dining room and lunch counter behind it offered a much simpler experience than that spectacular sign suggested. 04-10

The restaurant’s roots reached back to the Vancouver Oyster Saloon, established at 20 East Hastings Street in 1916. The famous neon arrived in 1950 and became a landmark in its own right. After the restaurant closed in 2009, the sign was removed, then returned in 2013 during an unsuccessful reopening effort.

UPDATE: The building was demolished in 2021. The seahorse sign had been removed again by 2015, and its present whereabouts remain unconfirmed. Sadly, neither the familiar counter nor its glowing roadside invitation remains at the old address. 07-26