Pig'n Whistle (Gone)
Denver, CO
Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

The colorful marquee at Pig’n Whistle gave West Colfax travelers a good reason to think about barbecue. The restaurant belonged to a larger roadside complex where you could eat, stay overnight, and have the car serviced without going far.

Boxer Eddie Bohn began the business in 1924 with a gas station and barbecue stand. A friend and former sparring partner of Jack Dempsey, Bohn built the Pig into a gathering place for politicians, athletes, entertainers, and ordinary motorists. Its old menus even promised to service your car while you slept.

UPDATE: The original business closed in 1991, and the restaurant building burned in 2010. A cannabis business later adopted the Pig’n Whistle name. The separate motel sign survived the fire, preserving a prominent reminder of Eddie Bohn’s roadside empire. 06-26

Thunderbird Restaurant
Mt Carmel, UT
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

The neon at Thunderbird Restaurant makes an especially inviting sight after dark at Mount Carmel Junction. Its famous “Ho-Made Pies” lettering has probably persuaded more than a few travelers that dessert deserved a stop of its own. With a sign like this, you might start thinking about pie before deciding on dinner.

Jack and Fern Morrison developed their roadside business during the 1930s and built the Thunderbird restaurant in 1940. According to the resort’s history, limited space on a wooden sign led to shortening “homemade.” The unusual spelling stayed, becoming almost as famous as the pies themselves and giving generations of visitors something to talk about.

UPDATE: The Thunderbird continues serving travelers near the junction of U.S. 89 and the road to Zion. Hot apple pie with buttered rum sauce remains among its offerings. Thankfully, this is one classic roadside sign whose promise can still be checked with a fork, preferably after giving the neon a few minutes of camera time. 06-26

Red House (Gone)
Orem, UT
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The glowing lantern at Red House was what made me stop along State Street in Orem. Neon traced its rounded ribs beneath lettering advertising “All U Can Eat,” giving the restaurant a colorful invitation that was difficult to overlook at night. The lantern had considerably more personality than the usual roadside restaurant panel.

Located at 344 South State Street, the Chinese restaurant served the busy corridor between Orem and Provo. My 2004 photograph caught the sign still illuminated, advertising a buffet stop for families, students, and travelers. I don’t remember much about the restaurant itself, but that bright lantern stayed with me long after the visit.

UPDATE: Red House closed in the years that followed, and the lantern sign was removed as the property passed to other commercial uses. The restaurant is gone, but the photograph preserves its best roadside feature, still glowing above the promise of plenty to eat. It’s another little piece of State Street that turned out to be worth stopping for. 06-26

Pfeifer's Restaurant (Demolished)
Denver, CO
Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

The neon at Pfeifer’s Restaurant gave Colfax Avenue another place worth noticing after dark. With its restaurant and lounge frontage, it had the look of somewhere you could settle into a booth and let the evening take its time.

Pfeifer’s was remembered for live jazz and a clientele that included local businesspeople and political figures. That combination gave it a supper club personality beyond the roadside sign. The marquee was what caught my attention, though, fitting neatly among Colfax’s collection of illuminated restaurant names.

UPDATE: Pfeifer’s closed in 1994. Accounts of the building’s demolition and later occupants are inconsistent, so its redevelopment timeline remains uncertain. These photographs preserve the restaurant’s earlier identity, when its neon still invited customers inside for dinner and an evening out. 06-26

Bastien's Restaurant
Denver, CO
Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

The sign at Bastien's Restaurant makes a bold invitation to steak lovers along East Colfax. Its neon and sweeping Googie roofline work together, giving the restaurant the sort of roadside personality that deserves a look before you head inside. 09-10

The present building was constructed in 1958 on the former Moon Drive-In site. Inside, the famous Sugar Steak became the signature attraction, with butter and brown sugar producing a caramelized crust. Outside, the neon sign arrived in January 1959, followed by its “STEAKS” panel in 1961.

UPDATE: Bastien’s continues operating under family ownership at 3503 East Colfax Avenue. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, it remains a welcome combination of distinctive architecture, classic advertising, and something substantial for dinner. 06-26