Buddy's
Pocatello, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's a shot of Buddy's Restaurant located in Pocatello, Idaho. Check out the classic roadside sign out front. Places like Buddy's are becoming increasingly rare, especially when they've been serving the same community for generations. 10-06

Buddy's traces its roots back to 1961 when Buddy Lombardi opened the restaurant and introduced Pocatello to his family's Italian recipes. Over the years, the restaurant became a local favorite known for its square-cut Sicilian pizza, garlic salad dressing, and old-fashioned atmosphere. For many residents, a meal at Buddy's has become something of a tradition.

UPDATE: Buddy's is still going strong at its longtime location in Pocatello. While many vintage roadside restaurants have disappeared over the years, Buddy's continues to serve customers beneath the familiar sign that has welcomed diners for decades. Some things are worth hanging onto. 06-26

The Club Grill (Gone)
Shelley, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out The Club Grill located in Shelley, Idaho. The Grill was housed in a building that appeared to have once been a hospital, making it one of the more unusual roadside eateries around. Check out the green blade sign hanging over the front facade. Even without knowing its history, the building was enough to make motorists take a second look. 10-06

As it turns out, the building really was a hospital. Constructed in 1903, it served as the Shelley Hospital from 1909 until 1926 before taking on a variety of other roles over the years. Eventually it became home to The Club Grill, a friendly local gathering place where residents could grab a meal, shoot a game of pool, and catch up with friends.

UPDATE: The Club Grill shut its doors and removed its sign sometime around 2016. The place had been known for its friendly atmosphere. The historic building, however, survived. Today it has embraced its unusual past and operates as the "Hospital of the Lost Souls," a haunted attraction that makes use of the structure's former hospital history. Somehow that seems fitting. 06-26

Rand's Chicken (Gone)
McCammon, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

This old sign stands in front of what was once Rand's Chicken in the town of McCammon, Idaho. Check out the weathered roadside marker that greeted hungry travelers passing through this small southeastern Idaho community. Signs like this were once a common sight along the highways and back roads of the West. 10-06

McCammon has long served as a stopping point for travelers heading north and south through Idaho. Small independent restaurants like Rand's Chicken helped give these towns a little character and offered an alternative to the increasingly familiar chain restaurants found near interstate exits.

UPDATE: Pretty sure this restaurant is gone. The old sign remains a reminder of a different era when small roadside eateries could be found in nearly every town along the highway. Sometimes it's the little places that disappear the fastest. 06-26

Caler's Country Grill (Gone)
Fillmore, UT
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The sign at Caler’s Country Grill was part of the building itself, giving this Fillmore restaurant a roadside look all its own. Instead of planting a separate marquee beside the highway, the design worked the advertising right into the architecture. That little touch was enough to make me stop for a photograph.

The building had a definite Googie feel, recalling the days when restaurants used bold shapes to attract passing motorists. Along Utah’s old north to south travel corridor, a distinctive frontage could help persuade travelers that this was the place to take a meal break.

UPDATE: Caler’s is gone, along with the building and its unusual sign. Its operating history remains difficult to pin down, but the photograph preserves what made it memorable. Sometimes the most interesting roadside detail is the one that couldn’t be removed without taking the building with it. 06-26