 Mexican Garden (Demolished)
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy John V Cinchett
The Mexican Garden was in West Tampa on Columbus Drive in 1957. Notice the fancy neon sombrero design on the front of the building.
This sign was made by Cinchett Neon Signs during the 1950s. Many thanks to John V Cinchett for info. 07-09
A 1957 photograph captures the restaurant at its peak, complete with its distinctive neon display created by the famed Cinchett Neon Sign Company. The oversized sombrero gave the building plenty of personality and was exactly the kind of colorful roadside advertising that once lined America's highways.
Like many independent roadside restaurants of the era, the Mexican Garden eventually disappeared. The building was demolished, and its memorable neon sign vanished with it. Today, old photographs are all that remain of this unique West Tampa landmark and one more piece of Florida's fading roadside history. |
