LaPlace Frostop
LaPlace, LA Photos courtesy Terry Toler
Here's the eye-catcher of a neon sign from the LaPlace Frostop located about 30 miles from New Orleans, Louisiana. The LaPlace Frostop has been in business since 1958. The neon mug has four different neon colors (blue, red, white, and green). The mug still turns!!. Many thanks to Terry Toler, owner of the LaPlace Frostop for photo and info. 02-07
Some roadside signs are easy to admire. Others practically insist that you pull over. The giant rotating root beer mug at LaPlace Frostop definitely falls into the second category. Rising above Airline Highway about 30 miles west of New Orleans, the oversized mug slowly spins while glowing with blue, red, white, and green neon. Throw in the giant foamy head on top and you've got one of those classic roadside sights that's almost impossible to drive past without smiling. It's every bit as entertaining after dark as it is during the day. 02-07
LaPlace Frostop
LaPlace, LA Photos courtesy Terry Toler
The restaurant beneath the sign has been serving hungry travelers since 1958, and it still captures the feel of the great American drive-in. Pull beneath the long canopy and you can almost picture a line of shiny Chevrolets and Fords waiting for burgers, fries, and frosty mugs of root beer while the giant mug turned overhead. Long before Interstate 10 became the preferred route across south Louisiana, Airline Highway carried a steady stream of travelers between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and the Frostop became one of those welcome roadside stops people looked forward to spotting.
One of the nicest things about this place is that the sign isn't just decoration. It does exactly what great roadside advertising was meant to do. You see it from a distance, slow down for a better look, and before long you're pulling into the parking lot. The colorful neon, the slow rotation, and that oversized mug all work together to create one of the most memorable drive-in signs in the South. It's hard to imagine anyone passing by without at least taking a second look.
LaPlace Frostop
LaPlace, LA Photos courtesy Terry Toler
The building has been updated over the years, but it still feels like stepping back to another era. Frostop built its reputation on frosty mugs of root beer and classic drive-in food, and this location continues that tradition today. Better yet, it has remained in the same family for generations, something that's becoming harder and harder to find along America's highways. It's also one of the best-known surviving Frostop restaurants anywhere, making it well worth the detour if you're traveling through southeast Louisiana.
UPDATE: Hurricane Ida toppled the famous rotating mug in August 2021, and for a while it looked like one of Louisiana's best roadside landmarks might be gone for good. Thankfully, the sign was carefully restored and returned to its perch in October 2022. Today the colorful mug is once again spinning above Airline Highway, greeting travelers just as it has for generations. 08-26
The Pearl (Closed)
New Orleans, LA Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Walking along St. Charles Avenue, it's hard not to notice the glowing neon at The Pearl. Hanging above the sidewalk, the sign has been catching the eyes of locals and visitors for decades. With streetcars rolling past and the lights of downtown all around, it fit right in with the classic New Orleans streetscape. 02-07
The Pearl had been serving oysters and seafood since the late 1920s, making it one of downtown's longtime restaurants. Inside was a retro diner atmosphere that matched the vintage sign outside, giving the place plenty of old-school charm.
UPDATE: The Pearl closed in September 2015 after more than 80 years in business. The restaurant is gone, but the familiar neon signs still remain above St. Charles Avenue. 08-26
Frith's Bar-B-Q (Closed)
Martinsville, VA Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
Frith's Bar-B-Q features a fine neon sign in Martinsville, VA. 08-07
Driving through Martinsville, this is one sign that's tough to miss. The neon pig at Frith's Bar-B-Q practically invites hungry travelers to pull over, while the glowing promise of "Curb Service" brings back memories of the days when dinner was delivered right to your car window. 08-07
Known to many locals as the Dixie Pig, this Martinsville favorite had been serving barbecue since the mid-1900s and became just as famous for its Martinsville-style hot dogs as its chopped pork. Pull into one of the parking spaces and a carhop would clip your order right onto your window, a roadside tradition that lasted for generations.
UPDATE: Frith's Bar-B-Q permanently closed in 2021 after decades of serving Martinsville. The neon sign still there a year ago, thought it's gone dim. 08-26
Twig and Leaf
Louisville, KY Photo courtesy Alan Culley
Cruising down Bardstown Road, it's hard not to notice the giant leaf-shaped sign at Twig and Leaf. With its glowing neon and the cheerful promise of being "Tops in Food," it's the kind of roadside sign that has been catching the eyes of hungry motorists for generations. 12-07
The diner has been a neighborhood favorite since 1962, although the building itself had an earlier life as other roadside restaurants before becoming the Twig and Leaf. Step inside and you'll still find plenty of classic diner charm, while outside that unique neon sign continues to steal the show. Thankfully, when the original neon needed major repairs, it was restored instead of being replaced with a modern plastic sign.
UPDATE: Twig and Leaf is still open today, and thanks to local preservation efforts, both the diner and its distinctive neon sign continue welcoming visitors along Bardstown Road. 08-26
Krispy Kreme (Gone)
Spartanburg, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
There's something about an old Krispy Kreme that makes it hard to keep driving. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts on North Church Street had all the ingredients of a classic roadside stop: the familiar green-and-red building, the tall roadside marquee, and the promise of hot doughnuts waiting just inside. Even if you weren't planning to stop, the sign did a pretty good job of changing your mind. 01-08
This Spartanburg location opened in 1969 and served generations of doughnut lovers before the business moved across the street to a newer building in 2005. Unlike many old fast-food restaurants that disappear almost overnight, this one lingered for years. The empty building and its towering sign remained standing, giving the impression that it might reopen at any moment. It became something of a roadside time capsule, reminding travelers what a neighborhood Krispy Kreme looked like before the chain expanded across the country.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts building
Spartanburg, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
There was another feature that made this shop especially memorable. It was one of only a handful of Krispy Kreme locations nationwide with a dedicated coffee bar, and the last store in the entire chain where coffee was served in real china cups instead of paper or foam. Little touches like that gave the place a hometown feel that was becoming harder to find.
For years, the old sign continued greeting motorists even after the doughnuts had moved across the street. It became almost as well known as the restaurant itself, standing watch over the vacant building and drawing the attention of anyone who appreciated vintage roadside architecture.
UPDATE: The original building still stands vacant today. After surviving for nearly two decades after the restaurant closed, the landmark roadside sign was removed in late 2024 following damage from Hurricane Helene. 08-26
