Big Bull Steakhouse Restaurant (Gone)
Cropwell,
AL Photo courtesy Alan Culley
Even without the neon glowing, it's easy to imagine what this place looked like after dark. The giant bull standing high above Big Bull Steakhouse Restaurant must have been quite a sight, welcoming hungry travelers and vacationers headed for Logan Martin Lake. It's the kind of roadside sign that was impossible to mistake for anything else. 01-09
Located along Highway 231 in Cropwell, the restaurant shared the property with a lakeside motel, making it a popular stop for both overnight guests and folks spending the day on the water. The oversized bull marquee gave motorists plenty of notice that steaks were just ahead, and it fit right in with the larger-than-life roadside advertising that made highway travel so much fun during the 1960s and 1970s.
Even sitting dark, the sign had plenty of character. You can almost picture the neon outlining the bull against the night sky, drawing cars off the highway one after another. Signs like this weren't just advertisements. They became landmarks, helping travelers remember exactly where they stopped along the way.
UPDATE: The original steakhouse has closed, although the building remains as part of the former motel property. The giant bull sign has been removed. 08-26
Henry James Bar-B-Que (Gone)
High Point, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
That chubby little pig is enough to make anyone look twice. Standing high above the road, the sign for Henry James Bar-B-Que greeted hungry travelers with a smile and pointed the way to another classic North Carolina barbecue stop. It's the kind of roadside mascot that's hard to forget once you've seen it. 02-09
Located on the outskirts of High Point, the restaurant served Carolina-style barbecue for years from its Greensboro Road location. The cheerful pig did most of the advertising, giving passing motorists one more reason to pull off the highway for a bite to eat.
UPDATE: The High Point restaurant has closed, and the familiar pig sign has been removed. 08-26
Mary Mac's Tea Room
Atlanta, GA Photo courtesy Kevin Powers
Check out the neon sign outside of Mary Mac's Tea Room. Mary Mac's is a classic southern eatery that has been in business in the Atlanta, GA area since 1945. According to the Mary Mac's Tea Room website, the restaurant uses the name "tea room" because back in the 1940's, it wasn't common for a female restaurant owner to open up a "restaurant". Many thanks to Kevin Powers for info. 02-09
That glowing neon sign has been welcoming hungry Atlantans for generations. Mary Mac's Tea Room has been serving Southern favorites since 1945, and its colorful marquee has become one of the city's best-known restaurant signs. Even if you're just driving down Ponce de Leon Avenue, it's hard not to notice.
The neon sign fits the place perfectly. It has that warm, inviting look that seems to promise good food and friendly service before you ever walk through the front door. It's the kind of roadside landmark that reminds you why old restaurant signs are just as memorable as the meals they advertise.
UPDATE: Mary Mac's Tea Room is still welcoming diners today, and the famous neon sign continues to light up Ponce de Leon Avenue. 08-26
Mr. Barbecue
Winston-Salem, NC Photo courtesy Tony Craig
That giant pig has been making barbecue lovers hungry for generations. Rising high above Peters Creek Parkway, the sign for Mr. Barbecue is one of those roadside landmarks that's almost impossible to ignore. Long before you spot the restaurant itself, that smiling pig lets you know exactly what's waiting just ahead. Add in the collection of old-time signs scattered around the property, and you've got the kind of place that seems to have been built with road trippers in mind. 09-10
Mr. Barbecue opened in 1962, bringing Lexington-style barbecue to Winston-Salem and quickly becoming one of the city's best-known places to eat. While barbecue has always been the star of the menu, fried chicken has earned just as many fans over the years. The restaurant still cooks its pork the old-fashioned way over hickory wood, and before you even reach the front door, there's a good chance the smell of smoke will already have your stomach growling.
Mr. Barbecue menu item
Winston-Salem, NC Photo courtesy Tony Craig
The building has changed over the years, but the roadside personality hasn't. The giant pig continues to watch over the highway, while the vintage signs around the restaurant help give the property the kind of character that's becoming harder to find. It's the sort of place where you can't help but slow down for a better look, even if you've driven past it a hundred times before.
Restaurants like this were once a common sight along highways across the South. A memorable mascot, a bold roadside sign, and the promise of good food were usually all that was needed to fill the parking lot. Mr. Barbecue still captures that feeling. It doesn't rely on flashy digital billboards or oversized chain logos. Instead, it lets its classic pig sign do the talking, just as it has for decades.
Mr. Barbecue iced tea
Winston-Salem, NC Photo courtesy Tony Craig
It's easy to imagine families pulling in after a long day on the road, kids spotting the pig from the back seat, and everyone agreeing that this looked like a good place to stop. That's what great roadside signs were meant to do. They weren't just advertisements. They became familiar landmarks that travelers remembered long after the trip was over.
The restaurant has seen its share of challenges, including a devastating fire in 2019 that destroyed much of the original building. Fortunately, the story didn't end there. Mr. Barbecue reopened on the same site in 2021, continuing a tradition that has been part of Winston-Salem's roadside landscape for more than sixty years. Through it all, the famous pig remained a symbol of the restaurant and a welcome sight for hungry motorists.
Fried chicken boxed to go
Winston-Salem, NC Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Whether you're heading through town for the first time or returning to an old favorite, the giant pig still does exactly what it was designed to do. It catches your eye, makes you smile, and just might convince you that barbecue sounds like a pretty good idea after all.
UPDATE: Mr. Barbecue continues serving customers from its rebuilt restaurant, and the giant pig sign still welcomes travelers along Peters Creek Parkway. 08-26
Cruising through Magnolia after dark, this sign is hard to miss. The bright lights for Smalltown's Calabash Seafood Buffet stand out along the highway, letting hungry travelers know there's plenty of seafood waiting just ahead. It may not have the age of a classic neon sign, but it certainly knows how to catch your attention. 11-10
The restaurant specialized in Calabash-style seafood, serving up buffet favorites to locals and travelers passing through eastern North Carolina. Looking at the photo, it's easy to imagine this sign glowing for miles, drawing in anyone with a craving for fried shrimp, fish, oysters, or crab legs.
Sometimes a roadside sign doesn't have to be fifty years old to be memorable. This one relies on bright colors, bold lettering, and sheer size to do its job, proving that eye-catching roadside advertising didn't disappear when the neon era faded away.
UPDATE: Smalltown's Calabash Seafood Buffet has permanently closed. It is unclear whether the illuminated roadside sign still stands today. 08-26
Big Bull Steakhouse Restaurant (Gone)
Henry James Bar-B-Que (Gone)
Mr. Barbecue
Mr. Barbecue menu item
Mr. Barbecue iced tea
Fried chicken boxed to go
Smalltown's Calabash Seafood Buffet (Gone)
