Revel's Bar-B-Q (Demolished)
Rockingham, NC Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Driving along U.S. 74, it would have been hard to miss the big roadside marquee at Revel's Bar-B-Q. The smiling chef pig serving up barbecue was enough to make anyone think about the next meal, and years ago the sign even featured flashing neon and animated moving hooves that waved to passing motorists. It was one of those classic roadside signs that made the decision to stop just a little easier. 03-07
Revel's had been a Rockingham favorite since the early 1950s, serving barbecue, fried chicken, and plenty of Southern comfort food to locals and travelers alike. Race weekends at nearby Rockingham Speedway brought even bigger crowds, with NASCAR fans making Revel's part of their trip before or after spending the day at the track. For many people, a visit to Rockingham wasn't complete without a meal here.
The restaurant eventually expanded beyond the dining room, selling its barbecue through local grocery stores, but it was the roadside sign most folks remembered. Whether you stopped for lunch or simply drove by, that cheerful pig had a way of making the place stick in your memory.
UPDATE: The restaurant was demolished in 2008, and the famous chef pig marquee was removed a few years later. Today, both the building and the sign are gone. 08-26
Here's a familiar face. Yogi's Honey Fried Chicken was a regional chain back in the 60'sand 70's and this location here is the lone survivor. Hanna-Barbera licensed his likeness and name for the chain to use. I was told some locations had fiberglass statues of the cartoon characters but they are all gone now. There is also a chain of RV parks that use his likeness and name as well which is Yogi Bears Jellystone RV park. Many thanks to Doug Harvey for info. 06-07
Here's one roadside sign guaranteed to get your attention. Yogi Bear's Honey Fried Chicken still features the famous picnic basket-loving bear smiling down at passing motorists, making it one of the most unusual restaurant signs you'll find anywhere in the South. If that doesn't catch your eye, the slogan "How Sweet It Is!" just might.
The restaurant has been serving Hartsville for more than 50 years and is the last surviving location of what was once a small chain of Yogi Bear-themed fried chicken restaurants. While the others disappeared decades ago, this one kept right on cooking, serving fried chicken and Southern favorites beneath one of the most recognizable cartoon signs ever to advertise a roadside meal.
UPDATE: Yogi Bear's Honey Fried Chicken remains open, and its one-of-a-kind roadside sign continues welcoming hungry travelers to Hartsville. 08-26
Frith's Bar-B-Q (Closed)
Martinsville, VA Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen
If you're driving through Martinsville, the first thing you'll notice at Frith's Bar-B-Q is the glowing neon pig stretched across the roadside marquee. It's one of those classic signs that almost guarantees a second look, especially after dark, and it's easy to see why so many travelers pulled in over the years. The curb service only added to the old-fashioned roadside charm. 08-07
Known in later years as Frith's Dixie Pig Barbecue, the restaurant became a Martinsville favorite for generations, serving barbecue to locals and visitors from its longtime spot on Memorial Boulevard. The neon pig was every bit as memorable as the food, becoming one of the best-known roadside landmarks in town.
UPDATE: Frith's Dixie Pig Barbecue closed in 2021 after serving the community for decades. The current status of the famous neon pig sign is unknown. 08-26
Little Pigs Barbecue
Newton, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Cruising through Newton, the roadside sign at Little Pigs Barbecue is enough to make you think about lunch, even if you weren't hungry a few minutes earlier. It's the kind of place that looks right at home along the highway, with an old-fashioned barbecue joint feel that has been drawing in locals and travelers for decades. 11-07
Little Pigs started out as part of a regional barbecue chain during the 1960s, but this location found its own path after the original company disappeared. More than 60 years later, it's still family owned and serving Western North Carolina barbecue the way folks around here like it, with hickory-smoked chopped pork, Lexington-style sauce, hush puppies, and all the usual Southern favorites.
Little Pigs Barbecue
Newton, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The building still has that comfortable roadside atmosphere that's becoming harder to find. Nothing about it feels rushed or overdone. Just a familiar sign, a parking lot that's usually busy around mealtime, and the promise of good barbecue waiting inside.
UPDATE: Little Pigs Barbecue remains open, and the classic roadside sign continues welcoming hungry travelers to Newton. 08-26
Gary's Bar-B-Q
China Grove, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The first thing you'll probably notice at Gary's Bar-B-Q isn't the barbecue, it's the sign. A vintage Pepsi panel sits on top while a newer Coca-Cola section below advertises fountain service, making for one of the more unusual roadside combinations you're likely to find. It definitely earns a second look as you drive through China Grove. 11-07
Gary's Bar-B-Q
China Grove, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Gary's opened in 1971 and quickly became a favorite stop for barbecue lovers traveling U.S. 29. The fun doesn't stop outside, either. Inside you'll find an amazing collection of automotive memorabilia, including vintage gas pumps, jukeboxes, old cars, and even a classic Volkswagen microbus parked inside the dining room. It's almost like wandering into a roadside museum where you just happen to get a barbecue sandwich.
After more than five decades under founder Gary Ritchie, the restaurant entered a new chapter in 2026 with new ownership, but the roadside character that made Gary's famous is still very much intact.
UPDATE 04/08 : On a recent trip to Gary's Bar-B-Q on a Sunday, the place was packed, it smelled good and as it was near dinner time, we decided to take a peek inside. The place was a virtual antique sign museum. There were several rooms with every inch covered in mostly old tins soda signs, no reproductions here. There were also two 1956 Thunderbirds in their own room, kind of like a giant display case with the walls also covered in signs. Gary's turned out to be not only the first non-spartan BBQ place yet but also the best. The friendly waitress who commented "You're not from around here are you" brought us a complimentary banana pudding, stating that it had won the best of award for the Carolinas, which needless to say it was good. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for update. 04-08
UPDATE: Gary's Bar-B-Q remains open, and the unique Pepsi-and-Coca-Cola roadside sign continues welcoming hungry travelers to China Grove. 08-26
Revel's Bar-B-Q (Demolished)
Yogi Bear's Honey Fried Chicken
Little Pigs Barbecue
Little Pigs Barbecue
Gary's Bar-B-Q
Gary's Bar-B-Q
