Sundown Restaurant (Gone)
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the cool vintage lettering on the roadside sign for the Sundown Restaurant. Standing along West Hopi Drive on the famous Route 66 corridor through Holbrook, this classic highway eatery looked like it had welcomed generations of cross-country travelers rolling through northern Arizona. 11-20

Built back in 1952 to serve guests staying at the adjacent Sundown Motel, the dining room and coffee shop became a popular stop for motorists looking for a hot meal before making the long drive across the desert. The kitchen gained a solid reputation along the Mother Road for its eclectic menu, serving up hearty American diner comfort food right alongside authentic Chinese dishes. It even earned an official recommendation from legendary food critic Duncan Hines back during the golden age of American highway travel.

By the time this photo was taken around 1999, the busy restaurant days had long since ended, but the weathered sign still held on by the side of the road as a fond reminder of the town's classic mid-century travel era.

UPDATE: The original restaurant business has been gone for years and the vintage roadside sign was removed, though the modified building structure still stands along Hopi Drive. 08-26

Buckles Family Restaurant (Gone)
Williams ,AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Cruising into the classic Route 66 gateway town of Williams, it was hard to miss the towering roadside sign for Buckles Family Restaurant. Located right along North Grand Canyon Boulevard, this expansive highway stop sat in a prime spot to catch travelers and families heading right off Interstate 40 on their way into town or north toward the Grand Canyon. 11-20

The business operated under a classic two-in-one roadside setup, combining a bustling, high-capacity American coffee shop and family diner with an integrated Indian trading post and gift shop under one massive roof. With seating for hundreds of road-trippers, it was a popular oasis where visitors could fuel up on a hot meal, browse racks of authentic regional souvenirs and Southwest crafts, and take a quick break before getting back on the road.

While earlier road logs often listed the building as torn down, the large structure actually survived, though it underwent extensive remodeling that wiped away its vintage coffee shop appearance to make way for a Chinese buffet.

UPDATE: Buckles Family Restaurant has been gone for years and the original signage was taken down, with the heavily renovated building now home to the New China Buffet. 08-26

Cochise Coffee Restaurant
Douglas, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the quirky, converted building that once housed the Cochise Coffee Restaurant. Tucked away just off the main highway corridor down in the border town of Douglas, this place definitely did not look like your average cookie-cutter roadside diner. In many ways, the building looked like a classic residential house that had been modified over time to serve up hot coffee and home-cooked meals to hungry travelers and locals. 06-23

Operating under names like the Cochise Coffee Connection during its heyday, the cozy outpost served as a welcoming local gathering spot in southern Cochise County. Beyond brewing up fresh pots of coffee for passing motorists taking the long drive through southeastern Arizona, the business was an active part of the Douglas community, even teaming up with nearby Cochise College over the years to help sponsor local art exhibits and student events.

UPDATE: The original vintage coffee shop operation has long ceased, and it is uncertain whether the quirky house-style structure or its roadside sign still remain along the corridor. 08-26

Old coffee shop (Demolished)
Tucson, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here is a look at an abandoned roadside coffee shop sitting quiet in Tucson back in 1999, which later operated as The Country House Restaurant. With its distinctive low-slung roofline and wide glass front, the vacant building looked like it had seen countless hungry travelers pulling off the highway during its glory days. 06-23

While the building easily looked like it could have been an old Denny's at first glance, the architecture actually pointed to another classic highway icon of the era: a mid-century Sambo's Restaurant. The franchise was a staple of family road trips across the West, serving up stacks of pancakes, burgers, and bottomless coffee around the clock. After the national chain faded away, the building found a second act as an independent country-style diner before finally shutting down and sitting empty by the side of the road.

By the late 1990s, the faded structure sat fenced off and deserted along the old highway corridor, holding on as a dusty reminder of the classic mid-century coffee shop era in southern Arizona.

UPDATE: The building has since been demolished and completely cleared from the site. 08-26