Glowing softly against the dusky evening sky, the vintage marquee for this Arizona roadside watering hole captures the quiet, tranquil charm of the desert Southwest at twilight.
The Pioneer Bar evokes pure mid-century nostalgia, presenting a mood that feels almost cinematic. With a faint crescent moon hanging in the background behind the weathered sign, the atmospheric scene brings to mind the tranquil, rustic bayou and log cabin setting from the opening moments of the classic Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. It stands as a timeless snapshot of the vintage desert tavern experience, where passing travelers could pull off the highway for a cold drink beneath the wide-open Southwestern sky.
UPDATE: The specific Arizona town and current survival status of the Pioneer Bar and its vintage signage remain unverified. 08-26
Hong Kong Restaurant
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Hong Kong Restaurant in Phoenix
features lit up neon signage that captures the essence of the night scene
along the road. Not sure what this all means, but it sounds good.
The Hong Kong Restaurant (also known as the New Hong Kong Restaurant) occupies a street corner that has remained structurally unchanged for over five decades. The location’s culinary roots stretch back to the 1950s when it operated as Tang’s Rice Bowl, and the vintage marquee out front still relies on the very same steel pylon and structural framing from that era. When the current restaurant identity took hold in the 1960s and 70s, new sign panels were installed, and dedicated local neon preservationists eventually stepped in to re-tube and restore the authentic glowing glass rather than replacing it with modern plastic.
Inside, the restaurant spent years operating as a popular neighborhood buffet before transitioning under new ownership in late 2020 to focus entirely on a made-to-order menu of classic Chinese-American favorites.
UPDATE: The restaurant remains open for dining and takeout, and its restored mid-century neon sign continues to illuminate the corner along Indian School Road. 08-26
Golden Moon Palace Restaurant (Gone)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Brightening the corner of Van Buren Street and 15th Avenue for decades, the glowing neon crescent moon above this classic desert stop was an absolute showstopper against the night sky.
The Golden Moon Chinese Restaurant (also known as Golden Moon Chinese Restaurant) served as a familiar landmark along Phoenix's historic highway strip from the 1960s onward. While neighborhood diners and cross-town travelers stopped in for affordable Cantonese-American favorites, the spectacular roadside display out front was always the real attraction. The building was an authentic mid-century neon showcase, highlighted by bold channel lettering paired with a large stylized crescent moon that cast a warm golden glow across the pavement.
The eye-catching sign became a must-see fixture along this storied stretch of Van Buren, embodying the golden age of independent roadside diners. After a 36-year run under long-term management, the restaurant officially served its final meals on November 29, 2015. Fortunately, when the property was sold to make way for a new eatery, the historic neon signs were carefully dismantled and salvaged into a private collection rather than meeting the scrapheap.
UPDATE: The restaurant is permanently closed and the iconic crescent moon neon signs have been removed from the building, with the property repurposed for a new eatery. 08-26
Arby's
Phoenix, AZ Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan
This neon shot of the Arby's neon sign is at the location along Thomas Road in Phoenix. The sign was
erected in early 1965. It is great to see the old ten gallon hat survivors as many have disappeared in recent years. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillanfor info.
Here’s one hard-to-miss Arby’s sign along East Thomas Road in Phoenix. The giant neon cowboy hat has been pointing hungry travelers toward Arby’s since this location opened in December 1968. The covered-wagon-style restaurant is long gone, replaced by a modern building, but thankfully the big hat was spared.
The sign is believed to be the last operating neon Arby’s hat in Arizona. It even picked up a “Drive-Thru” panel across the brim somewhere along the way, just in case that oversized ARBY’S lettering wasn’t getting the message across.
UPDATE: The sign received a major restoration in 2019 with new neon tubing, updated electrical components, and fresh paint. The restaurant remains open and the big hat continues to light up Thomas Road. 08-26
Brownie Cafe
Yuma, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the streamlined neon sign outside Brownies
Cafe in Yuma. The brown porcelain face, glowing red CAFE letters, and turquoise trim make this one fine-looking roadside stop along old Highway 80. Brownie’s has been serving up breakfast and homestyle diner food here since 1946.
Cruising along old Highway 80 through Yuma, it is hard to miss the streamlined neon sign outside Brownie’s Cafe. The brown porcelain face, big red CAFE letters, and turquoise neon trim make this one a real roadside classic. Even during the daytime, that long horizontal marquee has plenty of character hanging out above 4th Avenue.
Brownie’s opened in 1946 and has been feeding Yuma ever since. Inside is the kind of comfortable neighborhood diner where breakfast is served all day and the menu sticks to eggs, pancakes, steaks, burgers, and other homestyle favorites. The cafe is also known for serving Kammann sausage, a longtime regional favorite with its own following around Yuma.
Here is something really different. Brownie’s played a part in the record-setting 1949 flight of the City of Yuma. Pilots Bob Woodhouse and Woody Jongeward kept their Aeronca Sedan in the air for an incredible 1,124 hours and 14 minutes without landing. Brownie’s prepared hot meals for the pilots, which were carried onto the runway in a speeding Buick convertible and lifted into the low-flying airplane by rope. Now that is one way to offer takeout service.
Brownie Cafe along the 80
Yuma, AZ Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
The cafe generally closes in the afternoon, but on Fridays it stays open later for its longtime battered cod fish fry. That weekly tradition still brings in locals who have known Brownie’s for years, along with travelers who spotted the old neon out front and decided to pull over.
UPDATE: Brownie's Cafe on old Highway 80 is still open for business. 12-06
UPDATE: Brownie’s remains open, and its restored neon sign still lights up 4th Avenue. After nearly 80 years, the cafe continues to serve breakfast, lunch, Friday fish, and one of the better roadside signs left along Yuma’s old highway strip. 08-26
El Charro Cafe (Closed)
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s a nighttime look at the glowing orange and green marquee outside El
Charro Cafe in Flagstaff. Located just down the road from Northern Arizona University, this was the kind of old neighborhood restaurant where the neon out front helped make the decision about where to stop for dinner. Tostadas, enchiladas, and a full plate of Mexican food awaited inside.
El Charro opened in 1942 and became a longtime favorite with local families and generations of NAU students. The Contreras family kept the restaurant going for decades, and the place retained much of its comfortable old Flagstaff atmosphere. It was not connected with the better-known El Charro Cafe in Tucson, despite sharing the same name.
The classic Southwestern interior and mid-century appearance also attracted a little attention beyond Flagstaff. El Charro was reportedly used in two feature films and was featured in Arizona Highways magazine. Still, the colorful neon marquee along San Francisco Street may have been its biggest roadside calling card. 07-05
UPDATE: After 80 years in business, El Charro Cafe permanently closed in April 2022. The old orange and green marquee was still mounted outside the building following the closure, although it was no longer lighting up the Flagstaff night. Its long-term future remains uncertain. 08-26
Granny's Closet (Gone)
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s a look at the neon sign and little lumberjack outside Granny's
Closet along old Route 66 in Flagstaff. The carved fellow may not look so little, but this site was once home to a pair of 20-foot fiberglass Paul Bunyans built in 1963 for the former Lumberjack Cafe. They are considered the very first of the roadside giants that became known as Muffler Men.
One of those big lumberjacks and the restaurant appeared in the 1969 road movie Easy Rider. After Frank and Sally Zanzucchi took over and reopened the place as Granny’s Closet in 1974, the giants were donated to Northern Arizona University and became versions of Louie the Lumberjack. A smaller wooden “Little Louie” later took over out front beside an old red tractor.
Granny’s became a longtime Flagstaff steakhouse, Italian restaurant, and sports bar. The colorful neon marquee and little lumberjack kept plenty of old Route 66 character along Milton Road. 07-05
UPDATE: Granny’s Closet closed in November 2016. The neon sign panels, Little Louie, tractor, and other contents were sold at auction in 2017. Northern Arizona University later purchased the property and received approval to place the vacant site up for sale in 2026. 08-26
Here’s a look at the neon sign and little lumberjack outside 
