Cheese 'N Stuff
Phoenix, AZ Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan
The Cheese 'N Stuff place is still in business and they
seem to love their old
sign. I spoke to the owner Stan (on 06-01-05). Stan and his father bought
this place in 1972 from almost the original owners. I say that because
the original owner sold the business in 1950 when it was just one year
old, and the 2nd owners owned it until 1972. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillan for info. 06-05
Check out the old rooftop sign above Cheese ’N Stuff along Central Avenue in Phoenix. The simple name tells the story pretty well. There is cheese, there is stuff, and most of it can be piled between two pieces of bread.
The little neighborhood deli opened in 1949. Stan Zawatski and his father purchased it in 1972, and Stan went on to run the place for more than 50 years with his sister Susan and daughter Crystal. During that time, the family reportedly served well over one million sandwiches. That is a lot of cheese and stuff.
The shop became a longtime stop for neighborhood residents and students from nearby Brophy and Xavier. Inside were deli meats, cheeses, fresh bread, and sandwiches made much the same way year after year. Outside, the familiar rooftop sign gave the small storefront a little extra roadside character.
Cheese 'N Stuff
Phoenix, AZ Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan
After decades behind the counter, the Zawatski family closed Cheese ’N Stuff on June 1, 2025, and it appeared Phoenix had lost another longtime neighborhood favorite. Fortunately, several loyal customers had other plans.
UPDATE: Five former Brophy and Xavier students joined together to purchase Cheese ’N Stuff and reopened it in November 2025. Stan Zawatski passed along the original recipes and preparation instructions so the sandwiches would remain familiar. The vintage sign survives and lights up again, and the new owners are seeking landmark protection for the property. 08-26
Monti's Steakhouse (Demolished)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Although often listed as Phoenix, Monti’s La Casa Vieja was actually located across the river in downtown Tempe. The landmark steakhouse was known for prime rib, seafood, and its warm Roman Bread, which owner Leonard Monti jokingly claimed came from Julius Caesar’s legions. 11-20
Monti opened the restaurant in 1954 inside an adobe house built by Tempe founder Charles Hayden in 1871. Hayden’s son, longtime U.S. Senator Carl Hayden, was born there. The restaurant eventually grew to seat more than 900 diners in a maze of rooms filled with Arizona photographs and frontier artifacts.
UPDATE: Monti’s closed on November 17, 2014, after 60 years. Its neon sign and later restaurant additions were removed, but the original 1871 adobe house was restored and incorporated into the modern 100 Mill development. 08-26
Longhorn Bar and Grill
Amado, AZ Photo courtesy Gorb70
Traveling through Amado brings one strange roadside sight. The entrance to Longhorn Bar and Grill is built into the nose of a gigantic steer skull, complete with 30-foot horns sweeping across the front. Yes, customers actually walk through the skull to get inside. 04-06
Tucson artist Michael Kautza created the giant facade in the early 1970s. Strangely, the building first housed businesses including a bait shop, clothing boutique, and roofing company. It did not become the Longhorn Grill until 1993. Apparently, it took about 20 years for someone to realize a steakhouse belonged inside a giant steer.
UPDATE : Word is that the adobe building goes back to the 1950s after which the skull was added in the late 1960s to 1970s. The business became a steakhouse in 1993 until foreclosing in 2012. Fortunately the business reopened as the Longhorn Grill and Saloon in 2019. The skull has been featured in movies including "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" and "Boys on the Side". 06-23
UPDATE: The restaurant closed in July 2012 and remained vacant for seven years. New owners renovated it and reopened the Longhorn Grill and Saloon in May 2019. The restaurant remains open, and those enormous horns continue greeting travelers along Interstate 19. 08-26
Sky Chief Bar and Grill (Demolished)
Yuma, AZ Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
Check out the aviation-themed sign outside the Sky Chief Bar and Grill in Yuma. This roadside restaurant had opened and closed more than once by the time of this photo, making it difficult to know whether dinner would actually be served on any particular visit. 05-06
Jim Cebulak and his wife, known around town as Sugar, operated the Sky Chief through several locations. Its best-remembered home was inside the old Yuma airport terminal, where customers could eat prime rib, charcoal-broiled steaks, and fried shrimp while watching military jets and civilian airplanes through the windows.
Local stories say cast and crew members from the 1965 movie The Flight of the Phoenix visited the Sky Chief while filming in the nearby Buttercup Valley sand dunes. Pilots reportedly sat at the bar talking about wartime flying with the movie’s star, Jimmy Stewart, who had flown combat missions during World War II.
The restaurant also had a lively piano bar with local musician Jimmy Caves and occasional Las Vegas entertainers. When the airport was modernized, the old wooden terminal building was moved across town and became part of Bible Baptist Church. The Sky Chief carried on at other locations, eventually landing on East 32nd Street.
UPDATE: The final Sky Chief Bar and Grill closed after several attempts to reopen the business. The 32nd Street restaurant was later demolished, the aviation-themed sign was removed, and modern retail development now occupies the property. 08-26
Copper Cart (Closed)
Seligman, AZ Photo courtesy Tony Craig
The looping neon arrow outside the Copper Cart is one of those Route 66 signs that seems to turn up everywhere. It has appeared in books, magazines, postcards, and more than a few road-trip photographs. With the big name glowing above that swirling arrow, the sign has been pointing travelers into this Seligman landmark since the highway’s busy days.
The Copper Cart opened as a restaurant in 1952, taking its name from Arizona’s long copper-mining history. Travelers stopped here for steaks, Mexican food, diner meals, and slices of pie. Friendly service helped keep people coming back, but that tall sign probably talked quite a few motorists into making their first visit.
The Copper Cart sign in 1998
Seligman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The restaurant also played a much bigger role in Route 66 history. After Interstate 40 bypassed Seligman, local businesses watched much of their highway traffic disappear. On February 18, 1987, barber Angel Delgadillo and 14 other Route 66 supporters gathered inside the Copper Cart to figure out what could be done.
That meeting led to the creation of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. The group began promoting and preserving the old road, helping start a movement that spread far beyond Seligman. In a way, the campaign that brought Route 66 back to life got rolling from a booth inside this little highway restaurant. Really!
The Copper Cart served travelers for more than 60 years before the kitchen eventually closed. Thankfully, the historic building and famous neon sign were not lost. Both were folded into a new attraction that keeps plenty of old highway spirit on the property.
The Copper Cart sign in 2000
Seligman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
UPDATE: The Copper Cart in Seligman is now closed. Many thanks to Dave van Hulsteyn for update. 02-08
UPDATE: The Copper Cart restaurant reopened in April 2008 under new ownership. The interior was completely remodeled to look like the nostalgic diners of the 50's. The sign was repainted soon afterwards. Many thanks to Kelly for update. 01-09
UPDATE: Here are more photos of the Copper Cart from 20 plus years ago. 09-21
UPDATE: The former restaurant has operated as the Route 66 Motoporium since 2015. Inside are classic vehicles, motorcycles, old signs, and Route 66 souvenirs. Outside, real motorcycles appear to burst through a colorful wall mural, while an old Volkswagen bus covered with travelers’ signatures and stickers serves as a rolling guest book that no longer rolls very far. Best of all, the Copper Cart’s looping neon arrow still lights up along Route 66. 08-26
Cheese 'N Stuff
Cheese 'N Stuff
Monti's Steakhouse (Demolished)
Sky Chief Bar and Grill (Demolished)
The looping neon arrow outside the 
The Copper Cart sign in 1998
The Copper Cart sign in 2000
