The Lanai Bar (Demolished)
San Mateo, CA
Photo courtesy Michael Campbell

The Lanai Bar featured an eye-catching palm sign when it was in business back in the day. The Lanai, a glorious tiki bar in the 1950s style, was demolished in 1989 to make way for a Walgreens. The Lanai was located along El Camino Real in San Mateo. Many thanks to Michael Campbell for info. 02-09

Cruising along El Camino Real, check out the towering neon palm tree for The Lanai. Opened in 1950, this elaborate tiki restaurant was part of the old Villa Square complex and served as a glowing roadside beacon for travelers passing through San Mateo.

Inside, the windowless restaurant created its own island fantasy with an indoor waterfall, a 20-foot saltwater aquarium, a luau pit, and a panoramic mural that shifted from day to night. The tropical drinks were strong enough that locals coined the term “Lanianized” to describe the experience.

UPDATE: The Lanai closed in 1988 and was demolished the following year, taking its landmark neon palm tree with it. A Walgreens-anchored shopping center now occupies the former tiki paradise. 09-26

Viper Lounge
Hayward, CA
Photo courtesy Michael Campbell

Here's the neon sign for the Viper Lounge in Hayward, CA. The Viper is located just up the street from the now closed and shuttered Hayward Bowl and was all aglow, but strangely closed. Many thanks to Michael Campbell for info. 02-09

Along Mission Boulevard in Hayward, check out the glowing neon sign for the Viper Lounge. The neighborhood bar had previously been known as Arnie’s Time Out, and its bright script marquee sometimes continued glowing even when the place appeared closed.

The Viper Lounge became the scene of a fatal shooting in August 2008 and eventually closed.

UPDATE: The building was renovated and reopened as the Dirty Bird Lounge, a neighborhood cocktail bar with pool tables and regular events. The old Viper Lounge neon sign has been removed. 09-26

King Yin Cafe (Closed)
Lodi, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Walking through downtown Lodi after dark, follow the red neon glow to Kin Yin Cafe. The projecting sign hung above the sidewalk, pointing the way toward a Chinese restaurant waiting at the top of a long wooden staircase. Heavy footsteps on those stairs announced each new customer before they reached the dining room. 09-09

Founded by the Yip family in 1921, King Yin became Lodi’s oldest Chinese restaurant and operated under the same name for more than a century. Upstairs, leatherette booths and old vinyl floors helped preserve the feeling of a neighborhood restaurant from another era.

UPDATE: King Yin Cafe has permanently closed, and the historic building was placed on the market. Its weathered red sign remains attached to the brick facade, although the neon is no longer known to light up Main Street. 09-26

Little Joe's Pizza
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Traveling along Mission Street in San Francisco’s Excelsior District, check out the red neon sign for Little Joe’s Pizza. The old script lettering is especially eye-catching when every letter decides to cooperate and light up at the same time. 09-09

Little Joe’s opened in 1941 at Mission and Persia streets. When the restaurant moved to its present location in 1972, the family brought the neon sign along and reinstalled it above the new storefront. The menu eventually became an unusual mix of Italian and Mexican favorites, with hand-spun pizzas served alongside tacos, tamales, and enchiladas.

UPDATE: Little Joe’s remains open as a family-run San Francisco Legacy Business. Its traveling neon sign has been restored and continues glowing above Mission Street more than 80 years after the restaurant first opened. 09-26

Cavour Club
Stockton, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

After dark in Stockton, check out the bright red-and-yellow neon for Cavour Club. The tall roadside sign dates from around the 1950s and was fully lit when this photo was taken, sending a colorful glow across the corner of Union and Lafayette streets. 09-09

The Cavour has occupied this Stockton neighborhood for generations and has celebrated more than a century of history. These days, it operates as a lively dance hall and event venue, with Latin music, DJs, and weekend bailongo nights keeping the old club moving. Late-night taco vendors sometimes join the party, giving dancers a good reason to take a break.

UPDATE: Cavour Club remains open, and its restored vintage marquee continues lighting up Union Street during nighttime events. 09-26

Dean's Cafe (Gone)
Pleasanton, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Walking along Main Street in Pleasanton, check out the neon script for Dean’s Cafe. This longtime roadside diner had been serving breakfast and lunch since the mid-1950s, making it one of downtown’s familiar old food stops. 09-09

Inside, Dean’s kept things simple with wood-paneled walls, leatherette booths, and a wonderfully unpretentious diner atmosphere. The real challenge was choosing breakfast. Its enormous menu advertised more than 275 different four-egg omelettes, which seems like enough choices to keep someone reading until lunchtime.

UPDATE: Dean’s Cafe closed after failing a health inspection on February 6, 2018, and never reopened. The building survives as Good Common Sense Naturals, a cosmetics and skincare shop, but the old neon cafe sign has been removed. 09-26

Curly's Place
Castro Valley, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

With a name like Curly’s Place, this little neighborhood bar may be worth a roadside stop during a long drive. Although this photo was originally identified as Castro Valley, Curly’s actually sits nearby in Hayward. The tall neon sign and glowing COCKTAILS panel make it easy enough to find. 09-09

Curly’s opened around 1958 and remains one of the area’s longtime dive bars. The narrow storefront hides a surprisingly deep interior with a long bar, dartboards, and a large outdoor patio featuring another bar and a performance stage.

UPDATE: Curly’s Place remains open on B Street, with taco nights, pizza nights, and weekend jukebox action. Its vintage neon sign continues standing outside, protected by clear panels over the old tubing. 09-26

Jacques Bar (Gone)
Newark, CA
Photo courtesy Michael Campbell

Here's the marquee for Jacques Bar on Thornton Avenue in Newark. Other than the neon martini glass, there's nothing spectacular about this sign, but it's located in the hottest part of once vibrant Old Newark. Thornton Avenue was always a lively place. Jacques was formerly The Marmist. Many thanks to Michael Campbell for info. 02-09

The building had a long history as a neighborhood watering hole, with earlier names including M&M and, according to local memories, The Marmist. It became Jacques in 1978 and was considered Newark’s oldest drinking establishment.

UPDATE: Jacques closed during the mid-2010s, and its projecting sign and neon martini glass were removed. Another piece of the old Thornton Avenue nightlife has disappeared. 09-26