Hilltop Tavern
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the bubbly at Hilltop Tavern in Sacramento. The neon bubbly, that is. Animated bubbles rise from the cocktail glass on the tavern’s colorful roadside sign, creating a little extra nightlife along Folsom Boulevard.

Hilltop Tavern opened around the late 1950s or early 1960s in a building that had previously served as a neighborhood grocery store. It developed into a relaxed East Sacramento watering hole, the sort of place where regulars could stop for a drink, play some pool, and let the glowing sign handle the advertising.

The vintage-style marquee is the real star outside. Its flashing sequence makes the cocktail appear to fizz, although the mechanical equipment needed to produce the effect has reportedly required plenty of maintenance over the years. Pacific Neon rebuilt or restored the deteriorating sign so the glass could keep bubbling.

UPDATE: Hilltop Tavern remains open on Folsom Boulevard, serving drinks beneath its familiar neon landmark. The animated sign also remains in place, proving that a cocktail does not have to be real to add a little sparkle to the evening. 09-26

Flame Club
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The big arrow outside Flame Club points the way toward one of Sacramento’s great old-school drinking spots. Its neon outline and simple lettering glow above 16th Street, giving the no-frills bar a little extra nighttime style.

Although signs like this recall Sacramento’s prewar neon landscape, the Flame Club and its sign date to 1953. The double-sided arrow was built by Electrical Products Corporation, better known as EPCO, a company responsible for many familiar mid-century signs around California.

Inside, the atmosphere remains almost as straightforward as the sign. There is a bar, a few tables, inexpensive drinks, shuffleboard, and little interest in becoming a polished modern cocktail lounge. Bring cash and enjoy the time warp.

UPDATE: Flame Club remains open at its longtime 16th Street location. A vehicle crashed into an exterior wall in July 2026, but the neighborhood bar continues operating, and its 1953 neon arrow still glows above the entrance. 09-26

Fahey's Fresh House (Gone)
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Fahey's Fresh House was a longtime neighborhood watering hole at the corner of Taraval Street and 24th Avenue in San Francisco. Check out the old neon sign wrapping around the corner and pointing the way inside. Fahey’s was the kind of local bar where police officers, firefighters, and other neighborhood regulars gathered for a drink and a little conversation. 10-09

Owned for many years by Bob “Snooky” Fahey, the Irish pub was also known for selling whole Gallo salamis from behind the bar. According to neighborhood lore, anyone arriving home after one too many rounds could bring back a salami as a peace offering.

UPDATE: Fahey’s became the Dragon Lounge in 2004, with longtime regulars gathering during the day and a younger crowd taking over at night. Dragon Lounge later closed, and the space reopened as Karl’s Beacon in 2020. The Fahey’s neon sign has been removed. 09-26

Gino's Club
Daly City, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Gino's Club was a classic neighborhood dive bar along Mission Street in Daly City. Opened by Gino Baldocchi in 1946, it became the sort of unpretentious local watering hole where regulars could stop for a drink any day of the week. Out front, the tall neon sign welcomed everyone with the friendly promise, “Where Friends Meet.” 10-09

The mid-century marquee became a familiar roadside sight, while the low-lit bar earned a reputation as a can’t-miss dive among locals and adventurous visitors. Nothing fancy was required here. Just pull up a stool, order a drink, and see which friends happened to meet.

UPDATE: Gino’s Club has closed, but the space continues to operate as Carlito’s Club. The original Gino’s pole sign remains standing outside, including its “Where Friends Meet” lettering, although the neon is no longer illuminated. 09-26

Ricky's (Gone)
San Leandro, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Ricky's was a San Leandro watering hole with a neon sign that could catch the attention of locals, tourists, and passing sports fans. Founded in 1946 and moved to Hesperian Boulevard in 1960, the family-owned bar eventually became much more than another neighborhood stop. It grew into one of the best-known gathering places for Oakland Raiders fans. 10-09

Under longtime owner Ricky Ricardo, the walls filled with banners, autographed jerseys, and decades of sports memorabilia. Television screens seemed to cover every available corner, creating an atmosphere that earned Ricky’s its reputation as the capital of Raider Nation. Sports Illustrated once ranked it among the best sports bars in the country.

UPDATE: Ricky’s closed during the pandemic in 2020, the same year Ricky Ricardo passed away. The building was remodeled and reopened under new ownership in May 2023 as Rickey’s Sports Lounge, now spelled with an E. The original memorabilia-filled interior is gone, and the familiar vintage neon sign has been removed or refaced for the new lounge. 09-26

Ye Olde Hoosier Inn (Demolished)
Stockton, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Ye Olde Hoosier Inn was a familiar Stockton landmark along the old alignment of Highway 99. Established in 1933 as the Wilson Way Inn, the restaurant became known for homestyle meals, hot bread, chicken fried steak, and a wonderfully old-fashioned interior. Its Victorian-inspired Red Parlor was filled with antiques, red wallpaper, marble-top tables, and enough decorations to keep customers looking around while waiting for dinner. 10-09

Outside, the large roadside marquee became a familiar sight to generations of travelers passing through Stockton. Ye Olde Hoosier Inn remained a local favorite until closing in 2006, when the historic building was demolished and replaced by a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

UPDATE: The well-remembered marquee was saved and relocated to a private residence east of Highway 99, where it remains visible from the road. The sudden demolition of the restaurant also helped inspire a Stockton ordinance requiring historical review before buildings more than 50 years old can be torn down. 09-26

The Starlite Room (Rem.)
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

The Starlight Room was a neon delight tucked above Union Square on the 21st floor of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. The illuminated street-level entrance on Powell Street pointed the way upstairs, where cocktails, dancing, and sweeping views of San Francisco waited. It was a fine place to watch the city lights while adding a little sparkle of its own. 10-09

The rooftop lounge traces its nightlife history back to 1928, but became especially well known during the Harry Denton era beginning in the 1990s. The glamorous room attracted celebrities, locals, and visitors with its lively dance floor, Sunday drag shows, and panoramic views.

UPDATE: The Sir Francis Drake reopened as the Beacon Grand Hotel in 2022. Following a four-year closure and extensive restoration, the lounge returned in February 2024 under the shortened name Starlite. Its refreshed Art Deco interior, cocktails, vinyl DJs, and city views continue the old sky-high tradition, while the Powell Street entrance and sign changed. 09-26

Art's Crab Shak (Gone)
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

After dark on Broadway in Oakland, check out the glowing red neon for Art’s Crab Shak. The ART’S panel used four rows of neon tubing to create an especially bright glow, which was more than enough to light up the sidewalk and catch the attention of passing motorists. 10-09

The restaurant’s history stretched back to Art’s Buffet in the 1940s. It became Art’s Steakhouse in 1963 before Milouda Kelley purchased the business in 1992, added seafood to the menu, and turned it into Art’s Crab Shak. The windowless brick building became a longtime gathering place for Oakland’s African American community, with vinyl booths and walls covered in years of cards and memories.

UPDATE: Art’s Crab Shak closed in 2015 after the owner retired. The building reopened as Copper Spoon in October 2017, and the new operators preserved portions of the old roadside sign structure. The original glowing ART’S panel, however, has been removed or covered. 09-26