Lim's Cafe (Closed)
Redding, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Traveling along North Market Street in Redding, check out the glowing neon sign for Lim's Cafe. The giant swooping arrow curves around the script lettering before pointing straight down toward the entrance. Just in case anyone was having trouble finding the front door, the neon handled directions.
Peter Lim opened the restaurant in 1933 under the name Kim Sing. After two earlier locations, the family moved the cafe to North Market Street in 1957. Lim’s served an unusual combination of Chinese-American favorites and old-fashioned diner food, so the same table could order pork chow mein, pancakes, or meatloaf without anyone having to compromise.
The restaurant also became an important gathering place for local Native American families, who found a welcoming atmosphere at Lim’s during years when discrimination made many other businesses less inviting. 12-10
Lim's Cafe
Redding, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
UPDATE: The Lim family retired and closed the cafe on September 6, 2022, ending an 89-year run. New owners purchased the building and preserved the landmark sign, while plans were later announced for an Asian hot-pot restaurant in the former cafe. The familiar Lim’s marquee remains on North Market Street, although it is unclear whether all of the neon still lights. 09-26
Lim's features cantonese fare and has been around since the 1930's.
Sno-Flake Drive In
S. Lake Tahoe, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Looking for a quick bite while traveling around Lake Tahoe? Pull over for Sno-Flake
Drive in, an old-school walk-up stand serving burgers, hot dogs, fries, cones, and frosty delights. Despite the drive-in name, there are no carhops or drive-thru lanes. Park the car, walk up to the window, and enjoy the mountain air while waiting for lunch.
Sno-Flake opened in 1961 and still has the compact roadside building and outdoor picnic tables to prove it. Local favorites include the Tahoe Burger, garlic fries, and thick hand-spun milkshakes. The blue-and-white snowflake sign out front completes the vintage roadside scene.
UPDATE: New local owners took over Sno-Flake in 2024 and set out to refresh the business while preserving its classic character. The drive-in remains open seven days a week, and the familiar snowflake-shaped sign still welcomes hungry travelers along Lake Tahoe Boulevard. 09-26
John's Grill
San Francisco, CA Photo courtesy Justin Montano
John's Grill is the
John's Grill you see Humphrey Bogart eating a lamb dinner just before
he takes a cab to Burlingame
in the Dashell Hammett movie, The Maltese Falcon. The grill tout's itself
as "Home of the Maltese Falcon". It's near Union Square. Many thanks to Justin Montano for info.
A glowing red sign points the way to John’s Grill, a San Francisco dining landmark tucked along Ellis Street near Union Square. Opened in 1908, the restaurant has the dark wood, white tablecloths, steaks, seafood, and old city atmosphere one might hope to find behind a vintage neon sign. It is the sort of place that looks especially inviting once the evening fog starts rolling through downtown.
John's Grill
San Francisco, CA Photo courtesy Justin Montano
John’s Grill also has a famous literary connection. Mystery writer Dashiell Hammett worked nearby as a detective and became a regular customer. He later included the restaurant in his 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon, where detective Sam Spade orders a meal of lamb chops, baked potato, and sliced tomatoes. The restaurant continues to celebrate that connection with photographs, memorabilia, menu items, and a black Maltese Falcon displayed inside.
Over the years, John’s Grill has welcomed local politicians, entertainers, writers, tourists, and plenty of hungry San Franciscans. Its projecting neon sign has become a familiar part of the Ellis Street scenery, advertising steaks and seafood above the sidewalk.
UPDATE: John’s Grill remains open at its longtime location, continuing to serve classic meals in its historic dining rooms. The neon sign still shines outside, lighting the way to a little piece of old San Francisco. 09-26
Alioto's (Demolished)
San Francisco, CA Photo courtesy Justin Montano
Glowing above Fisherman’s Wharf, the enormous neon fish at Alioto's was one of San Francisco’s great waterfront signs. The black-and-turquoise fish appeared ready to swim right off the building, while the illuminated number 8 marked the restaurant’s longtime home at Stall No. 8.
Alioto’s began in 1925 when Sicilian immigrant Nunzio Alioto opened a small fish stall serving fishermen and waterfront workers. After his death, his widow Rose took over and helped transform the business into a full-service restaurant. Alioto’s became famous for seafood, Italian dishes, Dungeness crab, and cioppino served with views of the fishing harbor.
The family restaurant survived a major wharf fire in 1957 and remained a familiar destination for generations of San Francisco visitors. The neon fish became nearly as famous as the food, hovering over the waterfront like a beacon for anyone searching for a seafood dinner.
UPDATE: Alioto’s closed in March 2020 and later confirmed that it would not reopen. The building was demolished in early 2026 to make way for a new waterfront plaza, which opened that September. Before demolition began, crews carefully removed the 500-pound neon fish and other Alioto’s signs for protective storage. Hopefully that famous fish will eventually swim into public view again. 09-26
Spenger's Fish Grotto (Closed)
Berkeley, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Looking for seafood and enough neon to brighten an entire block? Spenger's Fish
Grotto in Berkeley was the place to be. The sprawling restaurant had glowing signs all over its nautical exterior, making it nearly impossible to pass without noticing.
The story began in 1890 when Bavarian immigrant Johann Spenger opened a small clam and beer stand. His son Frank later expanded it into a full-service restaurant, and Spenger’s eventually grew into one of the East Bay’s best-known dining institutions.
Spenger's Fish Grotto
Berkeley, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Inside, diners found seafood served among dark wood, portholes, ship wheels, anchors, mounted fish, and decades of maritime memorabilia. The exterior neon added to the experience, turning a seafood dinner on Fourth Street into a little roadside voyage without ever leaving Berkeley.
UPDATE: Spenger’s abruptly closed in October 2018 after 128 years in business. Much of its maritime collection was later sold at auction, while the landmark building was prepared for new retail uses. The historic exterior and familiar signage were retained, leaving reminders of the days when Spenger’s neon welcomed seafood lovers to Fourth Street. 09-26
