Owl Club
Roseville, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The Owl Club in Roseville sports a great roadside sign that looks good both day and night. Perched above the lettering is a neon owl with blinking eyes, making the bird appear awake one moment and fast asleep the next. Looks like someone may have enjoyed one too many late nights at the club.
The building began as a grocery store in 1920, with a Chinese restaurant operating upstairs for many years. Following the repeal of Prohibition, the downstairs space became the Owl Club in 1934. A major renovation in 1993 helped transform the old tavern into a craft beer bar while preserving its historic character.
UPDATE: After briefly closing amid financial and regulatory troubles in 2014, the Owl Club reopened under new ownership in January 2015. It remains an Old Town Roseville destination for craft beer, live music, and nighttime entertainment. Best of all, the vintage owl sign survives and continues blinking above the entrance. 09-26
Pink Elephant
Monte Rio, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The Pink Elephant is a good place to stop and see exactly what the name promises. Perched above the building is a large pink elephant outlined in neon, looking out over Main Street in Monte Rio. The glowing roadside pachyderm has been attracting curious travelers and thirsty locals since the days when the Pink Elephant was a lively Russian River watering hole.
Opened in 1937, the bar became known as “The Pink” and welcomed an unusual mix of loggers, motorcycle riders, vacationers, and local characters. Inside, a colorful mural showed a man running through the jungle with a martini glass, which sounds about right for a bar marked by a giant pink elephant.
UPDATE: The Pink Elephant closed in December 2009 because of septic and permitting problems. The building has since received extensive renovations, including new siding, roofing, and a rear balcony, with plans to reopen under the owners of the nearby Blue Heron Restaurant. The historic mural has been recreated, while the restored neon elephant still lights up the night. 09-26
China Chef (Gone)
Oakland, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
The China Chef once added a bright splash of neon to the Oakland night. The projecting sign advertised the restaurant along with its “Take Home Service,” a wonderfully old-fashioned way of letting passing motorists know that dinner could travel. 12-05
The glowing lettering and simple takeout message made the sign a fine example of the neighborhood neon that once lined Oakland’s commercial streets.
UPDATE: China Chef is no longer operating, and its vintage neon sign has disappeared from the Oakland streetscape. 09-26
Li Po Cocktail Lounge
San Francisco, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Check out the Li Po Cocktail Lounge which is a Chinatown landmark hiding behind a cave-like entrance along Grant Avenue. Look up for the elaborate neon lantern hanging above the sidewalk, then step through the red doors for an interior filled with vinyl booths, glowing lights, and a large golden Buddha watching over the bar. 02-06
Opened on Chinese New Year’s Eve in 1937, Li Po was Chinatown’s first cocktail lounge. Its name honors Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, who was known for writing about the pleasures of wine. The neon lantern was installed by 1947 and even appeared in the Orson Welles film The Lady from Shanghai that same year.
UPDATE: Li Po remains open and is still known for its famously potent Chinese Mai Tai, which gained wider attention after Anthony Bourdain visited in 2012. The deteriorated neon lantern was fully restored in 2018, and Li Po received San Francisco Legacy Business status the following year. 09-26
George & Walt's
Berkeley, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
George & Walt's is a longtime neighborhood bar marked by a wonderful vertical neon sign along College Avenue. The glowing script lettering makes the place easy to spot while passing through Rockridge. Although often listed as being in Berkeley, George & Walt’s is actually located just across the city line in Oakland. 02-06
The business began as a small cafe in 1931 before moving to its permanent College Avenue location in 1946. It remained a traditional neighborhood tavern for decades, then shifted toward sports in 1989. Today, the televisions, pool tables, jukebox, and familiar barroom atmosphere make it a popular gathering place for Warriors games and NFL Sundays.
UPDATE: George & Walt’s remains open and has now been operated by the same family for three generations. The woman-owned bar and grill continues serving the Rockridge neighborhood, and its classic neon sign still shines above the entrance. 09-26
The Hayward Ranch (Demolished)
Hayward, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
The Hayward Ranch was a Western-themed steakhouse and longtime roadside landmark on Mission Boulevard. Opened by Leonardo Perolo in 1948, the restaurant became the original location of a regional chain that eventually grew to 27 Ranch restaurants around the East Bay. The Hayward location outlasted them all, continuing to serve steaks, prime rib, and cocktails long after the others disappeared.
Outside, a colorful neon sign advertised lunches, dinners, and cocktails to passing motorists. One side featured a glowing cocktail glass, while the reverse included a cow and cocktail design. A large sculpted bull head watched over the roofline, leaving little doubt that this was the place to stop when steak sounded good.
The Hayward Ranch
Hayward, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Inside, the dimly lit dining rooms were crowded with mounted antlers, wagon wheels, vintage lanterns, rusty tools, and other pieces of Western decoration. There was even an antique cash register and an old-fashioned wooden phone booth. The building was reportedly constructed using heavy timbers salvaged from a dismantled railroad trestle near Sacramento, giving the place an appropriately sturdy, rustic feel.
For decades, the Ranch attracted families, longtime regulars, local politicians, and East Bay power brokers. Its dark booths became known as comfortable places to enjoy a prime rib dinner, sip a cocktail, and perhaps work out a city deal or two away from curious ears.
UPDATE Here are a couple of shots of the Ranch Restaurant sign taken in 2009 with the neon letters contrasting with a very dark night. The sign still shows off its two different sides with alternating blue and red neon colors. 02-09
UPDATE: The Hayward Ranch served its final meals on December 31, 2019, ending 71 years in business. The building was later demolished for a mixed-use development with residences and commercial space. Its vintage neon sign and familiar rooftop bull head were removed and sold to a private collector in 2020. 09-26
Ranch Motel
Hayward, CA Photo courtesy Michael Campbell
Ranch Motel
Hayward, CA Photo courtesy Michael Campbell
