Jazz Bar
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Some signs tell you just enough to make you curious. This Jazz Bar sign in San Francisco promises music inside without giving away much else. On an evening walk, that might be enough to make you slow down and listen before deciding whether to go in. A good jazz sign ought to leave a little room for improvisation. 02-07

The photo dates to February 2007. The sign has the straightforward appeal of an invitation made in two words: jazz and a bar. Maybe you were headed somewhere else, or maybe you had time to follow the music. It is easy to imagine taking a few steps past, reconsidering, and turning back for a closer look. Signs like this add a little possibility to an ordinary walk through the city.

UPDATE: The bar’s identity and the sign’s current whereabouts have not been confirmed. The photo gives us a look at what was there in 2007, when two simple words were enough to make this stop stand out. Whether the music was coming from inside that night is another story, but the sign certainly made you hope so. 09-26

Plaza Hof Brau (Closed)
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Chris Sampang

The big neon sign for Plaza Hof Brau once made this Watt Avenue stop hard to miss. Inside, the carving line, red booths, and dark wood gave diners a place to settle in for a generous meal. It was part of Sacramento’s roadside dining scene for decades. 03-07

Sam’s Hof Brau opened here in 1962, serving plates of carved meat to customers passing through the busy Watt and El Camino area. The sign did its job out front, drawing attention long before anyone reached the door.

UPDATE: A fire in February 2023 closed the restaurant, and plans to reopen it were later dropped. The former dining space was still being offered for lease in September 2026. The current condition of its old neon sign has not been confirmed. 09-26

Alex's 49er Inn
San Jose, CA
Photo courtesy Heather David

Tucked off West San Carlos Street, the sign for Alex's 49er Inn lights the way around a small San Jose shopping center. It is the kind of sign that helps you find the place after you have already turned off the main road. Follow it in, and you will find a neighborhood bar with plenty of 49ers spirit. 07-08

Alex’s has been around long enough to appear in San Jose bar guides from the early 2000s, though its exact opening date is unclear. Inside, the draw is simple: a drink, a pool table, karaoke, and a place to watch the game. The old sign gives the stop a little extra character before you even reach the door.

UPDATE: Alex’s 49er Inn remains open on Business Circle. The sign still points the way for locals and anyone else who took the right turn off San Carlos Street. 09-26

Town Pump (Gone)
Yuba City, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Along Plumas Street in Yuba City, the sign for the Town Pump was worth a second look. Its unusual shape stood out near the Sutter Theater and invited passing motorists to stop in. 09-08

The Town Pump was a neighborhood tavern and steakhouse. A 1970 advertisement invited customers to cook their own steaks, giving dinner here a little more to do than simply place an order.

UPDATE: The Town Pump is gone from Plumas Street, but its sign was saved. Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture plans to restore it for Neon Alley, an outdoor display of vintage local signs. It may light up downtown Yuba City once again. 09-26

Jacques Bar
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 bar was previously known as the Marmist, a name longtime locals may remember from the 1970s. It later became Jacques, keeping the corner in the business of serving drinks for a while longer.

UPDATE: Jacques has closed. The fate of its martini glass sign is unclear, so this may be one best remembered from the days when its neon still lit Thornton Avenue. 09-26

The Silver Dollar (Demolished)
Union City, CA
Photo courtesy Michael Campbell

Union City is home to another roadside gem of a sign located at an old bar. Check out this marquee at the Silver Dollar Bar, complete with a silver dollar image embedded into the sign. The Silver Dollar Bar is found in the Alvarado District of Union City. Many thanks to Michael Campbell for info. 02-09

The Silver Dollar closed around 2008. Neighbors later tried to save the building, but the city declined to designate it a historic landmark.

UPDATE: The building has since been demolished, and its sign is no longer on Horner Street. What happened to the sign after its removal remains unclear. 09-26

Joe's Corner
Fremont, CA
Photo courtesy Michael Campbell

Here's an old vintage 1940's sign located in Fremont, CA. Joe's Corner is a bar found in the Niles District of Fremont still featuring an old neon sign. Many thanks to Michael Campbell for info. 02-09

In Fremont’s Niles district, the green neon sign for Joe’s Corner still catches the eye along Niles Boulevard. The bar opened in 1926 and became a familiar stop for local workers and neighbors. Its sign has been part of the streetscape since the 1940s.

UPDATE: Joe’s Corner closed in 2003 but later reopened as a deli and pub. The old neon sign stayed, so the name still glows over the doorway. 09-26

Viper Lounge (Gone)
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

The address had been Arnie’s Time Out before becoming the Viper Lounge. After the Viper closed, another bar called the Dirty Bird Lounge took over the space.

UPDATE: The Viper sign is no longer on Mission Boulevard, and the Dirty Bird location there has also closed. The property has been listed for a proposed housing development. 09-26