Laurel Lounge
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Cruising along MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland, the sign for Laurel Lounge gives you plenty to look at. A colorful triangle and orb sit above the lettering, with a cocktail glass worked into the design below. It is an odd combination, but the shapes give this neighborhood bar a marquee all its own. 10-05

Before it was the Laurel Lounge, the place was called the Lucky 13 Club. Local musicians played there in the 1950s and ’60s, and the bar took on the Laurel Lounge name around 1969. It has been part of the neighborhood for a long time, with a sign that still catches the eye from the street.

UPDATE: Laurel Lounge remains open, and its vintage marquee is still out front. The property was listed for sale in 2026, but for now the triangle, orb, and cocktail glass are still marking the spot on MacArthur Boulevard. 09-26

Tony's Bar (Closed)
Woodland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Along East Street in Woodland, the sign for Tony’s Cocktails made room for a martini glass right in the design. The glass curves around the lettering, giving a straightforward bar sign a little personality. It told passing drivers what sort of place they had found without needing another word. 02-06

The sign appears to date from the 1950s, though the “Tony’s” panel may have been added later. Tony’s remained a neighborhood bar for years after this photo was taken, while the old neon continued to mark the spot on East Street. There was once a Tony’s Motel down the road, too, though whether the two businesses shared an owner is unclear.

UPDATE: The neon sign was removed in 2016, so the martini glass no longer hangs outside the bar. A notice about Tony’s closing for one day in September 2026 has been mistaken for a permanent closure announcement. 09-26

Smitty's Bar
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

On a corner along Grand Avenue in Oakland, the vertical sign for Smitty’s Cocktails marks a neighborhood bar that has been around for decades. The sign and storefront have the comfortable look of a place where regulars know which seat they want before they walk in. 02-06

Smitty’s was serving drinks here by the 1940s. When the bar closed in 2020, it stayed dark for more than three years. New operators took it over, kept the old bar’s easygoing character, and opened the doors again in January 2024.

UPDATE: Smitty’s is open, and its sign is still on the corner. Inside, there is still a pool table and a place to settle in for a drink along Grand Avenue. 09-26

Bill McNally
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Along College Avenue in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood, Bill McNally’s Irish Pub looks like a good place to stop for an Irish coffee. The lettering out front has been welcoming people off the sidewalk for generations, and the stained-glass windows give this neighborhood pub a look of its own. 02-06

Bill McNally opened the place in 1933, just as Prohibition came to an end. Over the years, it became a hangout for neighbors and sports fans, with a fireplace, old posters, and a bumper pool table inside. The Irish coffee is still a favorite, especially if a chilly evening calls for something warmer than a pint.

UPDATE: McNally’s remains open on College Avenue. The old pub is still serving drinks, and there is still time to settle in for that Irish coffee. 09-26

Li Po Cocktail Lounge
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Walking along Grant Avenue in San Francisco’s Chinatown, check out the neon lantern outside Li Po Cocktail Lounge. Its six-sided shape hangs above a cave-like entrance framed in rock and a pair of red doors. There is a lot to take in before you even step inside, especially when the lantern is glowing after dark. 02-06

Li Po opened in 1937 and has been pouring drinks here for generations. Inside, the dim room keeps its old Chinatown bar atmosphere, with red booths, hanging lanterns, and a golden Buddha behind the bar. The house specialty is the Chinese Mai Tai, a drink with a reputation for being stronger than it looks. That might be a good reason to linger awhile before heading back out onto Grant Avenue.

UPDATE: Li Po remains open. Its weathered neon lantern was restored and relit in 2018, bringing one of Chinatown’s distinctive old signs back to life. The drinks are still being served beneath it, and the lantern is once again part of the nighttime scenery. 09-26

George & Walt's
Berkeley, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The neon lettering outside George & Walt's makes an easy landmark along College Avenue. The bar sits close to Berkeley, but this stretch of the street is in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood. 02-06

The family business began as Trueb’s Café in 1931 and moved to this College Avenue location in 1946. Today it is a neighborhood sports bar, still run by Walt Trueb’s family.

UPDATE: George & Walt’s remains open, and its neon still lights the storefront. 09-26

Pagano's Sports Bar (Gone)
San Leandro, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Driving along Washington Avenue in San Leandro, the sign for Pagano’s Sports Bar had more than one neon martini glass to catch your eye. The glowing glasses gave passing drivers a good idea of what was waiting inside. Even among the shops and traffic along the road, this was a sign worth slowing down to see. 02-06

Pagano’s was a neighborhood sports bar with pool tables and a crowd of regulars. Local union workers knew it as a place to gather after work, have a drink, and catch up. The old sign suited the place, putting a little cocktail lounge flair above a bar with an easygoing, local feel.

UPDATE: Pagano’s has closed, and the building is now used as a daycare center. The sign frame remained after the bar shut down, but the neon was removed and the sign was changed around 2022. The martini glasses no longer glow over Washington Avenue. 09-26

Twin Peaks Tavern
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

At Castro and Market, the neon sign for Twin Peaks Tavern still glows above the corner. Its martini glass and colorful arrows make a fitting welcome to one of San Francisco’s best-known neighborhood bars. 02-06

In 1972, new owners Mary Ellen Cunha and Peggy Forster opened the bar’s large windows to the street, allowing passersby to see the patrons inside. That simple change made Twin Peaks a landmark in LGBTQ+ history.

UPDATE: The tavern remains open, and its vintage sign still lights up the Castro. 09-26