Here are examples of programmatic architecture found in Southern California.

Walk-in Beer Store (Gone)
Mexicali, B.C.
Photo courtesy Bruce K.

This was a walk-in beer store located somewhere in the northwest part of town, Mexicali, B.C.. Sadly, a contact down there informed a few years ago that this structure is no more. Many thanks to Bruce K for info.

Buying beer came with an unusual entrance at this Walk-in Beer Store in Mexicali. The giant bottle-shaped building gave passing travelers a pretty good clue about what was available inside. No need to spend much time figuring out this roadside attraction’s specialty.

UPDATE: Another oversized bottle has disappeared from the roadside. 10-26

Oil Patch Liquor (Closed)
Long Beach, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

An oil derrick makes a fitting introduction at Oil Patch Liquor in Signal Hill. Check out the framework rising above the store, borrowing its look from the drilling equipment that once crowded the surrounding landscape. Apparently a plain liquor sign wasn’t going to cover all the local history.

The derrick gives this neighborhood stop a silhouette of its own. While other stores advertise with bottles or flashing arrows, the Oil Patch takes its cue from what was underneath the neighborhood. Quite a landmark for anyone cruising Willow Street.

UPDATE: Oil Patch Liquor closed around 2023. Its familiar derrick recalls the days when drilling rigs filled the Signal Hill skyline. A fitting bit of roadside decoration for a store with this name. 10-26

The Donut Hole
La Puente, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Driving up for donuts takes on a different meaning at The Donut Hole in La Puente. Here, motorists pass through a giant donut before reaching the counter, then drive through another on the way out. Check out those oversized rings. Apparently one donut wasn’t enough to get the point across.

Built in 1968, this roadside favorite makes the driveway part of the attraction. The building sits on either side of the lane, leaving room for cars to travel right through the middle. Even someone who isn’t hungry has a reason to admire this one, though a bag of donuts certainly completes the visit.

UPDATE: The Donut Hole survives on Amar Road, retaining its distinctive drive-through design. It remains one of Southern California’s classic examples of a building advertising exactly what’s for sale. No mystery about the menu here. 10-26

Tail O' The Pup
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Want a hot dog from a hot dog? The Tail O’ the Pup has that request covered. This oversized weenie has been catching eyes since 1946, with a serving window tucked into its bun. Quite an appetite-building piece of roadside architecture.

The Pup has had to move more than once, including a longtime stay near San Vicente Boulevard. Finding it was sometimes part of the adventure, but that familiar shape made the destination easy to recognize once it came into view. Not many lunch stops can make their entire building look like the order.

UPDATE: After closing in 2005 and spending years in storage, the Pup was restored by the 1933 Group. It reopened on July 20, 2022 in West Hollywood, where it continues serving hot dogs. This little weenie found another home. 10-26

Shrimp House
Claremont, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

A boat sits along Foothill Boulevard in Claremont, and it doesn’t appear to be waiting for high tide. The former Shrimp House gives seafood dining a rather literal setting, with a vessel-shaped building parked firmly on dry land.

UPDATE: The Shrimp House has recently reopened under the name of Sushi Boat. Many thanks to Freya for update. 08-08

UPDATE: The restaurant later operated as Sushi Cruise. The boat-shaped building remains part of the attraction. 10-26

The Tamale Shop (Closed)
East Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Look closely at the ends of The Tamale Shop in East Los Angeles and the wrapper begins to give this building away. The giant tamale once stood on its own along Whittier Boulevard, advertising lunch with considerably more imagination than a menu board.

UPDATE: The Tamale remains standing. The Los Angeles Conservancy documents its later use as a beauty salon and dental laboratory, while recent architectural accounts describe it as vacant. Preservation advocates continue to draw attention to this rare survivor of Southern California’s food-shaped roadside buildings. 10-26

Roche Guadalajara (Closed)
Huntington Park, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

A giant bowl along Florence Avenue gives the former Chili Bowl in Huntington Park a shape worth a second look. Later known as Guadalajara de Noche, the building traded chili for nightlife while keeping its unmistakable rounded outline. Quite a different use for a bowl that once promised something hot to eat.

Arthur Whizin started the Chili Bowl chain in 1931, putting motorists within sight of buildings shaped like the meal being served. His promotions even included raffled airplane rides. Apparently getting customers through the door sometimes meant getting them off the ground first.

UPDATE: The former Guadalajara nightclub has been closed and vacant for years. The bowl-shaped building survives, recalling the days when Southern California restaurants could advertise their specialty without saying a word. 10-26

Kim Chuy (Closed)
Alhambra, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Another oversized bowl found a second career at Kim Chuy in Alhambra. Check out the rounded building, a leftover from Arthur Whizin’s Chili Bowl chain. The menu changed over the years, but the old restaurant kept the shape that first caught the attention of passing drivers.

There’s something fitting about a former chili bowl becoming a noodle restaurant. Different food, same useful piece of roadside advertising. The curved walls make this Valley Boulevard stop easy to recognize among the more ordinary storefronts.

UPDATE: Kim Chuy was later replaced by Ho Kee BBQ & Noodle, which has also closed. The former Chili Bowl remains a distinctive survivor of the chain, though another steaming bowl is no longer guaranteed inside. 10-26