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Bob's Big Boy (Gone)
Montclair, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Even a trip through the mall offered a little roadside character at Bob’s Big Boy in Montclair. The familiar fiberglass Bob stood with his double-decker hamburger held high, looking ready to take an order from the next shopper passing by.

The statue brought a recognizable piece of Southern California restaurant history into Montclair Plaza. Between browsing the stores and finding something to eat, customers could count on Bob to keep smiling. Apparently holding the same hamburger all day never bothered him.

With his checkered overalls and carefully balanced burger, Bob made the restaurant easy to recognize without anyone needing to read the name. The figure was as much a part of the attraction as the meal, giving families a familiar meeting spot amid the mall’s storefronts.

Unfortunately, this Bob eventually left his post. The restaurant closed, and the statue went with it, removing one of the mall’s more memorable characters. Shopping trips could continue, but that oversized hamburger was no longer on display.

UPDATE: The Montclair mall restaurant closed, and its Bob statue was removed. The photograph preserves a look at the familiar figure before his departure. 10-26

Denny's Sign (Gone)
Santa Fe Springs, CA
Photo courtesy Sal Garcia

Here’s the old Denny’s sign in Santa Fe Springs facing its last days on the roadside. The familiar restaurant lettering belonged to an earlier chapter of the chain, before a newer “Denny’s Diner” sign arrived to take its place.

The change kept the restaurant name in view, but another distinctive marquee disappeared in the process. For customers, it still meant a place to stop for a meal. For neon fans, the replacement gave the drive past a different look.

UPDATE: The photographed Denny’s marquee was removed for replacement with newer Denny’s Diner branding. 10-26

Bob's Big Boy (Demolished)
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Along busy Wilshire Boulevard, Bob's Big Boy offered a little ranch-house comfort amid the Los Angeles traffic. Its low roofline and wood-beamed design recalled a restaurant style once familiar throughout the Southland.

Opened in 1972, this location became one of the last ranch-style Bob’s survivors. The building looked ready to let customers settle in awhile, even when the boulevard outside was anything but relaxed.

Unfortunately, the restaurant received an eviction notice to make way for the neighboring Beverly Hills BMW dealership. Double-decker hamburgers were giving way to a different sort of roadside inventory.

UPDATE: Bob's  on Wilshire, is scheduled to close for business. Its last day will be Sunday, June 22, 2008. Many thanks to Chris Krause for update, which was received on June 18. 07-08

UPDATE: The Bob's Big Boy on Wilshire Boulevard was closed and demolished in 2008. 09-10

UPDATE: Bob’s Big Boy at 5050 Wilshire Boulevard closed on June 22, 2008, and was demolished later that year for dealership redevelopment. Another ranch-style Bob’s had served its last meal. 10-26

Goody's Restaurant (Closed)
San Gabriel, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the bright orange marquee at Goody's Restaurant in San Gabriel. Repainted through several changes, the sign still had plenty of personality, especially when its neon lit up after dark.

The daytime color made it easy to spot, while the illuminated lettering gave passing motorists another reason to look over at night. A restaurant sign could do its job with considerably less flair, but fortunately this one had more to offer.

Goody’s later left this location, taking the business to El Monte. The move ended one chapter of the restaurant’s history, while the photographs kept a little of its old roadside glow.

UPDATE: Goody's closed down the San Gabriel location in January 2010 and has since moved to El Monte. 09-10

UPDATE: Goody’s closed its San Gabriel location in January 2010 and subsequently moved to El Monte. 10-26

Twains Restaurant (Closed)
Studio City, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the boomerang siding at Twain’s Restaurant in Studio City. This former Denny’s carried its coffee shop heritage into an independent chapter, giving the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon Avenue a familiar mid-century look.

Twain’s closed in late 2014 after announcing a temporary break for renovations. The restaurant never returned, but the building received another chance when Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill opened there in 2016.

UPDATE: Twain’s is closed, but its former building was adapted for Sharky’s, retaining important elements of its Googie coffee shop design. 10-26

Caesars Restaurant (Closed)
Gardena, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

That familiar yellow sign with red lettering gives away the coffee shop ancestry of Caesars Restaurant in Gardena. This former Denny’s carried its modern roadside look into an independent chapter, with enough familiar shapes to make passing motorists think about breakfast before reading the name.

Movie fans have another reason to recognize the place. Caesars appeared as the fictional Winkie’s diner in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001), providing the setting for a conversation about a nightmare and a rather unfortunate walk around back. Suddenly, the ordinary coffee shop exterior doesn’t look quite so ordinary.

UPDATE: Caesars closed in 2017. The former coffee shop remains a recognizable Mulholland Drive location, with its old restaurant sign still identifying the property. 10-26