Musso & Frank Grill
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Along Hollywood Boulevard, the neon at Musso & Frank Grill announces a restaurant with plenty of history behind its doors. Opened in 1919, this Hollywood institution has welcomed generations of actors, writers, and hungry visitors. Apparently staying power goes nicely with a good steak.

Leather booths, the mahogany bar, and traditionally dressed waiters keep the old Hollywood atmosphere going. Writers including F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, and Raymond Chandler gathered here, while Charlie Chaplin became one of its famous regulars.

There’s a newer film connection, too. Musso’s appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, hosting the meeting between Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Al Pacino’s characters.

Ghost-tour lore claims Chaplin still returns to a favorite booth. True story? Perhaps even the afterlife has trouble finding a better dinner reservation.

UPDATE: Musso & Frank remains open on Hollywood Boulevard under descendants of longtime owner John Mosso. Founded in 1919, Hollywood’s oldest restaurant reaches 107 years in 2026. 10-26

In-N-Out Burger (Gone)
Baldwin Park, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A clock and glowing arrow give the vintage In-N-Out Burger sign in Baldwin Park a roadside appearance worth admiring. The arrow handles directions, while the clock once helped customers decide whether it was lunchtime. Fortunately, appreciating neon doesn’t require knowing the exact hour.

Harry and Esther Snyder started the business here in 1948, operating a tiny stand with Harry’s two-way speaker system for motorists ordering from their cars.

Freeway construction displaced the first building in 1954. Its nearby replacement closed in 2004 and was demolished in 2011. The clock sign survived beside Interstate 10, retaining a familiar piece of the chain’s early roadside identity.

UPDATE: The 1954 replacement restaurant is gone, but the vintage clock sign remains near I-10. A replica of the original 1948 stand opened to visitors in 2014, with an operating In-N-Out nearby. 10-26

King Taco
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

An evening stop at King Taco in East Los Angeles can turn a roadside cruise into a dinner break fairly quickly. The bright lettering catches attention, while tacos al pastor provide a reason to pull in. Choosing the salsa might require more consideration.

Raúl and Lupe Martínez began the business in 1974 with a converted ice cream truck named La Güera. Their Cypress Park restaurant followed in 1975, with the Third Street location opening in 1978.

Early customers ordered through walk-up windows and sometimes ate on the hoods of their cars. That gives roadside dining a fairly direct automobile connection. The family also brought King Taco to the Long Beach Grand Prix in 1994.

An unverified tale describes an old truck engine idling in an empty parking space before dawn, accompanied by the aroma of marinated pork. Think this is true? Perhaps La Güera still had another stop to make.

UPDATE: King Taco remains open on East Third Street. In 2026, its original Cypress Park restaurant received Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument status, recognizing the business’s place in local history. 10-26

Johnny Rockets (Gone)
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Bright neon gives Johnny Rockets an inviting nighttime greeting. Chrome, counter stools, and jukebox styling bring back the malt-shop look, although the chain arrived well after the original cruising era. Apparently a burger and shake could still use a little nostalgia.

The first restaurant opened on Melrose Avenue on June 6, 1986. Founder Ronn Teitelbaum recreated the American hamburger-shop atmosphere he remembered, complete with a counter where customers could settle in.

Even the name carried some Americana: “Johnny” referred to Johnny Appleseed, while “Rocket” came from the Oldsmobile Rocket 88. A little car culture made it onto the menu before anyone ordered.

UPDATE: Johnny Rockets continues as a chain, but its original Melrose Avenue restaurant closed in October 2015. That space reopened as the plant-based burger restaurant Nomoo in 2020. 10-26

El Cholo Spanish Cafe
La Habra, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Illuminated lettering gives El Cholo Spanish Cafe in La Habra a dinner invitation with extra roadside appeal. Along Whittier Boulevard, the neon helps the familiar name stand out after sunset. Fortunately, admiring the marquee can be followed by something to eat.

Ron Salisbury opened the La Habra restaurant in 1962, beginning with an approximately 800-square-foot takeout shop in the Chantry Square shopping center.

The family’s restaurant history reaches back to 1923, when Alejandro and Rosa Borquez opened Los Angeles’s Sonora Café, later renamed El Cholo. Green corn tamales became one of its longstanding specialties, carrying a little culinary history into later generations.

UPDATE: El Cholo remains open on East Whittier Boulevard in La Habra. Established in 1962, this branch reaches 64 years in 2026 and continues the family’s restaurant tradition. 10-26

Rae's Restaurant
Santa Monica, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Rae's Restaurant historic 43-year old Googie era signage survives, defying Santa Monica's local sign ordinance banning free-standing and projecting signs. Rae's has been in business since 1958. Many thanks to Adriene Biondo for info.

Opened in 1958, the diner became a neighborhood favorite with counter seating, compact booths, and affordable meals. Ted Delgado began working here as a dishwasher during the 1960s and eventually became the owner. There’s a film connection, too. Rae’s appeared in True Romance and Bowfinger, giving movie fans another reason to recognize the dining room.

UPDATE: Rae’s remains open on Pico Boulevard, continuing the diner tradition that began in 1958. The restaurant also offers catering, taking its familiar food beyond the little dining room. 10-26