Bun n' Burger
Alhambra, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
A busy-looking neon waiter gives Bun n’ Burger in Alhambra a roadside introduction with a little movement, even while standing still. Carrying burgers above the entrance, this fellow appears to have been caught in the middle of a particularly long shift. Apparently nobody has offered him a break.
Opened in 1941, the restaurant occupies a compact Moderne building designed by Walter Zick. Its curved corner entrance, scalloped parapet, and broad windows give Main Street a welcome reminder of an earlier dining era. Inside, red vinyl seating and customer-contributed memorabilia carry that neighborhood character a little further.
The menu reaches beyond the burgers in the name, offering American and Mexican favorites. Owners Arturo and Alicia Montes originally worked at the restaurant before taking it over, continuing a connection that stretches across decades.
Bun n' Burger "Chicky" Person
Alhambra, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Movie fans may recognize the diner from the 2021 thriller The Little Things, starring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto. That neon waiter apparently made it into show business without putting down his order.
An unverified tale supplied with this history describes a griddle dial clicking in an empty kitchen, followed by the aroma of toasted buns. Really? Perhaps breakfast was getting an early start.
UPDATE: Bun n’ Burger remains open on East Main Street. The longtime diner continues under its familiar name, rather than having been replaced by Teresita’s as the supplied report suggested. 10-26
Bambu Hut (Gone)
Ontario, CA Photo courtesy Dan MacPherson
The palm tree points the way to the Bambu
Hut in Ontario, CA. This neon palm tree has been around for decades.
Unfortunately, time has taken its toll and the Bambu Hut is now history. Many thanks to Dan MacPherson for info.
The establishment’s history reaches back to the 1940s, with its palm-tree sign becoming the feature that roadside fans remembered. Long before another standardized sign took over a commercial frontage, places like this could announce themselves with something more entertaining than a rectangular business name.
Unfortunately, the Bambu Hut eventually disappeared, taking its familiar roadside landmark with it. The exact demolition date and ultimate fate of the sign aren’t established by the available history.
UPDATE: The Bambu Hut is gone, and its neon palm-tree sign has been removed. Its disappearance ended another distinctive chapter of Ontario’s roadside nightlife. 10-26
Baskin Robbins (Closed)
Oceanside, CA Photo courtesy Jimmy Bowman
Off the old 101 in Oceanside, CA is this sign for the Baskin
Robbins ice cream. The lettering for the ice cream still stands out
at night, though the sign was recently modified. Check out the colors
on the letters. Many thanks to Jimmy Bowman for info.
The marquee had undergone alterations, but its illuminated letters still stood out against the coastal night. For roadside fans, it supplied another reason to follow Coast Highway. Buying a cone was optional, although admiring an ice cream sign could certainly encourage the idea.
UPDATE: The former Baskin-Robbins on South Coast Highway closed in 2025 after 65 years Word on the street is the closure was driven by the landlord seeking to increase rent by 300%. 10-26
Mel's Drive-in (formerly Ben Franks)
Hollywood, CA Photo courtesy Kirk Maillet
Off Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood is a former coffee shop now converted
into a Mel's Drive-in back in 1997. This
Mel's location was once a Ben Frank's, which was a famous location that
closed down in the mid-1990's after being open since 1959. Fortunately, Mel's has maintained the googie
structure has been a 24 hour hot spot on its own.
An angular roof and familiar neon give Mel’s Drive-In on Sunset Boulevard a welcome roadside presence. This former Ben Frank’s coffee shop has managed to keep serving the Strip while many neighboring landmarks have disappeared. Apparently the building still had plenty of meals left in it.
Built in 1962 and designed by Lane & Schlick, the Googie structure became a gathering place for the emerging rock-and-roll crowd. Ben Frank’s attracted musicians and night owls looking for something to eat after the surrounding clubs finished their evening’s business.
Its clientele even supplied a casting reference. The producers of The Monkees sought “Ben Frank’s types” in their 1965 casting advertisement. Not every coffee shop could claim that its customers helped describe the look of a television band.
Mel's Drive-in (formerly Ben Franks)
Hollywood, CA Photo courtesy Kirk Maillet
Mel’s took over in 1997, preserving the building’s distinctive profile while giving the restaurant a new identity. The change kept a recognizable piece of the old Strip in the dining business.
An unverified tale describes guitar-like static and faint counter conversation drifting through quiet sections of the restaurant. True story? Perhaps the late-night crowd hadn’t quite finished talking.
UPDATE: Mel’s remains open around the clock on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. The former Ben Frank’s continues serving customers beneath its surviving Googie roofline. 10-26
Jack's Restaurant
Whittier, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Fried chicken and neon gave Jack’s Whittier Restaurant more than one way to attract a hungry motorist. The familiar marquee announces a neighborhood dining spot with a history reaching back well before the surrounding boulevard took on its present appearance.
Jack’s traces its beginnings to 1933, with later changes giving the restaurant its mid-century look. The original archive records a refresh in 1959, placing its roadside appearance in the years when restaurants put plenty of imagination into getting noticed from a moving car.
The fried-chicken advertising adds another introduction alongside the main restaurant name. Apparently a general invitation to eat wasn’t enough; customers needed a suggestion before reaching the menu. For neon enthusiasts, the meal stop came with something extra to admire outside.
Jack's Restaurant
Whittier, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Unlike the closure described in the supplied report, this Jack’s continues operating. It’s also important to keep it separate from the other former Jack’s restaurants around Whittier, whose histories and eventual departures differ.
An unverified tale describes the aroma of fried chicken drifting past after closing, accompanied by the sound of an old order wheel. Could be? Perhaps one last ticket was waiting for the kitchen.
UPDATE: Jack’s Whittier Restaurant remains open on Whittier Boulevard, with active ordering available through its website. The supplied claim that it became Hacienda Grill does not match this location. 10-26
Bun n' Burger
Bun n' Burger "Chicky" Person
Jack's Restaurant
Jack's Restaurant
