Canters Deli
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
A late-night appetite had a familiar address at Canter's Deli in Los Angeles. By 2006, this longtime favorite had about 75 years of sandwich-making behind it, with the Fairfax District location feeding customers since the 1950s. Celebrity visitors were part of the scenery, although a towering pastrami sandwich could easily command more attention than the person eating it. 03-06
Canter’s began in Boyle Heights in 1931 and moved into its present Fairfax home in 1953, taking over the former Esquire Theatre. The building traded movies for meals, but there was still plenty happening inside. Between the bakery, deli counter, and dining room, a quick stop could turn into a considerably longer visit.
The Kibitz Room arrived in 1961, adding cocktails and music to a place already well acquainted with hungry night owls. Frank Zappa and members of The Doors and The Byrds were among the musicians drawn to Canter’s. Later generations brought their own company, including Slash and members of Guns N’ Roses.
Canters Deli
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
That combination of deli food and late-night music gave the place a character all its own. A customer might arrive looking for something to eat and end up within earshot of an informal jam session. Not every sandwich stop came with that kind of accompaniment.
UPDATE: Canter’s continues operating on North Fairfax Avenue with round-the-clock dining, except during its annual Jewish holiday closures. The adjoining Kibitz Room remains a cocktail lounge and live-music hangout, carrying on a tradition that began in 1961. 10-26
Golden Spur Restaurant (Closed)
Glendora, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A giant roadside boot made Golden Spur Restaurant in Glendora difficult to overlook. Standing along Route 66, the large sign brought a little Western personality to the parking lot and gave hungry travelers a landmark to aim for. Not every dinner invitation came with footwear this impressive. 07-06
The sign dates to 1954, when bold roadside advertising was right at home along the Mother Road. Its boot helped make Golden Spur recognizable long before customers reached the entrance.
The lighting changed over the years, with the original neon replaced by LED rope lighting in 2017. The restaurant’s run eventually ended, but the boot managed to find a place in the property’s next chapter.
UPDATE: Golden Spur closed in October 2018. The building now houses an Easterseals adult day services center, which began operating there in September 2024. The preserved boot was relocated to ground level and fitted with LED lighting, keeping a familiar Route 66 landmark on-site. 10-26
The Wheel
Glendora, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Dusk gives the neon at The Wheel in Glendora a chance to take over the introduction. This eye-catching roadside sign makes a pretty convincing argument for slowing down and looking over. Whether a drink is on the agenda or just a little sign spotting, the exterior supplies its own attraction. 03-06
The Wheel dates to around 1957, putting its roots squarely in Southern California’s neon-loving years. Along Arrow Highway, its sign recalls an era when neighborhood establishments could announce themselves with something more memorable than a plastic rectangle.
There’s something satisfying about a small local place with a sign that does such a big job. The name may be brief, but the roadside greeting has plenty of personality.
UPDATE: The Wheel remains a neighborhood bar on West Arrow Highway in Glendora, with its vintage sign still part of the frontage. 10-26
Rebel’s Cocktail Lounge(Closed)
San Pedro, CA Photo courtesy Steve Snyder
A good neon sign can make an introduction before anyone gets through the door. Rebels Cocktail Lounge in San Pedro certainly had that part covered, giving passing motorists something worth noticing along the street. Whether stopping for a drink or simply admiring the lettering, the sign offered its own evening entertainment. 04-06
Known as Rebel’s Cocktail Lounge, this South Pacific Avenue establishment belonged to the neighborhood-bar side of Southern California’s roadside landscape. These smaller places often supplied some of the most memorable signs, with a little neon doing the work of a much larger advertisement.
The attraction here didn’t require an elaborate building or an oversized mascot. Sometimes a name glowing over the entrance was enough to make a place stand out.
UPDATE: Rebel’s Cocktail Lounge on South Pacific Avenue is now listed as permanently closed. 10-26
Angelo's Hamburgers
Anaheim, CA Photo courtesy Steve Snyder
Check out the neon blazing at Angelo’s Hamburgers in Anaheim. A burger stop with a marquee like this already has the right ingredients for a roadside visit. Add the carhop tradition, and there’s a little more to the meal than pulling a paper bag through a window. 04-06
Angelo’s became associated with Anaheim’s cruising scene, bringing together hamburgers, shakes, and customers who preferred their dinner with a view of the parking lot. Its carhop service recalled the days when the automobile doubled as the dining room.
During the 1980s, that nostalgic appeal also attracted attention from city officials concerned about cruising and crowds. Even a hamburger stand could find itself in the middle of a debate over Southern California car culture.
UPDATE: Angelo’s continues serving burgers and other drive-in favorites in Anaheim. Its history of carhop service and cruising remains part of its roadside appeal. 10-26
The Grinder Haven(Closed)
Ontario, CA Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Hungry motorists traveling Ontario’s old Highway 99 corridor had a bright invitation at Grinder Haven. Its roadside marquee lit up Holt Boulevard, helping turn a sandwich stop into a destination for neon admirers as well. A sign like that could attract attention well before lunchtime. 06-06
The business opened in 1958 as D’Elia’s Grinder Haven. After a change of ownership in 1973, the shorter Grinder Haven name carried on, becoming a familiar part of Ontario’s roadside dining landscape.
The Grinder Haven
Ontario, CA Photo courtesy Tony Craig
The large arrow gave the frontage plenty of character. No complicated directions were necessary when the sign could point out where the sandwiches were waiting.
UPDATE: Grinder Haven closed after 2016. By 2019, its sign had been repainted and adapted for a taco shop, with the neon removed. The former restaurant building survives, giving the old sandwich stop another commercial life. 10-26
Angelo's Hamburgers
