Shakey's Pizza (Gone)
Culver City, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Remember the old Shakey's Pizza joints with Mr. Shakey himself adorning the sign. Culver City, famous for preservation of historical sites, is home to one of these. If you're ever driving up Washington Boulevard, don't forget to give Mr. Shakey a wave. He may actually tip his chefs hat at you. Wouldn't that be a sight to see?

Shakey's Pizza was founded by Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson in 1954 in a remodeled grocery store in Sacramento. On the first night it opened, Sherwood played the piano and his partner Ed Plummer served only beer, since their pizza ovens were not yet completed. Don't forget to order Shakey's famous MoJo Potatoes! Many thanks to Adriene Biondo for info.

UPDATE: The Washington Boulevard Shakey’s closed, and its chef-topped sign was removed. The building at 12835 W. Washington Boulevard survived and was repurposed as Röckenwagner Bakery & Café. Pizza gave way to bread and pastries, keeping something baking at the old neighborhood stop. 10-26

Little Pietro's Pizza (Gone)
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

A cheerful chef carrying a steaming pizza gave Little Pietro’s Pizza a roadside greeting with plenty of personality. Perched against a starburst backplate, he advertised the “World’s Greatest Pizza” above a separate panel for the Galleria Dining Room. That’s quite a promise to balance in one hand.

Located near Figueroa Street and what was then Santa Barbara Avenue, Little Pietro’s served the USC and Coliseum crowd. The early-1960s pizza and steak house offered spaghetti, steaks, and beer alongside its signature pies, making it a convenient gathering spot near campus and Exposition Park.

Dinner wasn’t the only attraction. By 1964–1965, the restaurant reportedly featured folk singers, open microphones, and discotheque entertainment four nights a week. A pizza stop could turn into an evening out before anyone finished the crust.

UPDATE: Little Pietro’s closed by the 1980s, and the original restaurant and its distinctive sign were subsequently demolished. The former Figueroa and Santa Barbara Avenue location is now identified by the intersection of Figueroa Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. 10-26

Domenico's Pizza (Gone)
Hawaiian Gardens, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Take a closer look at the sign for Domenico’s Pizza in Hawaiian Gardens. The shaped header, yellow “ITALIAN STYLE” spine, and separate P-I-Z-Z-A letter boxes gave this marquee plenty to work with. A curling neon flourish added another touch, just in case the lettering hadn’t already caught a hungry motorist’s attention.

Located along Norwalk Boulevard north of Carson Street, this branch belonged to the Domenico’s restaurant family that began in Belmont Shore in 1954. Founders Domenico and Beverly Spano expanded beyond their original Long Beach restaurant during the 1960s, bringing their pizzas and familiar creamy garlic dressing to neighboring communities.

The illuminated THRIFTY lettering in the background adds another reminder of the old shopping strip. Between a neighborhood pizza restaurant and the drugstore nearby, the scene captures the sort of everyday commercial corner that could offer sign hunters more than one reason to stop.

UPDATE: The Hawaiian Gardens branch closed, and its building and vintage neon sign were later removed during redevelopment along Norwalk Boulevard, reportedly in the 2000s. The original Domenico’s continues at East 2nd Street in Long Beach. 10-26

Casa Bianca Pizza Pie
Eagle Rock, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

There’s something familiar about the roadside presentation at Casa Bianca Pizza Pie in Eagle Rock. Its bold lettering and straightforward frontage recall the Southern California food stands that let a good sign do the talking. No elaborate introduction needed here. Pizza pie sounds like a perfectly reasonable reason to pull over.

Sam and Jennie Martorana opened Casa Bianca with Sam’s brother Joe in January 1955. The family business became a neighborhood institution along Colorado Boulevard, giving generations of customers a place to gather over an Italian dinner. That’s a considerably longer run than most pizzas manage once they reach the table.

An unverified tale supplied for the restaurant describes an order wheel clicking after closing, accompanied by the aroma of garlic and anise. Think this is true? Perhaps the next dinner order arrived a little early.

UPDATE: Casa Bianca continues operating at 1650 Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock. 10-26

Larry's Pizza King (Demolished)
Long Beach, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

A crowned, mustachioed monarch gave Larry’s Pizza King in Long Beach a royal roadside greeting. Wearing an ermine-trimmed cape and holding a yellow signboard, this rotund ruler looked well acquainted with the menu. Apparently quality control required an extra slice.

A cloud-shaped panel carried “Larry’s” in script, while PIZZA KING and bold “FOOD TO GO” lettering handled the dinner invitation. Located at 1631 West Pacific Coast Highway, the neighborhood takeout spot served pizzas and hot sandwiches to residents and workers along the port-adjacent industrial corridor. Its building reportedly dated to around 1959.

UPDATE: Larry’s Pizza King closed, and the restaurant was subsequently demolished and its distinctive king sign removed. The site was cleared for commercial and industrial yard use along West Pacific Coast Highway. 10-26

Shakey's Pizza (Rem.)
Garden Grove, CA
Photo courtesy Bobby Joe Carrasco

The vintage sign at Shakey’s Pizza in Garden Grove offered a familiar greeting to generations of pizza seekers. Its distinctive appearance belonged to the era when a family dinner out could include a pizza parlor, a pitcher on the table, and a sign big enough to announce the occasion from the street.

For anyone who remembers the old Shakey’s restaurants, the name alone can bring back the combination of pizza, fried chicken, and Mojo potatoes. The roadside sign added another ingredient: a recognizable landmark to watch for while approaching the parking lot. Finding dinner was considerably easier when the restaurant introduced itself overhead.

UPDATE: Shakey’s continues operating in Garden Grove at 12540 Valley View Boulevard, serving its familiar pizza, chicken, and Mojos. This sign is not here. 10-26

Me N Ed's Pizza
Long Beach, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The colors and shape of this Me N’ Ed’s Pizza Parlor sign bring the old Shakey’s signs to mind. Pizza restaurants apparently shared a taste for roadside announcements with a little personality. Whatever the resemblance, this one gave hungry motorists a recognizable reason to look up before pulling in. 04-06

There’s a certain appeal to a pizza parlor that announces itself with a sign like this. The meal may be the main attraction, but the exterior contributes to the experience. Before the first slice reaches the table, the marquee has already supplied something for the roadside scrapbook.

UPDATE: Me-n-Ed’s continues operating at 4115 Paramount Boulevard in Lakewood, near Long Beach. The restaurant remains a local pizza stop rather than the closed medical-office conversion described in the supplied report. 10-26