Trader Vic's (Demolished) Beverly Hills, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
Quite a greeting waited outside Trader Vic’s at the Beverly Hilton. Check out the lips on that tall carved tiki. This fellow gave arriving diners something to admire before they reached the door, though he didn’t look particularly interested in discussing the evening’s specials.
The high-peaked Polynesian entrance, tropical greenery, and woven hanging lights helped leave busy Wilshire Boulevard behind. A few steps could take visitors from Beverly Hills traffic into surroundings better suited to an island vacation. No boat ride required.
Opened with the hotel on August 11, 1955, the restaurant initially operated as “The Traders.” It became a longtime gathering place for Hollywood personalities and anyone else looking for dinner and a tropical drink. The entrance supplied plenty of atmosphere before the first Mai Tai arrived.
UPDATE: The original restaurant closed on April 29, 2007, and its building was later demolished for hotel redevelopment. A smaller poolside Trader Vic’s Lounge kept the name going until 2017. The old entrance and its towering greeting are gone from the property, ending a familiar Beverly Hills tiki stop. 10-26
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Ban-Dar (Demolished)
Ventura, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Sharp angles and neon gave Ban-Dar on Ventura’s Main Street a roadside introduction almost as lively as the music inside. The marquee’s jet-tail appearance brought a little space-age character to a country-music club. Apparently the sign was ready for takeoff while the band stayed put.
The Ban-Dar name came from its founders, Bannister and Darwin. Country performers Johnny and Jonie Mosby later owned the club, connecting the venue with the same music business they worked in themselves.
The angles on this Ban-Dar sign look somewhat like a tail fin to
a jet. Tshis is a shot of the sign from the 1990's back when the place was still open.
Ban-Dar Ventura, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
Its Hollywood connections weren’t limited to names on a jukebox. Jonie Mosby recalled Johnny Cash stopping in with actor and singer Sheb Wooley during Cash’s years living in nearby Casitas Springs, from 1961 to 1966. For customers, an evening at the Ban-Dar could bring a little more country-music company than expected.
By 2000, the venue was operating as Cafe Voltaire’s Ban-Dar, bringing live music into another chapter of the old club’s history. The Mosbys’ names still appeared in neon outside, preserving a visible connection to its earlier days. That gave roadside enthusiasts something to admire even before checking who was playing inside.
Ban-Dar (Demolished)
Ventura, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Unfortunately, another booking wasn’t in the building’s future. The demolition crews arrived in September 2002, ending the run of a Main Street gathering place whose history stretched back more than seventy years.
UPDATE: Ban-Dar was demolished on September 16, 2002. The former country-music club and its distinctive roadside marquee are gone. 10-26
Outrigger Cocktails (Gone)
Sun Valley, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A little tropical escape came by way of Outrigger Cocktails in Sun Valley. The name suggested boats and island breezes, although passing traffic supplied a more familiar San Fernando Valley soundtrack.
The roadside marquee gave the bar its own introduction, offering sign hunters something to admire before any discussion of drinks. Apparently heading for the islands could begin with a stop in Sun Valley. No ocean crossing required.
UPDATE: Outrigger’s roadside marquee appears to have been removed sometime before 2011. The place is now gone. 10-26
Bambu Hut (Gone)
Ontario, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A neon palm tree gave Bambu
Hut in Ontario a tropical greeting along the Inland Empire roadside. The sign suggested a little island escape, although the trip apparently included the convenience of an ATM inside. Even paradise occasionally needed a cash withdrawal.
Unfortunately, this little tropical stop disappeared. The familiar sign became another reminder of the independent lounges that once added variety to Southern California’s commercial streets.
UPDATE: The Bambu Hut is history. Many thanks to Dan MacPherson for update. 03-05
UPDATE: Bambu Hut was reported gone by March 2005, and its palm-tree marquee was also documented as removed. The exact demolition date remains unconfirmed. 10-26
Lin-Brook Inn (Closed)
Anaheim, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
An old neighborhood-bar marquee gave Lin-Brook Inn in Anaheim a roadside presence worth a second look. The sign supplied a familiar invitation to stop for a drink, while its lettering and shape offered another attraction for anyone making the rounds with a camera.
There’s something appealing about these smaller tavern signs. They announce one place, on one stretch of road, with a little personality of their own. A passing motorist might have been looking for refreshments, but a sign hunter could find something worth stopping for without ever reaching the bar.
Lin-Brook Inn
Anaheim, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Lin-Brook Inn belonged to that quieter side of Anaheim’s roadside scene, away from the towering attractions that usually draw the attention. Sometimes a neighborhood watering hole and its old marquee could provide enough entertainment outside before anyone headed through the door.
Unfortunately, the Inn eventually closed, leaving the familiar name as another reminder of Anaheim’s changing collection of neighborhood businesses.
UPDATE: Lin-Brook Inn has closed. Its exact closure date and the subsequent fate of the building and marquee remain unconfirmed. 10-26
Ban-Dar (Demolished)
Ban-Dar
Ban-Dar (Demolished)
Outrigger Cocktails (Gone)
Lin-Brook Inn (Closed)
Lin-Brook Inn
