The Shamrock Club
Huntington Park, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Check out the marquee for The Shamrock Club in Huntington Park. The shamrock and decorative lettering give this neighborhood watering hole a roadside greeting worth noticing. No need to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to appreciate this one.

Although the sign looked relatively recent in the earlier view, its design may have older roots. RoadsideArchitecture dates it tentatively to the 1950s. The familiar shapes certainly recall an era when cocktail lounges put some imagination into announcing themselves.

Now known as the Shamrock Lounge or Shamrock Bar, the establishment occupies a space at 7400 State Street. City records document a cocktail-lounge permit approved in March 1991 and an entertainment permit active since 2011. Later offerings of Mexican music and micheladas brought another flavor to the place beneath the Irish name.

UPDATE: The Shamrock remains open at 7400 State Street in Huntington Park, listed as a cash-only cocktail bar with live music. Its distinctive roadside sign remains documented on-site. 10-26

The Blue Room
Burbank, CA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The Blue Room in Burbank, CA is a throwback type of bar with blue vinyl booths providing a 60's type of feel. Many thanks to Tony Craig for info.

Established in 1947, the lounge has been part of the neighborhood for generations. Its modest exterior leads into the sort of gathering place where the booths and bar provide plenty of reason to settle in awhile.

There’s a worthwhile movie connection here, too. The Blue Room became Ferdy’s Bar in Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000), where Leonard, played by Guy Pearce, meets Natalie, played by Carrie-Anne Moss. Production designer Patti Podesta recalled adding blue tables and lights to strengthen the film’s color scheme. A place already called the Blue Room apparently needed just a little more blue.

UPDATE: The Blue Room remains open at 916 S. San Fernando Boulevard in Burbank, retaining its turquoise booths and classic neighborhood-lounge atmosphere. 10-26

Menlo
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

A martini glass gave Menlo in Los Angeles a familiar roadside introduction. Perched on its tall marquee, the cocktail symbol recalled the days when a glowing glass could announce a watering hole without much further explanation. Apparently the first drink was already outside.

Established as the Menlo Club in 1959, the neighborhood bar became a gathering place for live blues. Reggie Jones took over in 2004, maintaining an intimate room with an oval bar, a small rear stage, and Sunday and Wednesday music nights.

Unfortunately, the music stopped in July 2016. Another old neighborhood joint had finished its last set.

UPDATE: Menlo closed in July 2016 after 57 years. The premises at 900 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard later became Banditos Tacos & Tequila, which is also now listed as closed.

Humdinger (Demolished)
Garden Grove, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Along Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove, Humdinger gave passing motorists a humdinger of a neon sign to check out. The neighborhood tavern’s marquee had plenty of roadside appeal, even for those who weren't stopping in for a drink.

In its later years, the neon reportedly needed some attention, with only the “dinger” portion lighting up after dark. Apparently the sign had lost some of its hum, though there was still enough left to catch the eye.

UPDATE: Garden Grove approved a $1.4 million purchase of the property in May 2010 as part of land assembly for the future Great Wolf Lodge resort. The bar was subsequently demolished and the marquee removed. The sign’s ultimate fate remains unconfirmed. 10-26

Rainbow Bar
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Kirk Maillet

Cruising the Sunset Strip, check out the familiar neon marquee at the Rainbow Bar in West Hollywood. This longtime hangout has seen plenty of rock stars pass through its doors, with the sign drawing attention from the boulevard whether or not anyone famous was inside.

The Rainbow opened in April 1972 with a party honoring Elton John. Before the guitars and late nights, the building housed Villa Nova, the restaurant remembered as the setting for Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio’s first date in 1952. Quite a bit of Hollywood history behind this roadside marquee.

Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister became one of the Rainbow’s best-known regulars, spending many an evening at the bar. A bronze statue and the patio named Lemmy’s Lounge now remember him. Seems fitting that he still has a place at his old hangout.

UPDATE: The Rainbow Bar & Grill remains open on Sunset Boulevard, with its familiar neon sign continuing to mark this longtime Sunset Strip stop. 10-26

Boos Tavern (Demolished)
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Here’s a little roadside storybook courtesy of the Boos Tavern in Anaheim. With its playful lettering and ornamental shape, this neon marquee looks like it could have found a home along Disneyland’s Storybook Land ride. Apparently this particular attraction offered drinks instead of boat trips.

The sign gave the neighborhood tavern a personality of its own, adding a bit of whimsy to the drive through town. Sometimes the smaller marquees have just as much to say as the towering signs down the road.

UPDATE: Boos Tavern has been demolished and its distinctive marquee removed. The closure and demolition dates, along with the sign’s eventual fate, remain unconfirmed. 10-26

Club Tee Gee
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Along Glendale Boulevard in Atwater Village, Club Tee Gee catches the eye with its flagstone facade and vintage neon marquee. Opened in 1947, the neighborhood bar took its name from founders Neil Tracy and Joe Grzybowski, combining the initials of their last names.

New ownership renovated the bar before reopening it in November 2018, keeping the familiar neon, stone exterior, and vintage booths. A little of the old neighborhood still greets customers at the door.

UPDATE: Club Tee Gee remains open with its distinctive facade and neon marquee intact. 10-26

Friar Tucks Sports Bar and Pub (Closed)
La Verne, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A roadside castle along Foothill Boulevard housed Friar Tucks Sports Bar and Pub, with mock turrets giving passing motorists something to check out. Though often listed as La Verne, this stop was on the Pomona side of the border. The building previously housed Magic Tower Burgers, so the castle look wasn't just for pub customers.

Friar Tucks later received a television makeover on Bar Rescue, becoming the German-themed Stein Haus Brau & Brats. The menu and name changed, but the roadside castle remained a familiar sight.

UPDATE: The renamed Stein Haus closed in December 2015. The castle building appears to be standing. 10-26