A glowing Cocktails sign was a familiar sight along the Hollywood roadside, giving those looking for an after-work drink a little guidance. No elaborate sales pitch needed when the neon spelled it out this clearly. Sometimes a single word was enough to let passing motorists know what awaited inside. 03-06
Signs like this became part of the nighttime scenery around neighborhood bars and cocktail lounges. As storefronts darkened and the daytime traffic gave way to the evening crowd, the neon kept its message easy to spot.
For customers, it might have marked a familiar place to end the workday. For roadside photographers, the glowing letters could be the attraction all by themselves. No drink order necessary to appreciate this bit of Hollywood after dark.
UPDATE: The business associated with this particular marquee has not been identified, and no opening or closure date has been confirmed. 10-26
Gold Room
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Along Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park, the Gold Room features a classic marquee worth a look. This longtime neighborhood watering hole became known for inexpensive beer-and-tequila specials, though passing sign hunters could enjoy the neon without running up a tab. 04-06
The old operators closed the bar in 2017, followed by a change in ownership and an interior renovation. It reopened in late 2018 with updated booths and finishes, while retaining the familiar exterior sign.
The supplied accounts also mention neighborhood stories of footsteps near the rear storage area and unexplained drafts after closing. These remain unverified barroom tales, perhaps best taken with whatever happens to be in the glass.
UPDATE: The Gold Room remains open in Echo Park, with its vintage marquee retained through the renovation. 10-26
The Wheel
Glendora, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
As dusk settles over Glendora, the neon at The Wheel gives motorists something to check out along Arrow Highway. Advertising “cocktails and dancing,” the flashing marquee offers a familiar invitation as the daylight fades and the tubing takes over. A good time to catch this sign before the evening sky disappears altogether. 03-06
This family-owned neighborhood bar has served the community for more than half a century. Inside are the familiar comforts of a local watering hole, including a pool table, sports on television, and a patio for those looking for a little fresh air.
Pool leagues, chili cookoffs, and Dodgers watch parties have kept the place busy beyond the usual evening drinks. The old marquee has even found its way onto shirts, giving customers a chance to take a little of the roadside home.
UPDATE: The Wheel remains open on West Arrow Highway, with its classic neon marquee surviving out front. The earlier information placing it on Route 66 and describing a medical office conversion was incorrect. 10-26
Club Cheri (Demolished)
Long Beach, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s Club Cheri along Anaheim Street in Long Beach, looking every bit the old neighborhood bar. Its modest storefront and roadside marquee offered the kind of welcome once common along Southern California’s busy commercial streets.
There was no castle or elaborate themed entrance here, just a local tavern with a sign to announce its presence. Places like this often blended into the daytime drive, then drew a little more attention when the evening lights came on.
UPDATE: According to the supplied account, Club Cheri and its building were demolished during redevelopment in the mid-2000s. A commercial strip and parking area replaced the former tavern site. An exact closure or demolition date has not been confirmed. 10-26
Rebels (Gone)
San Pedro, CA Photo courtesy Steve Snyder
Down in San Pedro, Rebels advertised its presence with a neon sign out front. Whether stopping for a drink or just passing through, the marquee offered a little nighttime color along Pacific Avenue.
The tavern was part of the port town’s neighborhood bar scene, serving an area closely tied to the docks and shipping industry. The name had a little attitude, though the neon alone was enough to interest a passing roadside photographer.
UPDATE: Rebels closed under its original name, and the space reportedly housed other bars afterward, including the Grid Iron Lounge. The original marquee was removed, but no definite closure or sign-removal date was supplied. 10-26
Chappie's (Gone)
Hemet, CA Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
Check out the marquee for Chappie’s in downtown Hemet. With its stacked shapes, arrow, and “Established 1955” lettering, this sign gave customers both directions and a little history before they reached the door. There’s quite a bit going on up there, making the marquee worth a look even for those just passing through town. 08-06
Founded by Chappie Nelson, the longtime cocktail lounge and steakhouse served as a downtown gathering spot for more than six decades. Customers could stop in for dinner or settle in for a drink, while the sign outside carried on advertising the place with its familiar mid-century look.
The arrow helped point the way, though a marquee like this probably didn’t need much assistance getting noticed. Its arrangement of shapes and lettering recalls the days when a neighborhood restaurant could have a sign with as much personality as the business below. Apparently a simple rectangle wouldn’t quite do the job here.
Chappie's
Hemet, CA Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
The “Established 1955” panel adds another detail to check out. By the time this photo was taken, Chappie’s had already passed the half-century mark. Through changes in cars, storefronts, and downtown traffic, the old name continued to greet people along Harvard Street.
UPDATE: Chappie’s reportedly closed in late 2019, leaving the storefront shuttered after its long downtown run. The vintage marquee was reported to remain standing afterward, still carrying the name and founding year of the former gathering spot. 10-26
Little Cave (Gone)
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Over in Highland Park, the Little Cave featured a tiki-looking sign that brought some tropical roadside flavor to Figueroa Street. Quite a fitting invitation for a neighborhood lounge, even with the nearest island some distance away.
The supplied history traces the building to a meat market constructed in 1913, with the bar opening in the late 1940s. It also operated as the 14-Karat Lounge during part of its long run before returning to the Little Cave identity.
A later makeover brought the name La Cuevita, Spanish for “the little cave,” along with a Mexican-inspired interior and a focus on tequila and mezcal. The supplied account also mentions an unverified “Lady in Red” apparition near the rear liquor storage area, adding a ghost story to the old building’s history.
UPDATE: The former Little Cave operates as La Cuevita. Its original tiki-accented marquee was replaced during the rebranding, though an exact sign-removal date was not provided. 10-26
Cocktails
Gold Room
Chappie's (Gone)
Chappie's
Little Cave (Gone)
