Nicola's (Gone)
Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the old marquee for Nicola’s in the Los Angeles area. The script lettering and intersecting shapes gave this roadside sign a little more personality than the usual business announcement. Apparently spelling out the name was only part of the job. 04-06
The combination recalls the days when restaurants and cocktail lounges competed for attention with imaginative signs. An unusual outline could catch the eye first, leaving the lettering to finish the introduction. For roadside enthusiasts, that was often enough reason to pull over before deciding whether to head inside.
Nicola’s is now listed among the gone establishments, leaving its old marquee as a reminder of another stop along the Los Angeles roadside.
UPDATE: I believe the sign is now gone. 10-10
UPDATE: Nicola’s is cataloged as gone. Its exact closure date and demolition history remain unconfirmed; April 2006 marks the original entry date. 10-26
Clancy's Irish Pub
Long Beach
, CA Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan
Check out the parking-lot sign for Clancy’s Irish Pub in Long Beach. This neighborhood watering hole gives passing motorists a roadside greeting worth noticing, even when stopping for a drink isn’t on the itinerary. Apparently the introduction begins before reaching the door. 01-13
Clancy’s history reaches back to the 1960s, with a local business-history timeline listing its establishment in 1967. That gives the pub considerably more neighborhood history than the average newcomer announcing happy hour.
The Irish connection extends to the kitchen, where past St. Patrick’s Day offerings included corned beef and cabbage, lamb stew, and shepherd’s pie. A sign stop could easily turn into a meal stop, although studying the marquee first might help work up an appetite.
UPDATE: Clancy’s continues operating at 803 E. Broadway in Long Beach, near Alamitos Avenue. 10-26
Sam's Hofbrau
Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the marquee outside Sam’s Hofbrau on Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles. The familiar waiter character recalls a restaurant history quite different from the entertainment offered inside today. Apparently the fellow carrying the tray stayed on through the change in management. 04-06
Sam’s belonged to a California hofbrau tradition built around cafeteria-style meals, carved meats, and beer. The chain originated with Sam Gordon in Sacramento and expanded south after Denny’s acquired his restaurants in 1968. This Los Angeles survivor later took a considerably different direction, becoming an adult club in 1995.
There’s a movie connection here, too. The exterior appears in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (1997), giving film-location hunters another reason to recognize the place. Between the old restaurant identity and its screen appearance, there’s more history behind the marquee than a passing glance might suggest.
UPDATE: Sam’s Hofbrau remains open at 1751 E. Olympic Boulevard, operating as a restaurant, sports bar, and adult club. Its official website advertises daily service from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. 10-26
Barney Steele's (Gone) Hawaiian Gardens, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
A cocktail glass perched above a directional arrow gave Barney Steele’s South in Hawaiian Gardens an introduction worth noticing. Studded with bulbs, the oversized stemmed glass made the suggestion clear before motorists even reached the “COCKTAILS” lettering below. Apparently a drink deserved directions and a demonstration.
The marquee combined script neon spelling out Barney Steele’s with bold “SOUTH” lettering beneath it. The arrow pointed toward the entrance, putting the whole assembly to work along East Carson Street. For sign hunters, the attraction was already outside. No order necessary to appreciate this cocktail.
The neighborhood lounge occupied a freestanding building at 12414 E. Carson Street. Later business changes brought a different name to the property, but the building continued its life as a local watering hole. Unfortunately, the old cocktail-glass marquee didn’t stay for another round.
UPDATE: Barney Steele’s South closed, and its vintage arrow-and-cocktail-glass sign was removed during subsequent business changes. The building survives and later became The Glen Bar at 12414 E. Carson Street in Hawaiian Gardens. 10-26
The Liquid Zoo
Van Nuys, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Bright neon lettering gives The Liquid Zoo in Van Nuys a roadside introduction with a little extra personality. The name alone suggests that an evening inside might get interesting. Fortunately, admiring the sign doesn’t require feeding any animals.
The glowing script and “Cocktails” lettering belong to the familiar world of neighborhood bars that let their marquees do some of the talking. Along Sepulveda Boulevard, the sign offered passing motorists a colorful invitation to pull over, while neon hunters had their own reason to slow down.
There’s something appealing about a bar name that leaves the imagination working before the door opens. What exactly lives in a liquid zoo? Apparently the answer is more likely to involve a glass than a cage.
The Liquid Zoo
Van Nuys, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
The entertainment extends beyond the roadside lettering. Advertised Sunday open-mic nights welcome musicians and comedians, giving the neighborhood gathering place a stage for both songs and laughs. A little live entertainment seems appropriate for a place with such an animated name.
UPDATE: The Liquid Zoo is listed as operating at 7214 Sepulveda Boulevard in Van Nuys, with Sunday open-mic events advertised. The neon may be gone 10-26
Nicola's (Gone)
Sam's Hofbrau
Barney Steele's (Gone)
The Liquid Zoo
The Liquid Zoo
