The Circus Drive-in (Gone)
Wall, NJ
Photo courtesy Bill Jackson

Now here's one that was almost impossible to drive past without looking. The giant smiling clown on the roadside marquee welcomed hungry travelers to The Circus Drive-in along Route 35 in Wall. Behind it sat a round red-and-white building shaped like a circus big top. You certainly couldn't accuse this place of being shy.

The Circus opened in May 1954 and became a familiar Jersey Shore stop for generations heading up and down Route 35. Pull into the parking lot and you could still get the old-fashioned carhop treatment, with food brought right out to the automobile. Even the menu joined in on the act with names like the Lion Tamer and Bareback Betsy, along with soft-shell crab sandwiches that developed quite a following.

But the real roadside attraction was that building and sign. The circular restaurant looked like somebody had dropped a circus tent beside the highway, while the towering marquee featured a huge neon clown grinning down at passing traffic. Day or night, there wasn't much chance of missing the place.

For more than 60 years the Circus kept serving burgers, shakes and summertime travelers before the final curtain came down in September 2017. The distinctive big-top building was demolished the following May.

UPDATE: The Circus Drive-In is gone from Route 35, and the familiar clown sign was removed from the property in 2021. 08-26

Burger Chef (Gone)
New Jersey
Photo courtesy John Flack

Here's a blast from the fast-food past. Burger Chef was quite a sight after dark, with the neon glowing and those 15-cent hamburgers advertised right out front. Yep, 15 cents. Better check the glove compartment for some spare change.

Burger Chef started in Indianapolis in 1954 and grew into one of the biggest hamburger chains in the country. By the early 1970s, more than 1,000 Burger Chefs were flipping burgers from coast to coast, including several locations around New Jersey.

The chain also came up with the Fun Meal in 1973, packaging a kid's meal with a toy years before the Happy Meal arrived at McDonald's. Burger Chef was sold to Hardee's in 1982, and the familiar restaurants gradually disappeared. The last Burger Chef finally closed in 1996.

UPDATE: Burger Chef is long gone from the New Jersey roadside, along with the neon and those 15-cent hamburgers. 08-26

Colonia Dairy Maid
Colonia, NJ
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Need something cold after a long day on the road? The colorful neon letters stretching across Colonia Dairy Maid make this little ice cream stop pretty hard to miss, especially once the sun goes down.

This old-fashioned walk-up has been a favorite around Colonia for generations, serving more than 40 flavors of homemade ice cream along with soft serve, Italian ice and ice cream cakes. There's nothing fancy about the place, and that's part of the attraction. Walk up to the window, pick a flavor and find a spot outside to enjoy it.

The building still has plenty of that classic neighborhood ice cream stand look, but it's the neon across the top that really catches the traveler's eye. And here's another bit of old-school charm, bring some cash. The Dairy Maid still keeps things cash only.

UPDATE: Colonia Dairy Maid remains open on St. Georges Avenue, with the colorful neon still glowing above the storefront. 08-26

Prospect Mountain Diner
Lake George, NY
Photo courtesy Matthias Tippner

Cruising along Route 9 through Lake George, it's hard not to notice the shiny stainless steel Prospect Mountain Diner and its big roadside sign. 01-07

The diner started out in 1950 as the Point Diner, a double-wide Silk City. Highway construction forced a move in 1967, when the whole diner was relocated here and renamed Prospect Mountain Diner.

Unfortunately, the diner pictured here was destroyed by fire in May 2007. A new retro-style diner was later built on the same spot.

UPDATE: Earlier status that the diner was demolished was verified to be incorrect. Many thanks to Mike Engle. 01-07

UPDATE: Prospect Mountain Diner remains open on Route 9, still serving hungry Lake George travelers. 08-26

Maxie's Delicatessen (Gone)
New York City, NY
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

With all the lights around Times Square, it takes some serious neon to get noticed. Maxie's Delicatessen did its part with a storefront covered in glowing red, blue and yellow lettering along 7th Avenue. 01-07

Located at the north end of Times Square, Maxie's was a handy stop for hungry theatergoers and late-night travelers looking for pastrami, corned beef, matzo ball soup or a slice of cheesecake. And in this neighborhood, staying open late was almost a requirement.

The neon certainly helped Maxie's fit into the Times Square scenery. With signs glowing above the sidewalk and crowds passing underneath, this was one deli that didn't exactly hide from view.

UPDATE: Maxie's Delicatessen has closed, and the colorful neon signs seen here have been removed. 08-26

Olympia Diner
Newington, CT
Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen

Heading down the Berlin Turnpike, check out the long stainless steel Olympia Diner sitting beneath its big roadside neon sign. This is one of those places that looks like it has been waiting along the highway for hungry travelers forever. 04-07

The Olympia arrived in Newington in 1954 after originally serving customers in Massachusetts. Built by the Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company, the three-section diner is said to be one of the longest original stainless steel diners around.

Movie fans may recognize the place too. Its old-fashioned look landed the Olympia in Jacknife with Robert De Niro, along with a few other film appearances over the years.

UPDATE: The Olympia Diner is still open along the Berlin Turnpike, and that big roadside sign still stands out front. The property has been offered for sale, so its future remains worth watching. 08-26