Mac's Seafood (Gone)
Somerset Point, NJ
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Heading south toward the Jersey Shore, this big lobster looks ready to wave you in for dinner. Mac's Seafood in Somers Point had one of those great roadside signs that told hungry travelers exactly what they could expect inside. Seafood, steaks and a friendly lobster. What more do you need? 07-05

Sitting along Shore Road on the way toward Ocean City, Mac's was a longtime stop for locals and Shore-bound travelers. The menu covered plenty of the seaside favorites, including flounder, steamed clams and lobster, along with steaks for anyone who wasn't in the mood for the day's catch. But out along the road, it was that colorful lobster sign that did most of the talking.

Mac's eventually closed after decades in Somers Point, and the building later became Sandi Point Coastal Bistro. The old restaurant has since changed once again, but at least the familiar roadside building is still serving hungry travelers.

UPDATE: The former Mac's building is now home to Josie Kelly's Public House. The big lobster sign has been removed. 08-26

Ben Ash Delicatessen (Gone)
New York City, NY
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Walking the streets of New York, it's somewhat amazing how many delis seem to turn up along the way, especially if you're visiting from out West. Benash Delicatessen on Seventh Avenue certainly didn't disappoint. Its bright neon-covered storefront was enough to catch the eye of tourists and locals alike, and looked especially good once the sun went down. 01-07

Benash opened in 1990 and became a familiar Midtown stop for big pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, matzo ball soup and New York cheesecake. The place stayed open until 3 in the morning, making that glowing neon a welcome sight for the late-night crowd coming out of the nearby theaters. Benash also managed to outlast two famous deli neighbors, the Stage Deli and Carnegie Deli. For a while, this stretch of Midtown was quite a place to be hungry.

UPDATE: Benash Delicatessen closed in April 2018 after 28 years. The old neon storefront sign has since been removed. 08-26

Grand Central Oyster Bar
New York City, NY
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Even inside Grand Central Terminal, there's still some neon to catch your eye. The familiar script lettering for the Grand Central Oyster Bar points hungry travelers toward one of New York's oldest dining stops. With trains coming and going nearby, it's a pretty appropriate place to grab a bite before heading down the road, or in this case, down the tracks. 01-07

The Oyster Bar opened in 1913 along with Grand Central Terminal itself. Step inside and the neon gives way to those unmistakable curved tile ceilings, long counters and plenty of seafood. Oysters are naturally the main attraction, with dozens of varieties appearing on the menu.

More than a century later, the old neon lettering is still glowing and the Oyster Bar is still serving travelers beneath Grand Central.

UPDATE: The Grand Central Oyster Bar remains open following restoration work completed in 2026, and its familiar neon sign survives. 08-26

L'Alcove (Demolished)
Olean, NY
Photo courtesy John T. Eberth

An excavator from Kingsview Demolition of Lakewood demolishes the former L'Alcove restaurant building on the corner of North Union and Wayne streets on June 26. Olean developer Louis Magnano owns the building and is clearing the site for future development. Many thanks to David Wagner for update. 07-07

L'Alcove Restaurant once occupied this corner of North Union and Wayne streets in downtown Olean, serving up Italian food from a rather plain-looking building that had certainly seen better days. The L'Alcove name went way back in Olean. The original little 25-seat restaurant opened in 1937 under Guerino "Butch" Butchello, whose success eventually led to the well-known Castle Restaurant. A later version of L'Alcove appeared at this downtown corner in the early 1970s.

UPDATE: The former L'Alcove building was demolished on June 26, 2007, and its signage disappeared with it. 08-26

Karl's Fine Food (Demolished)
Weirs Beach, NH
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Now here's a sign that's something to behold. Karl's Fine Food greeted travelers arriving at Weirs Beach with a big roadside bull perched above the restaurant name. And if local memories are right, the bull even had a mechanical wagging tail. Try finding that at the average roadside chain today. 12-07

Karl Stierle opened the restaurant in 1958 at the busy junction of Routes 3 and 11B. The memorable two-sided bull sign was built by Tyler Advertising of nearby Laconia and became a familiar sight for generations heading toward Weirs Beach.

Karl's was sold in 1998 and became the Crossroads Restaurant, but the old place didn't last. By the time of this photo, the restaurant was gone, leaving that great sign as a reminder of what once stood here.

UPDATE: The vacant restaurant building was destroyed by fire in October 2005 and subsequently demolished. The Karl's bull sign has also been removed, and the site remains undeveloped. 08-26

Philip's Restaurant (Closed)
Philadelphia, PA
Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser

Here's a blade sign that offered a couple of extras along with dinner. Philip's Restaurant on South Broad Street advertised not only its cocktail lounge, but air conditioning too. Back when that was worth putting in neon, a cool dining room on a hot Philadelphia night must have sounded pretty inviting. 01-08

Philip Muzi opened the Italian restaurant in 1940, operating from an old three-story brownstone filled with mirrors, paintings and plenty of Old World atmosphere. Philip's was reportedly among the early Italian restaurants in Philadelphia to offer air conditioning, which explains why those words received such prominent billing on the sign.

Dinner service ended around 2001, but unlike so many old restaurant signs, this one managed to stay right where travelers remember it.

UPDATE: Philip's Restaurant remains closed, but the old blade sign, including its "Cocktail Lounge" and "Air Conditioning" lettering, still hangs over South Broad Street. 08-26

Ida's Italian Cuisine (Closed)
Boston, MA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Tucked down a little side street off busy Hanover Street, the glowing marquee for Ida's Italian Cuisine was a familiar sight in Boston's North End. The red script "IDA'S" above those green "ITALIAN CUISINE" letters was just enough to lead hungry travelers down Mechanic Street to see what was cooking. 02-08

Ida's opened in 1951 and was about as cozy as they come, with only a handful of tables and room for around 26 diners. This was old-fashioned family Italian dining, complete with homemade meatballs and wine served in clay jugs. With so many restaurants packed into the North End, finding a little place like this was half the fun.

Ida's finally closed in 2013 after 62 years, but there's still something familiar hanging above the old entrance.

UPDATE: The former Ida's property has been incorporated into Mare Oyster Bar, but the old Ida's neon sign is said to still hang over Mechanic Street. 08-26

Legal Sea Foods
Boston, MA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here's a familiar name for anyone traveling around Boston. Legal Sea Foods has been serving up everything from lobster and fresh fish to steaks for decades, and its fish signs have become almost as recognizable around town as the restaurant itself. Then there's that clam chowder, which has earned quite a reputation of its own. 02-08

Legal's story started across the river in Cambridge, where the Berkowitz family operated the Legal Cash Market. A fish market followed in 1950, and the first Legal Sea Foods restaurant opened next door in 1968. It was a pretty casual operation in those days, with picnic tables, paper plates and fresh seafood. Even Julia Child was known to stop by.

The original Inman Square restaurant was destroyed by fire in 1980, but Legal Sea Foods had already begun spreading around the Boston area.

UPDATE: Legal Sea Foods remains in business with restaurants around Boston and beyond, and its famous clam chowder is still on the menu. 08-26