Snappy Lunch
Mt Airy, NY
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Here's one for fans of old diners and classic television. Snappy Lunch has been serving the folks in Mount Airy, North Carolina since 1923, and the vintage Coca-Cola sign hanging over Main Street still makes this little lunch counter pretty hard to miss. 10-08

Mount Airy, of course, is Andy Griffith's hometown and the inspiration for Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show. Griffith ate at Snappy Lunch while growing up here, and the restaurant even got mentioned by name on the show. Supposedly it's the only real Mount Airy business mentioned on the series. Not bad for a little lunch counter.

The other claim to fame is the pork chop sandwich, a local favorite that has been around since the 1960s. Order one "all the way" and it comes with chili, mustard, onions and cole slaw. Sounds like the kind of lunch that might require a few extra napkins.

UPDATE: Snappy Lunch is still going strong today, serving breakfast and lunch beneath that familiar old sign. Just don't arrive too late in the afternoon. Like any good old-fashioned lunch counter, they really do mean lunch. 08-26

Park Squeeze Restaurant
Vergennes, VT
Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen

You don't have to travel far through the small Vermont town of Vergennes before spotting this colorful old sign hanging over Main Street. Park Squeeze Restaurant gets its name from its rather narrow building, squeezed into a space only about 20 feet wide and sitting across from the town green. Despite what we originally thought, you won't find Chinese food here. The menu leans more toward burgers and American comfort food. 04-09

The Park Squeeze changed hands in 2012 when local restaurateur Michel Mahe took over the vacant building. After a renovation, it reopened in 2013 with the old name and roadside sign still part of the scenery. Inside, things are just as interesting, including a copper bar upstairs and even a five-panel copper rhinoceros hanging on the wall. Now there's something you don't run across at every roadside eatery.

UPDATE: Park Squeeze is still open and serving up food in downtown Vergennes, and the colorful old projecting sign survives as well. Nice to see this little "squeeze" still hanging around Main Street. 08-26

Canary Restaurant (Closed)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

This faded old sign for the Canary Restaurant once greeted hungry folks at the corner of Front and Cherry streets in Toronto. And yes, those script letters really did have neon tubing around them at one time. 10-10

The Canary moved here in 1965, taking over part of a building that dates all the way back to 1859. With its old counter stools, Formica tables and vintage interior, the place became a popular filming location and may look familiar from the movies and television.

The restaurant closed in 2007 as redevelopment moved into the area. It was remembered well enough that the surrounding neighborhood was even named the Canary District.

UPDATE: The historic building has been restored, and the old Canary neon sign is no longer on the building. 08-26

Jakey's Amish Barbeque (Closed)
Ronks, PA
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

West Chester, PA is home to this union of Amish and BBQ. The place was Spartan like a Southern BBQ joint. It is certainly not upscale like Northern BBQ places. I guess this means it is the real deal. Maybe next time I am in the area, I will eat at Jakey's. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 06-11

Traveling along Route 30 through Pennsylvania Dutch country, you may have come across Jakey's Amish Barbeque and its colorful roadside sign. Despite the old caption listing West Chester, Jakey's was actually in Ronks, sitting on the same property as the familiar Dutch Haven windmill.

Jakey's served up the sort of road food you'd expect around these parts, including smoked brisket, pulled pork, turkey and Pennsylvania Dutch-style favorites. The restaurant sat behind Dutch Haven, making this quite a stop for anyone hungry for barbecue followed by a slice of shoofly pie.

UPDATE: Jakey's is no longer operating, although its former restaurant building remains on the Dutch Haven property. Dutch Haven itself is still around, complete with that hard-to-miss windmill along the Lincoln Highway. 08-26

Turillo's Steakhouse (Gone)
Jennerstown, PA
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Now here's a sign that's hard to miss while cruising the old Lincoln Highway. Turillo's Steak House in Jennerstown featured this eye-popping neon arrow, installed in 1966 and pointing hungry travelers toward steaks and Italian food. 06-11

The Turillo family had been feeding travelers here since 1939, when the place was known as the Highway Cafe. It became Turillo's Steak House in 1957 and eventually gained quite a following for its hand-cut steaks and blue-cheese salads.

UPDATE: Turillo's served its last steak on October 31, 2015, ending more than 75 years along Route 30. The building was later converted to apartments, but fortunately that great old neon sign wasn't scrapped. It was removed around 2019 and reportedly survives in a private collection. 08-26