Root beer locations are still prevalent in the Eastern states. In addition
to the classic Frostop pictured to the left, many more can be seen at Roadside Peek'sRoot Beer East
section.
Dairy Queen
Grafton, WV Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Here's a little Eskimo girl holding a rather refreshing soft serve cone atop the Dairy Queen in Grafton, West Virginia. This little roadside character has been greeting hungry travelers along US 50 since the Dairy Queen opened back in 1957. Nothing like a giant ice cream cone to tell you it's time to pull over for a treat.
The Eskimo Girl is actually a pretty rare piece of Dairy Queen history. These signs once appeared at DQ stands around the country, but most disappeared as the old restaurants were remodeled. The Grafton sign is believed to be the last original example still perched atop an operating Dairy Queen. It was restored to its old 1957 appearance in 2016.
The original walk-up stand was demolished and replaced with a new Dairy Queen in 2019. Fortunately, somebody had the good sense to save the old girl and put her right back on the roof.
UPDATE: The Dairy Queen is still serving up cones, and the vintage Eskimo Girl is still watching over the roadside. The building may be new, but at least this little piece of old DQ Americana survived. 08-26
Coney Island Custard Shoppe (Gone)
Streetsboro, OH Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
Stop by the Coney Island Custard Shoppe in Streetsboro and be greeted by this familiar smiling face cuddling up against a giant strawberry milkshake. Now there's a roadside sign that could make you suddenly hungry for some frozen custard. The little stand along Route 14 was a popular summertime stop for custard, malts and other cool treats.
Of course, the real attention getter was that big colorful sign. It was the sort of roadside advertising that didn't require much explanation. One look at that giant strawberry shake and you pretty much knew what was waiting inside.
The Coney Island Custard Shoppe was sold in 2005 and became a Strickland's Frozen Custard. Unfortunately, the old sign didn't make the transition. Apparently it ran into problems with Streetsboro's sign regulations, and although there was some interest in saving it, its size made finding a new home difficult.
Custard's Sign
Streetsboro, OH Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
UPDATE: The familiar Coney Island sign is long gone and the old custard stand has changed names again. Today the location is home to a Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard. The frozen treats are still being served along Route 14, but that smiling face and his enormous strawberry shake are now just a roadside memory. 08-26
UPDATE: The smiley face sign is now gone. Many thanks to Mark Hackett for update. 05-05
UPDATE : Here's another shot of the Custard's Coney Island Shoppe in Streetsboro prior to it becoming a Strickland's. Anyone know the whereabouts of this sign? 05-05
Tastee Freez (Gone)
Cuba, NY Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
Here's an old Tastee Freez in Cuba, New York that looks like it came right out of the early days of the chain. Check out the colorful panels along the side of the building. Makes the thirsty traveler long for a soft serve cone or maybe a big sundae. 11-00
This location opened in 1969 as a Tastee Freez Big Tee Burger Restaurant. The Tastee Freez name eventually disappeared, but fortunately the little roadside building survived and continued serving food and frozen treats under different names.
UPDATE: The old Tastee Freez building still stands, although the original signage and much of its colorful appearance are gone. Today the spot is home to Charlie's Chicken & Treats. 08-26
DeAngelis Donuts (Demolished)
Beaver Falls,
PA Photo courtesy Steve Felder
Check out the good looking marquee at DeAngelis Donuts in Beaver Falls, PA. This was the mothership of a small Western Pennsylvania donut chain, started by Joseph DeAngelis back in 1947. The shop became a College Hill fixture, known for its donuts, cinnamon rolls and the unusual claim of being the "home of the all-vegetable donut," since the goodies were fried in vegetable oil instead of lard.
DeAngelis eventually spread to Rochester and Chippewa, and judging by the memories left behind, these weren't just places to grab a donut. Generations of locals remember stopping at the College Hill shop as kids, working their first jobs there, or carrying boxes of DeAngelis donuts into Pittsburgh. The original Beaver Falls location closed in 2003 and the property eventually became part of neighboring Geneva College.
DeAngelis Donuts
Beaver Falls (near Chippewa), PA Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser
The Rochester shop carried on the tradition and became especially well known for its giant roadside sign and rotating donut, a familiar sight for motorists coming off the Rochester-Monaca Bridge.
UPDATE: Here a current shot of the DeAngelis Donuts sign, still standing tall with its donut on top in Beaver Falls, PA. From the looks of this latest photo, the sign components rotate independently. 07-11
UPDATE: After 77 years, DeAngelis Donuts served its last donut on June 16, 2024, following the death of longtime owner Richard "Dick" DeAngelis. The Rochester building was demolished in May 2026 for a property expected to become a Dunkin'. As of May 2026, the old DeAngelis roadside sign was still standing alone on the cleared lot, although its famous rotating donut was gone. 08-26
Dairy Queen
Coney Island Custard Shoppe (Gone)
Tastee Freez (Gone)
DeAngelis Donuts (Demolished)
DeAngelis Donuts
