Colonia Dairy Maid
Colonia, NJ
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

The neon really does the trick at Colonia Dairy Maid in Colonia. Sitting across the front of that little slanted-roof stand, the glowing script almost seems to call out to anyone cruising along St. Georges Avenue looking for a quick ice cream stop.

The building started out as a Carvel in the 1950s, which explains that familiar glass-fronted roadside look. By the mid-1960s it had become Colonia Dairy Maid, and locals have been stopping here ever since. Some longtime customers even call the place “40 Flavors,” which pretty much tells you what kind of choices are waiting at the window.

It is still a simple walk-up kind of place with cones, sundaes and shakes, and the old neon is a big part of the fun once the sun goes down.

UPDATE: Colonia Dairy Maid remains open, and the classic neon sign still lights up the front of the building at night. 08-26

Laura's Fudge
Wildwood, NJ
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Got a sweet tooth while cruising the shore? Take a look at the classic corner sign for Laura's Fudge in Wildwood, New Jersey. The big bold block letters and sweeping script wrap right around the building, practically daring you to walk past without grabbing a box. 03-06

Believe it or not, the fudge wasn't even meant to be sold when the business started back in 1926. Laura originally whipped up batches just to hand out as prizes for a boardwalk wheel-spin game. Folks loved it so much they started knocking on her kitchen door at home asking to buy it by the pound, and a shore tradition was born.

You can still peer through the windows to watch them stir up over twenty flavors in big copper kettles along with salt water taffy and caramel corn. Definitely worth a quick pit stop before heading back down Ocean Avenue.

UPDATE: Laura's Fudge hit the century mark in 2026 and is still going strong each summer season. 08-26

Twist of the Mist
Niagara Falls, New York
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Need a sweet treat before crossing the border? Check out Twist o' the Mist in Niagara Falls, New York. It is hard to miss this wild piece of novelty architecture shaped like a giant 28-foot vanilla soft-serve ice cream cone, complete with a sculpted waffle cone base and a big fiberglass cherry perched right on top. 07-06

Located just steps from the Rainbow Bridge into Canada, the shop serves up dozens of flavors of regional Perry's Ice Cream alongside a playful nod to the famous Maid of the Mist boat tour. Between the giant cone, the retro neon script, and courtyard novelties like coin-operated rides and a giant hand-shaped chair, it is a quintessential roadside pit stop on the way into town.

UPDATE: Twist o' the Mist continues serving up cones and sundaes as a favorite warm-weather seasonal stop near the falls. 08-26

Big Joy
Bellows Falls, VT
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss / 2007

This little guy is a familiar sight along the open highway, but something looks a bit different here. Instead of standing guard outside a Big Boy franchise, this rooftop mascot greets hungry travelers at Dari Joy in Bellows Falls, Vermont. 07-07

The vintage drive-in stand has been serving up scoops and eats along Route 5 since the 1950s. Years back, the owner picked up the classic fiberglass Frisch's-style statue from a sign shop in nearby New Hampshire, climbed up on the roof, and repainted the script across the overalls to read "Big Joy" after the joint's signature double-decker burger. The quirky sight even earned the drive-in a spot in the syndicated Zippy the Pinhead comic strip.

Step inside the dining room and you will find classic tabletop jukeboxes, retro booths, and an old-school cash-only counter that feels straight out of another era.

UPDATE: Dari Joy continues operating as a warm-weather seasonal favorite in Bellows Falls, with the Big Joy statue still holding court up on the roof. 08-26

Modern Pastry Shop
Boston, MA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Strolling through Boston's historic North End at night, the glowing neon script and block letters of the Modern Pastry Shop are bound to catch your eye along Hanover Street. This neighborhood staple has been serving up authentic Italian sweets since 1930. 02-08

Back when the Picariello family first opened the doors, they dubbed it "Modern" because the shop was among the very first in the area to install modern commercial refrigeration. One thing that hasn't changed over the decades is their dedication to freshness; every single cannoli shell and lobster tail is filled strictly to order at the counter so they never get soggy.

UPDATE: Modern Pastry Shop continues drawing lines down Hanover Street for fresh-filled cannoli and handmade Italian pastries beneath its vintage neon storefront. 08-26