Bill Smith's Cafe (Demolished)
McKinney, TX
Photo courtesy Dennis Haberkern

Check out Bill Smith's Cafe in McKinnon, TX. This sign looks like it came straight out of the 60's. Bill Smith's Cafe at 1510 W. University Drive has been open in town since 1956. The objective of the business has been to offer a home cooked meal, including making pies, roll, and biscuits and gravy by scratch. The chicken-fried steak is made from real steak. In fact the servers call customers "honey" and remember the regulars.

Bill Smith's Cafe closed on July 31, 2022 meaning McKinney's second oldest restaurant is now gone. Bill Smith the owner closed the restaurant to focus on his health. The restaurant building is expected to be replaced by a car wash. In fact the restaurant has already been torn down and the lot is just an empty vacant lot.

Las Manitas Avenue Cafe (Gone)
Austin, TX
Photo and info courtesy Dave and Debra van Hulsteyn

The Las Manitas Avenue Cafe with its streamline marquee is worth a stop for breakfast. The neon as still working on this sign back when this photo was taken. This downtown restaurant was opened in 1981 and has been a popular Tex-Mex cafe that has been popular to Austin locals. .

The Las Manitas Avenue Cafe was shut down in 2008 to make way for a huge J.W. Marriott Hotel building.

Cafe 290
Manor, TX
Photo courtesy Chris Richey

The Cafe 290 of Manor, Texas in a town just outside of Austin features a sign all aglow in neon. The Cafe 290 dates back to the post-World War II era and moved from Camp Swift to its present location in 1947. When you dine at the restaurant, you are sitting in actual army barracks that had been use during World War II.

Word is the Cafe 290 has hosted many dignitaries as well as celebrities.

DeWese's Tip Top Cafe is a landmark homestyle restaurant in San Antonio, TX. DeWese's has been serving hungry eaters since 1938. The interior of De Wese's Tip Top Cafe looks to date back from the 30's. 11/20 UPDATE : DeWese's Tip Top Cafe has been serving up Southern comfort classic food since 1938 to San Antonio. The cooking has always been home style. The restaurant serves food like chicken fried steak, shrimp, and homemade pies. The Tip Top is also famous for being featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives TV show as well. Check out the cool neon sign in front of the restaurant. According to the DeWese Tip Top Cafe website, the restaurant has won 23 Reader's Choice Gold Awards for best chicken fried steak and a Silver Award for best onion rings. 07-23 De Wese's Tip Top Cafe San Antonio, TX Photo courtesy Danyelle Freeman DeWese's Tip Top Cafe San Antonio, TX Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Cafe Texan
Huntsville, TX
Photo courtesy Chris Richey

The Cafe Texan in Huntsville features a neon sign that juts out over the roadside.

UPDATE : The Cafe Texan is known as the oldest restaurant in Texas. The building is also historic having served guests from 1936 to 2020 with down home Southern food.

The pandemic closed down this cafe in 2020 due to building code restrictions when the owner tried to reopen. The new owner who purchased the property re-opened the cafe as well as opening up a new historic museum. The new combined business was re-opened as non-profit. 07-23