Jasper's Restaurant
Muskogee, OK
Photo courtesy Greg West

Check out the lettering out front of Jasper's Restaurant in Muskogee. Sometimes a sign doesn't need neon, animation, or towering height to make an impression. The distinctive lettering here gave the restaurant its identity and helped make it a recognizable landmark for motorists passing through town.

Restaurants like Jasper's were once common fixtures along Oklahoma's busy commercial corridors. They offered straightforward meals, familiar faces, and a place where locals and travelers could grab a quick bite without much fuss. While chain restaurants increasingly dominated the roadside landscape, independent places like Jasper's relied on their reputation and unique appearance to stand apart.

What makes this photograph especially interesting is the sign itself. The stylized lettering has a distinctly mid-century feel and serves as a reminder that typography was often an important part of roadside architecture. Long before corporate logos became standardized across the country, businesses frequently created their own unique visual identities through custom-designed signs and lettering. 08-06

Metro Diner (Demolished)
Tulsa, OK
Photo courtesy Matthias Tippner

Along Route 66 in Tulsa, OK is the Metro Diner, one of the city's most recognizable roadside restaurants. Although it looked like a classic 1950s diner, the restaurant actually opened in 1984 after a former Skelly service station was transformed into a neon-filled tribute to the golden age of American road food.

Located next to the University of Tulsa on historic 11th Street, the Metro Diner became a favorite gathering spot for students, Route 66 travelers, and local car enthusiasts. The restaurant embraced its retro theme from top to bottom, complete with chrome accents, glass blocks, vintage memorabilia, and even a modified 1957 Chevrolet that served as the hostess station. While it wasn't an original roadside diner from the 1950s, it successfully captured the spirit of that era and became a Route 66 landmark in its own right.

Unfortunately, the Metro Diner closed on November 26, 2006 as part of plans to redevelop the area surrounding the University of Tulsa. The closure marked the end of one of Tulsa's most distinctive roadside eateries. 01-07

UPDATE: The Metro Diner has been demolished due to the expansion of the Tulsa University campus. Many thanks to Cathie Miller for update. 04-08

UPDATE: Student housing and related development now occupy the site. Fortunately, the restaurant's iconic neon roadside sign was saved and relocated to Tulsa's Stokely Event Center, where it remains preserved today. 06-26

Ox Yoke Inn (Removed)
Amana, IA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here's the Ox Yoke Inn, located in Amana, Iowa. The restaurant has been serving visitors since 1940 and is well known for its hearty German-American meals and family-style dining. The current location occupies a historic sandstone building dating to 1856, making it one of the most recognizable and historic restaurants in the Amana Colonies.

While the food has long been a major attraction, the roadside sign became a landmark in its own right. Dating from around 1950, the Art Deco-style neon sign featured an integrated clock and stood as a familiar beacon for travelers heading into Amana. It was a wonderful example of mid-century roadside design and seemed somewhat out of place—in the best possible way—among the much older nineteenth-century buildings that surround it.

Unfortunately, the sign's days were numbered. In September 2008, the Ox Yoke Inn sign was removed to comply with an Amana Colonies sign ordinance adopted in 1996 that prohibited exterior neon signs. For roadside enthusiasts, it was the loss of one of Iowa's most distinctive restaurant signs. 12-08

UPDATE: The historic Ox Yoke Inn remains in business today and continues to operate from its 1856 building in the Amana Colonies. The famous neon sign, however, is no longer on display. Following its removal in 2008, the sign was reportedly placed into storage. 06-26

Charcoal Oven (Gone)
Oklahoma City, OK
Photo courtesy Bill Jackson

The Charcoal Oven had been serving charcoal-broiled burgers to Oklahoma City residents for nearly 60 years when this photo was taken. Opened by David Wilson in 1958, the drive-in became a local institution known for its burgers, onion rings, hickory sauce, and the famous Chick-a-Doodle-Doo chicken sandwich.

Just as memorable as the food was the restaurant's giant roadside sign. Featuring a smiling chef and bold mid-century styling, it stood as one of Oklahoma City's best-known roadside landmarks and welcomed generations of motorists traveling along Northwest Expressway. It was the kind of sign that made you hungry before you even reached the parking lot.

Unfortunately, the end was near. A permit had been issued for a new Discount Tire store at the site, and after nearly six decades in business, the Charcoal Oven was scheduled to close in September 2016. For many Oklahoma City residents, it marked the loss of one of the area's last great drive-in restaurants. 09-16

UPDATE: The original Charcoal Oven closed on September 11, 2016 and the building was demolished. Although the restaurant was briefly revived at another Oklahoma City location in 2021, that operation permanently closed in 2025. Fortunately, the iconic roadside sign was saved and donated to the Billboard Museum for preservation. Its current display status could not be independently verified. 06-26

El Rancho Grande
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here's another shot of the sign at El Rancho Grande Mexican food restaurant in Tulsa. As you can see from this photo, downtown isn't far away. In fact, the beautifully restored Meadow Gold sign sits just down the street, making this stretch of Route 66 one of the best places in Oklahoma to admire classic roadside neon.

El Rancho Grande first opened in 1950 at a downtown Tulsa location before moving to its current home along Route 66 in 1953. Since then, it has become one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants on Tulsa's stretch of the Mother Road and one of the oldest surviving Mexican restaurants anywhere along Route 66.

The restaurant's spectacular neon sign is a treasure in its own right. Featuring a glowing sombrero, animated matador, and a neon lasso that loops around the word "El," it is one of the finest examples of mid-century commercial sign design in the city. Beautifully restored in 2009, it continues to light up Tulsa's 11th Street corridor just as it has for generations. 08-17

UPDATE: El Rancho Grande remains a Tulsa institution today, serving customers from its historic Route 66 location. The restored neon sign continues to shine brightly over the entrance, and after finally stopping in during 2026, I found the food to be good, though somewhat Americanized in style. Even so, it's well worth a visit for both the meal and one of the finest neon signs on the Mother Road. 06-26

Tally's Cafe
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Tally's Good Food Cafe is home to one of the coolest neon signs along Tulsa's historic Route 66. Sitting in one of the city's best neon corridors, the classic script sign glows just above the entrance and has become a familiar sight for both locals and Mother Road travelers.

Tally's has been a Tulsa favorite since 1987, when owner Tally Alame purchased the former Mark and Mary's restaurant and made it his own. Since then, the diner has built a loyal following with generous portions, all-day breakfast, homemade cinnamon rolls, and chicken-fried steak served in a fun, retro atmosphere.

There were rumors in 2015 that Tally's might be closing, but thankfully they never came to pass. The restaurant remained open, preserving another important stop along Tulsa's stretch of Route 66. This daytime view gives a good look at the classic neon sign before it comes alive after dark. 08-17

UPDATE: Tally's Good Food Cafe remains one of Tulsa's most popular Route 66 restaurants. In 2019, the property received a Route 66 preservation grant that added decorative neon lighting around the building while preserving the original script sign above the entrance. It's still one of the highlights of Tulsa's outstanding neon corridor today. 06-26