Del Taco (Formerly Phillips 66)
St Louis, MO
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Visitors could be forgiven for thinking a flying saucer landed on South Grand Boulevard. Built in 1967 as a Phillips 66station, this St. Louis landmark was designed by Richard Henmi of Schwarz & Van Hoefen. Its broad saucer roof and tapered supports made filling the tank a distinctly Space Age experience. 06-11

The station later became Naugles and then Del Taco, attracting nearby Saint Louis University students. By 2011, redevelopment plans threatened demolition, prompting preservationists and thousands of online supporters to rally behind the “Del Taco Saucer.

UPDATE: After the Del Taco chain closed down its St Louis restaurants including this one, the building was saved and and via adaptive reuse has became a Starbucks. 09-17

UPDATE: The building was saved and renovated, with Starbucks opening in September 2012 and Chipotle joining afterward. The project received a Missouri preservation award in 2013. Coffee and burritos replaced gasoline and tacos, but the familiar saucer stayed grounded on South Grand. 06-26