The Stowe-A-Way (Gone)
Concord, NC Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Looking for a good seafood dinner? The marquee for The Stowe-A-Way Fish House pointed the way. Standing out along Corban Avenue, the simple roadside sign welcomed hungry travelers with changing messages and reminded everyone passing by that another local favorite was just ahead.
The restaurant served Concord for many years, becoming a familiar stop for both regular customers and folks simply passing through town. There wasn't any flashy neon or oversized mascot here. Just a classic roadside marquee doing exactly what it was built to do, catching your eye and tempting you to pull into the parking lot. Sometimes that's all it takes to become part of the drive.
The building had the comfortable look of a place where families gathered after church, travelers stopped before getting back on the highway, and locals knew they could count on a good meal. Even if you never made it inside, the sign out front was one of those familiar landmarks that let you know exactly where you were.
UPDATE: The Stowe-A-Way Fish House has closed and the original roadside marquee has been removed. 08-26
Carey Hilliard's
Savannah, GA Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf
You don't have to be hungry to appreciate this sign. The colorful marquee for Carey Hilliard's grabs your attention with its mix of lettering styles, bright colors, and unmistakable 1960s personality. It's the kind of roadside sign that makes you slow down for a better look before deciding it's probably worth pulling in.
The first Carey Hilliard's opened here in 1960 after Carey Hilliard transformed an old National Root Beer stand into a barbecue restaurant. Inspired by the flashy signs he had seen on a trip to Las Vegas, he created a marquee that looked unlike anything else around Savannah. More than sixty years later, it's still one of the city's best-known roadside landmarks. Even better, the restaurant never gave up its classic curb service, something that's become increasingly rare.
UPDATE: The original Skidaway Road restaurant is still serving customers, and the famous marquee was carefully restored in 2019 so it can keep catching the eyes of passing motorists. 08-26
Bridges Barbecue Lodge
Shelby, NC Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Long before you reach the parking lot, the roadside marquee for Bridges Barbecue Lodge lets you know you've arrived somewhere special. Standing along busy Highway 74 in Shelby, it's been catching the eyes of hungry motorists for generations. Whether you're making a cross-state road trip or just spending the afternoon exploring North Carolina's back roads, this is one of those signs that makes you wonder if maybe another few miles can wait until after lunch. 03-06
Red Bridges opened the restaurant in 1946, and it became Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge a few years later. Since then, the restaurant has built a reputation that stretches far beyond Cleveland County. Folks have been making the drive here for generations to enjoy slow-cooked pork prepared over hickory and oak coals, the kind of barbecue that takes time and patience instead of shortcuts. Before you even open the car door, chances are you'll catch the unmistakable aroma drifting across the parking lot.
Bridges Barbecue Lodge
Shelby, NC Photo courtesy Tony Craig
The restaurant has the comfortable, well-lived-in look of a place that's earned its reputation one meal at a time. Nothing about it feels manufactured for tourists. It looks exactly like what travelers hope to find when wandering the old highways, a longtime family restaurant where the building, the sign, and the food all seem to belong together. Places like this don't need to reinvent themselves every few years. They've already figured out what works.
Of course, the marquee is what first catches your attention. It's a classic highway sign that has been welcoming travelers for decades, standing watch over countless family vacations, business trips, Sunday drives, and barbecue pilgrimages. Thousands of motorists have probably spotted it from the road and made the same last-minute decision to pull off the highway for "just a quick bite," only to linger a little longer than planned.
Bridges Barbecue sign
Shelby, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
There's something comforting about a restaurant that still depends on a roadside sign instead of a giant billboard miles away or a phone app telling you where to eat. The marquee has always done its job the old-fashioned way. It simply stands beside the road, letting passing drivers know that good barbecue is waiting just ahead. Sometimes that's all the advertising a place really needs.
Bridges Barbecue
Shelby, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
It's also easy to picture how many memories have started right here. Families piling out of station wagons after a long morning on the road. Friends arguing over whose turn it is to buy lunch. Travelers stretching their legs before continuing toward the mountains or the coast. The marquee has quietly watched all of it while pointing another generation of barbecue lovers toward the front door.
Even after all these years, the sign still looks right at home along Highway 74. It has become more than just an advertisement for a restaurant. It's a familiar landmark that tells travelers they're in Shelby, and for many people, it marks the beginning of a meal they've been looking forward to for miles.
Bridges Barbecue marquee close-up
Shelby, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
UPDATE: Bridges Barbecue Lodge continues serving customers today, and the familiar roadside marquee still welcomes hungry travelers to one of North Carolina's best-known barbecue stops. 08-26
Bridges Barbecue Interior
Shelby, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The Bridges Barbecue in Shelby, NC is home to some real eye-catching neon. With the neon on the roof to the marquee outside, the Bridges can be seen from quite a distance. The photographer catches the essence of discovering this neon.
Than I saw it in the distance, the call of neon in the form of the classic Bridges BBQ sign. For me who is always finding BBQ places when I do not have time to stop or have already eaten the time was right for this one. Stepping inside was a true blast from the past. The place was completely original from the mid 1950's. They had some 1950's postcards on the wall and sure enough, the building, signage and even the neon pig are as they were when the place first opened. The manager (owner?) told me the only noticeable change was the seat coverings that were recently redone but had been brown as per a photograph he pointed out. One thing I can say about the Carolina BBQ places is that I will never get used to BBQ cole slaw. Regular cole slaw is hard enough to pallet but the BBQ stuff is just offensive to my taste buds! Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 01-08
The Stowe-A-Way (Gone)
Carey Hilliard's
Bridges Barbecue Lodge
Bridges Barbecue Lodge
