Aero Club
San Diego, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

Heading north on Interstate 5 after leaving the San Diego airport may bring this familiar sign into view. The Aero Club on India Street has the sort of neon that can make a passing motorist wish there was time for another stop. Check out the airplane and its glowing exhaust. A little roadside aviation without having to leave the ground.

Established in 1947, the bar became a gathering place for pilots and workers from the nearby aircraft plants. An after-work drink here once came with plenty of company from San Diego's aerospace industry. The old plants have changed, but the neighborhood watering hole has carried on.

UPDATE: The Aero Club remains open, with its aviation-themed neon sign surviving. An extensive whiskey selection and the neighboring Dyno Bar arcade give visitors a few more reasons to linger. 10-26

The Tower Bar
San Diego, CA
Photo courtesy Ken Lux

There's more than neon helping the Tower Bar stand out along University Avenue in San Diego. Take a look above the entrance. The tower gives this neighborhood tavern a roadside landmark built right into the roof.

The building dates to 1932, adding a little architectural character to the City Heights streetscape. Down at doorway level, the neon lettering offers a more direct invitation to head inside. Between the tower and the sign, finding the place shouldn't be much of a challenge.

UPDATE: The Tower Bar remains open as a neighborhood bar and live music venue. Its distinctive tower and neon lettering survive, keeping this old University Avenue stop easy to recognize. 10-26

Pacific Shores
Ocean Beach, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

Here's a martini glass that doesn't require an order at the bar. The neon outside Pacific Shores in Ocean Beach gives Newport Avenue a familiar splash of color after dark. Check out this one before heading inside.

The old cocktail lounge carries the atmosphere a little further, with glowing underwater murals and a bar where the beach outside can wait a while. A few sea creatures on the walls make fitting company for this coastal neighborhood stop.

UPDATE: Pacific Shores remains open, and its neon martini glass sign survives. The lounge also retains its distinctive underwater-themed interior, giving visitors something to admire on both sides of the door. 10-26

El Cajon Grand (Closed)
El Cajon, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

A trip along Main Street in El Cajon brings motorists past the El Cajon Grand Tavern and its projecting neon marquee. Is it a good place for a drink? The locals might have a few thoughts on that. For a roadside peek, the sign makes a pretty good introduction.

The tavern keeps the familiar neighborhood bar arrangement, with pool tables, a jukebox, and sports on the screens. Outside, the old lettering gets the name across without much fuss. Sometimes that's all a Main Street watering hole needs.

UPDATE: The El Cajon Grand is closed. 10-26

Peking Cafe (Closed)
San Diego, CA
Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey

Something to eat might have brought customers to the Pekin' Cafe on University Avenue in San Diego, but the neon offered a reason to stop all by itself. Check out those large CHOP SUEY letters. The restaurant name takes a smaller role beneath a sign that gets straight to the menu.

Opened by the Fong family in 1931, the cafe later became known as Peking Restaurant. Its red columns and curved rooflines gave the building plenty of character during daylight hours, with the neon taking over after dark.

The family restaurant closed in 2019 after nearly nine decades. Fortunately, the familiar exterior and oversized marquee remained, leaving something of the old dining spot along University Avenue.

UPDATE: Restoration plans call for the building to house the Chop Suey Lounge and Ginger Roots dining concepts, with an opening targeted for late 2026. The project includes restoration of the historic exterior and neon sign. 10-26