 Whole Enchilada (Gone)
Glendora,
CA
Photo courtesy Marilynn Hendrie
An eye-catching restaurant building gives The Whole Enchilada a little extra appeal along the Route 66 corridor near Azusa Pacific University. Word is the place previously housed a Sambo’s, giving this Mexican restaurant a connection to the days when coffee shops welcomed motorists with breakfast and plenty of glass overlooking the road. 12-07
UPDATE: The Whole Enchilada no longer operates at this photographed location. Its distinctive building recalls another chapter of dining along the Route 66 corridor, with a reported coffee-shop past behind its Mexican restaurant years. 10-26
 Taco Treat
Arcadia, CA
Photo courtesy Marilynn Hendrie
The oversized marquee at Taco Treat in Arcadia makes a strong first impression. Neon and backlit plastic share the advertising duties while customers wait for their orders. Apparently a little taco stand can make a substantial roadside announcement. 12-07
The stand’s roots reach into the 1950s, with the Morrow family’s operation beginning in 1969. Its slanted building and distinctive sign recall Southern California’s earlier fast-food era. Deep-fried burritos and hard-shell tacos give sign hunters another reason to join the crowd at the window.
An unverified tale describes a V8 engine idling in an empty parking space after midnight, accompanied by the aroma of racing fuel and taco shells. Think this is true? Perhaps one last racer needed dinner.
UPDATE: Taco Treat remains open on Live Oak Avenue, continuing its longtime tradition of tacos, fried burritos, and a memorable roadside greeting. 10-26
 100 to 1 Bar (Gone)
Arcadia, CA
Photo courtesy Marilynn Hendrie
The neon at 100 to 1 Bar in Arcadia offered an evening greeting with some longshot optimism. With Santa Anita nearby, the name fit the neighborhood nicely. Hopefully ordering a drink came with better odds than the sign suggested. 12-07
The club became a familiar gathering place in the racetrack neighborhood. When it closed and the building was razed, the marquee escaped demolition. Santa Anita’s Pete Siberell purchased the sign and arranged its restoration for the racetrack’s own 100-to-1 Club.
UPDATE: The original bar is gone, but its restored neon found a new home at Santa Anita, where the new club opened in 2017. This piece of Arcadia history beat the odds. 10-26
 Rod's Grill (Gone)
Arcadia, CA
Photos courtesy Marilynn Hendrie
The familiar lettering and coffee-shop appearance at Rod’s Grill in Arcadia gave hungry customers a welcome straight out of an earlier era. Although redevelopment had threatened the restaurant, the busy dining room continued serving its regulars. Apparently breakfast wasn’t ready to surrender just yet. 12-07
The Arcadia location opened in 1957, becoming a longtime stop along Huntington Drive. Its teal counter stools, booths, and traditional diner layout gave the interior as much appeal as the sign outside.
The restaurant survived an earlier proposal to replace it during a neighboring dealership expansion. That reprieve allowed years of additional breakfasts, family meals, and conversations at the counter before the final closure.
 Rod's Grill
Arcadia, CA
Photos courtesy Marilynn Hendrie
Rod’s served its last meals on February 12, 2023. The familiar interior was later gutted, ending the coffee-shop setting that generations of customers had known.
An unverified tale describes a ceramic mug tapping against the counter after hours, followed by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Really? Perhaps one regular still expected a refill.
UPDATE: Rod’s Grill has closed, and its former space now houses Blue Magpie, a Taiwanese restaurant that opened in June 2025. The building received another dining chapter, although Rod’s old interior is gone. 10-26
|
 La Parisienne (Gone)
Glendora, CA
Photo courtesy Marilynn Hendrie
The marquee at La Parisienne gave Glendora a roadside greeting with a little French flavor. Fortunately, hungry motorists didn’t need a passport to investigate what was cooking. 12-07
Among the Valley’s taco stands, burger counters, and coffee shops, the name offered a different dining invitation. For sign hunters, the lettering supplied its own reason to slow down and look before dinner entered the discussion.
An unverified tale describes a wine cork popping after dark, followed by faint violin music from the quiet restaurant frontage. Really? Perhaps an unseen guest had arranged a particularly late reservation.
UPDATE: La Parisienne closed sometime prior to 2011 and is now Max’s Mexican Cuisine. 10-26
 Larry's Chili Dog
Burbank, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Here are a couple of shots of the neon at Larry's Chili Dog in Burbank. The lit up sign is quite a sight. Best of all, the little doggie tail wags. Many thanks to Adriene Biondo for info. 03-08
The walk-up stand opened in 1953, and the dog has been part of its identity since the beginning. His comfortable pose turns a food advertisement into a character worth remembering, especially when the animated tail gets going.
Chili dogs and breakfast burritos give customers reasons to stop beyond the sign. There’s also a television connection: Larry’s appeared in “The Search,” a seventh-season episode of The Office. A roadside stand with a performing dog and a screen credit certainly has more than lunch to recommend it.
 Larry's Chili Dog
Burbank, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
An unverified tale describes faint scratching and puppy-like whimpering coming from the sign after closing. True story? Perhaps the fellow finally wanted to climb out of that bun.
UPDATE: Larry’s Chili Dog remains open on Burbank Boulevard, continuing a neighborhood tradition that began in 1953. Its dachshund marquee remains a memorable attraction for visitors with an appetite for food or old roadside signs. 10-26
|
|
