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Illinois Eateries (page 1)

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Bert's Chuck Wagon
Collinsville, IL

2010:
2012:
Bert's Chuck Wagon opened here in 1963. It took over the former Chuck Wagon restaurant and switched the BBQ menu to Tex-Mex. The sign was originally located on a pole next to the building. In 2010, the restaurant was forced to move to a new location due to road expansion. This A-frame building was demolished. The sign was repainted and put on display inside the new location (bottom photo). By 2017, the sign was back outside, installed on the building. However, the midsection had been turned into a digital display. The building now houses the Verona Coffee Co. but what's left of the Bert's sign is still on the exterior. [map]

After this Collinsville location, approximately 14 others were built in Southern Illinois. The Fairview Heights, IL location, now Chuck Wagon Mexican Food, still has the original, similar sign. It was part of the chain but never used the Bert's name. There were locations in Centralia, Du Quoin, Edwardsville, Freeburg, Granite City, Highland, Millstadt, Mount Vernon, New Athens, Wood River, and two in Belleville which are all gone.

Lem's BBQ House
Chicago, IL
Lem's BBQ House opened here in 1953. This sign is probably from that time. These photos are from 2006. The sign was repainted around 2008. For more, see this website. [map]

Orange Garden Restaurant
Chicago, IL (now Highland Park, IL)
The Orange Garden Restaurant opened in 1924, making it the oldest Chinese restaurant in Chicago. The restaurant went by a different name until 1932. This sign was built by Flashtric and might be from then. Some say it was the oldest working neon sign in Chicago. The facade was probably from the 1940s. In 2022, the sign was sold. The sign was restored, and installed at Madame ZuZu's in Highland Park, IL. The text for "Orange Garden" was changed to Madame ZuZu's." For more, see this website. [map]

Harlo Grill
Melrose Park, IL
The Harlo Grill opened in 1953. In 2018, the business moved a block away and the pole sign was moved with it. The original building was demolished. For more, see this website. [map]

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