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New York Eateries

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former Red Apple Rest
Southfields, NY
The Red Apple Rest opened in 1931. The cafeteria was a popular stop for buses headed to/from New York City. These photos are from 2005. The restaurant closed in 2006 and the building was condemned shortly thereafter. By 2010, the giant apple on the roof had disappeared. In 2023, about half of the building was demolished. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. [map]

Texas Hot
Wellsville, NY		 Lucille's [gone]
Lake George, NY
The Texas Hot opened in 1921. The neon sign was built in 1930. The façade is covered with green vitrolite. Inside, there are stools along a counter, 16 wooden booths, and a tin ceiling. The restaurant's name refers to their famous hot dogs smothered with sauce. [map]

Lucille's seafood restaurant had a ship-like façade. These photos are from 2001. The sign and building are now gone.

Rudy's
Oswego, NY
Rudy's opened in the mid-1940s as a small stand. It has expanded to a larger building over the years with tables inside and picnic tables overlooking Lake Ontario. They are open March to September and specialize in seafood/fast food and their own Texas Hot Sauce. [map]

Papaya King
86th St. [gone]
New York, NY		 Papaya King
14th St. [gone]
New York, NY
Papaya King started in 1932 as Hawaiian Tropical Fruits, serving only tropical drinks. The restaurant added frankfurters in 1939 which became the main attraction. In the early 1960s, the name was changed to Papaya King. These signs were built in 1964 by LaSalle Sign Corp. In 2023, this 86th St. location moved across the street and the neon tubing was removed from the sign. The building will be demolished. For more, see this website.

There was another location on St. Marks Pl. which closed in 2017. There have been many locations over the years, including one in Baltimore, one in Miami, and one in Clifton, NJ.

Papaya King uses the slogan "the one and only" in recognition of their competitor Gray's Papaya (no photo). Gray's also sells fruit drinks and hot dogs. The chain was established in 1973. There were at least three locations. The original, Broadway location is the only one left now. For more, see this website. [map]

Katz's Delicatessen
New York, NY

Katz's Delicatessen was established in 1888 as Iceland Brothers. The exterior neon sign is believed to be from the 1930s. There are several neon "skeleton" signs inside the restaurant. Katz's is famous for its salami, pastrami, corned beef and other Jewish deli staples. The interior walls are covered with celebrity photos, reviews and other memorabilia. The food is served cafeteria style with a unique ticket system. For more, see this website. [map]

More New York:
Clam Bar at Napeague (Amagansett)
Junior's (Brooklyn)
Nathan's Famous (Brooklyn) [map]
Donuts Delite (Rochester)

New York
Drive-ins		 New York
Ice Cream		 Eateries Main Page