Good Signs

Somewhere in the bowels of Butchertown, beyond the stench, lies a magical place. A place where signs go to die. This is the sign graveyard's most recent offering.


Shoney's Sign!

On a recent turkey-day-trip to wild and wonderful West Virginia, I learned that Charleston, WV is the birthplace of Shoneys. In fact, I had the pleasure of dining at this establishment which was literally wedged between a Long John Silvers and a Captain Ds! There's an apparent high demand for hush puppies in the area.

The "family style" buffet was quite a bounty and I did my best not to look too close. I was on the verge of a major gross out for the duration of my visit but my strong sense of denial was once again serving me well and I wolfed down my mashed taters and veggie soup with oyster crackers without a hitch. I snapped this photo of a shrine of sorts behind the buffet. I assume this was the founder or at the very least a highly esteemed customer.


Smith's Furniture, that's who!
There were several Smith's Furniture signs and I didn't get a picture of the best one. It was the old one with a graduation cap on the owl. I wanted desperately to take it home but my annoyingly strong conscience prevented me from walking away with it. Not to mention it was too heavy.



This sign was from the Kentucky Theater which is now a Cricket cell phone store (barf). One of the ways I know Cricket is evil is that homeless people were wearing their t-shirts everywhere when they first came to town. Coincidence? I think not.














Last but not least is the Tumbleweed sign. I can't go there anymore with their American flag neckerchiefs they force those poor waiters to wear and the mediocre Tex-Mex cuisine but I remember a time when Tumbleweed didn't suck. Before they went public, when I was just a young confused lad in love with Tumbleweed's salsa. I LOVED that salsa. I would literally eat 8 to 10 bowls of it in one sitting (fer real - you can ask my dad!) The old Tumbleweed on Melwood used to have this taxidermied coyote that was all old and dusty with cobwebs all over it. Someone had placed a tortilla chip in it's forever gaping mouth.

I miss that thing.