From Mexican restaurant at 960 Las Tunas Blvd. in San Gabriel, CA.
Text: "BEEG THEEK STEAKS / MEXICAN FOOD"
Category
Signs
Made/Created
Date made
circa 1950 - 1959
Dimensions
Height
106 in
Width
19 ft
Depth
1 ft
Dimension Notes
STEAKS section is 9' long and figure section is 10' long.
20 amps.
Transformers:
3/15k
4/9k
1/6k
Interpretative Labels
Label
El Gordo Mexican Restaurant
1950s
Gift of Camarena Contractors, Inc.
Restored by Jim Dahlia of Golden State Neon
The home of famous “Beeg Theek Steaks,” the El Gordo restaurant sign is one of America’s many midcentury racial-stereotype neon signs. A Mexican man is featured between two saguaro cacti atop a burro. The figure wears sandals, a sombrero, and a serape, and holds a guitar in one hand while raising another to the sky. Look closely and you may note an artist’s error: the hand-painted sign background reveals two right hands.
The El Gordo restaurant sign was saved from the San Gabriel, CA restaurant while its building was rapidly being demolished. A museum volunteer rushed to its aid and the sign was donated, then restored.
