Luna Cafe
201 E. Chain of Rocks Road, Mitchell, Illinois
phone: 618-931-3152
The cafe was built in 1924, two years prior to the establishment of Route 66. It is rumored to have been frequented by gangsters like Al Capone. The Luna did operate as a cafe on the main floor, but had a gambling operation in the basement and a house of ill repute upstairs. The neon sign out front, still standing, has a cherry which used ruby glass to enhance its red glow. It is said that if the cherry was lit, the girls were in. At one time, the cafe was a “fine dining establishment” and so expensive that most law-abiding citizens could not afford to eat there. The Luna is now a working man’s bar frequented by locals. There is an ongoing effort to have the neon sign restored to its former glory.
Hours: Sunday – Friday 8 am – 1 am, Saturdays 8 am – 3 am.
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The sign has been restored and looks amazing!!
[...] Luna Cafe neon sign restoration, Mitchell, Ill. ($11,000 grant, $11,000 match) — The Luna Cafe in Mitchell was built in 1926, the same year Route 66 was commissioned as a highway. With over 85 years of continuous service, the Luna has reportedly had many famous visitors including Al Capone, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Sr. and Ike & Tina Turner. Local memory recalls it serving variously as a cafe, piano bar, boarding house, brothel, upscale restaurant, and meeting spot for gangsters. The neon sign with its iconic ruby-red cherries lit up the night for over 40 years before going dark in the 1990s. The Missouri and Illinois Route 66 associations are partnering with the owner of the Luna to oversee the restoration of the sign. [...]