Entry No. 26 — the Spokane file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Mary Lou's Milk Bottle
A 38-foot-tall white milk bottle towers over the Garland Avenue sidewalk, built in 1935 as a beacon for the Benewah Creamery dairy and now operating as an old-school diner serving burgers and famous huckleberry shakes. It's one of a pair of giant Benewah milk-bottle buildings that became Spokane icons. A 2011 fire heavily damaged the interior, but the iconic bottle survived and it was restored and reopened within about a year, running ever since. You order under the giant bottle and eat in a cozy retro counter space.
The story
If you were selling raw milk and butter in 1935, you didn't buy a billboard—you built a 38-foot-tall plaster milk bottle right on the sidewalk. Benewah Creamery erected this monster on Garland Avenue as mimetic architecture designed to stop drivers in their tracks. It worked. It became one of a matching pair of giant dairy beacons in Spokane, defining the neighborhood long after Benewah stopped bottling.
The building's luck almost ran out in 2011 when a disastrous fire gutted the interior. The steel-and-stucco bottle shell held fast, surviving the blaze while the inside was charred to the studs. A year-long restoration brought back the compact diner layout, marrying the historic 1930s shell with Mary Lou's long-standing local ice cream operation. You are essentially eating lunch inside a restored piece of Great Depression advertising art.
What it's like
You'll see the towering white bottleneck rising over Garland Avenue before you find parking. Inside, space is tight: a row of counter stools and a few retro booths, meaning you'll likely rub shoulders with locals during the lunch rush. You order classic diner fare at the counter—homemade burgers and cheap sandwiches—but the unnegotiable move here is a thick huckleberry milkshake made from house ice cream. If the counter is full, be prepared to wait a few minutes for a stool to open up.
The move: Split a huckleberry milkshake under the 38-foot bottle, then stroll the vintage Garland District shops and the old Garland Theater.
📍 Before you go It's a working diner with limited counter seating; cash-friendly, affordable, and busiest at lunch. Check current hours before a late visit.
- 📍 Spokane (Garland District)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 802 W Garland Ave, Spokane, WA 99205
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Midnight Movies at The Garland Theater — Double down on 20th-century Garland District architecture by pairing your shake with a movie at this 1945 neighborhood cinema just a few doors down.
- Jodi's Broom Closet — Walk off your burger by taking a short stroll to this genuine witch shop tucked into the nearby theater block.
- The Childhood Express (Giant Red Wagon) — Keep the giant-object theme going with a short drive south to Riverfront Park to see Spokane's 27-foot steel-and-concrete Radio Flyer wagon.
Good to know
Why is the building shaped like a milk bottle?
It was built in 1935 as a storefront for Benewah Creamery. During the 1930s, novelty roadside architecture was popular for drawing in automobile traffic by building structures shaped like the product sold inside.
Is the building original after the 2011 fire?
Yes. While the interior suffered heavy fire damage in 2011, the 38-foot exterior bottle shell survived structurally intact and was fully restored before reopening in 2012.
What is the signature item to order?
The huckleberry milkshake, made with ice cream produced by Mary Lou's local dairy operation, paired with a classic diner burger.
Is there a lot of seating inside?
No. It is a tiny, old-school counter-and-booth diner, so expect tight quarters and potential waits during peak weekend and lunch hours.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · spokesman.com · Atlas Obscura · Yelp · spokanehistorical.org
last checked: 2026-06-24