When Monroe Udell opened his ice cream shop in 1956, it was a modest storefront. But in the 1960s, Udell expanded by opening up the back dining room and began collecting American antiques and memorabilia. More than 800 license plates currently line the walls of this beloved restaurant (the earliest a 1911 plate from Pennsylvania), and guests are always bringing in more to add to the collection. Though Udell died in 2014 at age 86, his venture remains ever popular with families lined out the door late on summer nights. Among the antiques are old telephones, a photo of Ronald Reagan in the 1950s from an issue of LIFE magazine, and Udell's favorite: a gramophone built in the 1920s from an English dance hall. All of this is fun to peruse as you sit in the same metal cafe chairs Udell bought more than 50 years ago and savor the best banana split you've ever had.