BALTIMORE — A bittersweet day for longtime patrons, staff, and barflies in Fells Point.
Where worn bar stools, cozy tables, and vintage memorabilia were all up for grabs during the final hours of a local restaurant with worldwide reach — Bertha's Mussels.
WATCH: Bittersweet farewell as Bertha's Mussels closes after 50 years in Fells Point
"People want a bit of Bertha, so they come and get it today," said Bertha's Mussels owner Tony Norris.
It was a last hurrah with friends and local musicians playing songs like "Eat Bertha's Mussels" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" to kick off a final estate sale, with all proceeds going to the owners, Tony and Laura Norris.
"Everybody loves junk," Tony Norris said. "I'm sort of fond of it myself, so we ended up with a lot of it, and unfortunately, I don't have space to keep it at all at home anymore, so we had to pass it on."
The restaurant closed for good in the fall of 2023 when negotiations with a private buyer fell through.
Tony Norris is saying it's a hard day, but one filled with promise.
"It's a bit bittersweet because we've met so many people here, and it's been our life for all these years," Tony Norris said. "It's sweet because we're taking a break, and we're old enough to concentrate on our music."
People arrived early to line up for a bit of Fells Point history that means so much to so many people.
"I rolled up at 8 a.m., so I was the second person in line at 8 a.m., if you can believe that," said patron Margaret Mills.
"There's a lot of folks here, I think, that just have been so in love with this, and they just want to have them at home, which that's the category I fall into."
Laura Norris saying the turnout and the goodbyes, making a beautiful end to 50 years in Baltimore.
"In one way I'm really enjoying it," Laura Norris said. "In another way, the kind of closure of 50 years of our life is sad, but I'm taking pictures of people going out with big smiles and their trophies. So, the memories will continue, hopefully."
Officially the end of an era but making way for new memories.
The building will be sold at auction later in the week.
