Popular Seafood Restaurant closes after 50 years of business
After 51 years of serving the Fells Point community, Bertha’s Mussels closed its doors for the last time on Monday, as shared by owner and co-founder Tony Norris.
This iconic Fells Point establishment had become a symbol of Baltimore’s dining scene. Its dedicated customers proudly displayed the ‘Eat Bertha’s Mussels’ bumper stickers on various items during their travels, even in distant places like the Great Wall of China and the South Pole.
The Norris family had previously announced their decision to close the restaurant on social media last year, mentioning plans to auction off the building through Alex Cooper’s auction house. However, the auction was unexpectedly halted when bids exceeded $1 million.
With the closure of Bertha’s, Norris is transitioning into his retirement phase.
The once bustling late-night spot, Bertha’s, saw a decline in its patronage. The once-popular bar seldom stayed open late and faced challenges attracting customers for lunch and dinner, as noted by O’Connell.
Established in 1972, the bar was a cornerstone of the once affordable and slightly rough “foot of Broadway”, now recognized as Fells Point.
The establishment extended around the adjacent Brightside Boutique and had an unused dining area on the upper floor. There was also a vacant dance studio and a storage space, which, as per an earlier Banner article, might be haunted.
While many regulars expressed a desire to keep the spirit of Bertha’s alive, other local restaurateurs didn’t show much interest in taking the reins.
