Happy 60th, Duda's!
Today, Duda's Tavern (1600 Thames St.) is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The Fells Point corner pub has been open since 1949. In honor of the occasion, owners Antoinette and John Flury are throwing a birthday bash today.
The party, which starts at noon, will feature $.60 Miller and Pabst drafts, as well as various rotating beer specials over the course of the afternoon. Nice!
I called Antoinette (her parents opened the place) and talked to her about what the bar and the neighborhood were like back in the day ...
"When we first started, the ships docked across the street," she said. "It was nothing but industry. You had a huge warehouse where DuClaw is now. ... We had trains coming down Bond Street and Thames Street. You had a lot of shot-and-a-beer bars."
One big difference about the clientele is the cussing, she said.
"The expression 'cuss like a sailor' and all that -- you hear these young ones doing more cussing than the sailors did," she said.
Happy birthday, Duda's. Here's to many more!
I've been The Baltimore Sun's nightlife and local entertainment reporter for a couple years, and it's surprising how much the scene has grown in that time. Most of Baltimore's bars and clubs are unpretentious places with fairly cheap drinks and plenty of character. I like dancing and think this city needs more clubs, but nothing beats having a cold, locally brewed beer with friends in a comfortably full corner bar.
Comments
Love the place. Excellent beer selection and some of the best burgers in town.
Posted by: Ryan Graham | October 25, 2009 11:51 AM
I [d]ucking love that place. (oops)
Posted by: Rich B | October 25, 2009 9:17 PM