Albany's South End institution Lombardo's is serving its last meals on Monday.

The restaurant has been a fixture in the neighborhood for nearly a century and is the last remaining business pre- Gov. Rockefeller.

On Monday, customers and a local historian reacted to losing the restaurant.

"We have friends coming to dinner tonight and they've come every year for 40 years on New Year's Eve," said Pat Bulgaro, South End historian, whose grandparents lived one block down from Lombardo's.

And that was common for many of the customers who stopped by for the restaurant's final day.

"I've come to Lombardo's on and off probably for over 20 years," said Marita Jadlos of Melrose.

"[I've] probably [been coming here for] about 30 years," said Joe Herbst of Schodack.

"You'd come here with your parents didn't you?" Rose Herbst of Schodack said.

"Yeah," said Joe Herbst.

"So probably 50 years?" said Rose Herbst.

"Yeah, probably longer," said Joe Herbst.

Bulgaro has watched the neighborhood change. He said it used to be lined with Italian bakeries, restaurants and other businesses, with people constantly coming and going, but now it's changed.

"It's been sad and hard to watch, this neighborhood was a very thriving part of the city at one point," Bulgaro said.

Jadlos said it's hard to see history erased.

"Well, when you're in Albany, and it's so historical, it's really big news [that a place like this is closing,]" said Jadlos.

Bulgaro explained that the change really happened when the Empire State Plaza construction got underway, forcing thousands of Italian-American immigrants out of the South End.

"When the South Mall was proposed by Gov. Rockefeller, they tore down 98 acres of housing, 350 businesses were closed, 2,700 families were forced to move out of the area, so the customer base disappeared," Bulgaro said.

Kathy Secor said it's unfortunate to see small businesses leave since she believes downtown is going through another Renaissance. 

"I think the city's coming back, really, there's a lot more people living downtown and everything now," said Kathy Secor of Schodack. "And it's a shame to have the restaurants closing up at a time when people are starting to move back to the city to live and spend a lot of their time."

Jadlos said she had to get to the restaurant one last time.

"When my friend Mark told me that this was the last day Lombardo's was going to be open, it was like, 'We've gotta go there for lunch!'" said Jadlos.

And there was another common theme — everyone loves Lombardo's food.

"I mean, the food was good, we didn't say that [yet!]" Bulgaro said.

"Every time I eat Italian I always, I tend to get the same thing, always, always, always, always," said one local resident who grew up in the South End. "I don't care what I might have in my mind, I'm gonna always get the baked ziti."

Their favorite dishes?

"Veal and peppers," said Joe Herbst.

"Veal and peppers," said Rose Herbst.

"Any veal dish," said Kathy Secor.

"Veal parm[esan]," said Mark Secor.

The hardest thing to swallow?

"This was a place where Italians went to eat Italian food," Bulgaro said. "You don't get more authentic than that."

Lombardo's was sold to the Mancino family back in 1991. The Mancinos put the restaurant, along with several other properties they own, on the market in 2011. 

Spectrum News went to Lombardo's on Monday, but the restaurant declined a request to take video or do interviews of its last day inside.