Rockridge has no shortage of restaurants and bars, but few carry the history of George & Walt’s. For generations of Rockridge residents, the establishment has been more than a bar—it’s been a neighborhood living room.
The family-run business traces its roots back three generations to 1931, when Walt Trueb opened Trueb’s Café near what is now the Rockridge BART station (family lore has it that Walt sold bootleg whisky out the back door). The family bought the empty lot at 5455 College Avenue in 1945 and opened a year later.
Gayle Olsen on College Avenue in the early 1940s, pictured on left around age 5. The original coffee chop, close to BART, is pictured on right. Photos courtesy of Barbara Stelzried.
Nearly a century later, his great-granddaughter Barbara Stelzriede continues to run the business. Along the way, the bar has marked several milestones—95 years since the original café opened, 80 years at its present site, and several decades since its transformation into a sports bar in 1989.
Barbara and her sister, Sandy, treasure all the memories — like great-grandpa Walt running the kitchen and doing all the cooking for the restaurant — even cutting food into little pieces for his grand- and great-grandchildren. Barbara says the landmark’s longevity owes much to the business savvy and determination of her mother, Gayle Olson.
Gayle maintained the core of their Americana menu while accommodating the growing business. She removed a wall to expand the establishment in 1989, creating a full bar and opening up the space to embrace the light from the large front windows.
During the ’90s, Barbara handled the books and trained as a backup bartender. When she unexpectedly needed to step in, she became the establishment’s first female bartender—a surprise for many regulars. According to Barbara, they shouted, “It’s a girl!” when they saw her mixing drinks.
A Sports Bar for Everyone
Sports drive business at George & Walt’s, so when Barbara’s brother suggested they accept a promotional offer from DirectTV promising football for free, they went with it. They now have every single package displaying various sports on their 12 high-tech TVs.
The bar became a Green Bay Packers hangout when they somehow showed up on a “PackersEverywhere.com” website. Their games filled the place every Sunday. The back lounge is set up for group viewing, surrounded by various team pennants. The A’s commanded several of the screens. Warriors playoffs broke records for the bar with triple the normal crowd — Klay Thompson and Ricky Henderson have both made appearances. Soccer, or football to most of the world, has joined the rotation of games on display.
Now, it’s the Valkyries that are bringing in regular customers. Groups of women come in to watch the new franchise, WNBA regular-season games, and Rival competitions. Barbara’s daughter and granddaughter are athletes, spurring their mother’s devotion to women’s sports.
Bar manager Norma has developed a special Valkyries shot—Tito’s with grape Kool-Aid, lemon juice, triple sec, and a dash of simple syrup. Barbara thinks sports have helped women feel comfortable coming in to George & Walt’s. “I believe in a woman being able to walk in a bar and not be bothered. We make certain everyone is treated with respect.”
Weathering the Challenges
The establishment had to contend with opening and closing three times during the pandemic. They adjusted their takeout and seating as restrictions shifted and lifted. “They all came back,” remarked Barbara, noting how fortunate they are to still be in business. “The only reason we made it through Covid is because we own the property and don’t have a rent payment.”
Neighborhood security has always been a priority. They’ve been robbed several times since Covid, twice while the business was open, forcing them to switch from cash-only to credit. “I am grateful my father planted our safe in cement,” Barbara notes. Despite that, criminals were eventually able to steal the safe, but fortunately were unable to open it.
In true communal fashion, her daughter’s friendship with the police captain’s daughter helped locate the unmarked safe and retrieve the documents inside. Adding cameras, more secure cash handling, and better communication with the police have become part of their daily practices. “We are responsible for each other,” says Barbara.
George & Walt’s also looks out for the larger community. The Alameda County Food Bank, Barbara’s passion, is a frequent recipient of the business’s fundraisers. Barbara initially collected change found on the floor for donation. “People show up with bags of pennies; they really want to help,” Barbara reflects. Some customers have confided in her that their families once depended on the Food Bank.
Their Pennies for the Food Bank promotion has raised thousands of dollars for the nonprofit. They have also raised money for World Central Kitchen and supported neighborhood fundraising activities for those in need.
The business has enabled Barbara to raise five children. Some of her children worked in the place when they were old enough, filling in when home from college. Bartending helped her son finance his engineering degree, and her daughter earn her degree in psychotherapy. Some of the 14 employees brought family members into the business, making a true family affair.
Family and friends fortunate enough to glimpse the large, enclosed backyard will see mementos of a past life. The horseshoe hoops for Gayle’s games are still in place. A giraffe light sculpture dumped by the Oakland Zoo now presides over the lawn. Vivid murals by employees keep the giraffe company on the wall. Pushback from the current neighbors over the backyard fence have prevented them from expanding into the outdoor space.
For now, she’ll continue to add specials to the menu items with affordable prices while welcoming everyone to enjoy a safe, festive, and friendly environment. The future? “A big celebration this December,” Barbara proudly says, to mark 80 years at the current location.
Through decades of change—from the rise and fall of businesses along the avenue, to the challenges of the pandemic, robberies, and shifting tastes—George and Walt’s endured. “I love the history,” Barbara says wistfully, as she looks to carry the bar’s legacy into another decade.
