The Cotati 8 Ball Tavern, Tri-Tip Trolley Join Forces Sunday: The After Hours

ROHNERT PARK-COTATI, CA — A smoky grill, a historic bar, and Sonoma County patrons are invited to converge this weekend as new owners fire up both tradition and change in Cotati.

The fire-truck red Tri Tip Trolley will roll back into the lot at the 8 Ball Tavern this Sunday, serving gourmet tri-tip, chicken, and pork straight from the mobile kitchen.

The return comes just as the nearly nine-decade-old tavern relaunches under new management. In January, Julie LaMalfa Black, Jenafer Keys, and Audrey De Vere Hunt took over the 89-year-old bar, transforming it into a woman-led and owned business and signaling the shift with a soft-opening slogan: “The girls are calling the shots.”

Black and De Vere Hunt bring more than 30 years of bartending experience across San Francisco, Petaluma, and Cotati, and they aim to preserve the bar’s no-frills identity, while reinvigorating its community appeal, the Press Democrat reported at the time.

A staple for the local motorcycle crowd (according to what I have read and will investigate first-hand), the tavern keeps things simple: pool tables, televisions, and a steady flow of regulars. The newly reupholstered tables, easygoing atmosphere, and quick entry times continue to define the space as a quintessential hometown bar.

Outside, the Tri Tip Trolley will also be showing off. Lori and Eric Solis of Glen Ellen recently purchased the catering and event business — formerly known as TIPS Roadside Trolley — and now operate it alongside their daughters and family friend Tiffany Brown.

Eric, a general contractor, co-owns Solis Construction Co. with Lori, and the couple say they want to expand food truck catering services for private events across Sonoma and Napa counties.

Together, the returning trolley and the reimagined tavern create a dual revival — one on wheels, one behind the bar.

The After Hours is a recurring column, written by Patch Editor Angela Woodall, where she will share her opinions on all things that happen after hours. The opinions expressed are her own.