If you’re looking for a casual, family-friendly restaurant in Manassas that offers a menu that features Italian and a variety of other cuisines, consider visiting Il Faro. It is located at 7845 Sudley Road, where Mama Mia used to be. Il Faro, which means lighthouse in Spanish, opened on July 26.
One could say it was fate that the restaurant came to be. The owners, Jorge Contreras and Edin Lopez, who went to the same elementary school in Guatemala, bumped into each other at an apartment complex in Falls Church.
“As a coincidence, Jorge recognized me, even though we hadn’t seen each other since 5th grade.”, Lopez explained. They became friends and talked about opening a restaurant, as they both worked as cooks at various restaurants in the D.C. area.
“One day Jorge called me and said that Mama Mia closed after the owner retired and that we should consider opening it back up,” said Lopez. “We decided to have our main focus on Italian food since people are familiar with that from Mama Mia. We wanted to give our customers a family-oriented experience and bring the feeling of eating in Italy.”
In addition, Mexican, Greek, and American dishes are on the menu. Their vision became a reality when the restaurant opened in July.
“All of our food is made from scratch, from meatballs, pasta, sauces, salad dressings, and desserts. We’d rather sacrifice profits and deliver better quality to the customer,” explained Contreras.
The seafood bucatini pasta dish is one of their specialties, and the pizza al pastor, with pineapple, roasted pork, bacon, and jalapenos. Another specialty pizza dish is the meat affair, a meat lover’s pizza with Italian sausage, chorizo, tomato, basil, and Aleppo pepper.
Their hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. -10 p.m. They are closed on Sunday.
