By Helena Tavares Kennedy | Photos by Mark Gilvey
The green décor and clover leaves definitely shout out Irish pub, but what makes Preston’s Pub in Manassas Park unique is the 20 taps behind the bar that go beyond Irish beer, as well as hearty comfort- food like burgers and shepherd’s pie. It’s no wonder to customers why the restaurant was named the 2019 Business of the Year by the City of Manassas Park.
Opened in March 2018, Preston’s Pub is owned by Sean McNamara and his mother, Judy McNamara. Judy also owns the Mainstreet Pub in Clifton, which has been there since 2008, but the Manassas Park pub was a true family venture. Sean’s sister, Katie, is general manager too, so the whole family is involved. Judy even moved down the street from the pub, so she can be on location and help ensure customers and employees are happy.
While it took five years of looking for the perfect location and then two months of renovations, a new floor, ceilings, fixtures, kitchen re-set up and other work, Sean was happy when the pub was finally completed, so they could open their family business.
Sadly, one family member wasn’t able to be there for the grand opening. Sean’s father, who shared his middle name of Preston, passed away just a few months before the restaurant opened. Sean’s father was able to see about 90% of the build out, and they pay homage to him above the bar with his favorite Jack
Daniels and wood sign that says, “Smile if you aren’t wearing any underwear.”
“Family is very important to us,” said Sean. “We treat everyone like family, and we want to be a venue for community building. We’ve always been a family that loves being around people; we are all extroverts. We love food, we love drinks and we love people.”
One customer, Joe Sweeney, feels the family love and said, “With the warm staff and family- friendly atmosphere, it’s become our own local Cheers. Almost everyone knows everyone’s name, and the staff knows your favorite order.”
Comfort Food for the Whole Family
Being a family business, Preston’s menu reflects their family recipes and comfort food. “We have great food because of Sean and Katie,” said Judy. “They are very bright about the food.”
Preston’s Pub makes its own crab cakes every day, and one of the most popular items on the menu is their homemade, family recipe of Sweet Tea Fried Chicken. It’s an 8-ounce chicken breast marinated in sweet tea, onions, lemons and other seasonings for 24 hours before it is breaded and cooked.
The pub’s burgers are also very popular among customers, including the mac and cheese burger, which has fried mac and cheese piled high on a burger to combine two comfort foods in one. The pub also offers a different special every night of the week with a pizza night, cheeseburger night, taco night and more.
“The menu offers a variety of items depending on your taste,” said Sweeney. “There’s always something tasty to order, whether it’s an appetizer or a meal.”
Some menu items are based on the season, too. During the summer and fall when it’s warm outside, the pub serves cucumber salad, which is one of Judy’s mother’s recipes. “Katie comes up with most specials every month, and Sean is great about thinking about what menu items can be made with basic ingredients,” said Judy. “Both are very good cooks.”
Keep an eye out for fun food items during certain holidays too. For example, Cinco de Mayo brings
a taco bar with corned beef tacos for their own spin on it. Katie is the creative genius behind the
monthly and season specials as well as the special events they host.
“I love to eat, and I love to cook,” said Katie. “My ideas for specials usually come from a recipe I find online for my own home cooking that I really like. I then try to recreate it for the restaurant but with my own twist on it.”
What’s on tap?
With 20 taps always available, customers have a plethora to choose from for their beers. Some are always there like Harp, Guinness, Bud light, Miller light, PBR and Stella, but others will change. There might be summer beers in the summer or different local breweries depending on their availability, but with 20 taps, there is plenty to choose from.
What makes Preston’s Pub even more special is the amazing staff and consistency. “We take care of customers and employees,” said Sean. “We consider all of them like family. Our employees want to take care of customers, so they come back, our business stays open, and they all have jobs.”
“We would like you to come and try our food and meet you,” said Sean, Katie, and Judy, who often host spirit nights for the local Manassas Park public schools as well as Bingo nights, cornhole game nights and more. “We should all help each other and build each other up,” said Katie, who organizes all the events
at Preston’s Pub.
The pub is open for lunch and dinner and closes at midnight. You can dine inside or on the patio outside during nice weather.
You can also contact Katie to book a party there or ask about catering for events. For commuters in a rush, call ahead for to-go orders, or use Uber Eats or Door Dash for food delivery.
Want more information about Preston’s Pub? Visit 9103 Andrew Drive in Manassas Park or online at prestonspub.com. Or call 703-686-4191.
Helena Tavares Kennedy (hkennedy@princewilliamliving.com), a longtime Prince William County resident is a freelance writer, editor, and communications consultant.
