Our Story
The Ballywhack Shack opened as a walk-up window on Mill Street in 2019. Our popularity allowed us to expand into a second location on Commerce Street in 2024. Our community-centric values are present at each location, where our goal has always been to provide a friendly and fun environment while remaining as local & sustainable as possible.
With the addition of the Café, we can accommodate an indoor and outdoor experience overlooking the historic Town of Occoquan. Here we offer original fresh-made sandwiches, paninis, and locally roasted coffee drinks, and share a porch space with our neighbors the Golden Plum bakery.
Our original Shack location offers a more limited menu of specialty split-grilled, all-beef hot dogs, Taylor Pork Roll sandwiches, and seasonal specials (including lobster rolls) along with our fan-favorite organically flavored Italian sodas, lemonades, iced teas, and espresso drinks.
Our Owner
Sherry Mangas fell in love with the town of Occoquan when she started working for the Blue Arbor Café in 2007. It started as a joyful respite during her long-tenured career in the IT and government contracting management fields but it quickly became apparent that Sherry loves the opportunity to exercise her creative instincts, interact with customers, and has a natural zest for the foodservice industry. For 10 years Sherry honed her skills as a manager at the former Blue Arbor Cafe. After the Blue Arbors closing the stars aligned when a little lemonade stand in the center of town became available. Here she opened the original Ballywhack Shack in the summer of 2019.
Taking exceptional pride in her craft and community, the love that she has poured into her food, patrons, and town has been reciprocated in the form of a loyal customer base and a popular demand to open a second location with indoor seating. Sherry pays homage to favorites from the Blue Arbor while adding personal touches and creating new classics of her own; inspired by her family’s Pennsylvania Dutch traditions and her many summers spent “down the shore” in southern New Jersey.
Our Community
Originally an 18th-century mill town on the Occoquan River, historic Occoquan, VA is a charming restored artist community on the water, brimming with attractions, neighborhood shops, small businesses, and scenic parks, making it one of Virginia's best small-towns and lovable getaways. Located just south of the Washington DC beltway.
Our “Ballywhack” name is derived from the creek that travels along Tanyard Hill Road, under the streets of the historic town, and into the awaiting Occoquan River. The Cafe is conveniently located at the entrance of town on Commerce Street, directly off of 123 and just north of I-95. Mill Street is located at the heart of the town, making the Shack’s location ideal for a quick eats stop on a day enjoyed exploring and shopping.