New eateries open at Gunston Plaza

In the past few months, two new restaurants have opened at Lorton-based Gunston Plaza, and a third has a signed a lease for a vacant space at the shopping center.

On Jan. 28, Rana Café opened next to the Food Lion grocery store. The café, which was bustling with customers on a recent rainy afternoon, specializes in Middle Eastern desserts like Om Ali (Egyptian bread pudding) and Basbousa (semolina cake), specialty coffees and juices, and other pastries and beverages.

Owner Rania Barsoom, who previously worked in the food service industry with her brother at Jerusalem Mediterranean Restaurant in Falls Church, said she likes the Gunston Plaza location because it’s convenient to her other place of employment. She hopes to introduce outdoor seating at Rana Cafe in time for summer, if she can get authorization to do so.

Customers hang out at Rana Cafe on a rainy day.

Rana Café is located at 7756A Gunston Plaza and is open Mondays through Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 9 p.m.

Just a short walk from the café, America’s Best Wings opened at 7742 Gunston Plaza on Jan. 26. The Lorton franchise offers a wide range of dishes, including hand-slaughtered Zabiha Halal organic buffalo chicken wings, Cajun-inspired grilled fish or shrimp, and freshly made salads. The restaurant is open Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

One more restaurant is slated to open at the shopping center. According to a site plan from Rosenthal Properties, Sushi Queen has leased 4,000 square feet of space at 7730 Gunston Plaza. Sushi Queen’s original location in Sterling, Virginia is described as “an all-you-can eat Japanese restaurant,” with sushi being the most popular item.

Specialty Rolls from Sushi Queen's Sterling, Virginia location (Credit: Sushi Queen)

An employee at the Sterling restaurant confirmed the opening of a second location in Lorton but said he wasn’t sure about the timeframe.