Mambo Italiano Cafe

About the Business

Specialties

Since the beginning, quality food and service has been the business. Creating a quality dining experience for our guests is something we continually strive for. We believe in house-made, handcrafted meals from scratch, with only the best quality ingredients possible. We take pride in our work and to us, Mambo is much more than a restaurant. From our family to yours, welcome to Mambo. With recipes passed down from generations, our food features classic and wholesome Italian food while also offering the essence of the northwest with fresh seafood starters and entrees. We have a passion for quality here at Mambo, so much so that we prepare all our sauces from scratch, bake all our bread and pizza dough fresh every morning, and prepare each and every dish to order.

History

Established in 2001.

Owner and Executive Chef Sam Tino is a 2nd Generation Restaurateur who grew up in an Italian restaurant. At the age of ten, he began making pizza boxes for his family's restaurant in Eugene, Oregon. In 1955, his father's business, Tino's Spaghetti House, was notably the first restaurant in Oregon to serve and sell pizza. Passion for food runs in the family, and from a young age, Sam learned that first and foremost, fresh ingredients make quality meals.

Meet the Business Owner

Business owner information

Sam T.

Business Owner

Sam's humble beginnings turned into a lifetime's work of owning a restaurant. At only twenty one years old, he continued to run the family business, as well as go on to open a total of five more throughout Eugene. His next endeavors brought him to Portland, where he worked for McCormick and Schmick's, picking up a vast knowledge of seafood along the way as a self proclaimed 'fish monger.' Before he knew it, he landed in Bellevue, Washington, managing the Black Angus Steakhouse.Sam had gained the food knowledge, but his wife, Debbie, had over 20 years of front house management under her belt. When combined, the two were destined to open a business, specifically, a restaurant. They started with Tino's in Sudden Valley for six years before selling the business and eventually moving into town. In March of 2001, Mambo Italiano Cafe was born and opened for business in the heart of historic downtown Fairhaven.