A new comfort food restaurant is heading to West Homewood. Big John Buffet plans to open this spring in the former Cantina Tortilla Grille building.
Big John Buffet taking over former Cantina location
The new restaurant will open at 162 Oxmoor Road in Homewood. The space previously housed Cantina Tortilla Grille, which closed in 2024 and left the building vacant.
Owner John Yoon now plans to transform the location into a buffet-style restaurant focused on classic Southern comfort foods.
The restaurant will sit in the West Homewood area along Oxmoor Road, a corridor known for local restaurants and neighborhood businesses.
Owner returns to Birmingham restaurant scene
Yoon brings more than 20 years of restaurant experience to the new venture. His family has worked in the restaurant industry for decades.
He previously owned Mom’s Deli and Hot Spot in the Birmingham area roughly 10–15 years ago.
After leaving Birmingham, Yoon opened a buffet restaurant in Conyers. Now, he is returning to the Magic City to launch a similar concept with Big John Buffet.
What to expect when the restaurant opens
Big John Buffet will focus on traditional Southern comfort dishes served buffet-style.
The restaurant plans to open later this spring, though an exact date has not been announced.
The team is also hiring servers ahead of the opening. Interested applicants can call 404-644-6850 for more information about job opportunities.
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