Photos courtesy of Aimee Castro
Jorge and Aimee Castro, who run Sol Y Luna, are opening Cantina Tortilla Grill in Homewood.
UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the relationship between Guillermo Castro and Aimee Castro. Guillermo was her brother-in-law. The Star apologizes for the error.
Birmingham-area restaurant Cantina Tortilla Grill is expanding and will join the West Homewood food scene sometime this year.
Owner Aimee Castro said her brother-in-law, Guillermo Castro, began the restaurant in 2003, following a sampling of baja fish tacos at Pepper Place. Cantina stayed at Pepper Place, along with other locations in central Alabama, until 2019.
Aimee Castro said it was always the goal to reopen when her and her husband, Jorge, found the perfect spot. That spot is the former Little London location, 162 Oxmoor Road.
Cantina Tortilla Grill is a family affair, Castro said, following the legacy of Jorge's brother, who died in 2011. Castro runs the restaurant with Jorge, she said.
“We just love it,” she said. “We love the community aspect of it.”
Homewood was a perfect spot because of its culture and people, Castro said.
“I love the neighborhood. I love how people walk and ride bikes,” she said. “The community seems to really support businesses.”
The plan is to bring most of the original menu back, along with some new offerings and changes, Castro said. The restaurant is a more casual concept than the family’s other restaurant, Sol Y Luna, Castro said. Menu offerings include the gaucho steak sandwich, quesadillas and tacos.
Castro said she is excited about the elevated patio space, and the inside space will look “cool.” It will be “Cantina 2.0,” she said.
Castro said she expects there be about 20 to 25 jobs created with the project, with a mix of full-time and part-time jobs available. The restaurant should open sometime this summer.
For more information, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page, @CantinaTortillaGrill, or their Instagram, @cantina_tortilla_grill.
