Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha
Chef Tim Hontzas with loyal customer Harold Hunt, who gets the catfish every time.
When Alabama Tourism announced the state’s new Catfish Trail, featuring more than 50 destinations connected to one of Alabama’s most iconic foods, one Homewood restaurant made the list.
The long-celebrated Johnny’s Restaurant will be a featured stop.
For owner Tim Hontzas, the recognition is both an honor and a reflection of something he has believed for years: great Southern food begins with a deep respect for the people who grow, raise and produce it.
“We’re flattered to be included,” Hontzas said. “The Catfish Trail celebrates something uniquely Alabama. We’re proud to be part of a tradition that supports local farmers, local communities and some of the best food you’ll find anywhere.”
Launched statewide on National Catfish Day, June 25, the Alabama Catfish Trail highlights restaurants, lakes, rivers, markets and attractions tied to the state’s catfish industry. The goal is to tell the larger story of catfish in Alabama, from its role at the table to its importance in the state’s economy and heritage.
Alabama ranks as the nation’s second-largest producer of farm-raised catfish, generating approximately $113 million annually and nearly 30% of the country’s supply. The industry supports more than 2,400 jobs across farming, processing and distribution.
For restaurants on the trail, legacy is a common theme. Most are family-owned establishments that have served generations of customers.
Johnny’s certainly fits that description.
Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha
Patrons at Johnny’s can see the kitchen from the dining room.
The restaurant has earned a loyal following for elevated Southern cooking prepared entirely from scratch. Guests can watch cooks working behind the open kitchen while plates of meatloaf, catfish, vegetables and seasonal specialties make their way to the dining room.
“We make every single thing from scratch, and all of our ingredients come from local suppliers,” Hontzas said. “You can buy it frozen from Vietnam for half the price, but why would you do that when you have farmers right here? Why would you serve frozen products when you have people producing great food in your own backyard?”
The commitment requires extraordinary effort, and even seemingly simple dishes require remarkable attention.
“Our meatloaf has 32 ingredients,” Hontzas said. “It takes us days to make it. But it’s worth it, especially when I hear feedback from my loyal customers.”
And just like the meatloaf, the catfish receives rapt attention.
Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha
The catfish at Johnny’s is among their popular offerings.
Johnny’s serves catfish daily, moving approximately 240 pounds each week when demand peaks, and the preparation is intentional. The fish is soaked in whole buttermilk and hot sauce, dredged in seasoned self-rising cornmeal and fried in vegetable oil until golden brown.
It’s a method rooted in Southern tradition.
“We’re not trying to reinvent catfish,” Hontzas said. “We just want to do it right for our loyal customers.”
Doing it right begins long before the fish reaches the fryer.
Hontzas is passionate about sourcing ingredients close to home whenever possible. The restaurant purchases seafood, produce and other ingredients from local farmers and suppliers throughout Alabama and neighboring states.
Supporting local producers has become part of Johnny’s identity as well as the personal story of Hontzas.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Hontzas comes from a family whose roots stretch from Greece to the Deep South. His grandfather, Johnny Hontzas, immigrated from Greece in the early 20th century, arriving in New Orleans by boat before eventually settling in Mississippi and helping bring family members to America.
The family spread throughout the South. Relatives eventually established roots in Birmingham, including connections to Niki’s West, the legendary Birmingham meat-and-three restaurant.
Food has always been central to family life.
“As a Greek kid, I didn’t really have a choice,” Hontzas said with a laugh. “That’s how we celebrated life, how we connected and how we showed people we cared about them. Being around restaurants and family meals from such an early age made it feel natural to go into the business.”
Although he earned a degree in psychology, he always found himself passionate about restaurants, and that passion was what brought him to Birmingham in 2005. He opened Johnny’s in Homewood in 2012, and he has spent the years since building a restaurant known for both quality and consistency.
The hours are long, but Hontzas would not have it any other way. “I don’t really have much of a life,” he said with a laugh. “I’m aware of that, but I love it. If I didn’t love it, there is no way I could keep doing this week after week, year after year.”
What keeps him motivated is watching customers take their first bite.
“One of my favorite things is watching people’s faces when they take their first bite,” he said. “You see that smile appear, and then you hear that one word: ‘Wow.’ Those moments make all the long hours worth it.”
The compliment he values most is when guests compare his food to meals prepared by their mothers or grandmothers. “That’s the highest compliment you can get,” he said.
Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha
Chef Tim Hontzas works alongside his sous chef, Horus Guevara.
That commitment has helped build a loyal staff as well. Chef Horus Guevara has been Johnny’s sous chef for years. “I have learned a lot about what makes good food, and Tim has been like a dad to me,” Guevara said.
Hontzas acknowledged that staffing remains one of the industry’s greatest challenges. Yet he credits his team for helping maintain the standards customers have come to expect.
The restaurant has also become known for memorable moments beyond the food.
Hontzas recalled when Chris Hastings, owner of the renowned Hot and Hot Fish Club, ran into the kitchen choking on a chicken bone. Without hesitation, Hontzas performed the Heimlich maneuver.
“It was scary for a minute, but the bone flew from his mouth,” Hontzas said. “Just another day in the restaurant business.”
The story has become part of Johnny’s lore, one of countless moments shared between Hontzas and his customers.
Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha
Chef Tim Hontzas chats with Courtney King during lunch.
Courtney King, a banker with Trustmark, is a frequent diner. He believes Johnny’s stands apart because of its attention to detail. “The meat-and-three concept is familiar in the South, but what Tim does with it is unlike anywhere else. And he does it every day,” King said.
Harold Hunt, 93, agrees. “The catfish here is better than anywhere else. I can’t say it’s better than my wife’s,” he said with a mischievous grin. “But it is.”
Beyond the food, Hontzas says Homewood itself is part of the restaurant’s success.
“Homewood feels like home,” he said. “The community supported us from the beginning. They welcomed us in and have stuck with us, even through the pandemic.”
That connection mirrors the broader purpose of the Alabama Catfish Trail. The initiative celebrates not only catfish but also the people and communities that sustain Alabama’s food traditions.
For Hontzas, being selected as Homewood’s lone trail representative validates years of hard work, local sourcing and devotion to Southern cooking.
Yet he insists the recognition belongs to more than just Johnny’s.
“The recognition is about the farmers who supply us with fresh ingredients,” he said.
As Alabama Tourism shines a spotlight on one of the state’s most beloved foods, visitors traveling the Catfish Trail will discover what Homewood diners have known for years: at Johnny’s, catfish is not simply a menu item.
It is a tradition, a craft and a connection to the people who make Alabama’s food culture one of a kind.
